With a loud bang, the door flew open.
"Who the heck...?" Sarutobi Hiruzen jumped in his seat, startled. "How many times have I told you—wait, this feels oddly familiar."
"Old man, are you even awake?" Tsunade emerged through the smoke, her green coat fluttering behind her, revealing the large "Gamble" character on her back.
Hiruzen smiled nostalgically. She's back. They're all coming back...
Except for Orochimaru, who had long fled the village, and Jiraiya, who was still wandering around looking for the prophesied child.
Sometimes, Hiruzen wondered, if both Mount Myoboku and the Leaf Village were in danger at the same time, which would Jiraiya choose to save? Honestly, even Hiruzen didn't know the answer to that one.
"Where's Shinho Aburame?" Tsunade demanded, arms crossed, her tone fierce. "There better be an actual kid like that!"
She still couldn't believe that a six-year-old could have learned the Chakra Scalpel technique.
"When have I ever lied to you?" Hiruzen chuckled. "Shinho should be out of school by now, but you can meet him tomorrow."
Tsunade frowned in irritation but didn't press the issue.
"What about drinks tonight? It's been a while since we had a proper reunion," Hiruzen said wistfully.
"Not interested." Tsunade waved dismissively as she turned to leave. "I'm only back to take on an apprentice."
"Lady Tsunade, wait for me!" Shizune hurried after her, holding Tuntun.
Hiruzen was left blinking in surprise. Even drinks don't lure her anymore? He sighed deeply, lighting up his pipe as memories of the past flooded back.
Sensei, I've tread lightly my whole life. Can I ever truly reach your heights?
________________________________________
As the sun set, Hinata Hyuga found herself once again at Shinho's wooden house, gazing at the beautiful Moon Orchids. The whole scene felt somewhat surreal. From a young age, everything she did had to align with her role as the Hyuga Clan's eldest daughter.
But today, she had broken the rules.
Climbing the wall at lunchtime had been one thing, but now there was no turning back. When she returned home, she would certainly face her father's wrath. Strangely, she wasn't nervous at all—there was an odd sense of calmness instead.
Hinata lifted her head, catching the rich aroma in the air. Shinho was cooking.
He stood on a stool, busy with a wok, effortlessly managing the kitchen tasks.
Hinata blinked in disbelief. Shinho always surprised her. She thought farming was impressive enough, but here he was, cooking as well. Stir-frying required far more skill than making ramen.
Suddenly, Hinata felt a wave of guilt. She couldn't do any of these things. Despite being the same age as him, she realized how little she knew.
After about ten minutes, dinner was served.
Hinata stared at the dishes, her small eyes full of curiosity.
"Twice-cooked pork, mouth-watering chicken, fish-flavored shredded pork, minced eggplant," Shinho calmly introduced the dishes.
Hinata was even more confused. What were these dishes?
"Eat," Shinho said, picking up his chopsticks. "If it's not enough, I'll cook more."
Eagerly, Hinata picked up a piece of chicken and placed it in her mouth. The next moment, her eyes widened, and she quickly swallowed it, fanning her mouth.
So spicy!
Her face turned bright red as she gasped, gulping down air. The heat was unbearable—she was sure Shinho had added a dangerous amount of chili peppers.
"Is it spicy?" Shinho asked, pouring her a glass of milk.
"Not...not at all," Hinata said, downing the milk in several gulps. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"My bad, I forgot to ask," Shinho said, sliding a plate of twice-cooked pork toward her. "This one's not as spicy."
In his past life, Shinho had been from Sichuan, and using chili was second nature to him. [tl/n: Sichuan region in china is known for their spicy cuisine.]
"It's fine," Hinata exhaled, feeling much better now. But she was too scared to touch the mouth-watering chicken again.
Seeing her hesitation, Shinho made a rare decision that went against his upbringing—he would cook without chili peppers.
________________________________________
An hour later, Hinata set her chopsticks down, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Thank you for the meal."
She had been coming over frequently, always eating his food. She resolved to find some way to repay him.
"I'll walk you home," Shinho said, getting up.
He had no real interest in six-year-olds—everything he did was for the sake of achievements. To be honest, he preferred more... mature company.
Hinata nodded, a bit reluctant but knowing she had to go.
After escorting her back to the Hyuga compound, Shinho returned home, washed the dishes, and stepped outside.
This time, he selected a massive tree, one that would require two people to wrap their arms around it.
With both the Black Boar Gu and the White Boar Gu now in his possession, his strength had doubled permanently. Shinho was curious to see just how strong he had become.
He focused his energy and threw a full-force punch.
A visible wave of pressure rippled outward from his fist as the bark cracked, leaving a deep indentation in the shape of a bullseye.
I haven't lost my hair, but I've definitely gotten stronger!
Shinho thought of Tsunade's superhuman strength. Although he wasn't quite at her level in terms of raw power, he was getting there. And with time, the effects of the boar Gu would fully manifest, making him even stronger.
The next morning, Shinho sat in the classroom, thinking about the passive achievements he had gained recently.
He noticed a pattern: the system seemed a bit… quirky. Almost abstract.
"Good morning, Shinho-kun," Ino greeted him with a sweet smile as she approached.
Shinho nodded back.
Ino didn't mind. Though Shinho wasn't overly warm, he was far better than Sasuke, who outright ignored Sakura. That alone made her feel special.
"I was thinking about—"
Ino's conversation was cut short by Naruto's enthusiastic voice.
"Shinho! I caught a big fish yesterday—two pounds!"
Who asked you about fish?! Ino clenched her fists in frustration.
"Two pounds?" Shinho raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Impressed?" Naruto grinned, clearly proud of himself.
"I'd say it's beginner's luck," Shinho replied, his expression calm.
Naruto's grin faltered a little.
"Let's have a fishing contest this weekend," Shinho suggested, an idea forming in his mind. Perhaps he could earn some achievements from this too.
"Really?" Naruto's excitement returned full force. "I'm gonna win for sure!"
"We'll see about that," Kiba said, patting Naruto on the shoulder. "No way you're beating me!"
Naruto blinked. "You're joining too?"
"As a friend, of course I'm coming," Kiba flashed a confident smile. "Besides, you need to see how awesome I am!"
Now that Kiba was comfortable around them, his "top dog" personality had come out in full force. Naruto didn't mind; he was just happy to have people to hang out with.
"I don't get what's so fun about fishing," Ino muttered.
"Are you coming, Ino?" Shinho asked.
"Of course!" Ino perked up immediately, puffing her chest out slightly. "I'm pretty good at fishing, you know."
"Shinho!" Iruka's voice suddenly rang out, silencing the classroom.
Everyone turned to see Iruka standing at the door, flanked by none other than Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsunade.
"Third Hokage!" Naruto blurted out.
"The Hokage?" The other students were instantly excited.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, renowned as the strongest Hokage, was highly revered in the Leaf Village. The fact that most students dreamed of becoming Hokage said it all.
"Who's the person next to him?"
"And why are they here for Shinho?"
The classroom buzzed with curiosity.
"I'll be back," Shinho said to Ino and the others as he calmly stepped outside.
His gaze landed on Tsunade immediately.
That deep, white abyss made him stand at attention, filled with respect.