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  By day's end, Tsunade and Mikoto had spent the entire day honing Sage Mode. By nightfall, they both mao seural energy, taking a solid step forward.

  They'd only covered the first step, but that step often proved the hardest. Shin leasantly surprised that Mikoto, in particur, se even faster than Tsunade.

  "Let's call it a day, It's already getting te." Shin suggested.

  Because Shin had supervised rather than trained himself, he was free to keep watch. But now it was te, and they decided to head back.

  ....

  Arriving home, they spotted Kushina slumped over the table like a lifeless fish.

  "Where oh have you guys been?" she groaned weakly. "I've been starving all day."

  Apparently, she hadn't even bothered make lunch for herself and had waited in vain.

  "Why didn't you e find us if you were hungry?" Shin asked, ruffling her soft hair.

  "I didn't know you'd be gone so long," she pouted. "And I was kinda busy pnning stuff. Didn't realize I was starving till it was too te."

  Mikoto took pity on Kushina and headed to the kit to make dinner.

  ....

  Meanwhile, Tsu out a weary sigh.

  "Sage Mode is tough," she admitted. "Just sensing the energy took all day. That's only the first step."

  She g Kushina. The fact that even Kushina had mastered Sage Mode gave Tsuermination not to g behind. She refused to let Kushina hold that over her.

  "Already sensing it, huh?" Kushina asked, eyes wide. "That was quick. I least a week to get that far."

  "Really? So you mean you were slower thasueased, smirking.

  "...."

  "But the ditions were different," Shin cut in. "I was funneling a massive amount of energy your way. In that sario, it's normal tress faster."

  Kushina ceded with a nod, somewhat mollified. Then she gave a sly grin, gng at Tsunade.

  "You might have gotten a good start, but I'm still further along, you know."

  Tsunade snorted softly, but said nothing. Shin was about to speak when he felt a sudden presence.

  His expression ged, and in a blur, he stepped outside. A moment ter, he stood there, holding a wriggling figure in his grip—a pale, pntlike form.

  "White Zetsu," Shin said icily, sing the grotesque half-face. "Your sneaking skills are impressive for normal shinobi, but not to me."

  Zetsu's abilities allowed him te with terrain and mask his aura, but Shin's vast sensory powers dwarfed such tricks.

  "Shin-sama," White Zetsu greeted shakily. "Please don't kill me—I came in peace."

  Shin narrowed his eyes.

  "Go on," he said, "Spit it out, or I'll break your neck."

  "Madara-sama—he requests your presence," Zetsu stammered quickly. "He seo invite you."

  That gave Shin pause. He recalled how he'd been systematically colleg all Tailed Beast chakra—surely Madara, who hem for his Eye of the Moon Pn, was ed.

  "So he's worried about my meddling?" Shin murmured. "Well, I suppose I'll humor him."

  He released Zetsu, who scurried off without further ado, clearly relieved to be alive.

  ....

  Returning inside, Shisunade's questioning eyes.

  "What was that all about?" she asked.

  "Just an invitation from Madara Uchiha." He said it lightly, but Tsunade's expression turned grim.

  "Could be a trap," she warned. Even if Madara awn for someone else, he is still unbelievably dangerous.

  Shin shrugged.

  "He 't really do mu his current state. If he tries something, I'll deal with it."

  At this point, Madara owerful yet also physically frail, reliant on life support.

  Shin suspected he wouldn't risk an open fight.

  Kushina eyed him.

  "So yoing to meet him?"

  "Sure," Shin said. "I guess what he wants to say anyway."

  Mikoto emerged from the kit, diray in hand.

  "Shall we e with you, then?" she offered.

  Shin shook his head.

  "No. You all focus on training. Kushina, you too—less time building your fantasy vilge, more effort on your own growth. Power matters above all else."

  Kushina made a face, clearly not thrilled by the criticism. Shin pressed on:

  "If you don't keep pushing yourself, Tsunade and Mikoto—maybe even Konan—will surpass you. You don't want to end up the weakest, do you?"

  That did the trick. Kushina stiffened, remembering her ambition to be the stro among them.

  Satisfied, Shin joihem at the table for dinner.

  ...

  Later that night, he tinued fusing the ails' chakra with the rest of his Ten-Tails–like energy, pushing closer to a plete synergy.

  He trained until nearly dawn, then finally decided to sleep—a testament to his Philosophy of banced practice.

  Even with his enormous stamina, he valued rest to eeady progress.

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