Konoha Drunkard

"What, are you in dire straits again? You're the little tyrant of Konoha, who would dare let you suffer in dire straits?" Haruko-sama said with a smile, pinching Garp's little nose.

"Today I went to the Hokage Building and Uncle Shikaku said that my old Team 2 has been filled, which means I'm out of squads and I have to do 100 low-level missions to fill someone else's spot! 100 missions, my dear great-aunt! Itachi lost weight after only a few days of doing those missions, and I don't want to end up like that," Garp cried, tears streaming down his face.

"That's pretty unlucky, but we've all been there. Even your aunt had to do these kinds of tasks back then. There's no use in you asking me for help," Haruko-sama said with amusement.

"It's useful, very useful. Isn't Konoha Hospital our territory? You can issue a mission every day in the mission room under the hospital's name, and I'll pick it up and come over to chat with you every day. You don't want your cute and handsome grand-nephew to become skinny and emaciated, do you? I asked Uncle Shikaku, and it only takes 100 days." Garp played the pitiful card, even shedding a few tears.

"...I really can't do anything with you. I'll have Kawada go to the mission room later, but you have to stay in the hospital obediently every day before you can get the mission reward." Haruko said, pinching Garp's little face. Wasn't this the same method Shanks used to ask her for help to help Greenskin Dai back then? She didn't expect to have to do it again now, but things had changed. Greenskin Dai had become a hero of the village and was sleeping in the cemetery.

"Don't worry, I'm not the same person I was yesterday. I've turned over a new leaf and I'm determined to be a positive and motivated Konoha ninja!" Garp patted his chest and assured him.

"Hehe! I hope you really do it. By the way, your great-uncle and I have already spoken with the Hyuga clan today, and they have agreed that you don't have to marry into their family. However, since you've already signed the marriage contract, the marriage must take place. In a couple of days, your aunt or your mother and I will discuss it and have you two get engaged first. She's a great beauty; if you don't act quickly, you'll have nowhere to go later," said Lady Haruko.

"Grandmother, is it alright if we don't get married?"

When the topic of marriage came up, Garp wilted again.

"That won't do. You are the sole heir of the Senju clan. If you don't get married and have children, who will inherit the Senju clan? Don't worry, your great-aunt has already checked out that girl. She has a very good personality and won't bully you." Haruko-sama shook her head and chuckled. This child was traumatized by his father's experience.

"I hope so. If I had known it would be this troublesome, I wouldn't have bothered saving her in the first place." Garp pouted.

"Hehe! She doesn't need your help! She's been your classmate for so many years, and you don't even know how strong she is? You're really something." Haruko-sama tapped Garp's little dog head.

Is she very strong?

Garp became curious. Back in school, he was so busy beating people up that, frankly, he couldn't even remember most of his classmates' names, let alone their strength. Even the teachers couldn't beat him. Wasn't setting his standards too low by focusing on his classmates...?

“Your great-uncle said that child is quite talented; he’s already at the level of a genin,” Haruko-sama said.

"Tch! Just a genin? I've already beaten more than one chunin teacher." Garp looked up at the sky with arrogance.

"Hehe! You! Alright, you go to the mission room with Kawada later. Remember what you said, stay obediently in the hospital." Haruko-sama laughed after Garp finished showing off.

458. A discerning fat man

"Dr. Kawata, Young Master Garp, what brings you here? It's been years since we last met. I really thank you for saving my life last time." A minor ninja in the mission room, missing an arm, quickly stood up to greet Kawata as he brought Garp in. Of course, the person he was greeting was Kawata. Doctors in the hospital are highly respected, but Garp wasn't quite there yet. People only called him "Young Master" because of the Senju clan. In the Naruto world, it's impossible to be respected based on background; at most, it's just a difference in how you address someone.

"Nakamura-kun, it's been a long time. So you've been assigned to the mission room. The hospital's been really busy lately, and a lot of clutter hasn't been organized. So Haruko-sama asked me to post a clutter-organizing mission. I just ran into young master Garp on the way, and he was bored too, so I brought him here to give him the mission. No need to bother anyone else." Kawata has been a medical ninja for so many years, he's a seasoned veteran. He was the one who handled the Green Skin Dai incident back then. He knows exactly when to speak and how to talk. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to rise through the ranks at the hospital all these years and become the hospital's general manager.

"Is that so? Then please register here. Since I was discharged from the hospital, I've had to come here to work because I lost an arm." The extra ninja laughed nonchalantly, not caring at all about losing an arm. He gave Kawata a knowing look and handed him a D-rank mission scroll to register.

That talk about letting Garp take on missions on the side is nonsense. He's been working in the mission room for years, and he's heard that young master Garp graduated several months ago, but he hasn't seen him there. Last week, a Jonin from Dragon Village was complaining to him that young master Garp hadn't reported to his team. He guessed Garp was just too lazy and dirty to do menial tasks. He'd seen plenty of kids like that, fresh out of school and taking on menial missions for the first time. But while others might be exceptions, young master Garp is an exception. Who can blame him when his background is so powerful? Not only are the two current Hokage in the village his parents, but just the fact that his ancestors were two Hokage is enough for him to walk with a crab-like gait in Konoha. Even the current Hokage wouldn't dare boast about his gait.

"Come to my place after get off work if you're free, we can have a couple of drinks. I still have some good wine that I robbed from Lord Shanks," Kawada said with a smile as he took the scroll.

"Is that so? Well, I'm sorry to bother you. I haven't had Shanks-sama's sake since I came back from the battlefield. What a mindset!" The extra ninja said, his eyes shining.

"..."

Garp stood speechlessly beside Kawata. Judging from his tone, he was clearly another old hand trained by his great-uncle. It was true what they said: nine out of ten drunkards in Konoha were trained by his great-uncle. Anyone who went to war with him would instantly become a drunkard afterward…

"Huh? Garp, you're here for a mission too?" Just as Garp was speechless, a childish voice came from behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who the voice belonged to. Who else could have such a childish voice in the mission room besides that little Itachi who had lost a lot of weight...? Beside him was a fat Jonin and two older Genin who had just graduated. Garp felt that one of the boys looked familiar but couldn't remember where he had seen him before. He must have beaten him up back in school. Anyway, he had beaten up too many people, so it was normal not to remember them.

"Sigh! It's a long story. The team leader abandoned me, so I have to take on the missions myself." Garp sighed.

"......"

Little Weasel remained silent. "Don't you even know the difference between A and C? The whole village has heard that you haven't reported to the team for months. It would be a miracle if the team leader didn't abandon you."

"Uncle Kawata, why aren't you enjoying life at the hospital? Why are you bringing young master Garp to the mission room?" The chubby teacher leading Itachi's team smiled at Kawata with shining eyes.

"The hospital's busy, so I came over to post a mission. It just so happens that young master Garp is also here to pick up a mission, so I brought him along." Kawada said with a smile. He and the team leader were neighbors and had practically watched him grow up. This fat guy might not be good at anything else, but his vision was second to none, and his ideas were different from others.

"Really? What a coincidence. Our team is also tired of those menial tasks, so we'd like to relax today. How many people does the hospital need? We can't let young master Garp get overworked by himself. Besides, he doesn't have a mentor to guide him. How about this, I'll ask the Hokage to let young master Garp join our team. What do you say, young master Garp?" The fat Jonin's lewd aura was now unmistakable.

Other Jonin leading teams treated Konoha's young tyrant like a plague, but he was different. He treated these privileged scions of wealthy families like treasures. He wasn't originally the team leader for this graduating class, but upon hearing that Shanks' disciple, the young Uchiha clan leader, had applied for early graduation, he immediately pulled strings, even begging his neighbor, Uncle Kawata, to become the Jonin leading the team. He even assigned Itachi to his class. Although Itachi was Shanks' disciple, he was also a member of the Uchiha clan. The Uchiha clan had a generally poor reputation in Konoha; while there were oddballs like Shisui who seemed approachable, most were arrogant, especially the young Uchiha clan leader. Many were hesitant, but this young Uchiha... The fat guy got there first, and as a result, Itachi's performance during this period made the Jonin leading the teams regret their decisions. Not only was Itachi mature and lacked the arrogant attitude of the Uchiha clan, but the most crucial thing was that this lecherous guy had noticeably gained weight since becoming Itachi's mentor. The Uchiha were the most powerful clan in the ninja world; even a small amount given to this lecherous guy could ensure his retirement and a comfortable life. Therefore, when Garp graduated, a large number of Jonin competed for him at the Hokage Building. Although Garp had a terrible reputation at the school, his backing was far stronger: a descendant of two Hokage, Tsunade's nephew, the sole heir of the Senju clan, and with the powerful Shanks of Konoha behind him. The frenzy was even more exaggerated than Singles' Day...

That fat guy went there too, but he was kicked out as soon as he entered the Hokage's office. It's not enough that he already has an Uchiha successor, he has to compete with them for him. His behavior is too ugly. He was only beaten to a pulp because the Hokage couldn't bring himself to kill him in front of him.

In the end, Minato had no choice but to select Ryūmura Shinoda, who believed that he was not qualified enough to participate in the competition because he had only recently been promoted to Jonin. He made Shinoda Garp's mentor. After that, Garp was still the same old Garp. He didn't show up for team assignments or team assemblies. Ryūmura Shinoda was suffering in silence, but he just didn't want to say anything.

459. Itachi's Clever Fat Teacher

The Hokage entrusted him with the last remaining member of the Senju clan, which showed how highly he regarded him. He was already prepared for Garp's absence for the first month; after all, Garp's mischievousness was well-known, spoiled rotten by Tsunade! He figured Garp could come back when he was tired of playing around, so he remained calm. Besides, the two students in the team didn't object, probably because they were afraid of being punished at school. When Garp didn't come for the second month, Ryūmura Shinoda started to get anxious. According to the usual procedure, the first month was for graduating students to do odd jobs in the village, and only the second month could they start taking on missions outside the village. After a month of odd jobs, the two students in the team were already showing signs of frustration, but he could still manage to keep it under control. By the third month, the two students' behavior had become uncontrollable. He couldn't very well go to the Hokage, since the Hokage had entrusted him with the children's education. If he couldn't handle it and went to the Hokage for help, wouldn't that make him look incompetent? So, after much deliberation, he finally went to his former classmate, who was also Garp's former homeroom teacher. But on that very day, the two students in the team, who had been doing odd jobs in the village for three months and watched their classmates leave the village countless times, exploded in anger. They had all graduated together, so why were they doing odd jobs for three months just to wait for Garp? Did his powerful background give him the right to do whatever he wanted?

In the end, having no other choice, Ryūmura Nobuda ran to Minato to complain without waiting for updates from his classmates. Minato could only give him another student to appease the other two junior members.

After hearing about this, Itachi's chubby teacher had been subtly inquiring about Garp's situation with Itachi for the past two days. He wanted to know about Itachi's relationship with Garp. He had originally planned to ask the Hokage for permission in a couple of days, since Garp was someone all the Jonin leading teams in the village feared, so there was no need to fight over him. However, he unexpectedly ran into him in the mission room today. What could this be but fate? So the lecherous man decided to strike while the iron was hot.

"Uncle Shikaku said that according to the rules, I can't even be a substitute until I've independently completed 100 miscellaneous tasks, so applying now is useless." Garp shrugged. Itachi graduated a few months earlier than him, and joining now would be perfect for leaving the village to have some fun—of course he wanted that, but the rules were set by his ancestors, and he didn't want to be an unfilial descendant...

"No problem, it's just 100 days! Our team just came back from the village and needs to rest for a while, so it's a good opportunity for you guys to get to know each other and build chemistry." The fat man rubbed his two fat hands together, looking as lewd as could be, almost drooling.

Garp's inclusion in his team gave him a natural advantage. After all, Itachi was on his team, and their relationship wasn't as complicated as that of the Senju and Uchiha. On the contrary, they got along very well. So he wasn't worried at all about Garp skipping gatherings like before. Besides, it didn't matter if he didn't come. Their team already had four people, which was considered full. Garp was a special case. The Hokage must be having a headache over Garp's team assignment. This would help the Hokage solve the problem. It was killing two birds with one stone. He gave himself a thumbs up for his cleverness.

"......"

Little Itachi looked at the teacher in front of him, who was so lewd that he was completely different from the righteous teacher in front of them. This teacher was just too lewd.

"Zoe, is this our teacher? She seems like a completely different person." Itachi had the same feeling, as did his two teammates.

“…If Uncle Minato agrees, I have no objection,” Garp said.

"Haha, don't worry, I guarantee the Hokage will agree. Let's go to the hospital together now, and you can practice your teamwork." The fat Jonin laughed loudly, drooling uncontrollably.

"Itachi, are you really a reliable Jonin leader?" Garp looked at the chubby Jonin with skepticism. How could someone like that be a Jonin leader? Did Konoha just lack talent...?

"...Teacher Kawanaka's strength is still quite formidable." Little Itachi never speaks ill of others, even though he discovered the fat teacher's true colors at noon today.

"Hopefully..." Garp looked at the fat man and felt a wave of greasiness; he wouldn't be able to eat any more fatty meat in the future.

After Kawata registered, Fatty led his team to Konoha Hospital, ostensibly to let the four kids get to know each other better. Fatty followed Kawata the whole time.

“Kawata, it’s not that your uncle doesn’t care about you, but once Garp joins your team, you’ll have to keep an eye on him when he leaves the village. Garp is different from Uchiha Itachi in your team; he’s very mischievous. Make sure nothing happens to him, or I won’t be able to protect you,” Kawata said to his neighbor’s nephew.

"Uncle Kawata, don't worry, I have experience teaching these rich kids," the fat Jonin said, patting his chest.

"It's good that you have confidence. You also need to take care of your health. Your old man entrusted you to me back then. I really shouldn't have let you get so fat." Kawata sighed as he looked at his nephew, who resembled Akimichi even more than Akimichi. Their two families were old friends. The fat boy's father used to be a medical ninja. The two were neighbors, so they had always been good friends. However, he was unlucky and went to the battlefield during World War II and never came back. The fat boy lost his parents when he was young. Kawata was unmarried, so he took on the task of taking care of his best friend's son. The fat boy was very clever from a young age, and thanks to Kawata's care, he did quite well in the village. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get a position as Itachi's mentor through connections.

However, due to his excessive weight, this fat man's taijutsu, aside from Earth Release, was utterly useless. He was only able to become a Jonin because the village had too many Genin and not enough Jonin to lead a team. Minato made an exception and promoted a group of Chunin, and this fat man was one of them. His fat wasn't the kind of fat that Akimichi clan used to store chakra; it was just real fat. Kawata was really worried that this fat man wouldn't be able to protect Garp, who was the only remaining member of the Senju clan. If he left the village, who knows how many wolves and tigers would be eyeing him. Of course, being Garp's teacher would also be a bright future. The experience of the former homeroom teacher of Shanks and White Fang, now the head of the Sarutobi clan, has become a legend.

He has no talent, weak skills, and no connections. So why has he reached his current position? It's because he's associated with two legendary ninjas. And now, Itachi Uchiha and Garp's talents are obvious to everyone. Even if he retires, there's no need to worry about this fat guy being left without anyone to protect him.

460. The most agile fat man in the ninja world

"Being able to eat is a blessing, Uncle Kawada. Why are you so sentimental today? This isn't like you." The fat man looked at Kawada with a puzzled expression.

“Lady Haruko is retiring next year. As her right-hand man, I’m getting old, so naturally I’ll retire with her. I’m just worried that you won’t have anyone to look after me after I retire,” Kawada said helplessly.

"Hey! I thought it was something serious. Even though you're retired, you're still Haruko-sama's right-hand man. Besides, if young master Garp joins my team, the Hokage won't assign me difficult missions, and I certainly won't take on any dangerous ones. I know my own limitations, so don't worry! But even though I'm confident, the Hokage might not necessarily approve my application. Uncle Kawata, please help me think of a way." The fat man said worriedly. He only felt that the Hokage had a high chance of approving his application after analyzing various aspects, but he didn't have the influence to affect the Hokage's decision. He could only find someone influential, and in the village, the only people with that influence and reason were Garp's parents. However, Garp's parents weren't high-ranking enough to have a say. Konoha wasn't just about him in education; why would they let their children tutor him? After all, Shanks-sama had dominated the education field for so many years...

"I'll talk to Haruko-sama for you later. Tomorrow, you'll come with me to deliver two bottles of good wine to Lord Shanks of the Senju clan. You're so clever, you know what to say then." Kawada thought for a moment and felt that his fat nephew's words made some sense.

While Kawada and Fatty were plotting, they didn't notice that the four kids in front of them had their ears expanded infinitely, and they heard everything they were saying.

Am I particularly sought after?

Karp stroked his chin and asked, still thinking he had been blacklisted.

"Because you're the Crown Prince."

Itachi's teammates, who had been beaten by Garp in school, complained that it was incredibly difficult for ordinary ninjas like them, lacking talent, to get a top-notch instructor after graduation. Even though Itachi was Shanks's student, the Uchiha clan's influence prevented many Jonin from advancing to their teams, let alone them. Meanwhile, Itachi, before even graduating, was already surrounded by Jonin vying for his attention, with some even fighting for him in the Hokage Building. While he was currently experiencing some impact from not attending team meetings for several months, it was only temporary. After all, he was a genius. Once this turmoil subsided, another wave of Jonin would surely come to recruit him. The Senju clan's status in Konoha was no joke; a large portion of the ninja world's history was related to them. Moreover, the current Konoha was founded by their ancestors, and they had a powerful figure in the family—a leading figure in education. With so many students, how could they possibly lack instructors?

...........

"Hey, Kawada, what brings you here? You've come all this way, and you even brought a gift. Isn't that too much of a formality? Honestly, is this your son? He looks quite like you. But I remember you're not married, right? Could it be...?"

The next day, Itachi's fat teacher arrived at Shanks' house early in the morning with Kawata and a bunch of things. Although Shanks said nice things, his actions spoke louder than words. Before the fat guy even entered the door, he had already snatched the things from his hands and then gave Kawata a knowing look.

"Ahem! Ahem! Lord Shanks, this is the son of my dear friend Kawada. He unfortunately died on the battlefield during World War II, so I've been helping to take care of him." Kawada coughed awkwardly twice to explain. He looks like your grandpa, but not like you at all. Look at all that fat on him, how does he resemble me?

"Really? I didn't realize you were such a passionate person!"

Shanks said as he unwrapped the gift.

"Lord Shanks, the main reason I brought my nephew here today is because of young master Garp. As you know, Garp has been working alone in the hospital lately because he doesn't have a ninja team. Sigh, young master Garp is still so young, and there's so much going on at the hospital. How can he manage all that alone? Well, my nephew happens to be the mentor of your disciple, Uchiha Itachi. Yesterday, he saw how close Itachi and young master Garp were, so he wanted to ask the Hokage to let young master Garp join their team. However, he's worried that the Hokage won't agree, so he wanted to ask you for help. I already mentioned it to Haruko yesterday, and she agreed. But as you know, Haruko never gets involved in these things, so I brought my nephew to find you." Kawata said.

"I thought it was something serious. It's just doing odd jobs. Everyone except me and Sakumo has done odd jobs before. Kakashi did odd jobs for a few years too. It's good for this little bastard to suffer a bit. But as for joining the team... well, if the little bastard is willing, that's fine. But hey Fatty, can you handle him? Itachi is out of the question. The Uchiha don't have many enemies in the ninja world. But Garp is a different story. Not to mention that his father offended Sunagakure to death in the Third Shinobi World War, the Senju clan's reputation is enough to attract a lot of hatred. Can you handle him with your skills?" Shanks looked at the fat man next to Kawata suspiciously. Why did he feel that this fat man was unreliable? With the physique of an ordinary person, he actually had the physique of an Akimichi clan member. That was quite a talent.

"Lord Shanks, rest assured! I will protect my student with my life. Don't let my size fool you, I'm the most agile fat man in the ninja world! Even the Akimichi clan can't do a somersault like me. I'll show you right now." The fat man said, rolling up his sleeves.

"No, no, no! I believe you're the most agile fat man in the ninja world. As long as you're confident you can handle him, that's good enough." Shanks quickly stopped him. After all, he and Kawata had been old friends for many years, and Kawata was Haruko's right-hand man. He had to give him face. It wouldn't be good if this fat man caused any trouble for him. Moreover, Shanks actually quite admired this fat man. Despite his terrible skills, he dared to call himself the most agile fat man in the ninja world in front of him. He liked this shameless spirit. At least this shamelessness could save his life many times. Surviving in the ninja world wasn't just about being strong. Being thick-skinned was also a skill. If you were weaker than others, you had to compromise. Being able to survive was the real skill. Those who were weak and thin-skinned would just become cannon fodder.

"I'll talk to Minato tomorrow, no need for formalities. I was originally planning to have Inoichi help me take care of that little bastard, but since you volunteered, and I admire you, Garp is yours." Shanks patted the fat man's chest; it felt nice, just a bit greasy...

461. The family's heirloom fist

"Teacher, are you sure you want this guy to be Garp's team leader? Why? There are many excellent Jonin in the village. I still want to get Itachi out of their class!" In the Hokage Building, Minato looked at Shanks with some surprise. He remembered Shanks talking about this guy vividly. Back then, he was surrounded and beaten up by a group of Jonin in his office because of Garp. It was hard not to remember him. Afterwards, he even specifically looked up the information of that fat guy who caused the public outrage. Goodness, this guy was the epitome of a nepotism case. He was inexplicably seriously injured on his first mission after graduation, and then inexplicably spent more than half a year in the hospital. And during his hospitalization, he inexplicably arrested someone... The spy, who would later become the first Chunin to be promoted to Chunin, and then break through to become a Jonin, was recommended by a group of Konoha heroes who were hospitalized. At the time, he didn't think much of it, but after reading the information, he realized that this guy was actually campaigning in the hospital. Moreover, from the time this fat guy graduated until he became the Jonin leader, there was always the shadow of Dr. Kawata. Isn't this the ultimate example of nepotism? Minato was actually curious about what Shanks saw in him. To be honest, Minato regretted it to death when he assigned Uchiha Itachi to that fat guy. Wasn't that harming Uchiha Itachi? And today, Shanks wanted to push Garp into the fire pit as well.

After seeing off Kawata and Itachi's fat teacher early in the morning, Shanks had nothing to do, so he came to the Hokage Building to chat with Minato and his son-in-law.

"Haha! Absolutely not. It's good to keep Itachi in their class. Besides, I admire this fat guy. At least he's shameless enough. Don't think that being shameless is his flaw. On the contrary, it's also his greatest strength. This kind of person is quite shrewd. Believe it or not, twenty years from now, people more powerful than him will die one after another, but he will still be alive, just because he's shameless enough." Shanks laughed loudly.

"...But he can't teach geniuses like Itachi and Garp," Minato said helplessly.

"Well, geniuses don't need so much instruction. When Sakumo and I debuted, the Third Hokage didn't teach us much either. What did Jiraiya teach you when you graduated? Only ordinary people with no great talent need step-by-step, hands-on guidance from their instructors. Geniuses have their own independent thinking; they just need guidance. And aren't you and the Third Hokage doing that guidance? That pile of nonsense at the opening ceremony every day is still somewhat useful!" Shanks said.

"I thought you'd been looking for Haiyi these past few days to have him be Garp's mentor! Especially considering this guy's strength..." Minato hesitated. When they graduated, several teachers really did adopt a hands-off approach, only taking them on missions and never really managing them. Tsunade was the most prominent example; even teaching her how to lead a team on missions required Jiraiya's help. Thinking about it now, it really makes sense. Back then, they all understood what they knew, they just didn't know the mission acceptance process. But their mentors were different; they were all double-ranked red-armored, while this fat guy was just a nepotism hire. How could he possibly protect Konoha's two geniuses?

"You're starting to look more and more like the Third Hokage. How can you see a rainbow without going through storms? Life isn't always smooth sailing. Geniuses who have it all are just hothouse flowers; they'll be useless later on." Shanks said nonchalantly. He was just showing off in front of others. Actually, he had already imprinted the Flying Thunder God seal on Garp. Normally, if people knew he was the sole heir of the Senju clan, they would kidnap and kill him first, unless they encountered an idiot. But idiots in the ninja world don't usually live long, so it's not a big deal. As for Itachi, the second male lead is still a helpless infant; when will it be his turn...?

"Since you put it that way, teacher, let Garp finish his low-level missions and then let him join the River Squad." Minato shrugged. When it came to eloquence, he was no match for Shanks, a former teacher who had boasted so much. And those who could rival Shanks had been silently chanting "You can't see me, you can't see me" the moment Shanks arrived. Since Shikamaru's incident, the person he least wanted to see was his father-in-law. His father-in-law's first question was always, "When are you going to give me a grandson?" It annoyed him to no end. He couldn't beat him, and he couldn't avoid him. He could only silently try his best every day, but the pregnancy rate among ninjas was truly appalling. He even went to the Uchiha clan head for advice. In the last ten years, only the Uchiha clan head had conceived a second child, but it was useless. The Uchiha clan head's words were too mystical; even his mind couldn't grasp them. He just needed to visit their Naka Shrine to pray to their ancestors regularly. But... why the hell would the Nara clan worship your Uchiha ancestors? Their father just retired, he's not dead yet...

"Son-in-law, what are you muttering to yourself? Do you think I can't see you? How's my granddaughter's progress?" The person Chongtianpao least wanted to see and the words he least wanted to hear still came.

"We're working hard, and the progress is pretty good. We'll know once the results come out," said Skyrocket helplessly.

"You know your mother-in-law and I are getting old, and Shikamaru looks just like you. He'll be relying on his granddaughter to bring us food in the future! You better keep things in check," Shanks said calmly.

"...You don't look old at all."

The rocket silently gazed at the sky.

"Hey! After all these years, I'm already over fifty. Others my age have tons of children and grandchildren, but I only have one grandson. Shouldn't you be more ambitious?" Shanks said, raising his dark, grimy fist.

"Haha, don't worry, teacher. Shikaku has been working really hard lately. He doesn't even leave work at night anymore and goes home on time in the afternoon." Seeing that familiar black fist, Minato quickly explained for his friend.

"I hope so, but don't overwork yourself. I don't want my daughter to be a widow at such a young age. There are so many talented young men in Konoha, it wouldn't be good if Shikaku called someone else 'Dad,' wouldn't you say?" Shanks raised an eyebrow at Rope Cannon.

If it weren't for his innate high intelligence that kept him calm at all times, you wouldn't be able to beat him. Even a rocket launcher would be tempted to charge in and attack. But there's no way. Not to mention this person, even his daughter is no match for him. Although Lingling doesn't like training, her fists are hereditary and incredibly hard. When the Nine-Tails attacked the village, a huge rock was thrown at the Nara clan, and it was Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors, who smashed the boulder to pieces with a single punch. Shikaku felt a chill run down his spine; what if that had hit him...?