Synthesis Ninja system

After countless failed attempts, the four of them returned holding just two fish, each barely the size of a palm.

One fish was caught by Sasuke Uchiha, while the other, much to Shiro's surprise, was caught by the shy Hinata Hyuga!

As for Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame, they came back empty-handed.

Shiro was furious. The future elites of the Leaf Village couldn't even catch a few fish.

"Are you all trying to starve us to death?"

"You idiots! If you can't catch them on your own, don't you know how to work as a team?!"

"Weren't you the one who told us to compete against each other?" Shino Aburame, usually reserved, spoke up.

Shiro paused, then his face gradually showed frustration.

"Sure, I told you to compete, but you need to remember you're still a team! When one person can't solve a problem, that's when teamwork comes in!"

Realizing their mistake, the four exchanged glances, nodded, and headed back to the lake.

While they returned to the water, Shiro quickly began preparing the fish.

"Grilled fish, my favorite."

As Shiro happily hummed and grilled the fish, a shadow appeared behind him from a tree.

"I didn't expect the hero of the Leaf Village to be such a good teacher!"

Startled, Shiro almost jumped. He had been so focused on the fish that he hadn't noticed someone approaching.

"Kurenai Yuhi!"

"No wonder I couldn't find those three. They were helping you catch fish!" Kurenai's sharp eyes fixed on Shiro.

Embarrassed, Shiro quickly handed her one of the freshly grilled fish.

"No need," Kurenai started to decline, but the enticing aroma got the better of her, and she couldn't resist reaching for the fish. "Well, maybe I'll have one."

In no time, Kurenai devoured the fish and then turned her gaze to the other one.

Shiro's face twitched. She had just said she didn't want any, and now she was eyeing the second one!

Women really do love food!

Reluctantly, Shiro handed her the last fish.

Satisfied, Kurenai quickly ate it too. But two palm-sized fish were hardly enough to fill an adult's stomach.

Kurenai stood up and shouted toward the lake, "Hinata! Use your Byakugan to locate the fish! Kiba, Shino, Sasuke, start catching! No one's coming ashore until you've caught twenty fish!"

The four instantly felt the weight of her words.

Turning back, Kurenai gave a sly smile and said, "Twenty fish—ten for you, ten for me!"

Shiro almost spat out blood.

Who knew Kurenai was such a foodie? It's impressive she maintained that figure even in Boruto's time!

With Kurenai's direction, the group caught fish much faster. In less than a minute, the first fish was in hand, and within fifteen minutes, they had caught twenty!

Shiro transformed the twenty fish into delicious grilled meals in no time.

Kurenai eagerly grabbed a grilled fish, savoring each bite with satisfaction.

"Shiro, let me tell you—if nothing else, your grilling skills will ensure your future wife will be one lucky woman!" She nudged him playfully. "What do you think of Hinata? Byakugan and Sharingan together, who knows what kind of genius kid you'd have!"

Hinata's face turned bright red all the way to her neck.

"Sensei! Don't say things like that!" Hinata protested.

"I know, I know—you like Naruto. But look at him! Has he shown even the slightest interest in you? Life's too short to chase after someone who doesn't care!" Kurenai's tone had a hint of scolding.

Hinata blushed even deeper, stealing glances at Shiro.

Shiro awkwardly cleared his throat.

There was no denying it—Hinata would grow up to be a stunning beauty, her figure putting many kunoichi to shame.

Unfortunately, Naruto was always chasing after Sakura, leaving Hinata's feelings buried deep inside.

The six of them happily finished the grilled fish, and Team 8 soon left.

Sasuke, however, stayed behind, staring intently at Shiro.

"Shiro-kun, I still want to know—why did that guy…"

Shiro's playful demeanor suddenly turned serious.

After a long pause, Shiro decided not to reveal the truth.

It was better for both him and Sasuke Uchiha. If Sasuke knew the full story, his hatred for Itachi would shift to the Leaf Village.

That would completely alter the future events.

And if the story changed, Shiro could no longer act with the advantage of knowing the future.

It might even cost him his life!

After all, there were still many ninja out there who could kill him!

"You need to uncover the truth yourself. In the meantime, focus on getting stronger!" Shiro refused to say more, despite Sasuke's persistence, and left the training grounds to go home.

The next morning…

Two figures wearing cloaks with red clouds slowly approached the gates of the Leaf Village.

With the recent Sand Village incident, security was tighter than ever. Especially on such a foggy day, the guards remained highly alert.

As they saw the two figures approaching, they quickly readied themselves, prepared to sound the alarm at the first sign of trouble.

If anything happened, the entire village would be alerted, and the intruders would be captured immediately!

However, as the figures drew near, a wave of drowsiness washed over the guards, and before they knew it, they were fast asleep on the ground.

"Itachi, your genjutsu is as effective as ever. With the Leaf Village on such high alert, it would've taken me a lot more effort to get in!"

"With the Third Hokage gone, this is our best chance to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki."

Uchiha Itachi paused as he mentioned the Third Hokage.

His feelings toward Sarutobi Hiruzen were mixed—both respect and anger. But the anger far outweighed the respect.

He respected Hiruzen for protecting the Leaf Village and Sasuke.

But he was angry because, during the Uchiha massacre, Hiruzen neither agreed to nor stopped Danzo from issuing the order to wipe out the clan.

Could Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, have been unaware of such a major event?

No, he couldn't escape responsibility for what happened!

As the two entered the village, they walked only a few steps before stopping.

"Itachi, what's wrong? Are you lost in thought, remembering the past?"

"There's someone here," Itachi whispered.

Kisame Hoshigaki's playful smile vanished, and he placed his hand on Samehada, scanning the area warily.

"Welcome back to the Leaf Village. My name is Uchiha Shiro!"

**End of Chapter**