"Now how does your body feel? Is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable?"
"Nope. I'm just a little hungry. Actually, it feels like my stomach is bottomless right now—I could eat anything."
"You really can eat anything… not the opposite?"
Aburame Shiken's expression turned strange.
When Aburame Shiken had received the news and was going to pick him up…
"When protagonists come back from the dead, they usually get taller and more handsome. How did you end up shrinking?"
"Hey, hey, that's just rude. Let me tell you—concentrated is the essence, you know? And what right does a short guy like you—barely 1.7 meters—to say I shrank? Even now I'm still 1.9 meters, okay?"
Senju Hideki quickly objected. There was absolutely nothing wrong with his condition. This was exactly how a protagonist should be.
"I'm officially informing you again—it's not 1.7 meters. It's 1.798 meters. With shoes on, at minimum it's 1.8."
Aburame Shiken was extremely serious.
A man's height—and a woman's weight—are numbers that must be treated with utmost care.
"Fine, fine. 1.8 meters it is."
Senju Hideki replied casually.
What's a centimeter or two? Why be so petty? Such a stingy man. He never cared about those things.
Aburame Shiken looked at him and felt the sudden urge to hit him.
He was definitely thinking something inappropriate.
"Customer, your ten bowls of ramen are here. Please enjoy."
"Alright. I'm starting."
Slurp, slurp—
Ten seconds later, the ten bowls of ramen had disappeared.
One bowl per second.
Aburame Shiken stared in shock.
"D-didn't it burn your mouth?"
"Uh… now that you mention it, I don't think I felt anything."
"Oh right—you just asked if there were any changes in your body, didn't you?"
Senju Hideki condensed a sharp stone spear in his hand.
He fiercely stabbed it toward his arm.
Crack.
The spear broke.
"It feels like my body's defense has increased a little."
A little?
You call that a little?!
How enviable—sleeping and waking up leads to a massive power boost.
Meanwhile, my strength grows so slowly.
Is it because I've never been near death?
No, that's not it. My heart was even removed. How much closer to death can you get?
Unless I should…
Be ground into dust?
Damn it, what am I thinking?
Aburame Shiken quickly snapped back to reality.
Being near death isn't the same as seeking death. How could I even think like that?
"Hideki, no matter what, you've come back to life. What are your plans now? What do you want to do?"
"Plans? None. I just want to sleep when I'm full, eat when I'm hungry, and occasionally find some fun to pass the time."
(Hyūga Hiyasu: I get you. Trust me—after experiencing that kind of life for a single day, you'll want it forever.)
"What about the Senju Clan?"
"Uh…"
Senju Hideki fell silent.
He had once promised the elders he would revive the Senju Clan.
Even though those elders were probably no longer around…
A man must keep his word.
"Shiken, help me think of a way to make the Senju Clan rise again."
(Hyūga Hiyasu: No, stop! What are you doing? Betraying the organization? Betraying the party? That's not right, you know! If you also start working hard, then what am I supposed to do?)
"I've already prepared it. I was just waiting for you to ask."
Senju Hideki: ???
So you were just waiting for me to say that?
...
The next day,
The long-absent five-person group finally gathered again for a meeting.
First order of business:
Settling accounts.
Uchiha Kamito was the first to place a ninja sword at Senju Hideki's neck.
"Let's settle our debt first."
He pointed to his eyes wrapped in white bandages.
"Do you know what used to be here? Eyes with limitless potential. Eyes that could have reached the top of the ninja world. But now they're gone—forever. All because of you, you bastard. You didn't explain your fake death clearly. I thought you really died! I risked everything to avenge you. Do you understand?"
"I'm sorry. My bad. Extremely sorry. It's all my fault."
Senju Hideki immediately surrendered—four apologies in one breath.
"If apologies worked, why would we need the police? You'll pay for what you've done."
Uchiha Kamito sheathed his blade.
Aburame Shiken, Inuzuka Ryoha, and Hyūga Hiyasu quickly stepped aside.
As the saying goes: better the comrade than yourself.
But if the comrade dies and the blood splashes onto you, that's still very impolite.
"Okay, how about this—no morals, no limits. You tell me to do it, and I'll do it. How's that?"
"Ten things."
"Three. Have some sincerity."
"Nine."
"Four."
"Eight."
"Three."
"Damn it, why are you lowering it again?"
"Obviously. Anything more than that and I'd be losing out. If you're willing to bargain, that means you want it. Since you want it, I'll lower the price—what's wrong with that?"
At this point, Inuzuka Ryoha and Hyūga Hiyasu both looked at Aburame Shiken.
"You taught him?"
"How would I teach him that?"
"Then how does he know this stuff? Did you bring back a fake?"
"Possible. He's too smart—it doesn't feel like Hideki."
"Hey! If you're going to badmouth me, can you do it quietly?!"
Senju Hideki suddenly appeared in front of the three of them.
They were startled.
They glanced back at Kamito's position—there was at least a hundred meters between them.
"One step—one hundred meters?"
"Heaven's Reach?"
"Where did you learn that move?"
Senju Hideki sensed an opportunity to show off.
He immediately struck a pose.
The other three silently made an "OK" gesture.
So easily distracted—yep, that's Hideki.
"When I fought against the Rock Ninja in the Land of Grass back then, I became a mountain. At that time, the endless—"
"Wait. I'll go buy some popcorn."
"I'll grab drinks."
"I'll bring some stools."
"I'll get some sunflower seeds and peanuts."
Senju Hideki froze.
Show me some respect, will you? I just worked up that atmosphere!
"Popcorn with caramel flavor. Peanuts with garlic flavor. Don't mix them up."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo