Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 293: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

Inside the Hokage's Office.

"Hokage-sama, here is all the information on Hyuga Hinata from her childhood to now."

Mabui, dressed in coarse hemp clothing, respectfully handed over a stack of documents.

After noticing the peculiarities surrounding Hyuga Hinata, Shirou naturally began paying closer attention to her.

As he flipped through the documents, Shirou couldn't help but reveal a look of realization.

"Her physique has been extraordinary since childhood, her appetite unusually large! She possesses immense strength, and her chakra reserves far exceed those of her peers. As for her regular training..."

When he saw the details of her training, Shirou frowned slightly. The individual responsible for the records, the hemp-clothed subordinate, quickly explained with a knowing tone:

"Lord Shirou, we always assign people to fully monitor and document the school's prodigies. Hyuga Hinata's performance at school cannot simply be attributed to 'talent.'"

"Her private training is even more rigorous. She has shown an unusual persistence since childhood, always striving to be number one. She even trains late into the night, determined to surpass both Naruto and Sasuke."

Mabui paused for a moment, her tone filled with admiration as she continued:

"According to information we obtained from the Hyuga clan, this young girl has been sleeping only six hours a day for years. The rest of her time has been dedicated to relentless training. Her efforts are incredibly intense!"

Seeing these records, even Shirou, who was usually composed, couldn't help but nod in admiration. "Indeed, talent combined with hard work leads to results like this."

He had only recently begun to focus on this seemingly inconspicuous girl, and he never expected to discover that her chakra reserves were extraordinarily vast. Coupled with some anomalies in her Byakugan, this investigation confirmed his suspicions.

There's no such thing as effortless genius—only hard-working prodigies.

At this moment, Shirou silently reflected. Hyuga Hinata's talent was undeniable. Years of relentless, intense training and proper nourishment had likely awakened her latent potential.

No wonder even Naruto and Sasuke, who had been trained by him and Minato, were being overshadowed.

In terms of innate ability, Naruto and Sasuke's talents were unquestionable. But Hinata's talent was clearly on par with theirs.

And when it came to effort, Naruto and Sasuke couldn't compare to her. This level of training intensity was something he had only seen in Might Duy, his son Guy, and perhaps Rock Lee from last year's graduates.

Although Naruto and Sasuke were under their guidance, they were still young.

"I didn't expect to uncover such a prodigy. I almost missed it."

At this moment, Shirou was deeply moved. It was a reminder that relying solely on prior knowledge and intelligence was dangerous—this world had already changed drastically.

If Hinata lacked targeted guidance in the future, no matter how hard she worked, she would eventually be surpassed by Naruto and Sasuke. But since he had discovered her potential now, he certainly wouldn't allow such talent to go to waste.

"From today onward, Hyuga Hinata's file will be classified as S-rank secret. Also, her younger sister's talent shouldn't fall far behind—upgrade her classification to A-rank."

"Understood!"

Mabui bowed respectfully. Shirou smiled, pleased to have discovered a talent comparable to Naruto and Sasuke.

"Lord Shirou!"

At this moment, Mabui hesitated before pulling out another investigation report.

Shirou raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Mabui bowed her head and spoke in a low voice:

"Following your orders, we began investigating Sarutobi Konohamaru after noticing his chakra growth spiked unnaturally fast following the massacre of the Sarutobi clan. Although the Sarutobi clan is now extinct, it can be speculated that his body contains traces of Senju and Uzumaki bloodlines. Based on past records from Root and the ANBU, there was a potential Uzumaki candidate for a jinchūriki. However, those records were subsequently destroyed."

After reading the investigative report and hearing her explanation, Shirou sneered coldly.

"Just another case of borrowing power that doesn't belong to them."

Beneath Shirou's cold smile, his thoughts solidified. There's no such thing as geniuses without reason—there's always a story behind it.

Hyuga Hinata's abilities could be attributed to a reawakening of her ancestral bloodline, as the Byakugan traces back to the Sage of Six Paths. But the Sarutobi clan? They held no such heritage.

In the original story, Konohamaru's chakra reserves were absurd, almost comparable to a mini jinchūriki.

"So, Hokage-sama, should we...?" Mabui lowered her head and whispered as if suggesting whether to increase surveillance or something more drastic.

Shirou smiled and waved dismissively. "Borrowed power never lasts. Its disappearance is only natural."

Mabui maintained a respectful expression as if she hadn't heard anything.

...

Nightfall, in a luxurious barbecue restaurant.

Kakashi Hatake looked at the lively scene in front of him, his face showing surprise.

"It's bustling here."

"Hey, Kakashi! We were waiting for you!"

Might Guy's passionate shout invited Kakashi over. Once seated, everyone smiled and greeted one another.

"I didn't expect all of you to be here," Kakashi remarked casually.

Might Guy laugh proudly. "Since we weren't on missions, Hokage-sama arranged for us to gather."

Sitting next to Might Guy was Kabuto Yakushi, wearing glasses and a warm smile. Now donning the Konoha forehead protector, he was a jōnin of the village.

"Kakashi-senpai, it's Hokage-sama's idea for us to help our genin teams get acquainted. After all, the next Chūnin Exams are only half a year away."

Seeing Kabuto, Kakashi smiled. "Oh? I didn't expect you, as Orochimaru-sama's former assistant, to have time for a gathering like this."

Kabuto nodded slightly, still smiling. He and Shisui had been leading teams for the past two years. Kabuto's team consisted of Kidomaru, Sakon and Ukon, and Jirōbō. Shisui's team, on the other hand, included Jugo, Kimimaro, and Sai.

"Haha! Kakashi, let's settle this in the next Chūnin Exams!" Might Guy laugh heartily, a proud look on his face. He was confident in his team's strength.

Might Guy's team consisted of Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and this year's addition, Shino Aburame.

"Hokage-sama is something—gathering all of the prodigies from the past three years," Kakashi muttered, his eye twitching as he glanced at the long table of genin. It felt almost unfair.

"Hey, Kakashi, have a drink! Tonight's meal is courtesy of the two Hokage wives!"

Amid the cheerful laughter, Terumi Mei and Pakura, though slightly embarrassed by the title when in Shirou's presence, couldn't help but feel a sense of pride when they were outside.

"Hokage-sama is full of schemes. Assigning me to lead Hinata Hyuga, Karin Uzumaki, and Ino Yamanaka? His plans are so obvious I can hear them from here."

Terumi Mei's hearty laughter and teasing made it clear everyone understood the reasoning behind these arrangements.

This jōnin gathering, organized by Uchiha Shirou, was not just a casual get-together. It was a rare opportunity, as missions often kept everyone busy. Meanwhile, at the genin table, introductions were being made.

A cheerful, blonde-haired girl, Temari, waved enthusiastically and smiled brightly.

"Some of us don't know each other well, so let me introduce us. I'm Temari, and my teammates are Tenten and Haku Yuki. Our instructor is Pakura-sensei. For the Chūnin Exams next year, we might need to team up to face outsiders!"

Temari, who grew up in Konoha since childhood, did not have a drastic change in personality despite being abandoned. Instead, she became more independent, excelling in both character and strength.

As Temari introduced them, Tenten and Haku smiled and waved to everyone in greeting.

"Our teacher is Jonin Kurenai Yuhi. This is my teammate Hotaru, and the new addition this year, Sakura Haruno. I'm Tayuya," Tayuya said with a prideful look, revealing the cursed mark on her neck, as if to declare to everyone, "I'm a genius who can withstand Lord Shirou's cursed mark."

"This is the passion of youth!"

Sure enough, no matter where he went, there was always someone to liven up the mood. Rock Lee enthusiastically shouted, pointing to his two teammates:

"Our teacher is Jonin Might Guy, and my teammates are the genius Neji Hyuga and the new addition this year, Shino Aburame!"

Sai, with a fake smile, pointed to his team leader, Jonin Shisui Uchiha, and said with a laugh:

"My squad members are Kimimaro and Jugo."

"I..."

As the Genin introduced themselves to each other, smiles gradually appeared on everyone's faces.

After all, they were all Konoha ninjas, and they knew that next year's Chunin Exams would pit them against enemies from other nations across the ninja world.

Naturally, this gathering became an opportunity for everyone to get to know each other better.

"For Konoha! For the strongest Hokage! Cheers!"

As Hinata Hyuga raised her glass with a smile, everyone followed suit, raising their drinks and shouting "Cheers!"

Even Kimimaro, usually reserved and cold, showed a fanatical gleam in his eyes at the mention of the Hokage.

Naruto and Sasuke, who were already familiar with most people, exchanged glances upon seeing their comrades for next year's Chunin Exams.

If Kimimaro, Jugo, and Temari were to lose, then their enemies would indeed be ridiculously strong.

After several rounds of drinks and amidst the lively atmosphere, the Jonin exchanged smiles, reminiscing about Konoha's rapid growth and strength over the past ten years. Meanwhile, the Genin became more acquainted with each other. As the meal neared its end, the doors suddenly opened.

"Hokage-sama!"

"Shirou-sensei!"

As Kakashi stood up, the lively atmosphere instantly quieted. Uchiha Shirou and Minato Namikaze entered with smiles on their faces.

Seeing everyone rise to greet them, Shirou raised his hand to stop them and waved with a smile:

"This is a rare gathering. It's not working hours, so no need to be so formal."

Everyone understood that the Hokage and Minato had likely been dining in the neighboring room, waiting for the meal to wrap up before coming over.

Under the restrained demeanor of the Jonin and the excitement of the Genin, Shirou smiled, raising his glass to toast with everyone.

Over the years, Shirou had led Konoha's development, earning the respect and admiration of every Jonin. As for the students of the Ninja Academy, they were all fervent believers in the Will of Fire. Having grown up learning Konoha's ninja history, they were intimately familiar with the Mangekyo Sharingan and the legendary tales of the ninja world—quite unlike the ignorance depicted in the original story.

"Mei, Pakura, remember to go home tonight."

Before leaving, Shirou casually said this, causing both Mei Terumi and Pakura to look tense and slightly complicated.

Under the moonlight, Konoha was enveloped in a bustling and peaceful atmosphere.

...

...

In a castle as exquisite as something out of a fairy tale, Mei Terumi and Yagura appeared in the main hall, their movements somewhat hesitant.

"Hinata, we brought her here."

In the hall, where Shirou had been waiting for some time, he raised his head, frowned briefly at Mei and Pakura, then shook his head and said:

"There's sobering soup here. Hinata-chan, come with me to Tsunade's secret room."

Before attending the gathering, Shirou had secretly instructed Mei, which led to this scene.

"Sobering soup!"

Mei and Pakura were taken aback, but their hearts warmed when they saw the thermos of sobering soup prepared on the hall's table.

This sobering soup had been prepared in advance.

However, due to their awkwardness about returning to the castle, they delayed their return, wandering outside with Hinata for over half an hour. Otherwise, the short distance would only have taken a few minutes.

"Hokage-sama!"

Hinata Hyuga, who had been brought back, followed behind Shirou respectfully, her face flushed red—clearly overthinking the situation.

As the door to the secret room opened, they saw Tsunade, busy in the laboratory, along with her assistants Mikoto and Kushina.

"Is this the Hyuga girl you mentioned?"

Upon seeing Hinata, Tsunade's face showed curiosity, while Kushina glanced behind Shirou, then exclaimed in surprise:

"Anata, didn't you bring Sister Mei and Sister Pakura back?"

"Kushina!" Tsunade glared at Kushina, knowing full well what she was thinking.

Shirou simply shook his head and said, "Alright, stop fooling around. Let's get to the main issue."

Turning to Hinata, Shirou reassured her:

"Don't be afraid, Hinata-chan. I suspect your bloodline might have undergone atavism. Otherwise, you wouldn't possess such immense power."

At that moment, Hinata finally understood. Disappointed, she realized that being summoned by Shirou at night wasn't for anything romantic—just for this.

Nevertheless, she nodded respectfully.

"I trust you, Shirou-sama!"

"Alright, lie down on the bed. I'll do an examination."

Hearing the mention of bloodline atavism, Tsunade grew excited. She wasn't like Orochimaru, who was curious about everything. Her current research focused on one thing: the secrets of the Sage Clan!

The Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, Kaguya, and Uzumaki clans—if all these bloodlines were united, could they unlock the mystery of the true Sage?

And where did the Sage from a thousand years ago come from? This power seemed to have appeared suddenly in history, unlike the evolution of onmyoji and samurai, which had developed through continuous wars and chaos.