Killing without punishing the heart, are you f*cking doing charity?

Break time.

Sen held a scroll and swaggered over to Minato's seat, throwing an arm around his shoulder and grinning like a cat that got into the cream.

"Minato, look what I have."

Minato, finding it difficult to breathe under Sen's grip, pushed him away in exasperation. When that didn't work, he took the scroll and opened it.

The moment he glanced at it, his eyes lit up, and he asked in surprise, "Sen! Where did you get this? A scroll for Shadow Clone Jutsu this detailed, you can't buy this anywhere!"

Minato came from an ordinary family, and his father was only a Chunin. Such an advanced item was a rare treasure for him.

Sen put on a "money is no object" expression and said casually, "No big deal. I've already learned it, and I'm giving it to you. Let's see how long it takes a genius like you to master it?"

"You've already learned it?!" Minato was shocked. "This is a ninjutsu that surpasses the Clone Technique! You... you're really giving it to me?"

Sen unconsciously rubbed his nose with his index finger. "I learned it a while ago. This is for you."

He pulled Minato closer, their faces almost touching. "Minato, remember, when we prosper, we don't forget each other, you know? If you become Hokage someday, you won't forget our friendship, right?"

Minato felt a bit uncomfortable with Sen's sudden closeness, but he nodded seriously. "Of course..." But how was Sen so sure he'd become Hokage?

Just then, a clear voice, tinged with a hint of jealousy, sounded from beside them:

"What do you two grown men think you're doing, clinging to each other in the classroom!"

Kushina had appeared beside them at some point and pulled them apart forcefully as she spoke.

She had been watching them since they started putting their arms around each other. Who knew these two would get closer and closer? If she didn't intervene, their relationship would get weird!

After all, unconventional relationships always started like this in novels!

While she could observe others with a critical eye, no, she could enjoy it, Sen was hers, and that was absolutely not allowed!

As Kushina dragged Sen away, he continued to speak to Minato, "I'll give you two weeks to learn it. I need to test my plan, no, test your potential!"

"Don't get so close to that blonde Minato anymore!" Once they reached the training grounds, Kushina clenched her fists and struck a fighting stance, puffing out her cheeks.

Since the Kumogakure kidnapping incident hadn't happened yet, her impression of Minato was still that of "a somewhat effeminate blonde."

"Stop calling him blonde all the time. He's with us every day, it sounds weird."

"Hmph, you're defending him now!" Kushina grew even angrier. Without another word, she threw a straight punch at Sen's face.

Sen easily dodged to the side, remarking, "Oh? It seems Kushina hasn't been slacking off either. Made a lot of new friends, have you? That punch has a bit of the Hyuga's Gentle Fist style to it."

"That's right!" Kushina said confidently. "Today, I'm definitely going to last until the school bell rings!"

"Not good enough yet. Try again tomorrow."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sen's figure appeared behind Kushina like a phantom. He gently nudged the back of her knee with his own, and the girl let out a surprised gasp as she softly fell into his arms.

"I'm going to get revenge for what happened yesterday!" he said, and then lightly pecked Kushina's forehead with his lips.

"Eek!"

Kushina's face instantly turned bright red. She shoved Sen away violently, her red hair practically standing on end.

Sen thought she was angry and was about to apologize when, the next second, Kushina took a deep breath and, with all her might, yelled across the entire training ground:

"How could you kiss me on the training grounds! There are so many people here! They all saw! What are we going to do now?! We'll have to get married, won't we?!"

Sen's eardrums felt like they were about to burst.

You're not afraid of people finding out, are you? You're practically wishing the whole world knew!

As expected, all the students on the training grounds, and even those by the windows of the teaching building who had come to watch the commotion, turned their gazes towards them, a mixture of shock, envy, and gossip in their eyes.

After her outburst, Kushina stood proudly beside Sen, waving at the pointing and whispering classmates, practically announcing her claim.

Sen shook his head helplessly, but a warm current surged through his heart.

He hadn't experienced such intense emotions much in his previous life.

He reached out, gently took Kushina's small hand, and murmured softly, "Yeah... looks like I've found the right person."

Then, under the focused gaze of everyone present, the two walked back to the classroom hand-in-hand.

After school that afternoon, Sen had to coax Kushina, who was being clingy, for a long time before she finally agreed to let him go home.

He ate dinner and then practiced his Sharingan and taijutsu for a while.

He didn't choose to train late into the night and went to sleep early.

In the many years since he had arrived in this world, today was the first time he felt genuine happiness from the bottom of his heart. Even the heavy sense of existential crisis seemed to have faded considerably.

The next morning, it was still early, and the mist had yet to dissipate.

Sen yawned as he walked on his way to school.

He had deliberately taken a less-traveled path, intending to arrive early and ask Minato about his progress.

As soon as he turned into the alley, his brow furrowed sharply. He pushed off with his left foot, his body recoiling like a spring!

"Tink, tink, tink!"

Three shuriken whizzed past his nose, embedding themselves deeply into the wall where he had been standing moments before.

Sen looked up. A masked ninja stood silently on a rooftop not far away, a kunai twirling around his index finger.

"Uchiha Sen?" the masked ninja leaped down to the street, his voice laced with amusement. "As expected of an Uchiha genius, your senses are quite sharp."

Seeing that his opponent was merely a student who hadn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy, he felt this mission would be incredibly easy.

"Unfortunately, even a genius shouldn't offend Lord Danzo. This time, I'll just break two of your ribs as a small punishment. Surrender obediently..."

"So much nonsense."

Sen's eyes turned cold. He thrust out both hands, and six shuriken whistled through the air in two volleys.

The masked ninja sneered dismissively, his kunai easily deflecting the three shuriken flying directly at him. Seeing the other three flying behind him, he scoffed:

"I thought you were a genius, but it turns out you can't even aim your shuriken."

The instant his words fell, Sen yanked a steel wire hidden in his hand and shouted:

"Skillful Hand Shuriken Jutsu!"

Hearing the wind rushing from behind him, the masked ninja's heart leaped. This brat had actually learned to control shuriken?

He hurriedly turned to block, only to find that the three shuriken were merely being pulled back by the steel wire, their trajectories erratic and completely lacking aim.

This brat dared to trick me!

His eyes flashed with anger. He spun back around, only to find Sen already alarmingly close.

Trying to fight him hand-to-hand? You must be looking for death!

Just as the masked ninja was about to grin menacingly, he met a pair of scarlet eyes, two tomoe spinning eerily within them.

Not good!

The moment their eyes met.

Sharingan. Illusion Technique!

The masked ninja's body stiffened, his eyes rapidly losing focus.

Sen let out a long breath.

The so-called "Skillful Hand Shuriken Jutsu" was merely a clumsy imitation he performed with a steel wire. That shout was just to distract the opponent and create an opportunity to activate his Sharingan.

He stroked his chin, pondering how to deal with this Root ninja who had delivered himself to his doorstep.

This guy was definitely sent by Root to get revenge. It was just a nickname, calling you a eunuch, was that really necessary, Danzo?

After much thought, neither killing him nor letting him go seemed appropriate.

His eyes darted around, spotting the clan compound not far behind. A plan formed in his mind.

He took out a rope from his ninja pouch and bound the opponent securely.

Given that the opponent was a member of the Root organization, he tied him up in a humiliating Kikko-bind, even considering parading him through the streets.

After all, killing someone without crushing their spirit is pointless. What are you doing, charity work?