You two, what were you doing in the small forest just now?

Four months later, on the outskirts of Konohagakure.

Several kunai sliced through the air in cruel arcs, precisely striking the vital points of a wild boar.

As the boar crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, Kushina jumped up excitedly, "Yes! We finally completed another C-rank mission!"

Minato also smiled and gave a thumbs-up, "Well done, Kushina! The team's coordination is getting better and better."

"Hehe," Kushina beamed, then looked up at Sen, who was perched on a treetop acting as a lookout, and shouted, "Sen, wasn't I amazing? Are there any more boars? Watch me take them down with one kunai each."

Sen nodded in reply, "Amazing. There are no other boars; all three have been dealt with. Let's go; we'll leave the meat for the villagers." As he spoke, he infused his feet with chakra and sprinted down from the treetop.

"As expected of Sen, even getting down from a tree is different." Kushina praised him simply.

Only Minato saw the underlying skill and said with surprise and confusion, "Sen, I didn't expect your chakra control to be on the same level as mine. It feels like I'm always in your shadow."

Sen landed steadily on the ground and said:

"We're practically family, so these are just basic skills not worth mentioning. By the way, go wake Jiraiya up. Didn't he say there was a new mission? I'm getting sick of D-rank missions these past few months. It's best if we take on another C-rank mission."

As he was speaking, he saw Jiraiya approaching them from a distance. Jiraiya's face lacked the joy of completing a mission; instead, it was grave.

"How did you finish so quickly?"

Kushina's lips curled upwards, and she said proudly, "Isn't it good to finish ahead of schedule? We can take on other missions now. Let's not get any D-rank missions this time."

Jiraiya shook his head and said solemnly, "I had wanted to give you a few more days to relax... Since the mission is complete, prepare to leave the village this afternoon for a new mission."

All three faces were filled with excitement. This was their first time leaving the village; without special missions, Konoha ninja were forbidden from leaving.

"To the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. There's already been a small-scale conflict there. It's good for you to go early, so you can learn early and save your lives."

These words struck the two like thunderbolts out of the blue.

Kushina and Minato both turned somewhat pale.

Kushina's body stiffened, memories flooded back, and she took a step back, asking in disbelief, "So soon, we have to go to the battlefield?"

Jiraiya looked at the two, who were clearly frightened, and comforted them, "It's alright, I'll protect you. This is just a minor skirmish; it happens every year. A full-scale war is impossible."

Sen frowned; Jiraiya's words offered no sense of security.

It was now Konoha 36. The Second Shinobi World War would break out in full force at most a year from now.

By then, Jiraiya would also have to go to the Land of Rain to fight, and the three of them could only fend for themselves.

However, crisis also meant opportunity.

Ever since his tenth birthday a few days ago, the system's attribute limitations seemed to have been lifted.

The battlefield was the perfect stage for him to plunder abilities and rapidly grow stronger!

Thinking of this, a flicker of excitement flashed in Sen's eyes, and he said, "The sooner the better. After all, ninja will have to go to the battlefield sooner or later."

Seeing his "battle-hungry" look, Jiraiya felt speechless.

Did this brat want to prove himself too much? The battlefield was where people died!

His lips twitched, and he finally gave the order, "Prepare your equipment, gather at the village gate this afternoon, and we'll depart immediately!"

The three nodded and headed home.

As they passed through the village's core area, they unexpectedly ran into Shimura Saburo's squad.

Shimura Saburo, seeing the somber expressions on their faces, was stunned for a moment before bursting into gloating laughter:

"Hahaha, looking at you all like your parents just died, you're not being sent to the front lines as cannon fodder, are you?

How pathetic. Unlike us in the Shimura clan, our clan leader already made arrangements with the Hokage, so we youngsters don't have to go die!"

"You coward who doesn't even dare to go to the battlefield, what kind of ninja are you!" Kushina clenched her fists in anger, about to charge forward.

However, Sen grabbed her, his gaze passing over Shimura Saburo to the Jonin leader behind him, then he shook his head.

He then turned to Shimura Saburo, a cold smile appearing on his face:

"Don't waste your breath on him. After all, eunuchs always like to bluster from behind. Don't worry, wherever I go, I'll spread your infamous reputation as the Shimura eunuch throughout the Five Great Nations, making you famous."

"You!" Shimura Saburo's face instantly turned the color of liver, and he trembled with rage.

Minato couldn't help but chuckle and pulled the two away quickly, "Sen, I didn't realize you were quite so cunning."

Sen let out a cold laugh, "Just killing with words. I'm not a philanthropist."

Afternoon.

Led by Jiraiya, the three walked out of the Konohagakure gate for the first time.

Unfortunately, no one was in the mood to admire the scenery along the way.

The heavy feeling of impending deployment to the battlefield pressed down on everyone, making it hard to breathe.

The group traveled in silence until nightfall, when they set up camp by a river.

"Minato, keep watch. Kushina, start a fire. Sen, come with me to catch fish," Jiraiya skillfully assigned tasks. "We can still eat hot food for a few more days. After that, it'll all be Soldier Pills."

Sen nodded and followed Jiraiya to the riverbank. After Jiraiya finished collecting water, he formed hand seals and threw several "Lightning Style: Lightning Balls" into the river, instantly electrocuting a large school of fish.

That night, by the campfire, the four of them enjoyed grilled fish.

"There's one more thing I need to teach you," Jiraiya said, taking out a scroll. "This is the Sensory Technique. The Mist Ninja you'll be facing soon are masters of assassination using dense fog, so this technique is crucial for your survival."

He extended two fingers and pressed them to the ground, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking. "The principle of the technique isn't complicated; the key lies in your own sensory acuity. Two hundred meters ahead and to the left, there's a large wild feline. Try it. With your talent, you should be able to master it within three days."

Minato nodded and began to examine his surroundings under the flickering flames. In just over ten minutes, he too placed his fingers on the ground, sensing, just as Jiraiya had shown.

Another ten minutes passed. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he said uncertainly, "I sense it... it seems to be... a leopard? Its tail is still sweeping gently on the ground."

"Not bad!" Jiraiya nodded in satisfaction, looking at the other two. "And you two?"

Sen and Kushina both shook their heads, indicating they had only grasped a part of it.

Jiraiya frowned. It was one thing not to learn it, but why was Sen grinning at Minato? Did he think he could learn it just by watching Minato succeed?

Just then, Sen stood up and walked over to Minato, saying with a serious expression, "Minato, having a leopard around here is too dangerous. It will disrupt our rest. Let's go deal with it together. We can consider it team cooperation training."

Minato nodded. It was indeed a bit dangerous, but why did Sen insist on bringing him along? Did he think he couldn't handle an animal by himself? Though he thought this, he was still pulled up by Sen.

The two entered the woods. Sen spotted their target from a high vantage point and casually threw a kunai, which accurately pierced the leopard's neck.

Minato was completely bewildered. Just as he was about to ask Sen what he was really trying to do, Sen suddenly turned around and threw a light punch to his arm. The punch wasn't heavy, but it made him even more confused.

Sen grinned and said, "Come on, admit defeat quickly."

Minato sighed helplessly. Sen was truly tireless when it came to this strange "admit defeat game."

"...I admit defeat."

[Victory over Namikaze Minato. Please select a trait to absorb: Chakra +1, Physique +1, Ninjutsu: Sensory Technique]

Sen's heart leaped with joy, and he decisively chose [Sensory Technique]. Instantly, all the experience and memories related to the technique flooded his mind.

The two returned to the camp. Sen walked straight to Kushina and began to explain the principles and tricks of the Sensory Technique, speaking eloquently as if he had practiced it for years. Kushina listened with sparkling eyes and a face full of admiration.

Jiraiya, watching from the side, was completely stunned. This kid, who was just scratching his head and clueless, how did he become an expert after a quick trip outside? He glanced back at Minato, then at the small woods they had just visited, and a huge question mark slowly formed in his mind. What... did you two do... in the woods just now?