Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Xia Zuo looked at Uchiha Shisui and said softly but with dissatisfaction, "I am not from a ninja clan, nor do I have a Jonin teacher who appreciates me, so I cannot get a Jonin recommendation!"

Uchiha Shisui was completely speechless.

Xia Zuo's disapproving gaze made him extremely uncomfortable, and his ears burned with embarrassment.

Uchiha Shisui suddenly realized a problem.

He always believed that it was because his clansmen were too arrogant and unapproachable that the villagers of Konoha disliked the Uchiha clan.

As a result, he unconsciously displayed an arrogant attitude, inadvertently offending a Konoha ninja who originally had no prejudice against the Uchiha.

It's so ironic.

Uchiha Shisui felt that he was absolutely stupid.

He couldn't help but doubt himself.

Has he made the same mistake unintentionally in the past?

Is it because he is more arrogant than his clansmen, to the point that even they can't stand him?

That must be it!

Otherwise, why couldn't he persuade even one member of his own tribe?

Sigh, Itachi Uchiha has such a good temper; he can actually tolerate a nasty guy like me.

Uchiha Shisui fell into a state of self-delusion and was unable to extricate himself.

Xia Zuo waited a while, and seeing that Shisui was still distracted, he said, "If Jonin-sama is alright, I'll be going home!"

"I'm so tired right now, I want to take a shower! I want to sleep!"

Uchiha Shisui suddenly woke up and quickly stepped back a few paces to make way for him.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault. You can go home now."

Xia Zuo snorted coldly, lifted his leg and took a few quick steps, passing Uchiha Shisui's position.

Just as they were passing each other, Xia Zuo suddenly turned around and looked at Uchiha Shisui.

He asked, "Since you say it's your fault, can you grant me one request, Jonin-sama?"

Shisui was filled with guilt at that moment. Upon hearing Xia Zuo's request, she blurted out without hesitation, "No problem, I agree!"

Xia Zuo was amused by him, and his feigned anger and resentment could no longer be maintained, so he burst out laughing.

"Haha, I haven't even stated my request yet, how come you agreed already?"

He coughed twice to interrupt his laughter and made a request: "Keep this a secret for me. Don't tell anyone about my true abilities."

Uchiha Shisui agreed without hesitation: "No problem!"

Xia Zuo stared at Shisui and said seriously, "What I mean is, we can't even tell the Third Hokage."

Upon hearing this, Shisui immediately felt very uncomfortable.

He retorted, "The Third Hokage is the supreme leader of Konoha Village. He is absolutely qualified to know the information of every Konoha ninja. You must trust the Hokage."

Xia Zuo smiled mysteriously: "You mean, you won't agree?"

His words were full of contempt and suspicion, which made Uchiha Shisui open his mouth several times and then close it again.

Absolutely keeping promises and absolutely trusting the Hokage were originally Uchiha Shisui's core principles, but now, under Xia Zuo's guidance, they have become the subject of the most intense conflict.

Uchiha Shisui's inner struggle caused him immense pain.

So he tried to persuade Xia Zuo to open up, so that he could take the opportunity to extricate himself from the predicament: "Xia Zuo, I don't think you need to..."

Xia Zuo interrupted him without hesitation, saying firmly, "I think it's necessary, absolutely necessary!"

"Jonin Uchiha Shisui, I'm the one making a request of you now, not the other way around!"

Shisui then tried to find out the reason so he could make a final judgment: "Can you tell me why the Third Hokage can't know your true strength?"

Xia Zuo refused even more firmly: "You are not qualified to know the reason yet."

[I haven't come up with a perfect reason yet, so what's the point of telling you?!]

Uchiha Shisui looked at Xia Zuo in surprise and asked, "I'm a Jonin, and you're a Genin. How can I not be qualified to know?"

Xia Zuo's eyes were unusually deep, causing Shisui to look away before he said, "Uchiha Shisui, don't be superstitious about the so-called ninja ranks. The affairs of Konoha Village are not entirely determined by ninja ranks."

"Since you won't agree, then forget it."

After saying that, he left quickly without hesitation, not giving Uchiha Shisui a chance to continue entangled.

He was left alone in the cold night wind, trying to process the jumbled thoughts in his mind.

After returning home, Xia Zuo changed her clothes, took a shower, moisturized herself, and then lay down on the bed.

He said to himself with satisfaction and silence, "Well done, Xia Zuo."

Then he fell asleep.

Another uneventful night.

When Xia Zuo woke up in the morning, he decided to indulge himself today.

For six consecutive days, except for the time spent sleeping at night, I was either memorizing materials or training in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and the Wood Release bloodline limit.

Aside from visiting Uchiha Izumi, he hadn't had a break.

Even when sleeping, I'm incredibly tense, constantly reviewing and memorizing knowledge while lying in bed, unable to relax at all.

There was no way around it; the thought of having to memorize knowledge in order to share it made him feel like he was about to take an exam, and he was so nervous that he couldn't control himself.

Now, I've memorized all the knowledge that needed to be memorized.

After all, the ninjutsu data that Xia Zuo could buy were all publicly available information, and the ninjutsu were only D-rank and E-rank, with simple content and a small number of techniques.

It's time to treat myself.

No matter how hard you try, you can't stretch the string too tight.

What if it breaks down and I no longer want to try? Wouldn't I have to rely on myself from now on?

Hmm, this idea seems pretty good.

Xia Zuo quickly killed the lazy little man in his mind and then began to prepare a feast.

The feast includes meats such as fried chicken, roast meat, grilled fish, and braised beef, as well as staple foods and desserts such as rice, noodles, bread, rice balls, cakes, and ice cream.

In addition, there are fruits such as apples, pears, and oranges.

Xia Zuo's feast was far more lavish than the barbecue feast in Konoha Village, and it was all about color, aroma, and taste.

Because he was only 14 years old, he did not prepare any alcohol, only diluted honey water.

Xia Zuo piled all the food on the living room table, filling it to the brim like small mountains.

He didn't prepare all of this food for himself.

It was midday, and the early summer sun was dazzling, making people drowsy.

Xia Zuo packed up all the food on the table, carried the huge food box on his back, and quietly left his home.

Unlike ninjas who are adept at using darkness and shadows, Xia Zuo not only enjoys darkness but also excels at using strong light sources such as sunlight to conceal himself.

Taking advantage of the midday sun, he moved through the dappled shade of the trees and the bright sunlight on the street, and no one noticed his presence even though he was carrying a huge food box.

Xia Zuo continued eastward, passing the Sarutobi clan's settlement, the Hokage Building, the Third Hokage's residence, and Konoha Hospital, leaving the bustling city center and arriving at the eastern part of Konoha Village.

This is an area where ordinary people live. There are dense multi-story residential buildings on both sides of the road, and the open spaces along the road are divided into vegetable gardens of various sizes by fences, where all kinds of seasonal vegetables are grown.

Xia Zuo walked until he reached a dilapidated-looking residential building, then stopped at the edge of the sunlight to carefully observe the surrounding environment.