Senju Shoma's concerns made Natsuhiko see a glimmer of hope.
He had always been an ambitious person—something he would never deny.
Whether it was the system's mission or his own nature, he would find ways to climb upward step by step.
Shoma's worry stemmed from Natsuhiko's rapid growth in strength—and from fear that his own past decisions might one day provoke backlash.
Strength was a wonderful thing.
It not only protected oneself, but also deterred others—even if Natsuhiko did nothing at all.
The fact that you're this worried, Elder, only highlights your own current weakness, Natsuhiko thought.
The Senju clan was, after all, a legendary clan.
Even after declining to this extent, it still possessed foundations and retained a certain level of strength.
But just how strong it truly remained—Natsuhiko wasn't entirely sure.
However, he clearly remembered Uesugi Gen, who had once taught him.
That man had been evaluated by the system as a true Jōnin-level ninja!
That level of strength was already considered high-tier combat power within a village—yet he had served as Natsuhiko's introductory teacher.
For a time, this made Natsuhiko believe the Senju clan was still terrifyingly powerful.
And that wasn't entirely wrong.
Even a starving camel was still bigger than a horse.
The Senju were a camel on the verge of starvation—but in their prime, they had gathered many loyal followers, and there were still some powerful individuals within the clan.
But today's events allowed Natsuhiko to roughly gauge the upper limit of the Senju's remaining strength.
It was very possible that Uesugi Gen—whom he had once assumed was merely an ordinary clan member—might actually represent the clan's ceiling.
Of course, what he fears most is probably Lizardmaru. But the strength I've displayed is likely another source of his concern.
During his report to Shoma, Natsuhiko had not concealed his battle with Sasori before summoning Lizardmaru.
He couldn't hide that.
Kakashi and the other ANBU would report it.
So during Yamanaka Inoichi's inspection, he had not deliberately concealed it either—except for erasing any mention of Sage Mode.
The higher-ups already knew most of the details.
Who knew if one day that information would fall into Shoma's hands?
There was no point lying about it.
Those very details likely stimulated Shoma's concern.
Though Natsuhiko now possessed a summoning beast comparable to Kage-level strength, everyone understood the drawbacks of summoning beasts.
Ninjas were fragile.
If caught off guard in an ambush, there would be no opportunity to summon anything.
One's own strength was the true foundation.
Everyone understood that clearly.
And it was precisely this realization that allowed Natsuhiko to see just how fragile the Senju clan had become.
Fragility has its advantages. If I handle things well, I could eventually take over the entire Senju clan.
Unexpectedly discovering the clan's limits delighted him.
Once you know the bottom line—whether of a person or a family—
You can continuously test and challenge it in subtle ways, gradually maneuvering until you ultimately take control.
Strength is the key. Next comes influence and the right to speak. None of these can be missing.
Natsuhiko knew his path was still long.
But at least now, compared to wavering between whether to side with the Third or the Fourth Hokage, he had a clearer direction and goal.
...
Returning to his room, he frowned slightly.
He noticed that his room seemed to have been cleaned again.
He had encountered this once before—but that time, he hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Just like last time, he carefully scanned the entire room with his sensory ability, not overlooking a single corner—not even the smallest insect.
The result was the same.
There was nothing unusual in his room.
"Could it be that someone from the clan specifically arranged for someo ne to clean it for me?"
Natsuhiko couldn't figure it out, but he felt it was best to remain cautious.
Still, there was no need to be overly deliberate about it.
He simply needed to stay alert while sleeping.
For an ANBU member, maintaining a degree of vigilance even in sleep was hardly difficult.
Over the next few days, Natsuhiko stayed home obediently and did not take on any missions.
His routine was steady and disciplined.
He woke up early in the mornings to train at the training grounds, and in the afternoons he would meet with old classmates who were also off-duty.
Maintaining good relationships with his former classmates was something Natsuhiko had consistently done ever since deciding to remain in Konoha—and he had done it well.
During this period, he considered contacting Minato Namikaze.
Whether to report intelligence or to continue learning the Flying Thunder God Technique, it would have been an excellent opportunity.
Unfortunately, Minato seemed unusually busy lately.
As for what he was busy with, Natsuhiko wasn't sure.
"Could it be the ANBU selection process?"
At that thought, Natsuhiko felt a headache coming on.
He had taken significant risks to eliminate Kusunoki—he had no intention of becoming someone else's stepping stone.
So he deliberately sought out a former teammate and inquired about the current situation within the ANBU.
The news he received eased his worries.
Although Kusunoki's death had stirred some restlessness among certain individuals, the higher-ups had not issued any response.
For now, the matter had been temporarily shelved.
This was undoubtedly good news for Natsuhiko.
He did not want to miss this opportunity while on leave—that would truly be a heavy loss.
In addition to that, he received another interesting piece of information.
Kakashi was also on leave.
"No wonder I've been running into him these past few days. So that's why."
Natsuhiko hadn't asked Kakashi about it directly.
It wasn't that he didn't trust him.
Rather, Natsuhiko's thoughts were complicated—and his plans were numerous.
Since Kakashi was his teammate, revealing too much might cause trouble later if even a hint of his plans were exposed.
Fortunately, Minato's busyness did not last forever.
One evening, while Natsuhiko was quietly living the life of an ordinary ninja, he finally received a message from Minato.
"It seems the Fourth Hokage has finally finished his work."
Looking at the note that had mysteriously appeared in his room—placed atop the sealing techniques book Minato had given him—Natsuhiko smiled.
If Minato was free, it meant he had time to teach him.
And it also meant they could have a proper conversation.
"And besides that good news… there's an even better one."
Suddenly, Natsuhiko raised one hand.
The chakra within his body began to surge.
Under the glow of his blue chakra, a faint yellow vortex slowly gathered in his palm.
As the vortex continued to condense, something resembling a fruit gradually began to take shape.