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Shuuzawa genuinely wanted to express his gratitude to Uchiha Obito, though he didn't think Obito was a good person either.
He was probably the evergreen of hopeless romantics, the pillar of all clowns, the highest card in a deck, the mascot of McDonald's, Batman's biggest client, and the top boss of Gotham.
While this evaluation might seem a little excessive, considering all the information from Shuuzawa's memories, it made sense.
"Nohara Rin always seemed to like Kakashi, but because of Obito, Kakashi never dared to, nor would he ever, accept her feelings."
In short, Obito was in a one-sided love and he had turned that unrequited love into his very belief, making it a passive skill—'Thinking About Women.'
Not even the Ten-Tails could shatter his will!
"Still, he's a good person."
Holding onto Yuugao's hand as she was helping him with his examination, Shuuzawa's gaze shifted to his status panel.
[Shigenari Shuuzawa]
[Overall Physical Attributes: LV9]
[Chakra: LV9]
[Abilities: Wood Release LV6, Flying Thunder God LV6, Taijutsu LV5, Sealing Jutsu LV5, Cursed Seal LV5, Yin Release LV3]
[Free Points: 12]
Looking at the 12 free points, Shuuzawa began seriously considering how to allocate them.
The most optimal choice was naturally increasing his physical attributes or Wood Release.
After all, his physical attributes had already reached LV9, which meant he was at the upper limit of an elite Jounin.
One more step, and he would enter the 'Kage' level! Such a temptation was hard for Shuuzawa to resist.
But he also longed for a stronger Wood Release, though investing in it now was impossible.
"LV6 Wood Release is a combination of three different aspects. Simply put, adding one point to Wood Release requires upgrading the other three as well, which means 18 points."
Eighteen free points—something he didn't have right now. Even if he wanted to accumulate them, he would have to wait until later, which left him somewhat frustrated.
As for other skills, Flying Thunder God was incredibly valuable.
This technique had given Shuuzawa immense benefits, and if he mastered it further, he might achieve even greater breakthroughs.
Besides that, Taijutsu, Cursed Seal, and Yin Release were also highly valuable. His Taijutsu was only at LV5, but thanks to his physical attributes, he could still perform well.
The Cursed Seal granted him access to Sage Mode, which enhanced his abilities across the board.
Yin Release was the key to his future attempts at integrating Yin-Yang Release.
"All things considered... I still don't have enough free points!" Shuuzawa shook his head helplessly.
After much thought, he came to a decision. "I'll boost my foundational abilities first, then focus on enhancing Cursed Seal and Yin Release!"
Allocating points had always been both exciting and frustrating. The options were many, but the points were never enough.
Now that he had just secured Wood Release, and with the formulas for Scorch Release and potential Yin-Yang Release in his hands, he had to advance in these directions.
[Overall Physical Attributes Upgraded. Current Level: LV10]
[Yin Release Upgraded. Current Level: LV4]
[Free Points: 0]
The moment his physical attributes reached LV10, Shuuzawa suddenly felt a surge of Yang Release power erupts within him.
In an instant, his entire body tensed as this force flooded every corner of his being.
His body began to heat up as an inexplicable pain spread through him, causing his muscles to spasm involuntarily.
"Hm?" Yuugao, who was examining him, immediately noticed something was wrong.
"What's happening? Are you all right? Wait, I'll go get someone!"
She instinctively tried to pull her hand away to find assistance, knowing that, despite her time in the medical unit, she was nowhere near as skilled as a professional medical-nin.
However, Shuuzawa gripped her hand tightly, refusing to let her leave.
"No need, just give me a moment." His face was slightly pale; even he hadn't expected things to turn out like this.
"Are you sure?" Yuugao's eyes were filled with worry, but Shuuzawa remained firm.
"Trust me, I'm fine. I was just trying to circulate my chakra to better coordinate with you. I didn't expect this to happen."
Shuuzawa hadn't anticipated such a violent surge of Yang Release power. Compared to this, his previous experiences were nothing!
But it made sense—his current enhancement was comprehensive, not just a singular improvement.
This was why, despite his status panel making his strength seem average, he could battle powerful shinobi on equal footing and even defeat them.
The strength of a 'well-rounded build' was in its balance—he wasn't just good at one thing but excelled across the board.
"This is the appeal of a stat monster." However, being a stat monster also meant suffering through intense pain during power-ups.
His body had barely adapted to reaching LV9 through Wood Release, and now, another sudden boost made this reaction inevitable.
"It looks like I'll need time to adjust after this upgrade. I can use this opportunity to strengthen other abilities as well."
The searing pain coursing through his body made Shuuzawa tremble as if countless tiny insects were gnawing at him.
He gritted his teeth and endured, feeling the raging Yang Release energy spread through his muscles, blood, bones, and nerves, refining and reinforcing his entire body.
Even without moving, he could feel himself becoming faster, stronger, and more resilient.
His chakra recovery rate had increased, and his body's chakra capacity had expanded.
Not only that, but his reflexes, reaction speed, and overall coordination had improved tremendously—especially his coordination, which had reached an astonishing level.
His body awareness had become so precise that he could feel his heartbeat, the speed of his blood flow, the pulse of his veins, and the tension in his muscles.
He could even extend this awareness further—if injured, he could gauge the depth of his wounds, the speed of his blood loss, how long he could hold out, and what movements would minimize damage while optimizing recovery.
"This kind of transformation..." Shuuzawa muttered.
Just then, the overwhelming Yang Release burst began to subside, and the excruciating pain faded.
In its place, he felt an intense comfort, though there was also a lingering sense of weakness. His entire body was drenched in sweat.
"How are you feeling now?" Yuugao had been silently observing him, her hand already glowing with the green light of medical ninjutsu.
She noticed that his muscle tremors had stopped and immediately asked with concern.
"I'm fine." Shuuzawa attempted to stand and stretch, but his legs wobbled, causing him to stumble.
"Hey, be careful." Yuugao quickly caught him, her eyes filled with worry.
"Your body is acting strange. Everything looks fine, but there's this odd sense of weakness. You—"
"Isn't this exactly how I was feeling earlier?" Shuuzawa blinked.
However, his peripheral vision caught something below, making him realize he had underestimated this senior's development.
"Shuuzawa, do you have a moment?"
Just as he was reflecting on his transformation, and Yuugao was still curious about his condition, a voice suddenly called out to him.
"Shuuzawa, are you alright?"
"Of course I am. But you better have a good reason for interrupting me."
In a small grove behind the Anbu headquarters, Shisui and Shuuzawa strolled together.
However, Shisui appeared somewhat cautious, while Shuuzawa's expression looked sour.
It wasn't that he had anything against Shisui—anyone would be annoyed if their 'good time' was interrupted. Still, though Shuuzawa was in a bad mood, he didn't dwell on it.
He understood the meaning of 'there's always another chance'—whether as a verb or an adjective.
He glanced at Shisui with curiosity and asked in a low voice, "What's the matter?"
"You even went out of your way to meet me here. You know we're better off staying within Anbu for now."
"There's something I need to talk to you about privately." Shisui glanced around cautiously before lowering his voice.
"Thank you for covering for me. What Uchiha Obito said that night was way too much."
Shuuzawa shook his head and let out a light chuckle as he looked at Shisui. "It's not Uchiha Obito that's making you uneasy, isn't it?"
Hearing those words, Shisui fell silent. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded seriously.
The issue with Danzō lingered in his mind, something he couldn't simply brush aside.
Even though only a single night had passed, he had tossed and turned, unable to rest.
If everything Obito said was true, then what did the clan and the village truly mean? What should he do? What would become of the clan?
What would become of everything? He didn't know. But he knew he had to learn more before making any decisions.
"As expected, that Uchiha Obito sure is a troublemaker." Shuuzawa wasn't surprised.
Shisui Uchiha might not be particularly shrewd, but compared to Itachi Uchiha in the original timeline, his approach was quite different.
In his heart, he cared for both the clan and the village.
His suicide had been the result of a desperate situation, trapped between two irreconcilable choices with no way forward.
If only he had been a little more ruthless—whether by taking action against the clan or against Konoha's higher-ups—perhaps the outcome could have been different.
Still, the fact that Shisui had come to seek him out likely meant a few things.
Their time as comrades had fostered some trust, and Shuuzawa had helped cover for him, making him seem reliable.
If that was the case, why not give Danzō some trouble? After all, Shuuzawa had always believed that letting one's superior live too comfortably was a sign of an unqualified subordinate.
"I think you've misunderstood. There's no need to dwell on Uchiha Obito's accusations against Lord Danzō."
Though Shuuzawa intended to stir up some chaos for Danzō, he chose his words carefully, keeping them somewhat ambiguous.
At the same time, he expanded his sensory abilities, carefully scanning the surroundings.
After his recent improvements, his range and perception have increased dramatically.
He could even detect whether insects had chakra, which meant he no longer needed to worry about the Aburame clan as much.
"Lord Danzō is wholly devoted to Konoha. Though he is often misunderstood, he continues to act according to his own convictions."
"Act according to his own convictions?" Shisui was unsure what to make of those words.
Shuuzawa smiled lightly. "Forget it, let's not talk about that."
Instead, he shifted the topic. "I recently heard a little story. Would you like to hear it?"
"Huh?" Shisui was puzzled, but Shuuzawa continued.
"Let me ask you something. Suppose a bandit joins a village with the intent to plunder it. The villagers unite and drive him out, but he leaves behind a child."
"Some believe that, being the bandit's offspring, the child will inevitably follow the same path of destruction and insist that he should be eliminated."
"Others believe that the child is a blank slate—though he may resemble the bandit in temperament, he can still be taught and guided."
"Faced with this situation, what would you choose?"
"Me?" Shisui hesitated as if he had begun to grasp the meaning behind the question.
"I'd choose the second option. The child might change through education, after all."
"Exactly, perhaps he could." Shuuzawa nodded before his smile deepened. "But the first group disagreed. So, they made a bet."
"To prove that the child was destined to become like the bandit, they deliberately guided and pressured him toward that path."
"Meanwhile, the second group, bound by the bet, refrained from interfering, believing education alone would be enough. Now, take a guess—what do you think happened in the end?"
Shisui furrowed his brows. Something about this story felt unsettling.
One side actively pushed and coerced the child toward a predetermined outcome, while the other did nothing but teach, refusing to intervene.
No matter how he looked at it, the result didn't seem promising and slowly, he began to understand Shuuzawa's true meaning. This story—it was an allegory for his clan.
"In the end, after years of manipulation and pressure, the child grew up... and gradually became just like his father."
Shuuzawa didn't wait for Shisui to speak and instead answered his question in a low voice.
"The first group then raised their blades without hesitation. And when it was all over, they proudly declared, 'See? I was right. The child turned out exactly as expected.'"
"But… that's completely wrong!" Shisui gritted his teeth and shook his head. He refused to accept such an outcome.
"They deliberately pushed and forced him onto that path, shaping him according to their expectations. How could that possibly count as winning?"
"Exactly. How could that be considered a victory?"
Shuuzawa turned to look at Shisui, his expression calm. "First, they fire the arrow, then they paint the target."
"They justify the outcome by twisting the cause. But in the end, they're simply acting according to their preconceived notions and will and so, things unfold as expected."
Hearing this, Shisui recalled Uchiha Obito's words from the night before. In that instant, he understood everything. Shimura Danzō—he only believed in his judgment.
Even if it meant distorting reality to fit his narrative, even if he had to fire the arrow first and paint the target later, he would do so without hesitation.
"How could he…"
Shisui struggled to comprehend it all. None of it made sense to him. He felt lost, uncertain of what to do.
He understood the situation within his clan. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to remain in the Anbu instead of returning home. But what should he do now?
"You know, there's something I find rather curious." At that moment, Shuuzawa stretched lazily before continuing.
"When I first heard this story, something felt off. Why didn't the child have any thoughts of his own?"
"Huh?"
Shisui looked at Shuuzawa in surprise, only to see him shake his head and turn as if ready to leave.
"Firing the arrow first and painting the target later is never a good idea."
"Human nature isn't something you can gamble on. But at the same time, a person must have their own will, their thoughts."
"Of course, maybe I'm just overthinking it. A child wouldn't have many thoughts of their own."
"When first encountering the world, they're ignorant, not knowing right from wrong."
"But if it were an adult in that situation, perhaps they would be able to see things more clearly. Don't you think?"
"An adult… seeing things more clearly…" Shisui muttered the words to himself.
Meanwhile, Shuuzawa casually waved a hand. "Alright, that's the end of the story. I'm heading back to rest."
"There's no need to take Uchiha Obito's nonsense to heart—he's nothing more than a villain."
"People should have their thoughts. You need to learn how to judge things for yourself." With that, Shuuzawa left without looking back, leaving Shisui standing there alone.
His gaze flickered, as if deep in thought, and gradually, a newfound determination emerged in his eyes.
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