Night time in the Hidden Leaf Village – A Small, Dilapidated Cabin in the outskirts of the village
A kerosene lamp cast a warm glow throughout the small wooden cabin.
Sitting at a table, Shimizu held a pen in his right hand, absentmindedly scribbling on a piece of paper. His handwriting was from his past life—messy and nearly illegible. Even in his previous world, such scrawl would have been incomprehensible to most people. This had an unintended advantage: if anyone were to stumble upon his notes, they would likely dismiss them as meaningless doodles.
But in reality, those scribbles contained his recent observations and future plans. He knew that his strategy would need to evolve with time, adapting to circumstances as they changed.
"I never expected myself to be such a genius," Shimizu mused, thinking back on the events of the evening.
He had deliberately portrayed himself as a "prodigy" to gain access to greater resources. This, in itself, was not difficult.
In this world, raw talent determined a person's upper limit, but hard work and study dictated their lower limit. By combining diligent effort with efficient learning methods, even someone with ordinary talent could appear exceptional.
But in the shinobi world, talent was not always a blessing. Talented individuals often faced assassination by rival villages, internal political strife, or other dangers that ended their potential prematurely. He had seen too many promising young ninjas in history fail to leave their mark.
On the other hand, being average provided a form of protection—at the cost of remaining mediocre forever.
Shimizu had no famous bloodline, no special eyes, and no powerful backing. If he didn't fight for resources, he could easily become just another casualty in a mission or war, forgotten by history. This was especially true given the looming threats of the Third and Fourth Shinobi Wars.
If risk was inevitable, then he would rather take control of his own fate. He refused to be just another victim of circumstance.
That was why he had chosen to align himself with the Third Hokage.
Regardless of the mixed opinions about the Third Hokage, one thing was certain—he was far more trustworthy than Danzo.
That said, befriending Asuma wasn't just a ploy. Even if Shimizu aligned himself with the Hokage, he knew that a mere friendship with Asuma wouldn't be enough to shift the Hokage's views. After all, this was the same Hokage who had allowed the Uchiha to be alienated and had let the son of the Fourth Hokage suffer years of neglect.
But this didn't mean that Hiruzen Sarutobi was purely heartless. As a politician, his actions were calculated. His ultimate goal was to integrate the powerful clans into Konoha's ideology, ensuring they remained loyal to the village.
His failure was not in his intentions, but in his execution.
This, however, had little to do with Ishi directly. His only concern was securing his own survival and growth.
"A civilian-born ninja, talented, selfless, and devoted to the village... That's practically the embodiment of the Will of Fire!" Shimizu smirked to himself.
The Third Hokage had once taken Minato Namikaze, a civilian prodigy, under his wing. If Shimizu could position himself similarly, he could gain protection within Konoha.
The Hokage might tolerate some of Danzo's actions, but when it came to his ideals, he would never compromise. After all, to betray those ideals would be to deny the very foundation of his life's work.
So, Shimizu never expected his friendship with Asuma to directly influence the Hokage. His true goal was to use Asuma as a channel, allowing his ideas to reach the Hokage's ears.
His upcoming duel with Asuma was not just about winning or losing.
If he won, he would use that victory to further his goals.
If he lost, he would find a way to turn it to his advantage.
That said, he still intended to win.
"My talent is better than I initially thought," he reflected, glancing out the window at the dark streets. "If I plan carefully, I can push this even further..."
One of his long-term goals was to master Sage Mode.
Although he was intrigued by genjutsu due to his previous life's interests, the medical-nin path seemed more promising for his future.
But the real reason he chose the medical field was simple—Tsunade.
Among the three Sannin, she was the easiest to approach.
Orochimaru was out of the question. Becoming his apprentice meant risking his body being turned into an experiment.
Jiraiya? A legendary figure, but also unpredictable. Between Minato and Nagato, he had no shortage of chosen successors.
Tsunade, however, was disillusioned and emotionally vulnerable. That made her the best target to win over.
If he could gain access to her, it would open the doors to the Shikkotsu Forest—the sacred land of slugs and one of the three great summoning realms.
After all, Sage Mode required perfect chakra control. And what better way to hone chakra control than becoming a medical ninja?
"Should I approach Shizune first?" he wondered. But suddenly befriending her would seem suspicious. It would be better if she approached him instead.
"Maybe genjutsu is the key," he thought. "If I can get close to Kurenai's father, that would give me an excuse to meet her..."
For a civilian-born ninja like himself, the easiest way to gain resources was to find someone influential to support him.
Even if it meant—at the age of five—eating soft rice (living off a woman).
"Well, sometimes, life is like that," Shimizu sighed. "You take slow, careful steps..."
Still, he had to be cautious. Overreaching too quickly could backfire. The best approach was to win the duel against Asuma and then subtly guide events from there.
"Maybe I'm overcomplicating things," he chuckled. "First things first—defeat Asuma, gain recognition, and start laying the groundwork."
Yawning, he glanced at the scribbled pages before him.
With a wry smile, he lit the paper on fire using the kerosene lamp, watching as the flames consumed his notes.
Stretching, he walked toward his bed.
"Tomorrow, I'll obtain my first real jutsu. As for Sage Mode and genjutsu… those can come later."