"Woah! It's our Uchiha genius, the Teleportation Prodigy Shisui! And our clan members from the front lines, they're back!"
"It's Shisui-bro! He's back!"
"Look! Beside him is our clan head's child. So young and already on the battlefield, his future is limitless!"
...
Amidst the cheers of many Uchiha clan members, Shisui and Itachi entered the clan compound with the Uchiha returning from the front lines.
Facing the cheering clansmen, Shisui showed a gentle smile. The war was finally over, and their Uchiha had made significant contributions by blocking the Mist Village's assault. Their relationship with the village should ease up considerably now!
Shisui felt a sense of joy. He patted Itachi's head, "Itachi, go home and rest for a few days. I'll take you to see my teacher later."
"Okay, Shisui-bro."
Itachi, the young boy with black hair and black eyes, nodded his small head. His eyelashes were long, and his large eyes reflected the joyous expressions of the surrounding Uchiha clan members. However, young Itachi felt that other emotions were mixed in.
Could it be... extreme excitement?
Itachi left with the group, his face stern. At such a young age, he was more rational and thoughtful than many adults. However, perhaps thinking of his mother's condition at home, Itachi quickened his pace.
Shisui watched Itachi's retreating figure until he disappeared. Then, with a flash, he vanished from his spot. He hadn't returned to Konoha in years and wanted to understand the current situation of the village.
Before it got dark, Shisui arrived at Lin Yu's doorstep. No one understood the village's recent affairs better than his teacher, the "Konoha Slacker"!
*Tap, tap, tap!*
"Coming, who could it be at this hour?"
A pleasant voice came from behind the door, causing Shisui's body to tremble.
Oh no! Teacher isn't home!
*Creak~*
Kushina, wearing an apron and holding a sooty spatula, opened the door looking like a housewife. Seeing Shisui, she smiled, "Oh, it's Shisui. Are you looking for Lin Yu?"
Shisui, his face stiff, nervously replied, "Y-yes! Mistress! Is Lin Yu-sensei not home?"
Kushina's smile widened when she heard Shisui's address. She said, "Come in, come in. I'm just cooking. Lin Yu will be back soon. Stay for dinner tonight!"
Shisui's face turned pale. The nightmares of his childhood resurfaced. He quickly waved his hands, "No, no! I've already eaten at Ichiraku Ramen! I'm so sorry, Mistress!"
This was Shisui's first lie. He forced himself to suppress his guilt and not let his face turn red.
"Is that so? What a shame. I bought so many ingredients today and really showed off my cooking skills!"
Upon hearing this, Shisui became even more agitated. He used his Teleportation Jutsu to its extreme, leaving behind an afterimage. A voice echoed in the air, "Mistress, I must be going. I know where Lin Yu-sensei is. I'll visit and bother you again next time!"
Kushina watched Shisui run off rapidly and sighed, "This child must have something very important to attend to, but he's quite considerate!"
Kushina closed the door, humming a little tune as she continued her "culinary endeavors"!
...
Training Ground No. 417 of Konoha. Shisui's figure appeared on a large tree. He looked at the figure sitting cross-legged in the training ground and smiled. His teacher was still quite diligent in his training!
He always seemed like a slacker in front of them, but in secret, he was working hard!
Shisui had expected Lin Yu to be quite dejected, as Obito was his star student. Lin Yu must be blaming himself!
Sigh, I should find an opportunity to ask Kakashi-senpai to comfort Lin Yu-sensei together. Shisui thought to himself as he walked towards Lin Yu in the center of the training ground.
Lin Yu sat on the ground with his legs crossed. He wasn't diligently cultivating as Shisui imagined. He was just spacing out, or rather, thinking!
The latest mission reward Lin Yu received – the method of extracting Natural Energy!
That is to say, Sage Mode! The process was successful, without any mishaps. Lin Yu entered Sage Mode, but there were no exaggerated markings on his face, nor any partial frogification like Jiraiya.
Lin Yu's Sage Mode was perfect. He became one with nature, and with every move, he could summon natural energy to mix with ninjutsu for release. Moreover, in Sage Mode, Lin Yu could float, not through the use of repulsion and attraction forces like the Tenseigan or Rinnegan.
It was true floating, like an immortal cultivator soaring through the sky, similar to the 'Bukūjutsu' skill.
It was perfect. Strength, speed, sensory abilities, and all other aspects were doubled. However, there were two drawbacks!
The first was the excessively long preparation time. It required ten minutes of absorbing natural energy to enter Sage Mode, demanding a massive amount of natural energy!
The second was the short duration. Sage Mode could only be maintained for three minutes. Although it was enough to handle most battles, Lin Yu still felt it was too short!
Three minutes! This number was unlucky! It needed to be longer! It must be longer!
Lin Yu had been sitting in the training ground for a long time, thinking. At this time, he would usually be at home, or at Mikoto's house. If Tsunade had returned to the village, he would be at Tsunade's place!
As for diligent cultivation... it wasn't as fast as completing missions!
However, after thinking for a long time, Lin Yu came up with a few solutions. The first was to create several Shadow Clones to absorb natural energy, like Naruto, and detonate one when needed.
The second method was to find a place with a high concentration of natural energy, such as one of the three great Sage Lands. What might take ten minutes normally could be done in three to four minutes in these locations. However, during a battle, who would give you three to four minutes? So, this option was out!
However, the second method could be used to store Shadow Clones. Lin Yu decided to consider it. In the future, if any of the three great Sage Lands annoyed him, he would destroy it and use it as a base for his Sage Mode Shadow Clones!
As for other methods, Lin Yu hadn't thought of them yet. However, Lin Yu remembered that Kurama could also refine natural energy. He just didn't know how long it would last, given the large amount needed for Lin Yu's Sage Mode!
"Lin Yu-sensei! I knew you'd be here!"
Shisui landed in front of Lin Yu and observed him meditating, a smile curling on his lips. Goodness, such a calm heart!
Lin Yu had sensed Shisui's arrival long ago. He opened his eyes and smiled, "The hero of Konoha, the Teleportation Prodigy Shisui, has returned! I heard of your fame even before arriving in Konoha."
Shisui scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. "It's just a reputation. You are much more formidable than I am, Sensei."
Shisui suddenly remembered something and whispered to Lin Yu, "Lin Yu-sensei, let me give you a little tip! Don't go home tonight!"
"Huh? Don't go home?"
Could it be?!
Lin Yu could only think of one possibility! He turned his head and met Shisui's gaze. Shisui nodded.
We've locked eyes. We've been through this together!