**Chapter 4: The Inescapable Plot Twist**

Orochimaru fled, and Shiro couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, Orochimaru possessed Kage-level strength. If he truly wanted to capture Shiro, there would have been little suspense in the outcome!

Raidou dragged his heavy body over, his eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at Shiro.

"Uchiha kid, thanks! I owe you one for saving my life!"

Shiro forced a bitter smile. The way Raidou expressed his thanks made Shiro feel a bit awkward.

The tone sounded like Shiro owed him money.

However, realizing that his current body was only twelve years old, Shiro quickly understood.

Raidou was a special Jonin of Konoha, and being saved by a twelve-year-old kid surely bruised his pride a bit! Shiro, of course, wasn't actually twelve years old, so he didn't point it out.

"You rest here, I'll go help the Third Hokage!"

"Wait—" Raidou tried to speak but was interrupted by a sharp pain shooting through his body, making him wince in agony.

By the time he regained his composure and wanted to stop Shiro, it was already too late!

Despite several Jonin joining the fight, the Third Hokage was still being overpowered by the First and Second Hokages.

The Third Hokage's old face gradually showed signs of exhaustion.

"It seems I have no other choice."

The Third smiled bitterly as the wrinkles on his forehead began to ease.

He made a series of hand signs: Snake – Boar – Ram – Hare – Dog – Rat – Bird – Horse – Snake.

"Dead Demon Consuming Seal!" Sarutobi Hiruzen shouted, and behind him, a faint blue silhouette began to appear.

Upon closer inspection, a Shinigami dressed in white robes could be seen looming behind the blue figure.

Shiro stopped in his tracks with a bitter smile.

"Couldn't stop it, after all."

The Dead Demon Consuming Seal was an S-rank sealing technique. It required the user to offer their own soul as a price, signing a contract with the Shinigami to seal the enemy's soul forever.

Once the technique was initiated, it was nearly impossible to halt.

"My ninjutsu collection..."

Shiro felt a pang of regret. Sarutobi Hiruzen was known as a master of ninjutsu, possessing knowledge of countless techniques.

Now that Sarutobi was caught in the Shinigami's grasp, it seemed Shiro would have to collect the ninjutsu on his own.

The souls of the First and Second Hokages were pulled away, and both of them smiled in relief as they turned to dust, vanishing before they could say thanks.

The Third Hokage gave a gentle smile before his eyes lost their luster.

Shiro shook his head and swiftly turned to leave. While the battle wasn't entirely over, he needed to steal a few more skills.

As Shiro left, Raidou shook his head in sorrow. "I didn't expect the Third Hokage's death would hit him this hard. I'll have to comfort him later."

With Orochimaru's retreat, Konoha gradually gained the upper hand. Even the Sand Village's secret weapon was suppressed by Naruto, and their forces began to crumble.

The fierce battle that had once raged was now slowly calming down.

Shiro looked at the long list of ninjutsu he had stolen and felt satisfied. Although most of them were basic D-rank and E-rank techniques, there were still seven or eight that could be combined!

If not for the fact that he only had one combination left, he could have already crafted a series of high-level ninjutsu.

However, Shiro wasn't planning to use it just yet.

Save your best for the right moment—he had to find a way to learn Naruto's technique first.

Once he combined that with the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, he'd have a technique for both offense and defense. Even Jiraiya's *Icha Icha Paradise* wouldn't be that bold!

However, as Shiro looked around at the grieving villagers, with people crying everywhere, the sadness began to seep into his heart.

"Seems like it's not the right time... I'll wait a while."

At the Third Hokage's funeral, Shiro was placed in the second row.

The first row was reserved for Sarutobi Hiruzen's closest people and several high-ranking officials.

The second row was for those who had shown outstanding performance in the recent battle, most of whom were elite Jonin.

Standing among them, Shiro, a "kid," instantly became the center of attention!

After gaining the Beginner Sage Body, Shiro's sensory abilities had significantly improved, and he could clearly feel the various gazes coming his way.

Some were filled with admiration.

Some were curious.

Some were respectful.

And there were even a few that radiated killing intent!

It seemed that Konoha still had many spies.

After the battle, the secret of Shiro's Sharingan had become widely known. Originally, Danzo wanted to frame Shiro as a spy, but thanks to Raidou desperate defense, Shiro had smoothly been recognized as a member of the Uchiha clan!

Others might not know Danzo's true nature, but Shiro knew it all too well.

Now that Sarutobi was dead, Danzo would undoubtedly try to get rid of Shiro and take his Sharingan for his own collection.

Shiro smiled bitterly. It seemed that not only did he have to fend off spies from other villages, but he also had to deal with the internal struggles within Konoha!

"It seems I need to quickly strengthen myself."

After the funeral, people bowed their heads and left slowly. Raidou stern face, already scarred, became even more terrifying as he approached Shiro.

"Shiro! During the village's reconstruction, you'll get a new house. For now, I've rented you a place next to mine."

Given the occasion, Shiro could only nod slightly in response.

Just as they were about to leave, a girl with two buns in her hair approached.

"Thank you, Shiro, for saving my life earlier..." Tenten stammered, her face turning slightly red.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Tenten brought out something she had been hiding behind her back.

Lowering her head, she raised her hands high, offering a brand-new set of ninja tools!

Shiro was surprised. He hadn't expected Konoha's wealthiest girl to have a crush on him. Normally, he'd gladly accept any gift from her, but a set of ninja tools felt a bit out of place.

"Th-thanks," Shiro awkwardly accepted the tools.

Seeing that Shiro had taken them, Tenten smiled shyly, quickly covering her face with her hands before running off like the wind.

Raidou awkwardly coughed twice and then said seriously, "Let's go. Don't forget, there's still business to take care of! I really don't understand why Lord Danzo has it out for you so much."

"Who knows?"

For a moment, Shiro felt a sense of solemn respect.

The "business" Raidou mentioned was nothing other than Shiro's official induction as a ninja of Konoha!

Even if it was just a Genin.

But Shiro knew full well that if you encountered a Jonin from Konoha outside the village, you just had to be careful. If you ran into a Genin, though, it was best to turn around and run!

Most importantly, as an official ninja of Konoha, Shiro could finally start accepting missions.

That's how he'd start making money!

The two of them arrived at the Hokage's office. The desk where Sarutobi Hiruzen used to work was now empty, but seated at the table were three people.

An elderly man and woman, and the bandage-covered, sharp-eyed Shimura Danzo.

"Uchiha Shiro!"

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(End of Chapter)