Because he could now observe his own internal chakra flow, Shinji watched the process of chakra refinement with meticulous focus. He did not know the exact rate at which he produced chakra, but based on years of self-observation, he was confident that his refinement speed exceeded that of an ordinary genin—setting aside the truly monstrous talents Konoha occasionally produced.
Yet no matter how quickly he refined chakra, it never accumulated in his coils.
The moment it formed, it vanished.
Every trace of chakra he produced was drawn toward a strange black point hidden deep within his mental space—an existence he had only recently become capable of perceiving.
One hour.
Two hours.
Five hours.
That was how long the procession took to travel from the Fire Daimyō's residence to Konohagakure.
During the entire journey, Shinji continued refining chakra without pause, feeding that black point again and again.
Only after five continuous hours of absorption did it finally react.
Inside his mind, the black point trembled.
Not violently. Not dramatically. Only a faint vibration—so slight that another person might have missed it entirely. But Shinji was certain.
It had moved.
For him, that single tremor was proof enough. The object responded to chakra. That meant it could be awakened.
And if it could be awakened, then no matter how many years it took, he would persist.
Because once that power opened, he was certain he could stand at the peak of the shinobi world.
A voice interrupted his thoughts from outside the palanquin.
"Lord Shinji. We have arrived at Konohagakure. The Hokage is waiting at the village gate to formally receive you."
Shinji answered without hesitation.
"Forget him. Go straight to my residence."
Silence followed.
Outside, the Konoha jōnin escorting the palanquin stiffened. Several veins nearly popped on his forehead.
Ignore the Hokage?
At the village gate?
Without even showing your face?
Even the Fire Daimyō observed basic protocol when meeting the Hokage. This was beyond willful—it was outrageous.
Before the jōnin could object, a curtain shifted.
"…Wait. The Hokage himself is here?" Shinji asked.
"Yes. Hokage-sama is personally welcoming you," the jōnin replied stiffly.
Shinji's eyes brightened slightly.
The Hokage possessed enormous chakra reserves.
A bold thought surfaced.
He leaned out of the palanquin window.
"Then please invite Hokage-sama to speak with me here. Tell him I have something important to discuss."
The jōnin exhaled through his nose but bowed.
"As you wish."
He vanished in a flicker of movement.
Moments later, he returned—followed by the Third Hokage of Konohagakure.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Lord Shinji," Hiruzen greeted, standing beside the palanquin with dignified composure. "Welcome to Konohagakure."
Though the Hokage held immense authority within the village, relations with the Fire Daimyō's household remained politically delicate. Shinobi wars had left scars across the continent, and funding from the capital remained vital to Konoha's stability. Courtesy was not optional—it was strategy.
From inside the palanquin came a calm voice.
"Hokage-sama, please step inside. It will be easier to speak."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, but after a brief pause, stepped up.
The interior of the palanquin was spacious—more like a private chamber than a carriage. Cushions, a low table, and even a small resting bed filled the space.
Hiruzen sat opposite the boy.
"Now then, Lord Shinji. What matter requires my attention?"
Shinji folded his hands neatly.
"Recently, when I refine chakra, it seems to remain within my body slightly longer than before. Since my condition has always prevented proper chakra retention, I wondered if this change means improvement. I hoped Hokage-sama could examine me."
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened.
He had studied the boy's abnormal chakra condition before and had never found a cause. Any change was worth investigating.
"I see. Extend your arm."
"Yes. Thank you for troubling yourself."
Shinji placed his arm on the table, lowering his gaze. Anticipation flickered in his eyes.
If the black point responded to his own chakra… would it also respond to another's?
Hiruzen placed two fingers lightly against Shinji's wrist.
Medical ninjutsu chakra flowed into the boy's body—gentle, precise, controlled. Unlike a dōjutsu user, Hiruzen could not visually see chakra pathways, so he used his own chakra as a probe to sense internal circulation.
Inside, Shinji focused inward.
He watched as Hiruzen's chakra entered his coils, traveled through his network, and—just as his own chakra did—was drawn irresistibly toward the black point within his mental space.
The moment the foreign chakra touched it—
The black point trembled again.
This time, the reaction was unmistakably stronger.
Shinji's breath hitched almost imperceptibly.
So it wasn't limited to his own chakra.
It could absorb the chakra of others.