The Forgemage of Konoha

End

Shirō awoke in the hospital, two days after the Ryūchi Cave trial.

That day, after he had projected Ruler Breaker, the outcome had essentially been decided. The gap between Shirō and the lesser white snake hadn't been insurmountable—it was a matter of execution and risk. But even so, Shirō hadn't escaped unscathed. After forcing the minor summon back to Ryūchi Cave, he had pushed his body to its limit and collapsed from exhaustion.

Just before losing consciousness, he vaguely remembered seeing the Third Hokage reassure Kushina that he was alright—before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"So that was just a Shadow Clone... Makes sense. I'm not high-ranking enough for the real one to appear," Shirō muttered to himself, a bitter smile on his lips. "Probably because I'm now a contractor of Ryūchi Cave... Still, what a miserable outcome."

Indeed, his condition was dire. Nearly all his muscle groups were overstressed, and several bones were fractured. More critically, his magic circuits were severely overcharged, making it impossible to use magecraft temporarily. Even with the system assisting, full restoration would take time.

This experience also revealed the shortcomings in his current iteration of the Eight Inner Gates: Modified technique. It had potential—but as his teacher in his past life once said, "Your English has potential too." Shirō had scored a 30 out of 150 on that test.

 "Plenty of potential, just not much else."

Still, despite the cost, it was worth it. Securing a powerful summoning contract would greatly aid his growth. Unfortunately, since he had passed out immediately after the trial, the summoning scroll wasn't in his possession. Not that it mattered—just trying to mold Chakra sent jolts of pain through his nervous system.

So, for now, Shirō wasn't in a hurry. He trusted Orochimaru wouldn't deceive him over a mere scroll—especially not after showing him a glimpse of Projection Magic.

As for concerns about drawing attention from the Third Hokage or Danzō—Shirō wasn't worried. He'd already claimed that Reinforcement Magic and Projection Magic were inherited clan Secret Techniques, a category respected—and avoided—within Konoha. Only Orochimaru, by coincidence, had been allowed to research the techniques deeper.

In the ninja world, Secret Techniques (Hiden) carried a different political weight from Kekkei Genkai. The former were guarded by clans with considerable influence, many of whom made up the backbone of Konoha's military strength. Danzō could conscript branch members from such clans into Root, but targeting the heir of a Secret Technique clan? That was politically dangerous.

Especially when said clan had only one ninja: Shirō.

"If they target me now, other clans will protest. If the Hokage or Danzō can make an example of me today, what's stopping them from doing the same to them tomorrow?"

That unspoken threat created a mutual deterrent. And unlike bloodline abilities, which could be forcibly extracted—especially ocular techniques, which could be "installed" as easily as light bulbs—Secret Techniques weren't something you could simply transplant or steal.

Shirō was smart enough never to hint that his abilities were a Bloodline Limit. He wasn't keen on waking up one day to find his eyes or arms replaced.

So long as Projection Magic didn't reach absurd heights, the powers-that-be would leave him alone. And by the time it did, he wouldn't need to fear them. After all, everyone knew Madara Uchiha's Mangekyō was terrifying—but who dared to steal it?

Besides, there were jutsu like the Contract Seal, which could forcibly cancel summoning pacts. Even Ruler Breaker, with its anti-contract nature, wouldn't raise too many eyebrows in that context.

For now, the priority was recovery—and waiting for new teammate assignments. After his performance during the trial, even if the ending was chaotic, he had no doubt the Third Hokage had taken notice.

 "Squeak—"

Just then, the hospital room door creaked open. Kushina and Minato entered together.

 "Shirō! You're awake! Are you okay? Don't do anything that reckless again—Big Sister was really worried!" Kushina rushed over and hugged him tightly, her voice trembling despite her usual bravado.

Shirō couldn't help but be touched. Despite everything, Kushina had come to see him as a genuine little brother.

He hadn't forgotten that their relationship began with an ulterior motive. But when Kushina discovered the truth, she hadn't lashed out. She had accepted it—and still looked after him. In this cold, war-torn world, that kindness was rare.

Of course, that tolerance had its limits. If he had been an actual spy, the Anbu would've eliminated him long ago. After all, ever since the Kumo abduction incident, Kushina had been under heavy protection.

Fortunately, he had passed her tests. And eventually, in her loneliness, she began treating him as family.

Which made her reaction today all the more heartfelt.

"Alright, alright! I get it, Big Sis! I'm still injured here—give me a break!" Shirō groaned, glancing at Minato for backup.

 "Kushina, let go. He's still recovering," Minato said gently.

 "Hmph! I know that!" Kushina released him, turning away with a pout.

Shirō and Minato exchanged a look—one of mutual sympathy.

 This man… if he weren't the future Hokage, would he really survive her temper?

Minato pulled a chair closer. "Shirō, how's your body? Kushina told me about jutsu's side effects. The doctor said your muscles are heavily strained—almost torn in some places. You're lucky we got you here in time. Why would you take such a risk? Even if you missed out on this summoning, there would've been other chances. If you left lasting damage..."

He trailed off, clearly frustrated.

Then he turned to Kushina. "And you. You knew the technique was dangerous, and you still—"

 "Minato-san! I was the one who begged Big Sister for help—it wasn't her fault!" Shirō quickly interrupted, waving his hands. "By the way… do you know who my new teammates will be?"

If he didn't change the subject now, Minato's nagging would spark another Kushina outburst.

Minato sighed. "They're still finalizing assignments. You won't be cleared for missions for a while anyway. But don't worry—your performance caught attention. Hokage-sama will likely arrange something fitting."

He paused. "Oh, and Orochimaru-senpai said to visit him once you've recovered. He didn't hand over the contract scroll while you were unconscious. You'll want to pick that up."

 "Got it, Minato-san."

After a bit more casual talk about training, Minato and Kushina left, reminding him to rest well.

Once alone, Shirō opened the system interface and checked his energy reserves. Satisfied with the status, he resumed channeling energy into repairing his magic circuits.

He had given the system instructions before the trial to begin recovery the moment combat ended. The initial healing had been surface-level—just enough to avoid detection from medical nin. Thanks to the system's disguise protocols, his magic circuits appeared as normal Chakra pathways to external scans. But their nature, deep down, was anything but different.