What a peaceful life.
After retiring from frontline missions and entering the Ninja Academy, Shiraishi felt as if he was living a retired life typically enjoyed by the elderly.
Every day, besides clocking in at the Ninja Academy at 3 PM sharp, all his remaining time was his own to freely manage.
Even when he worked at the hospital, the work hours were never long. One could say that Shiraishi's current life was something many Leaf ninjas envied.
Research, walks, work, and returning home on time to rest.
Occasionally, he would go shopping with Ruri, but the number of times he saw Ayane was few and far between.
After the three of them left Sakumo's squad, they each had their own tasks to complete.
Ruri needed to work in the ANBU, responsible for the village's security and resolving civil disputes within the village.
Ayane, having already become a Jonin, and having been recognized for her potential by the Hyuga elders early on, now held an important position within the Hyuga clan.
After all, becoming the bodyguard of the future Hyuga clan head was not something an ordinary Hyuga ninja could do.
It was clear that Ayane's current status within the Hyuga clan was much higher than that of a typical Hyuga branch family ninja.
There were also significant hierarchical differences between the branch families themselves.
Given this situation, ever since leaving Sakumo's squad, Shiraishi had only seen Ayane once outside, and their conversation after meeting did not last more than five minutes.
Underground, of course, they still maintained secret contact, exchanging information.
However... what Shiraishi was most concerned about at the moment was undoubtedly the recent series of secret measures taken by the Leaf Village's higher-ups—
The Wood Style research experiment!
◎
"What plan are those Leaf Village higher-ups secretly plotting?"
This was precisely what was giving Shiraishi a headache.
On the surface, Shiraishi did not appear anxious about this. He lived in the village as a qualified Leaf ninja, following his usual routine, but inwardly, he was highly vigilant about the higher-ups' Wood Style research experiment.
Shiraishi, who had never underestimated these higher-ups, internally raised their danger level by another notch.
Shiraishi had not personally witnessed the power of Wood Style, but he had personally witnessed the terrifying power of a Tailed Beast during its rampage.
And that was just the power unleashed by the One-Tails. Whether it was in its full form at the time is debatable, but among the Tailed Beasts, the strongest is the Nine-Tails.
It was once suppressed by the First Hokage's Wood Style, which speaks volumes about the extraordinary nature of Wood Style.
The terrifying power generated by the explosion of the spherical chakra spat out by the One-Tails at that time truly startled Shiraishi.
It even made him question the profession of a ninja for a time.
Even if the Wood Style that could suppress the strongest Tailed Beast might not be on the level of the First Hokage, it should not be underestimated.
According to what the Bug Man and his group said, those strange white creatures possessed extremely strong stealth capabilities. If it weren't for their ability to sense natural energy, it would be very difficult to detect the traces of these peculiar creatures.
If the Leaf Village's higher-ups truly used Wood Style to research such special stealth units, then their purpose would be self-evident. Whether for gathering intelligence on enemy ninjas or for monitoring within the village, their observational capabilities would be several levels higher than the ANBU, making them impossible to guard against.
Shiraishi wasn't overly worried about this research being discovered. The stealth ability of these strange creatures could be sensed by natural energy.
No matter how troublesome something known is, as long as precautions are taken, there's nothing to fear.
It's the unknown that's troublesome.
How many such stealth creatures do the Leaf Village's higher-ups possess?
And where have they deployed these creatures?
What unknown plans are they secretly plotting?
Has the Uchiha clan already been infiltrated by them?
All of this is unknown.
Shiraishi had absolute confidence in his own safety, based on the premise that the Leaf Village's higher-ups had severely mistaken his intelligence. No matter what, he held the initiative, and that was the key to victory.
But this unknown, the Leaf Village's higher-ups now also possessed such a trump card.
Unknown against unknown, if a conflict suddenly erupted, things would be very troublesome.
"What a headache..."
How to break the deadlock, or at least know what the Leaf Village's higher-ups were plotting, so as not to be so passive.
He had to come up with a foolproof plan to regain the initiative.
Facing a massive military organization like a ninja village, a head-on confrontation would be hopeless.
Just as Shiraishi was vexed by this matter, Ruri had already walked down the stairs of the underground laboratory.
"When did you get back?"
"Just now."
"Is it that late already?"
Shiraishi was oblivious to the passage of time.
Ruri's working hours at the ANBU were from 9 AM to 7 PM.
She had two days off each week, which she could use for free activities and doing what she liked.
"You haven't been here agonizing over the higher-ups' plans, have you?"
"Hmm, after all, it's linked to Wood Style, and components similar to Tailed Beasts can be extracted from it. This cannot be ignored... How come you don't seem worried at all?"
Shiraishi then noticed the complete lack of worry on Ruri's face, a little surprised.
One must know that the relationship between certain higher-ups and the Uchiha was extremely strained, especially with the radical leader of Root, Danzo Shimura.
If the Third Hokage hadn't mediated, Root wouldn't have been so quiet and inactive these past few years.
"Why should I worry about such things? As long as I have the power to suppress all conspiracies and tricks, strategizing is a complete waste of time and energy. It's better to use that time and energy to improve my own strength."
"..."
That's truly her consistent power-centric way of thinking.
Thinking about it that way, Shiraishi felt like he had worried about Ruri for nothing.
"You're too fixated on the so-called truth. The old you was like this, you had to thoroughly understand the so-called truth."
"Exploring the truth is my job."
Shiraishi gave his answer.
"You're clearly lacking a sense of security."
Ruri had a look that said, 'Don't try to fool me,' her eyes seemingly able to see through the essence of all things.
"Since you understand that, why say it? It's hurtful."
Shiraishi forced a smile.
Just as he understood everything about Ruri, Ruri understood everything about him.
Such a trick could not fool her.
"Because I rarely see you looking so conflicted, it's interesting."
Ruri chuckled.
"You... you wouldn't be Ayane using a Transformation Jutsu, would you?"
Shiraishi hesitated for a moment before asking this somewhat impolite question.
Sure enough, after Ruri heard Shiraishi's words, her dark pupils suddenly fixed on him. She didn't answer him, but the chilling air slowly flowed around them.
It seemed she was the real deal.
Ayane didn't possess such a powerful and intimidating aura.
"How is the Sage Mode progressing?"
Ruri asked about the topic she cared about most.
"In the most recent experiment, the success rate of synthesizing Sage Mode chakra has steadily increased to over eighty percent. Give me another six months to a year, and it can be officially put into use."
Shiraishi gave a relatively conservative timeframe.
Ruri nodded. Six months to a year, that amount of time was perfectly acceptable to wait.
Anyway, she had plenty of free time now. As one of the squad leaders in the ANBU, most of the time she just delegated tasks to her subordinates, and only when a problem arose would she, the squad leader, step in to resolve it.
After Ruri left, Shiraishi fell into deep thought.
Indeed, just as Ruri said, instead of guessing what the Leaf Village's higher-ups were going to do, improving one's own strength would never be a loss.
"But no matter how much I improve myself in combat, I can't surpass Ruri. Her growth rate is too abnormal, and my 'strength' isn't reflected in combat..."
Discarding all training time, and dedicating all time to research besides work and rest. This was the method Shiraishi could think of.
Not just Ruri, even Ayane's growth rate in strength was only faster, not slower, than his own.
Although his own cultivation talent was not bad, compared to Ruri and Ayane, the difference could be ignored.
But both of them had the bonus of bloodline abilities. The Sharingan and Byakugan were both top-tier Kekkei Genkai in the ninja world.
This was an advantage Shiraishi did not possess.
And the power of a Kekkei Genkai, as its wielder continuously developed it, became even more terrifying.
Not to mention, both of them were geniuses to begin with.
Sacrificing his training time and dedicating all his energy to research was also a way to improve his 'strength'.
Creating 'weapons' was his job. Using 'weapons' to fight, that was Ruri and Ayane's job.
Shiraishi suddenly felt a sense of clarity, as if the clouds had parted and he saw the truth.
No one in this world is perfect.
Therefore, one needs others to complement their shortcomings, to advance together.
Compared to combat, he was more skilled in research, possessing knowledge and ideas that transcended the ninja era. This was where he was stronger than Ruri and Ayane.
Therefore, there was no need for him to strive for perfection in combat now; that was not the path he should choose.
Thinking this way, the secret machinations of the Leaf Village's higher-ups no longer seemed like such an important matter.
What was important was self-improvement.
◎
The weather in May was already quite warm.
Creatures named 'White Zetsu' had quietly infiltrated the Leaf Village.
Compared to other villages, the difficulty of infiltration into the Leaf Village was the highest among these ninja villages.
With a sensory barrier surrounding the entire village and the Byakugan that could see through physical objects, the White Zetsu were extremely careful in everything they did when infiltrating.
A total of three individuals entered, with two other White Zetsu monitoring outside the Leaf Village.
The three White Zetsu who infiltrated the Leaf Village had very clear objectives: to find out if a previously missing White Zetsu was related to the Leaf Village's higher-ups, and then to gather intelligence in the Uchiha clan compound to find the so-called 'spokesperson'.
As for what kind of personality, talent requirements, etc., the 'spokesperson' needed, the White Zetsu were not entirely clear; everything needed to be decided by their 'Lord Madara'.
However, the 'spokesperson' definitely couldn't be too old, preferably between a few years old and their teens, as that would make them easier to control.
Therefore, the Uchiha clan members they focused on monitoring were mostly young ninja in their teens, or children attending the Ninja Academy.
One was responsible for investigating the higher-ups, one for the Ninja Academy, and one for lurking in the Uchiha clan's territory. The three White Zetsu infiltrating Konoha had a very clear division of labor.
They were already adept at gathering intelligence, and even though this was the most difficult ninja village to penetrate, given enough time, they could successfully establish an intelligence network.
The White Zetsu responsible for the Uchiha clan's territory moved underground as if no one else was around.
He was like a non-existent ghost; so far, no one had discovered his movements.
Even the Uchiha clan couldn't detect his presence.
This White Zetsu was secretly pleased.
While weak combat ability was a flaw for most White Zetsu, each one possessed excellent stealth capabilities, and only a select few special sensory ninja could detect their existence.
According to the characteristics of the Uchiha clan, there were no sensory-type ninja within this clan at all.
Therefore, monitoring the Uchiha's information was the easiest task in his eyes.
It seems I can report back to Lord Madara very soon. This White Zetsu was in a very good mood.
Just as he was about to continue, a sudden chill, as if being secretly watched by some creature, made him stop his white body from moving within the soil.
He turned his head and almost screamed in fright.
A pair of pitch-black eyes suddenly squeezed out of the soil beside him, staring at him without any warning.
What is this thing?
As soon as this thought arose in the White Zetsu's mind, the surrounding soil began to squirm, contract, and become incredibly soft, like a swamp. The White Zetsu felt a suffocating pressure, and then lost consciousness.
Everything happened so suddenly that this White Zetsu didn't even get a clear look at what the enemy actually looked like.
—When he woke up, the White Zetsu found himself sitting on a stone chair, bound all over with restraints.
This was a secret room, and the light emitted by the lamps was a dim yellow, barely illuminating the room.
Standing in front of him were a boy and a girl, both around fifteen or sixteen years old.
The girl was wearing a black, tight-fitting ninja suit, with a cold expression. Just standing there, she gave him a strong sense of pressure.
The boy, on the other hand, wore a white lab coat, and was constantly scanning his body with a strange gaze that made him feel a chilling sensation.
Under the gaze of those strange eyes, the White Zetsu's body involuntarily trembled.
Although he felt that the girl was stronger, he didn't know why, but the boy seemed to be more dangerous.
This boy and girl were Shiraishi and Ruri.
"Hello, how are you?"
The White Zetsu tried to use exaggerated comedic art to lighten the cold atmosphere of the scene, and at the same time, reduce his inner tension.
Shiraishi and Ruri ignored the White Zetsu's exaggerated and deliberately comical behavior.
After the atmosphere cooled down, Shiraishi turned to Ruri and said,
"Since we've caught a live one this time, I plan to use the Spirit Transformation Jutsu to possess this guy's spiritual world and gather intelligence from within. I'll leave my body to you."
Seeing Ruri nod seriously, Shiraishi immediately formed hand seals, closed his eyes, and then his body glowed. A translucent human form, identical to Shiraishi, floated in mid-air.
This illusory human form was Shiraishi's soul.
After his soul emerged, Shiraishi ignored the White Zetsu's continuous struggles and directly rushed towards the White Zetsu's body, overlapping with it and connecting with the White Zetsu's spiritual world.
The White Zetsu, sitting on the stone chair, struggled even more violently, cold sweat constantly pouring down his face.
But no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't escape Shiraishi's soul possession or prevent Shiraishi from exploring his spiritual world; all his struggles were useless.
Wandering in the White Zetsu's spiritual world, Shiraishi found his soul had entered a completely blank space, and he couldn't help but show a look of astonishment.
When he had previously used the Spirit Transformation Jutsu to explore other people's spiritual worlds, the scenes presented before him were never like this.
There would always be some memories present.
But… this empty spiritual world, does this guy have nothing in his head?
How could such a strange creature exist?
"Could it be that his memories aren't here, but are entrusted to another 'object'…"
Although a bit incredible, this seemed to be the only answer.
Even animals without intelligence have their own spiritual worlds, and their spiritual worlds are not blank.
Therefore, Shiraishi could conclude that the memories leading to the origin of this white creature were sealed elsewhere.
Just as Shiraishi was about to leave, a gigantic, crimson eye suddenly appeared in the empty spiritual world.
A powerful chakra, which Shiraishi had never felt before, surged towards him.
Cold, dark.
He felt as if he had become a small boat in a tsunami, in danger of capsizing at any moment.
"Sharingan… How is this possible!?"
Shiraishi was the first to turn pale with fright.
This gigantic, crimson eye, along with the symbolic three black tomoe, was clearly an enlarged Sharingan.
The dark, curse-filled ocular power was even more intense than the pressure Ruri gave him.
—Outside, the White Zetsu suddenly screamed loudly, his face contorted and hideous, countless blood vessels splitting in his eyeballs, as if they could explode at any moment.
Shiraishi's illusory spirit quickly detached from the White Zetsu's body and returned to his own body.
When he returned to his body, his face was already covered in cold sweat. He looked at the White Zetsu, who was screaming madly, and stood there, pale, without saying a word.
Finally, the screaming stopped abruptly. The White Zetsu remained motionless on the stone chair, his mouth open to its widest extent, and his eyes rolled back to their limit. He was dead.
"What's wrong?"
Ruri didn't know what Shiraishi had just experienced. Her tone carried a hint of concern as she helped him sit down beside her.
After sitting down, Shiraishi's fingers on the armrest were trembling slightly, looking utterly shaken.
After a long while, his voice was hoarse, and he painstakingly uttered a sentence:
"Sharingan…"
"Sharingan?"
"A Sharingan with even stronger ocular power than yours… What a monster…"
At this point, Shiraishi slowly closed his eyes, seemingly still recovering from the previous shock.
Hearing Shiraishi utter these crucial pieces of information, Ruri's brows furrowed tightly.
"Are you saying that you encountered a Sharingan genjutsu in this guy's spiritual world?"
"Yes, the opponent's Sharingan genjutsu is very strong. At least, I've never seen such a terrifying Sharingan…"
Shiraishi reopened his eyes, glanced at Ruri, and nodded as he spoke.
His words naturally included Ruri as well.
The opponent's mastery of the Sharingan was far superior to Ruri's.
"I know the strength of those people very well. I wouldn't dare say my ocular power is the strongest among the Uchiha now, but there are definitely no more than two pairs of Sharingan that can rival mine."
"But the fact is, the person who set up the Sharingan genjutsu in this guy's spiritual world has ocular power far superior to yours."
Shiraishi didn't want to undermine Ruri's confidence, but this was the truth.
Hearing Shiraishi affirm this point repeatedly, Ruri also realized that she was being unreasonable and calmed down to think.
But no matter how she thought, she couldn't guess who else in the current Uchiha clan could have Sharingan ocular power that surpassed hers.
"It seems I guessed wrong from the beginning. This level of protection not only involves Wood Release and Tailed Beasts, but also the Sharingan. This guy's appearance is likely unrelated to the village's higher-ups… The mastermind is someone else."
Shiraishi exhaled, his eyes filled with solemnity.
He would have to be more careful in his actions from now on.
The Land of Rain would temporarily be a forbidden zone to avoid further contact with Akatsuki.
He didn't want to be targeted by an enemy of unknown origin because of this.
◎
"Lord Madara, the White Zetsu investigating the Uchiha clan's territory has gone missing."
In the dim, giant cave, a White Zetsu emerged from underground and immediately reported to the old man sitting on a wooden chair.
"I know. The genjutsu I set in his mind was triggered. He was clearly captured."
The old man's gaze flickered, lost in thought.
"Will our intelligence be leaked?"
The White Zetsu was a llittle worried.
"No, the moment the genjutsu is triggered, it will activate another suicide curse. That White Zetsu is already dead."
The old man said unhurriedly.
"As expected of Lord Madara. It's just a pity about that White Zetsu."
The White Zetsu chuckled, showing no sadness for the dead White Zetsu.
Because their purpose was merely to be tools for their master's benefit.
"Withdraw the manpower from Konoha. I didn't expect such an excellent ninja to appear in the clan after I left. We cannot act rashly."
The old man's face was filled with regret.
"Are we going to give up monitoring the Uchiha like this?"
"It's not giving up. We'll wait until the fuss dies down, then send White Zetsu to try again. Or when the Great Ninja War starts again, that would be a good opportunity."
After all, someone in his clan could already detect the White Zetsu's presence. No matter what method they used, it meant that he couldn't easily get all the information about the current Uchiha clan and carefully select a 'spokesperson' who suited his wishes.
Seeing that the old man was in a bad mood, the White Zetsu wisely burrowed into the ground and disappeared from the old man's sight.