If I Can't Get Married, I'll Marry You

The system's mission. Shin had finally seen another mission from the system. Since arriving in Konoha five years ago, this was the first mission the system had issued.

And he could finally get a Copy Card. Even if it was only a Common Copy Card, Shin still wanted one.

Shin had three Copy Cards left, and they were all Advanced Copy Cards.

He received one every year: four in total over the past four years, one Advanced Copy Card and three Common Copy Cards.

Shin hadn't been willing to use the Advanced Copy Cards. After all, they were high-grade cards capable of copying Kekkei Genkai. He'd used the three Common Copy Cards to copy the power of the Three-Tomoe

Sharingan.

The reason Shin had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan was that he'd used Common Copy Cards to stack up enough eye power. That's how he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

All told, he'd copied and stacked the power of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan seven times. Combined with his own training, that was what had allowed his Three-Tomoe Sharingan to evolve into the Mangekyō Sharingan.

He accepted the mission the system had issued. He'd been planning to do it anyway, and getting a Common Copy Card on top of that made him feel pretty pleased.

"By the way, System, if I accept a mission, will you issue the same mission too?"

Shin's heart suddenly raced with excitement.

If that was how it worked, he could become a mission ace, accepting missions like crazy to rack up system missions.

"Master, don't get your hopes up. The system doesn't issue missions according to any pattern."

The system ruthlessly crushed Shin's fantasy, leaving him a little dejected.

"Shin, let's go. What are you standing around daydreaming for?" Kushina nudged him and said.

Shin came back to his senses and left with Kushina and the others. To them, he'd been daydreaming, but in reality, he'd been talking with the system.

"Jonin Tsunade, what a coincidence. We've run into each other again."

A shinobi with light blue hair, a rather handsome face, and a Jonin flak jacket greeted Tsunade.

Tsunade frowned when she saw him and said flatly, "Dan Katō, this is the fifth time you've run into me this week. The first time could have been a coincidence, and you could even call the second time a coincidence. But the third, fourth, and fifth times too?"

Tsunade's words were blunt and gave him no quarter. His smile instantly turned awkward.

"That's Dan Katō? Why does Tsunade seem to dislike him so much?"

Shin glanced at Dan Katō.

Dan Katō then looked at Shin and the others accompanying Tsunade, seemingly trying to change the subject as he said, "These are your students, right?"

"You must be Uzumaki Shin. I'm Dan Katō. It's nice to meet you." Dan Katō smiled at Shin.

Although he was smiling at Shin, Shin could sense the hostility beneath it. He trusted his instincts.

After awakening the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, Shin had gained the ability to sense other people's hostility toward him.

Dan Katō wore a smile, but he couldn't hide his hostility from Shin.

Shin furrowed his brow. He'd never had anything to do with Dan Katō, so why was the man hostile toward him?

Was it because of Tsunade?

Was he jealous because he'd seen Shin spending so much time with Tsunade? That didn't make sense. Who would be jealous of a ten-year-old kid?

Whatever the reason, the man was clearly hostile toward him, so Shin had no reason to be polite.

He shot Dan Katō a glance, then ignored him completely.

Dan Katō looked even more awkward. A glint of menace flashed in his eyes before he slunk away. Three shinobi followed behind him. He was a Jonin leading a team too, but his students had graduated the previous year.

"You really don't like him, do you?"

Tsunade looked at Shin with a smile, then teased him, "Do you get upset when you see him getting close to me, kid? Don't tell me you like me."

"You may be young, but if you have the guts to say it, big sister might admire your courage and give you a chance."

Shin's mouth twitched.

"Tsunade, how can you be so full of yourself? I wasn't polite to him because he was hostile toward me. What does that have to do with you?"

"That's right, Tsunade, you're so full of yourself. Shin likes me, after all. Isn't that right, Shin?" Kushina suddenly clung to Shin's arm and asked him.

"Brat, I gave you a chance, and you didn't know how to appreciate it."

Tsunade raised her fist and swung it at Shin's head. He nimbly dodged.

"With that violent temper, you'll never get married," Shin quipped.

Tsunade's face darkened. "If I can't get married, I'll marry you. If you dare refuse, I'll castrate you."

At that, Shin hurriedly put some distance between them, feeling a chill in a certain

place.

Kushina's expression shifted slightly. It seemed Shin didn't like violent girls. Should she try to be gentler from now on?

Kushina then glanced at Mikoto beside her, hostility showing in her eyes.

Mikoto was gentle by nature. What if Shin liked her? And from what Kushina had observed, Mikoto seemed to have a good impression of Shin too. She was a formidable rival.

Kushina had thought the cow Tsunade, who wanted to eat young grass, was the biggest threat. But it turned out Mikoto was the one she had to worry about most.

Mikoto was completely baffled by Kushina's sudden hostility. She had no idea about all the thoughts racing through Kushina's mind.

"Kid, did you say Dan Katō was hostile toward you?"

Tsunade looked at Shin.

"Yeah. Don't you believe me?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I believe you wouldn't lie to me. And something else about him seemed strange before."

"What was strange?" Shin asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.

"Want to know?"

A smile suddenly spread across Tsunade's face—a smile as devilish as a demon's. Shin had a bad feeling, as if something terrifying had set its sights on him.

"If you want to know, come here and let me pinch your cheek," Tsunade said, fixing her gaze on Shin.

"Then forget it. I don't want to know anymore." Shin rolled his eyes.

"Shin, you little brat, you're trying to wriggle out of it? Don't forget what you promised me in exchange for keeping your strength a secret."

"What promise? Sorry, my memory's terrible. Kushina, did I promise Tsunade anything?" Shin asked, looking completely bewildered.

"Nope. I don't remember anything." Kushina shook her head. She certainly didn't want Tsunade taking advantage of Shin again.

Tsunade was furious. Those two little brats!

"Fine, I'll tell you. Dan Katō asked me about you before. I thought it was strange at the time, but I didn't think much of it." Tsunade spoke to Shin irritably.

Shin frowned when he heard that. Dan Katō had asked about him? He had no connection to Dan Katō at all, so why had the man been asking about him?

Had Shin offended him without realizing it? He thought it over and decided that was impossible. He'd kept a very low profile during his five years in Konoha. There was no way he'd offended Dan Katō.

If he hadn't offended Dan Katō, why was the man hostile toward him?

Shin knew too little about Dan Katō to guess the reason.