Mature women like Kurenai Yuhi really suited his taste; of course, Tsunade wasn't bad either.
"By the way, since you're a student and everyone else is heading to the classrooms, why are you walking out by yourself?" Kurenai asked, her crimson eyes twinkling with curiosity.
As she spoke, Kurenai couldn't resist reaching out to pinch Shiro's cheek. "You're just too cute!"
*Cough cough!*
Wasn't this big sister being a bit too forward? Getting all touchy-feely during their very first meeting!
Though, Shiro had to admit, he was actually enjoying it quite a bit.
"Right, little brother, I haven't asked for your name yet?" After she finished teasing him, Kurenai finally asked for Shiro's name.
"I'm not little!"
Regarding such a question, Shiro felt compelled to make a serious declaration. He wasn't 'little' at all!
"My name is Shiro!"
"Shiro... that's a nice name. I'm Kurenai Yuhi," she introduced herself with a warm smile.
For some reason, the more Kurenai looked at Shiro, the more pleasing he seemed to her eyes. It was as if this handsome young man was exactly her type. For a moment, Kurenai's thoughts even strayed a little too far.
*Kurenai Yuhi, get a grip...* she scolded herself internally, casting those embarrassing thoughts aside. *I don't even have a boyfriend yet, what am I thinking fantasizing about a student!*
"I applied to Lord Hokage to operate as a one-man team," Shiro explained. "So naturally, I don't have to wait with the others for the squad assignments."
"Is that so? What a pity!" Kurenai sighed dramatically. She had actually been toying with the idea of pulling strings to get Shiro on her own squad. What a shame.
"Aren't you supposed to be participating in the team assignments too, big sister? It looks like you're about to be late," Shiro suddenly said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Oh! I almost forgot! I was too busy talking to you, you little brat!"
Only then did Kurenai remember she had a mission to attend to. Her new genin were waiting.
"Well then, see you later, brat!"
"Goodbye, big sister!"
As he spoke, Shiro took advantage of Kurenai's distraction. He leaned in swiftly and planted a quick, bold kiss right on her cheek, dangerously close to her lips.
Before she could react, Shiro turned and walked away, feeling immensely satisfied. One had to know that Shiro was not exactly a generous person. Kurenai had taken advantage of him by pinching his cheeks for so long; it would be unreasonable not to collect some 'payment.'
"This little guy!"
Kurenai stood frozen in the hallway, her hand instinctively touching her cheek where he had kissed her. She hadn't expected her personal space to be invaded by this little fellow so smoothly.
However, she didn't mind too much. A smile tugged at her lips. After all, Shiro was just a student. With such an age gap between them, surely he was just being playful? She figured at his age, he should be more interested in those little girls at the Ninja Academy.
---
"Whew, that almost broke my mental fortitude!"
Back in the safety of his apartment, the usually calm and composed Shiro felt his mental state was nearly compromised by the encounter. Mature women were dangerous.
"Better hurry up and practice these jutsu!"
He shook off the distraction and turned his attention to the Scroll of Seals' contents. He first selected some of the less risky Forbidden Jutsu to practice. As for the truly sinister ones, like the *Reaper Death Seal*, he simply set those aside. It was enough just to understand the theory behind such self-sacrificial techniques; with his absolute strength, he wouldn't need to use them at all.
He focused on high-utility techniques, starting with the *Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags*.
Don't ask why he chose this one first—it was simply because it was cool!
With his *Heaven-Defying Comprehension*, Shiro took less than a few minutes to completely master the intricate paper ninjutsu. The other chosen techniques combined took him less than half an hour to fully master.
For the following few days, Shiro stayed holed up in his apartment, constantly refining and familiarizing himself with his new arsenal.
Meanwhile, the team assignments proceeded exactly as Shiro remembered from the original timeline.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were assigned to Kakashi's Team 7.
Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi were assigned to Team 10 under Asuma Sarutobi.
Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame were assigned to Team 8 under Kurenai Yuhi.
And just as Shiro had predicted...
After being assigned to their teams, the missions they received were entirely menial labor: weeding gardens, delivering mail, and retrieving lost pets.
**Team 7, Mission Hall**
"No way! I finally understand why Shiro chose to be a one-man team!" Naruto complained loudly, throwing his hands up in despair.
These missions had absolutely no difficulty at all. Moreover, each one was tedious, boring, and lacked any real value. This was a far cry from the glorious ninja missions Naruto had imagined.
"I'm already starting to miss Shiro!"
"Alright, stop complaining. Shiro has strength comparable to a Jonin, so naturally, he doesn't need to perform these D-rank chores to build character," Kakashi drawled from behind his book, though he noted their grumbling.
Kakashi had a very deep impression of Shiro. The boy's Wood Style could even defeat two Root Jonin in less than a minute. It wasn't that Kakashi had never seen Wood Style before—he had worked with Yamato for years.
But compared to Shiro's majestic forests, Yamato's Wood Style was like a common weed growing by the roadside. Yamato's techniques were strictly 'construction-grade.'
Originally, Kakashi's evaluation of Yamato wasn't that low. That was provided he had never seen Shiro's version. Once you've witnessed Shiro's Wood Style, it's hard to even associate Yamato's techniques with the same legendary name.
"Alright, alright, stop complaining. I might be able to find us a C-rank mission," Kakashi sighed, closing his book.
The events that followed were very familiar.
---
About three days passed.
"Time to go complete some missions!"
After staying shut in his house for several days, Shiro finally decided to venture out. It wasn't for any profound reason other than the fact that his savings were running low. No one gives you money just for having a headband, so he planned to earn some extra cash.
After tidying up, Shiro arrived at the Mission Center. Inside, the hall was bustling with Genin teams picking up D-rank tasks.
"Why is this child coming to the Mission Center alone?"
Shiro's solitary figure was exceptionally conspicuous. Usually, Genin were glued to their squad leaders.
"Young man, are you here to pick up a mission on behalf of your team leader?" a staff member asked kindly, approaching the counter.
Facing the inquiry, Shiro didn't say much. Instead, he reached into his pocket and placed the special Tokubetsu Jonin forehead protector that the Third Hokage had given him onto the counter.
"Wait! You're a Jonin?!"
The staff member was completely stunned. You're telling me such a young child is actually a high-ranking officer? What would all those veterans who had trained their whole lives and were still stuck at Chunin think?
"Tokubetsu Jonin," Shiro corrected him calmly.
The reason the Third Hokage gave him this specific rank was that even Hiruzen didn't know exactly how strong Shiro was, but 'Genin' was obviously insufficient. So, he had appointed him as a Special Jonin—a rank that allowed for independent operation.
"It's Shiro! Konoha's Number One Genius, Shiro!"
The moment Shiro revealed his rank, the people around him recognized him instantly. He was the only one to receive such a high rank right upon graduation.
"It's that Shiro who was awarded a Jonin protector immediately!"
The gazes of many Chunin and Jonin present shifted, assessing him with a mix of curiosity and envy.
"What missions can I take right now?" Shiro asked casually, ignoring the stares.
The staff member immediately brought out a binder of B-rank missions.
"I'm sorry, sir. Lord Hokage has a regulation that a newly appointed officer's first solo mission can only be B-rank at most," the staff member said somewhat apologetically. There were A-rank missions available, but protocol was protocol.
"Find me a mission related to the Land of Waves," Shiro instructed.
He hadn't forgotten his purpose. To earn extra cash, nothing was more attractive than Gato—that walking deluxe gift pack of illegal funds.
"Uh, the Land of Waves?"
The staff member hadn't expected such a specific request. He quickly began flipping through the B-rank listings.
After a short while, he stopped. "Ah, here is one..."
__________________________
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