The Forgemage of Konoha

Exposed

"Protection? That's not a simple thing—it's a grand ideal," said a white-haired young man as he entered the room.

"Dan, what took you so long? I've been waiting forever," Tsunade said, folding her arms.

"Sorry, Tsunade. I got held up along the way."

Dan?! Shirō's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't he already dead?!

Then it clicked. In the original story, Kato Dan died during the Second Great Ninja War—but the war hadn't ended yet. So it wasn't impossible for him to still be alive at this point.

Konoha had already gained the upper hand in the war, which allowed younger ninja like Shirō—Genin who had graduated early due to wartime needs—to be rotated off the front lines. Their usefulness was limited in large-scale warfare, so it made sense.

Besides, Jiraiya was still in the Village, so Shirō figured the war still had some time to go. After all, Jiraiya wouldn't have time to train disciples like Minato if the situation on the battlefield were too dire.

After his initial surprise, Shirō quickly composed himself and asked, "Tsunade-nee, this is...?"

"He's Tsunade-nee's lover, Kato Dan," Kushina helpfully explained from the side.

"Nice to meet you, Emiya Shirō. Sorry I didn't bring a gift—I didn't know you'd be here," Dan said warmly. "I hope you don't mind, senpai."

"It's fine. I didn't bring a gift for you either, so I guess we're even," Shirō replied with a small smile.

"Wait! Not yet!" Kushina suddenly interjected.

"Big Sister? What's not yet?"

"We're not even yet! Shirō gave you gifts, didn't he, Jiraiya-sensei? Aren't you going to return the favor?" she said, hands on her hips, full of righteous fury.

Shirō nearly choked. Please don't, Big Sister... This is way too much.

While Kushina's words came from a good place, Shirō felt extremely awkward. These people weren't his actual relatives, and the level of intimacy she implied felt far too forward for someone who had only recently met them.

"Big Sister, please sit down. I didn't mean it like that," he said quickly, trying to salvage the moment.

Kushina, of course, wasn't trying to embarrass him. She was simply trying to help him gain favor—after all, everyone in the room was essentially her family. Jiraiya and the others understood her intent, which was why Minato didn't stop her. Despite Shirō's supposed rediscovery of his family's "Secret Technique," it was publicly acknowledged to be incomplete.

This gathering was originally intended to assess Shirō's potential. If he showed enough talent, he might be accepted as a disciple—or at least be referred to someone suitable. Unfortunately, Shirō's standout abilities only seemed to lie in Ninjutsu and Strengthening, which complicated things.

"Kushina's right," Jiraiya said with a grin. "As elders, we shouldn't bully the younger generation, right, Tsunade? Orochimaru?"

"That idiot is right for once," Tsunade muttered.

"Shirō-kun, I have high hopes for you," Orochimaru said with an unreadable smile. But he didn't say everything he was thinking.

Upon analyzing Shirō's abilities, Orochimaru had discovered something peculiar. The "Emiya" family seemed to have ancient ties to the Sage of Six Paths, and the Ninjutsu Shirō used—particularly Strengthening—was extremely close to a Kekkei Genkai.

However, according to all records, the actual Emiya Clan had been annihilated long ago. Those bearing the name now were essentially a shell—none of them could use the kind of Ninjutsu Shirō displayed.

Upon further research, Orochimaru realized that the techniques Shirō used were not derived from the same system as conventional chakra-based Ninjutsu. They weren't even similar.

Orochimaru, whose ambition at this time was still the pursuit of all the world's Ninjutsu, found Shirō very tempting.

Fortunately, this was before Orochimaru's full descent into darkness. He wouldn't harm Shirō—yet. Initially, he had considered taking Shirō as a disciple. But ultimately, Shirō didn't meet his usual standards.

Still, Shirō remained oblivious to Orochimaru's analysis. He was too busy trying to calm Kushina.

"It's fine, Shirō," Jiraiya said. "Since you're Kushina's friend, don't be so formal. Here—this scroll contains my notes on the Three Body Technique. Take a look when you have time."

Tsunade watched Shirō's awkward attempts to defuse Kushina and smiled slightly. She could tell Shirō wasn't trying to use her for gain. "Kushina didn't misjudge you. Here's your gift," she said, handing him a scroll. "I hope you like it."

Tsunade had actually prepared two scrolls—one ordinary, and one containing advanced knowledge. She would have given the lesser one if she thought Shirō was just a sycophant. But now she gave him the better one.

"Thank you, Tsunade-nee." Shirō accepted the scroll politely, not opening it on the spot, earning further favor from the others.

"Orochimaru, your turn," Jiraiya teased. "You wouldn't take advantage of a child, would you?"

Orochimaru ignored Jiraiya's jab and turned to Shirō. "Shirō-kun, how about we try something different?"

"Different?" Shirō frowned. He remained wary of Orochimaru—after all, he was a final boss-tier character in his mind.

"No need to be so cautious," Orochimaru said with an eerie smile. "I propose an exchange: a trial opportunity at Ryuchi Cave, and one of my personal Ninjutsu, in return for something of yours."

"...!!"

Everyone present stiffened. Ryuchi Cave—one of the three legendary summoning sites, alongside Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest. To receive a trial meant the chance to sign the White Snake Sage contract.

Shirō's expression grew serious. He didn't understand why Orochimaru was so interested in him. His "Strengthening Ninjutsu" wasn't anything special by shinobi standards. Even if it was branded as a "Secret Skill," his results hadn't been especially outstanding.

Still, now was not the time to ponder. "May I ask what you want in return, Orochimaru-sama?"

"I want to know how you're able to use your Strengthening Ninjutsu so powerfully," Orochimaru replied, narrowing his eyes.

"Orochimaru! That's enough!" Tsunade snapped, slamming her palm against the table. Asking for another family's technique was taboo—often seen as a declaration of hostility between clans.

"Relax, Tsunade," Jiraiya said calmly. "Let's hear him out."

Orochimaru smirked. "Have you considered it, Shirō-kun?"

Shirō wanted to default to his usual excuse—that it was just a recovered family technique—but he knew it wouldn't work. This was Orochimaru.

Shirō was nearly certain that Orochimaru had already figured out that his Strengthening wasn't chakra-based. It was Reinforcement Magic. And knowing Orochimaru, the man wasn't interested in secrets for their own sake—only in understanding them.

Besides, Shirō thought, Reinforcement Magic wasn't that valuable in the Type-Moon world either. If he gave up a little knowledge now, perhaps he could avoid being dissected later.

"I accept your offer, Orochimaru-sama."

Tsunade looked like she was about to protest, but Shirō quickly added, "Tsunade-nee, it's alright. This isn't a true family Secret Skill, so there's no danger. I was just thinking it over."

"Then we'll leave you two to it," Jiraiya said knowingly. "Let's go, Tsunade. This kid's not as naive as he looks."

"I'm glad you agreed," Orochimaru said as the others departed. "So—shall I explain first?"

"I'd appreciate it."

"First of all—your technique. Let's call it Ninjutsu for now. I noticed it behaves fundamentally differently from standard chakra systems."

Shirō's pupils narrowed. Just as I thought...

"I didn't think much of it until I came across a reference to the Emiya Clan in an old text—tied to the Sage of Six Paths. That piqued my curiosity. I gathered more data, recreated some techniques, and discovered..."

Orochimaru leaned in, eyes sharp.

"Your method is not derived from any known shinobi system. It's something else entirely."

Shirō exhaled silently. Despite his efforts to disguise it as a Secret Skill, Orochimaru had unraveled the truth.

"...As expected of Orochimaru-sama."

"I'll include my modified version of your technique in this scroll," Orochimaru said, handing it over. "And the Ryuchi Cave opportunity. In return, I want your version."

"Deal. I'll also give you another technique as part of the exchange. Just... please keep this to yourself."

"Of course. I'm only interested in knowledge," Orochimaru said smoothly, eyes glittering with intrigue.