Sena Hoshino was actually quite worried that Shiki might not take the news well. After all, many patients reacted extremely strongly upon learning they needed to use assistive devices.
True enough, Shiki paused in surprise when he saw the cane.
Just as Sena started to feel anxious, Shiki smiled and took the cane from her.
"I didn't expect you, Sena-nee, to have thought things through so thoroughly. It's really impressive—and surprisingly comfortable."
Leaning on the cane, Shiki stood up. His right leg currently had almost no sensation.
Of course, "comfortable" was a stretch.
After all, nobody finds walking with a cane particularly comfortable when their legs should suffice.
But Shiki knew that as someone responsible, he couldn't just lash out at the people around him.
Perhaps because of the wandering life he'd lived in this lifetime, and the hardships of surviving alongside his mother,
he valued everyone close to him more than most.
After packing up, they made their way toward Sena's house together.
Occasional passersby would glance over, finding the scene unusually peaceful.
Especially under the setting sun, it felt like time had stretched and slowed down around them.
The moment seemed frozen forever.
"What a wonderful brother and sister pair," remarked a barbecue vendor as he watched their backs disappear into the distance.
When they arrived at Sena's home, Shiki struggled slightly while taking off his shoes.
"Hey! You really came back, Shiki?" Naruto asked first, then happily shouted, "Haha! I knew Shiki wouldn't lose to some lowly chunin! He's gonna help me become Hokage someday, no doubt about it!"
"Tch! Naruto, if anyone becomes Hokage, it should be Shiki," Sakura said, punching Naruto hard on the head.
"T-That although Shiki c-could become Hokage... I-I still believe..." Hinata said softly, her face turning completely red as she buried her head into her chest.
Shiki understood—Hinata probably wanted to say that she still believed Naruto would become Hokage too.
Looking at the shy Hinata, Shiki felt the urge to reach over and pat her head. But suddenly remembering his current identity—he wasn't the adult version anymore—he realized such a gesture might lead to misunderstandings.
He decided against it.
Seeing that nearly all his friends were already gathered here—even Nara Shikamaru, Mr. Super-Lazy himself—was playing shogi with Choji.
Though there was no need to guess, Shiki knew exactly how that game would end: another predictable victory, with Shikamaru letting Choji have several pieces before winning in a set number of moves.
Puzzled, Shiki asked, "But why did everyone come here to Sena-nee's house?"
"Because everyone heard you defeated a chunin, so they've been paying extra attention to you lately. So I told them today they could come here for a good meal, and that you'd be joining us too. Sena-nee is such a kind person—she'd never turn anyone away. That's why they're all here crashing the meal."
Lee spoke with great sincerity, prompting helpless expressions from everyone else. Okay, maybe he wasn't wrong—but did he have to say it so directly?
"But Shiki, how did you defeat a chunin?" asked Ino Yamanaka, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Shiki knew he hadn't actually fought that so-called chunin at all. Or rather, he had defeated a whole group of chunin—most were now lying in Konoha Hospital. At least they didn't possess regeneration abilities as powerful as Shiki Uzumaki's.
Actually, the only detailed and vivid battle story Shiki could tell was his fight against Fu Yamanaka.
However, there was no way he could reveal that to them, so he followed the official Konoha version instead.
After thinking for a moment, Shiki slowly began his story.
Sena-chan began preparing dinner and saw the children completely absorbed in listening. She couldn't help but feel happy about how well-liked Shiki was.
Soon, only Shiki's voice filled the house.
"It was a normal morning. After finishing my morning training, I was just heading toward Konoha Hospital for my daily studies. Snowflakes were falling gently, and the air was unusually fresh.
But gradually, I sensed something unusual within the village. My chakra also gave me an alerting feeling.
So I became more cautious, and I started noticing more Anbu than usual around the village—normally, you hardly ever see them.
Until I saw a man passing by who seemed flustered and suspicious."
At this point, even Shikamaru stopped moving his chess piece and listened quietly.
After all, for someone not yet graduated from the Ninja Academy, defeating a chunin seemed like an impossible legend. He wanted to know how it had gone down too.
Everyone noticed that Shiki paused here—obviously reaching the climax—and focused intently, with even Naruto getting excited.
"Although I saw him wearing Konoha's forehead protector, his suspicious behavior and unstable chakra made me realize he must be an imposter—a rogue ninja in disguise.
Sure enough, after exchanging a few words, his identity was exposed. However, since I appeared quite young, he naturally dismissed me as a threat and decided to eliminate me."
"And then what happened?"
Everyone knew this was the big moment—Shiki was about to drop the juicy part.
"I defeated him."
"That's it?" Everyone asked awkwardly, sweatdropping.
Shiki calmly replied, "That's it."
A brief silence fell.
"Damn it! You bastard, Shiki!"
"You're messing with us again!"
"Today, we're definitely gonna get you back!"
Caught in the barrage of complaints, Shiki could only sigh inwardly—storytelling really drained you.
Chapter 56: Academy Examination
After chatting briefly with the others, Sena-chan brought out a steaming hot pot.
Akimichi Choji, the ultimate foodie, sniffed the delicious aroma and said, "Is this Momiji Hotpot?"
Shiki wasn't familiar with the term, but he could already taste the faint spiciness from its fragrance.
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