Konoha Drunkard

"Little one, how about Grandpa takes you to a nice place? There are lots of kids there to play with." Shanks pinched Bai's little face, regardless of whether the two-year-old could understand or not, looking like a strange grandpa trying to lure a child.

"..." Bai Jingjing stared at the idiot middle-aged man, not understanding what he was talking about.

The geniuses in Naruto often share a common trait: they were all quiet, well-behaved boys in their childhood. From Sakumo Hatake to Haku, they are all ruthless and taciturn. On the other hand, those who were carefree and arrogant from a young age were mostly idiots and underachievers. Of course, this refers to the native Naruto characters; Shanks, who didn't pay his taxes, doesn't count.

Just as Shanks was leading Minazuki Kawaka and Haku back to Konoha using the Flying Thunder God Technique, a major upheaval occurred in Kirigakure.

The story begins after Shanks left. After Mei Terumi learned from Shanks that the Mizukage was Danzo's brother, she immediately took the Byakugan user to find the ninjas who had been hunted down by the Mizukage's orders or who had long resented his evil rule. When Mei Terumi relayed Shanks' words, omitting the beginning and ending, they nearly exploded with rage. Some looked up at the sky and wept. They remembered how Kirigakure, having missed the Second Shinobi World War, had preserved its strength, arguably making it the second largest village in the ninja world, with countless elites from various clans. And now, because everyone was eating... They made a terrible mistake, choosing a Jinchuriki as the Mizukage and making a bunch of idiotic decisions, which they then foolishly carried out. Now they realize that the idiotic Mizukage was actually controlled by Danzo's brother, the Root of Konoha. No wonder the Mizukage has rarely appeared in public all these years; apart from a few close friends, very few people have ever seen him. If it weren't for their Byakugan user spotting him in a crowd and noticing the chaotic chakra within the Mizukage's body, resembling a genjutsu, and the confirmation from the Konoha's Shanks, they would never have believed that someone could actually put a Jinchuriki under a genjutsu!

This guy is a Jinchūriki! His chakra is limitless. Getting them to fall for genjutsu is like trying to outlast Shanks from Konoha – incredibly difficult. But the reality is right in front of them, there's no way to resist. It's truly a tragedy for Kirigakure. The Second Hokage led a raid on Iwagakure, only to be outmaneuvered by the enraged Second Tsuchikage, resulting in both of them dying together.

The Third Hokage's fate was even more tragic. First, he was single-handedly defeated by Shanks from Konoha, causing Kirigakure's reputation to plummet to its lowest point in history. Then, just as World War II was about to begin, he inexplicably died, earning him the title of the unluckiest person of the year.

By the time of the Fourth Hokage, after learning from the lessons of the Third Mizukage, everyone believed that Jinchuriki were more reliable. At least they wouldn't disappear without a trace, and no one in the ninja world could bind a Tailed Beast silently.

When they first heard about Sunagakure's disappearance, they were gloating. They thought, "We're not alone! Finally, someone is worse off than us." At least their Mizukage's disappearance was kept secret, and no one outside knew. But Sunagakure's disappearance spread throughout the ninja world, and Sunagakure lost face big time.

But they didn't expect that the water spirit they chose was someone no one dared to tie up... because they were all already under someone else's control, so what was the point of tying them up?

Since the era of the ninja villages, they originally had Sunagakure as their sworn brother, but now the Fourth Kazekage is living a good life in Sunagakure, while their Fourth Mizukage has been inexplicably controlled by someone else. Now, if we're talking about the most unlucky village in history, it has to be Kirigakure.

Now that they had confirmed the Mizukage was being controlled, they planned to launch an attack at midnight that day, when the Mizukage guards were outnumbered. Judging from their current performance, the Fourth Hokage was no longer fit to be the Mizukage, so for their own sake and for the sake of their beloved village, tonight's plan had to succeed.

Thus, the coup d'état in Kirigakure instantly erupted, and the most unfortunate among them was none other than the fat Suigetsu Hozuki. He was already lucky to survive being knocked unconscious by Shanks, but when he awoke, he found himself in the Mizukage's office. His former subordinate, the shark-faced Kisame, suddenly attacked him while he was reporting the situation to the Mizukage, stabbing him through the heart before he could even react. And to make matters worse, his signature sword, Samehada, betrayed him at the crucial moment, joining forces with his former subordinate, Kisame.

Just as Kisame had killed the former boss and obtained Samehada, and before he could even gloat, Mei Terumi, who had stormed into the Mizukage Tower, didn't care about anything else and directly launched a Lava Release attack on the Mizukage Tower. That kind of ninjutsu, which seemed to be able to melt everything, was something that even Kisame, who had just obtained Samehada, couldn't withstand.

419. An incompetent son-in-law

Seeing that Mei Terumi had brought too many people, Obito had his newly recruited subordinate Kisame retreat first, while he covered the rear. It must be said that Obito was quite loyal to Kisame... Anyway, even if they couldn't win, it would be the Fourth Mizukage who would die, not him, so he wasn't worried at all.

Under Obito's control, the Fourth Mizukage fought fiercely against Mei Terumi's group of underlings. Although the Three-Tails was indeed somewhat weak in front of Shanks, its enormous advantage became apparent when facing a diverse group of Kirigakure. The Fourth Mizukage, transformed into a giant turtle, was practically invincible against the Kirigakure's attacks. If it weren't for Mei Terumi's two Bloodline Limits complementing each other and having such explosive power, Obito might have been able to control Kirigakure for another ten years or so. Just as the Three-Tails giant turtle was melted away and the Fourth Mizukage died, Obito appeared in the Fourth Mizukage's original spot.

"So you're Shimura Hanzo, huh? I didn't expect you to be such a coward, not even bothering to show your true face." Mei Terumi looked at Obito, who was floating in the air wearing a circle mask, with disdain. Just as she had analyzed, this guy wasn't that strong. The biggest reason he was able to escape from Shanks in Konoha was his strange ability, like the ability that allowed him to float in the air. Just that alone had already made most ninjas in the ninja world despair. Why did everyone say that Onoki, who possessed the only Bloodline Elimination Dust Release in the ninja world, was troublesome, not powerful? It was because Onoki could fly. His mode of flying and throwing Dust Release at the same time made many people's scalps tingle. They couldn't hit him, and they couldn't fight him head-on. This Dust Release was too insidious and domineering. It would turn into molecules in an instant. Even Shanks didn't dare to fight it head-on.

"...Hanzo my ass! Your whole family is Hanzo! I'm Uchiha Madara, and I'll be back!!" Obito exploded in anger. How many times had he been mistaken for Shimura Hanzo? He was so angry that he forgot his prepared lines of bravado. After venting his frustration, he disappeared. He really couldn't understand why everyone mistook him for that bastard Shimura Hanzo. Was Shimura Hanzo really that famous? Obito swore he would never run into Shimura Hanzo again, or he would beat him up like his brother, carving "SB" on his chin to vent his hatred.

"........."

Everyone in Kirigakure, including Mei Terumi, was completely baffled by Obito. Was this the legendary mysterious man? Weren't villains supposed to be sinister and cunning? Why was Shimura Hanzo's reaction so off?

If they knew that all the reputation points Obito had painstakingly earned over the years had been forcibly awarded to Shimura Hanzo, they would sympathize with Obito. After all, Obito had risked his life for that reputation.

........

"Father-in-law, didn't you go to find Princess Minazuki? How come you brought back a little girl as a bonus?" In the Hokage's office, Shanks brought Minazuki Kawaka and Haku back to the Hokage's office using the Flying Thunder God Technique. Only his son-in-law, Sky Cannon, was in the office. He saw that his father-in-law had not only brought the princess back, but was also holding a little girl in his arms.

"You little brat, look closely, he's got a boy! Never seen such a handsome boy before, have you? Let me tell you, if Shikamaru grows up to look like you, you'd better give me a dozen girls who look like Lingling. Oh, and let me introduce you, this is my good-for-nothing son-in-law, Konoha's Grand Marshal Nara Shikaku. If you ever have any trouble in Konoha, you can go to him. Even the Hokage doesn't have his power. The Hokage can change his surname, but the Grand Marshal's surname is only Nara." Shanks said to Minazuki Kawaka, pointing at the rocket launcher.

".............." Chongtianpao really wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to tease his father-in-law? Being told he was useless was bad enough, but he almost pointed his finger at him and said he was just a freeloader. What did he mean by "the Grand Marshal only has the surname Nara"...? Wasn't that just saying he became Grand Marshal because his surname was Nara...?

"By the way, where's Minato? It's rare to see him in the office. Has he finally figured things out and started doing nothing too much?" Shanks asked.

"Today is the day of Lord Shinku's burial. Minato and the Third Hokage have already passed away. I'll go after I finish the documents I have on hand," said Skyfire, his expression somewhat sorrowful.

The heroes who sacrificed their lives should have been buried after the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha. However, Konoha was in ruins at the time, so the heroes' bodies were frozen. They were only given a grand funeral after Konoha was rebuilt.

"Is that so? I really am destined to meet Shinku! If I had waited even a day longer, I wouldn't have been able to see him one last time," Shanks said, his voice tinged with hurt.

Afterwards, Shanks brought Kawaka and Haku to the Senju clan's territory. After all, they were his best friend's daughter and granddaughter. Shanks was worried about her living alone in Konoha, so he thought it would be better to bring them back to the Senju clan's territory. Anyway, there were plenty of houses in the Senju clan's territory.

"Huh? Lord Shanks has been gone for so long, how come he brought back a mother and daughter? Do you think it's because of Lord Shanks's extramarital affairs?"

"No way? Lord Shanks loves Haruko-sama very much, how could he do such a thing and bring them back?"

"Now that they have a child, they might be ready to lay it all out."

"........."

Along the way, the Uzumaki clan members watched Shanks and his companions gossiping. Minazuki Kawaka couldn't hear them because of her lack of perception, but Shanks was different. Even without using Observation Haki, his perception was still top-notch.

"What are you bastards chattering about? Ryoto, you're the loudest, aren't you? Run 1000 laps around Konoha. If you don't finish before dark, don't let me see you in the clan's territory!" Shanks was furious. These bastards were clearly questioning his character. He felt like he had raised a bunch of ungrateful wretches.

"Huh?? Lord Shanks, it's already six o'clock, and it'll be dark in an hour!" Uzumaki Ryoto, who had been singled out by Shanks, said tragically. Running 1000 laps in an hour—even the famous green-skinned Gai couldn't do that. Wasn't this making things difficult for him?

"I don't care, it's just that I'm not in a good mood today, and I happen to see you having too much free time." Shanks said this and then led Minazuki Kawaka to a brand new two-story building.

"What do you think? Isn't this house beautiful? I designed it myself. You and the child will live here from now on. The people outside are all from the Uzumaki clan. If you need anything, you can ask them to help you." Shanks said to Minazuki Kawai, who was holding Shiro.

"It's beautiful, Red-haired Lady, thank you so much," said Minazuki Kawaka, her eyes red.

"Oh, I've already told you, your old man is my best friend. Don't call him Red-Haired Lord so formally, just call me Uncle. You've just arrived in Konoha, so get some rest first. Tomorrow I'll have my daughter show you around. I have to go see an old friend off on his final journey," Shanks said with a smile.

420. The person who signed the contract is there.

When Shanks arrived at the Yuhi Clan, many high-ranking officials from Konoha came to pay their respects. Not only the village's leadership, but also many ninjas Shanks didn't even recognize came to see him off. This shows how well-liked Yuhi Shinku was. This man with colored contact lenses was very polite to everyone in the village. If it weren't for the sheer number of people and the fact that the Yuhi Clan couldn't possibly be absent, the entire Chunin Squad would probably have come. It's well known that Konoha's Chunin or Jonin Squads aren't just ordinary small teams; Konoha organizes all registered Chunin into Chunin Squads, and the same goes for Jonin Squads. For example, Shanks was a Jonin, so he was also a member of the Jonin Squad. If it weren't for his high seniority, he would have needed to ask his son-in-law, Chongtianpao, for permission to leave the village...

The number of Chunin in Konoha is enormous. As the head instructor of the Chunin Team, Kurenai Yuhi is very dedicated. Whenever a student doesn't understand his teaching, he patiently explains it to them. Only those who have experienced war know how important that knowledge is. In this respect, he is much better than Shanks, the teacher who only knows how to brag.

Looking at the portrait of the man with colored contact lenses, Shanks was filled with emotion. He had indeed forgotten that his old friend had died when the Nine-Tails attacked the village. At the time, he was only thinking about how to save his beloved niece. Minato was considered an accident and didn't die. And with Shinku retiring behind the scenes in recent years, he hadn't remembered that his old friend had also died in this grand drama.

The scene of their childhood encounter kept replaying in his mind: the two teenagers making a promise between men at the entrance of Konoha Village, then drinking and laughing together in their youth, and reminiscing about the past in middle age. Even after experiencing so many joys and sorrows, Shanks was still very sad.

"Look at you, you're older than me, and you're always hanging out with Nine-Tailed Fox. I told you, if there's a problem, let the younger brother handle it. Now look what happened, your son-in-law left without even having tea, and he won't be able to hold his grandson next year." Shanks grumbled at the portrait of the man with colored contact lenses on the recorder.

"...You bastard Kakashi, when did this happen?"

The serious and slightly sad atmosphere was broken by Shanks' words. Asuma was the first to react. Forgetting the cigarette that never seemed to be finished in his mouth, he angrily asked Kakashi, who was rolling his dead fish eyes, "You'll be holding a grandson next year? It's already the middle of the year, doesn't that mean she's already pregnant?" Asuma's comprehension was correct, but he hadn't studied humanities in school and didn't know that the word "next year" could be used as a metaphor in the cultural world.

"...Red and I are still innocent; he was just using a metaphor." Kadian was speechless. Someone had ruined a perfectly good funeral again, and... what did he mean by "let the underlings go first"? Luckily, everyone present was still lost in grief and didn't understand the middle-aged man's meaning, otherwise, it would have definitely erupted into a massive attack on the rude middle-aged man. Wasn't this encouraging the underlings to be used as cannon fodder?

“Even metaphors won’t work. You said last time that you wouldn’t marry Hong, and you have to keep your promise,” Asma said.

"?? Did I say that?" Kaka looked at Asuma with a question mark on his face. Although he didn't have any special feelings for the girl with colored contact lenses, he really didn't remember when he had said such a thing. After all, it was an agreement from the previous generation, and he couldn't very well disrespect it.

"When I gave you the Lightning Release techniques from the family collection last time, you promised me, didn't you forget?" Asuma, like an angry bird, racked his brains to win over Kakashi, catering to his preferences. Knowing that Kakashi was perfecting his ninjutsu, he immediately sent him all the Lightning Release techniques from the family collection. Finally, with Kakashi carefully examining them, he tricked Kakashi into making a promise that he wouldn't marry the girl with the colored contacts.

".......Is that so? But I can't decide this matter. The person who signed the contract is there!" Kakashi gestured for Asuma to go find Shanks. He couldn't make the decision either, since Shanks had signed the contract before they were even born. What could he do? The ninja world values ​​the spirit of contracts the most.

"........."

Asuma was now deflated. As the most powerful second-generation ninja in Konoha, he had always been able to get whatever he wanted in the village. He'd been saying since he was five that he was the boss after midnight. Aside from a few other good-for-nothing youths, which ninja didn't give him face? But every time he encountered Shanks, not only was Shanks' face useless, but even his father's face was useless. Without a word, Shanks would deliver a powerful punch... It seemed things were much more difficult than he'd imagined. He'd thought appeasing his dream man's father would be enough, but now that father was dead. As for his other two contracted clients, one was an Anbu leader, and a super rigid one at that—even his father's words were useless against him. The other was even more difficult; he feared he'd be beaten before he could even utter a word...

........

As darkness fell, Sky Cannon finished his work and arrived. The funeral of Kurenai Yuhi was almost on par with those of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju. Kurenai Yuhi was very popular during his lifetime and could get along with anyone. Even the "gatekeeper" at the village entrance would chat with people whenever Kurenai Yuhi left the village, exchanging pleasantries. Otherwise, his strength would have been limited to the Red Staff. Before Minato rose to prominence and Orochimaru gave up, Hiruzen Sarutobi had considered having him serve as Hokage for a transitional period, passing the torch to Minato once he matured. However, before the plan could be implemented, Minato rose to power rapidly.

The main reason is that this incident has had a huge impact on Konoha. In this incident, apart from Zixiao who was seriously injured while saving her subordinates, only Yuhi Shinku sacrificed herself to save the villagers by fighting against the Nine-Tails. Her deeds have spread throughout the village, and many villagers have come to pay their last respects to their hero.

It wasn't just Kurenai Yuhi who was buried in the cemetery; there were many other ninjas who had sacrificed their lives. So, by the time Minato and Hiruzen Sarutobi, the two Hokage, had finished giving each other a pep talk in the cemetery, it was already late at night.

"You mean the Mizukage has been controlled by Shimura Hanzo using the Kaleidoscope all these years?"

Several high-ranking officials from Konoha returned to the Hokage's office to discuss the news Shanks brought back from Kirigakure. Everyone was stunned to hear that the Mizukage had been controlled by Danzo's brother for many years, especially Hiruzen Sarutobi. He never expected that his friend's brother would be so powerful. That was the Kage of a village, and a Jinchuriki at that, yet he could control him so easily and for so many years.

"Judging from the tone of that ANBU girl at the time, that was indeed the case, but I was just guessing. After all, it matches the time when I first met Shimura Hanzo in the Land of Water," Shanks analyzed, stroking his chin.

421. Does Little Green Sprout accept second marriages?

"...So, it's possible that he was the one who attacked the village back then?" Hiruzen Sarutobi took a few deep drags of his opium pipe and said. If he could control the Nine-Tails, then controlling a Three-Tails Jinchuriki would be a piece of cake.

"I can't say for sure, but the fact that the Mizukage is being controlled is undeniable," Shanks said, shrugging.

"What exactly is Shimura Hanzo up to? Could he have killed the Third Mizukage too?" Koharu Utatane rubbed her throbbing temples. The death of the Third Mizukage, one of the unsolved mysteries of the ninja world, might have an answer today.

"Huh! How come I didn't think of that? Koharu's guess is actually quite possible. With Shimura Hanzo's strength, it's not impossible for him to take down Shokuta without anyone noticing." Shanks continued, following Koharu's words. Although he wasn't sure if Shokuta was Madara's doing, judging from Madara's methods of controlling the Fourth Mizukage, it was quite possible. Although Shokuta's strength was considerable, there was a comparison to be made. Back then, Madara wasn't on his deathbed yet; he was just getting old. However, taking down Shokuta would still be relatively easy for him.

"So, it's possible that he was the one who did it to the Third Kazekage?" For some reason, Shanks could sense that Danzo was somewhat excited when he said this.

Danzo couldn't help but be excited. He never expected his half-brother to be so powerful. Not only did he control the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha, but he had also been the behind-the-scenes boss of Kirigakure, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, for so many years! That's amazing! Thinking back to their last meeting, although they weren't exactly best friends, they had a pleasant working relationship. Considering that his brother could control the Mizukage, if he obtained those eyes, wouldn't he also be able to control the Hokage? After all, it was only a quarter of the Nine-Tails, so the difference wouldn't be that big, right?

Once this idea popped into Danzo's head, it became unstoppable, running rampant in his mind. Just thinking about how, if he got those eyes and controlled Minato, Konoha would be his domain, and the mere thought of it was exhilarating!

"Huh? Brother Danzo, so you're here! I've missed you so much! Brother Danzo is truly amazing. He was able to connect the clues to the disappearance of Sarada. He's a dragon among men!" Shanks praised Danzo enthusiastically. Anyway, the troubles that Shimura Hanzo had caused could circle the ninja world several times over. One more wouldn't make a difference.

"Hmph! Isn't this common sense?" Danzo-kun was arrogant, looking at the people around him with disdain, as if he were the protagonist looking down on the extras.

"Brother Danzo has a point! Judging from your brother's strength, it's certainly possible." Shanks continued to banter with Danzo. He had gone to great lengths for his nominal disciple, Sasori. To prevent Sasori's historical status from declining, Shanks could only go along with Danzo's words. Currently, besides the Akatsuki's internal staff, not many people knew that Sasori had killed him. Besides, even if Sasori brought out the Sasori puppet later, everyone would say the craftsmanship was good, and the real culprit was Shimura Hanzo, not him.

Orochimaru may have a long tongue, but he's not a gossip. In the ninja world, Orochimaru is undoubtedly the best at keeping secrets, provided there's no one who can offer him a bargaining chip. Otherwise, Shanks probably would have been sold out by Orochimaru himself.

"Oh right, you said you brought back the daughter of the Minazuki clan and her child?" Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly said. He had originally planned to approach the Minazuki daughter from afar, hoping to find a virtuous and talented man from a distance. Wasn't this virtuous and talented man his eldest son? Just thinking about how his Sarutobi clan would one day possess such a cool ninjutsu as Ice Release made him laugh in his sleep. If he had known Ice Release back then, not to mention anything else, his skill in flirting alone would definitely be no less than that of Kagami Uchiha. However, although bloodline limits are extremely difficult to create, even he, a rare genius with five innate ninjutsu attributes, couldn't create one.

During Shanks' absence, he had been trying to persuade his eldest son. For some reason, his son, who usually obeyed him, was surprisingly resistant in this regard. Every time, he was kicked out of the room before he could say more than a few words. And now, upon hearing that the young lady of the Minazuki clan had already given birth, his dream was shattered.

"Sigh! It's all tears when I tell you. She was a perfectly good noble lady, but she met the wrong person at the wrong time. Let me tell you, the situation was really dangerous. That weak-looking drunkard was actually punching and kicking her. Although I don't know who gave him the courage to beat up a special Jonin, the Mizuki clan is just too good-natured. They actually held the child and didn't fight back. If I hadn't stepped in to stop it, another human tragedy would have occurred in the ninja world. By the way! Third Hokage, do you know if Midori is open to second marriages? Let me tell you, although she's second-hand, she's really good-looking enough to be worthy of your Sarutobi clan. Her looks are comparable to Haruko-sama." Shanks shamelessly bragged, completely omitting the fact that if it weren't for him, she wouldn't have gone to the kitchen to get a knife, but instead wanted to act as a matchmaker.

"Cough! Cough!... We'll talk about this later." Hiruzen Sarutobi nearly choked to death. What did this bastard take his Sarutobi clan for? His Sarutobi clan was a prestigious family, after all! How could he allow his eldest son to remarry? Even if his eldest son agreed, he wouldn't. Ice Release was good, but reputation was more important. He didn't have a bloodline limit now, but he could research it for decades. He refused to believe he couldn't create one with his talent. Once he did, he could work harder... His Sarutobi clan would still have a bloodline limit. But forcing his eldest son to remarry, to hear other people's children call his eldest son "Dad," and other people's children call him "Grandpa"... that was worse than eating shit!!

"What do you mean 'later'? Let me tell you, after my bone-reading test, that child is exceptionally talented and will be incredibly powerful in the future. Just don't regret it later." Shanks clearly understood the meaning behind Hiruzen Sarutobi's words.

He originally intended to introduce her to his childhood friend, Hatake Sakumo. Hatake Sakumo was the perfect successor in terms of character and personality, and Kakashi was all grown up and had no worries about his future. His family was wealthy enough to provide a comfortable life for Minazuki Kawaka, and their personalities complemented each other. However, the thought was that since Kawaka currently called him "uncle," if she married Sakumo, wouldn't he become Sakumo's nominal uncle? This unwarranted seniority... he wondered if Sakumo would come after him with a knife...

422. Their dreams are just too grand.

"What makes you think that child is so talented? I remember when Fugaku Uchiha was born, you said the same thing to Yota Uchiha." Koharu Utatane gave Shanks a Tenseigan. This guy is even messing with his own people.

"You guys have been around for so many years, haven't you noticed the commonalities among those geniuses?" Shanks glared at the old guys with disdain. He didn't blame Minato and Skyrocket for their lack of experience, but the four giants of Konoha had been around for so long and still hadn't noticed this detail. They were really wasting their lives. Besides... the second male lead's dad is pretty awesome now, okay? He's even awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan, you just don't know it.

"Oh? Tell me what you have in common." Although it was Hiruzen Sarutobi who was speaking, everyone in the room looked at him, like a good student.

"Ahem! Son-in-law, take notes. The points I'm about to say are very important and will completely affect the future of Konoha." Having grown old and gained too much fame, Shanks rarely shows off anymore. He's finally getting another chance, so how could he possibly let it slip by?

"First, let's talk about the geniuses since the founding of Konoha. As for the figures from the Warring States period, there are too few records to mention them. The Third Hokage and your generation were the first generation, right? Tell me, wouldn't you call Kagami a genius? Wasn't his personality quite reserved when he was young? He wasn't nearly as lively as his peers." Shanks looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi and Koharu Utatane.

"...It seems so. That's why I got along so well with Kagami back then. I thought the people around me were so immature." Hiruzen Sarutobi shamelessly added himself to the list, summoning the Tenseigan of his three friends, especially Danzo, whose eyes were practically spitting fire at the shameless Hiruzen. He wondered who had dragged him to the roof of the bathhouse back then. Was running to the roof of the bathhouse not immature? He finally understood why their strengths differed so much; it turned out he also belonged to that immature group of his peers.

"Ahem! Now let's look at my generation and Sakumo's generation. I won't talk about me here, since I'm so outstanding, so I won't make any comparisons. Let's talk about Sakumo. Didn't Sakumo seem mature for his age when he was young, not like to talk, and prefer to take action rather than talk?" Shanks didn't forget to really flatter his childhood friend while praising him.

"...That's right, but I remember you were quite childish when you were little!" Koharu Utatane said to Shanks with amusement.

"I was just naturally virgin. If I were as childish as my peers, would I have been able to flirt with Haruko-sama at the age of five?" Shanks said proudly. Flirting with Haruko-sama at the age of five was something that made him even prouder than killing Shamon at the age of nine.

"Father-in-law, please continue. Your story with your mother-in-law is already recorded in the book, no need to introduce it." Chongtianpao was speechless. If he didn't stop him, his father-in-law would probably brag about his story with Haruko for a whole day.

"The most obvious one next is Orochimaru. When Orochimaru was young, he was always holding a book he could never finish reading and contemplating the philosophy of life. Tsunade was a gambling queen who frequented Konoha's various casinos at the age of three. Jiraiya goes without saying; he completely copied the Third Hokage's growth history. Does anyone have any different opinions?" Everyone fell silent and pondered, even the son-in-law, Skyrocket, was scribbling incessantly on his paper.

"Next up is Minato's generation. Because of his personality, Minato occasionally plays house with his peers, but most of the time he trains on his own for his dream of becoming Hokage. My son-in-law, at just three years old, already knew how to threaten Shikamaru with stealing alcohol. Do you think that kind of thing would happen to an ordinary person?" Shanks' last words drew his son-in-law's Tenseigan, which seemed to explode with excitement. But thinking about it carefully, he realized that he did indeed find his peers boring back then—no, even people much older than him were boring, and they would ponder simple questions for a long time…

"So, let's not talk about Kakashi next. Sakumo's clone is even more stubborn than Sakumo, as everyone knows. Next, we'll talk about Shisui and my precious disciple, Itachi. Shisui has always been steady and reliable, much like Kagami. My precious disciple is even more extraordinary. He experienced the Fourth Shinobi World War firsthand at the age of three, contemplating the meaning of ninjas. At five, he could demonstrate Uchiha shuriken techniques that made everyone's scalps tingle. So, based on the growth experiences of these geniuses, I've come to a conclusion: geniuses, when they're young, always show a completely different way of thinking compared to their ordinary peers. As for Minazuki Kawaka's child, I could tell at a glance that he's the same ruthless and taciturn type as Orochimaru. How about it, Third Hokage, you'd better not regret this." Shanks rambled on, but his claims were all well-founded. These were all Kishimoto's settings, so what did it have to do with him?