"Summoned beasts can deliver messages, right?"
A frowned slightly, his tone serious. It wasn't that he was being overly cautious—he had a good reason.
The Uchiha clan's background was just too deep.
Even across the entire shinobi world, the ninja cat clan was well-known. They'd formed a pact with the Uchiha and were responsible for distributing high-grade ninja tools for them.
If that cat were to deliver word to the Uchiha about Uchiha Kaien being abducted, it could cause major trouble for Kumogakure.
Granted, it was possible the Uchiha already knew.
Still, if there was a chance to avoid war, Kumogakure would much rather take it.
Their real hope for overtaking the shinobi world was pinned on the next great ninja war.
Right now, Konoha was simply too strong. Kumogakure needed to bide its time and wait for the right opportunity.
Besides, they were currently at war with Iwagakure. While Iwa didn't have any particularly outstanding individuals, they had sheer numbers on their side. The battle had already ground to a stalemate.
Kumogakure's ambition was simple: preserve their strength until the next war and then crush Konoha to become the number one village in the shinobi world.
With that in mind...
Affection was still just affection. A wasn't going to let Kaien do whatever he wanted.
But before A could dwell on it further, Kaien cut in with a mocking tone.
"So you really are an idiot."
"Can't you just wait until I summon my cat and then slap a sealing jutsu on it? Just don't let it return home. Problem solved."
"Besides, that cat? It's just a normal one I cuddle with when I sleep."
"I see..."
A scratched his head, starting to feel like his brain just wasn't working today. Still, he gave in and agreed to Kaien's request.
He released a portion of the chakra suppression seal placed on Kaien.
After all, their mission here was to win Kaien over. Some degree of leniency was necessary.
Besides, Kumogakure had already placed sealing jutsu on Kaien. The Sealing Corps had handed the formula to A—it only required a few simple hand seals to activate. Foolproof.
"Here."
Kaien, sensing the partial lift on the seal disguising his [Weakness Camouflage], immediately made a show of performing a summoning jutsu—but in reality, he released his phantom beast.
It appeared once more: jet-black fur with pure white legs, the image of storm clouds stepping through snow. Kaien handed it over to A.
"Even if your sealing technique is basic, you know the fundamentals, right? A normal kitten with no chakra—you should be able to seal a summoning formula on it without trouble."
Kaien shot him a faintly contemptuous look.
The message was clear: If you can't even manage this, go farm vegetables and stop calling yourself a shinobi.
Thankfully, A did know some basic sealing techniques and avoided embarrassing himself in front of Kaien.
"It really is just a normal kitten," A confirmed after sealing the phantom beast, though his gaze lingered on Kaien.
Kaien had conjured a ball of wind in his hand and held it above his head. It rotated slowly, drying his hair with the generated breeze.
A watched with wide eyes.
"What kind of Wind Release is that?!"
This level of chakra control and shape manipulation—how the hell did he do that?
"Oh, just regular Wind Release. What, you don't know how?"
Seeing Kaien's expression grow even more disdainful, A quickly looked away.
"Of course I do. I'm a future Raikage candidate. If I wanted to learn that, I could."
"Mm. Impressive, then," Kaien replied, offering a token compliment.
Though in his heart, Kaien was unimpressed.
Creating a wind sphere and then letting the wind flow out gradually required elite chakra control and form manipulation. Kaien himself hadn't been able to do it before unlocking the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Now, with Mangekyō's power, he could exert complete dominance over wind. Even enemy jutsu could be manipulated by him.
Any ninja using Wind or Water Release—if their chakra quality or volume couldn't compete with Kaien—would become nothing more than his playthings.
As if this brute could manage that.
Still, Kaien didn't call him out. This was A's house, after all. He could at least let the man save a bit of face.
Notably, A had been living alone for quite some time.
The Third Raikage had arranged it to train his son in independence and discipline.
"So… that explains the pitiful excuse of a dinner?"
"Prepared meat from the market. Pre-made sides. That's it?"
"Don't tell me you can't even cook?"
"You don't even know how to make soup for yourself?"
That made three scornful jabs from Kaien in less than five minutes.
A was starting to lose it.
He'd always thought of himself as independent and capable. How had this brat made him feel so inferior in such a short time?
Since Kaien was going to be living with him, his commentary on A's lifestyle was relentless.
"Got any ingredients in the house?"
"No…"
"But I've got herbs!"
"…Herbs don't count as food."
"..."
...
Eventually, A gave in and went to buy some fresh ingredients.
"You actually know how to cook?"
A sounded skeptical. Why would a ten-year-old know so much?
"Of course. I have a friend who says my cooking is delicious."
"A friend?"
"Yeah. Every time I come up with a new dish, he's the first one to try it. He's way better than me when it comes to ninjutsu."
Especially naming techniques. Namikaze Minato had a one-of-a-kind gift for that.
"His Body Flicker is insanely fast. Even the Hokage has praised him."
"He's really that good? My Lightning Body Flicker is the fastest there is!"
A puffed up a bit, not wanting to lose ground to some mystery Konoha ninja. He didn't know who this "friend" was, but he needed to prove his own value.
Kaien, on the other hand, just slipped into the kitchen.
Before he'd even finished cooking, a mouth-watering aroma began drifting through the house. A couldn't hide his surprise. Wait, she actually knows how to cook?
Soon enough, Kaien strolled out carrying several dishes and gestured for A to try them.
A took a bite and was immediately hooked.
"Damn, that's actually good!"
His opinion of Kaien was quickly rising. At the same time, though, he was even more confused.
How can this kid do so much? He's only ten...
Everything from his manners to his demeanor gave off the air of a noble—yet the self-assured presence he carried was clearly that of an elite shinobi.
Well... except for the pink floral yukata he was still wearing.
"Just one of those essential survival skills when you're living alone."
"Oh right—what's your friend's name? You're not making him up, are you?"
Kaien smirked slightly.
"If his Body Flicker earned praise from the Hokage, pfft, mine got praised by the Raikage!"
Kaien smiled and answered casually.
"His name's Namikaze Minato. He might even become Hokage one day."
As he said it, he gave A a playful look, like he was setting the stage for something far more interesting down the line.
After all, if they ever ended up fighting each other, it'd be a fun little twist to throw into the mix.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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