Good Skill

"So fast!"

Namikaze Minato considered his speed to be among the best of his peers, yet he never expected this guy to be even more terrifying.

"I've already told you it wasn't me that day. Don't think that just because you're a girl, I'll keep letting you spout nonsense."

Shen Ye's shuriken was now resting against Kushina's neck; a slight application of force would be enough to leave a mark on her fair skin.

"Unless you prove it to me, I will keep suspecting you."

Shen Ye rolled his eyes at Kushina, unable to understand why this person was so stubborn.

Seeing this, Namikaze Minato hurriedly ran between the two to act as a peacemaker, placing one hand on Shen Ye's wrist while gently pushing Kushina's shoulder away with the other.

Shen Ye hadn't actually intended to do anything to Kushina, so he took the opportunity to step back twice.

"Since your skills are so good, what else is there to explain? A rooftop like that would be a piece of cake for you."

"Damn it, this is never-ending."

Shen Ye rolled up his sleeves and took two steps forward, but Namikaze Minato quickly blocked the space between them.

"You two, stop arguing. I believe brother Shen Ye isn't that kind of person. Kushina, you must have mistaken him for someone else."

"It's impossible to be mistaken. His back is exactly the same as that guy's."

"Haven't you heard that someone impersonating Jiraiya has appeared in the village? The person you saw that day must have been him."

Kushina stared at Shen Ye, half-doubting, trying to read a hint of guilt in his eyes.

However, she saw nothing in his gaze—only clarity and nothing else.

Feeling the heavy atmosphere in the air, Namikaze Minato quickly pulled the two of them to sit down at Ichiraku Ramen, fearing they would start fighting again.

Only good food could wash away grudges; Shen Ye hadn't meant to target Kushina, he just wanted her to stop talking nonsense.

The moment Kushina tasted the ramen, the expression on her face softened, and her joy was evident in her beaming smile.

Namikaze Minato sat to the side, resting his head on his hand, quietly watching Kushina put ramen into her mouth bite by bite.

This guy really fell for Kushina back then. I won't compete with him; a hot-tempered girl like Kushina isn't my type.

Shen Ye felt a small sense of disdain for Namikaze Minato, then patted him on the shoulder and stood up to leave.

"I have other things to do. You stay and keep Kushina company."

Namikaze Minato wanted to ask him to stay a while longer, but Shen Ye leaped away in a few quick bounds.

Before long, Shen Ye appeared in an open space and clenched his fists.

"System, what skill did I steal from Kushina just now?"

"Host, the Steal Skill is still on cooldown, so today's only gain is Namikaze Minato's Flying Thunder God!"

"What? Isn't this a scam?"

"Ding, the skill cooldown has ten minutes remaining. The host may perform a skill steal after ten minutes."

Shen Ye let out a deep sigh. The reason he had rushed to Kushina's side earlier was precisely to swipe her abilities.

He hadn't expected to come away empty-handed.

There was nothing to be done about it; after all, everything depended on the Ghost God System.

Ten minutes was just a blink of an eye for Shen Ye, so he wasn't in a rush.

After all, the only things that attracted Ye Xuan to Kushina were her powerful self-healing ability and massive chakra reserves.

Since both of those abilities could be obtained from Tsunade and Jiraiya over time, it was better to look for some active offensive skills.

Action followed thought; Shen Ye quickly ran toward the outskirts of the village. The forest surrounding Konoha was filled with countless ninjas training.

"Shen Ye, why are you leaving the village at this hour?"

"Just taking a stroll in the nearby forest to learn from the seniors' training."

The ninja guarding the gate of Konoha frowned, half-believing him.

With so many things happening in the village lately, he found it hard to believe that Shen Ye was an innocent child and didn't want to let him come and go as he pleased.

"Why are you two hesitating here?"

Tsunade's voice came from not far away, and then a beautiful figure walked toward them with a leisurely gait.

"Lady Tsunade, Shen Ye wants to wander in the forest near the village. I don't think it's safe outside, so I wasn't going to let him leave."

"Let him go. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility."

"This..."

The guard wanted to say more, but Shen Ye made a few nimble turns and ran straight out of the village.

Across the gate of Konoha, Shen Ye smiled and waved at Tsunade before disappearing into the forest.

Tsunade shook her head helplessly and turned to continue patrolling the village, searching for the person impersonating Jiraiya.

"It's really different out here compared to the village. I can feel the aura of battle before even reaching the depths of the forest."

"A child shouldn't be wandering around here; it's very dangerous."

A guy with Sharingan appeared in Shen Ye's line of sight, the forehead protector he wore revealing his identity: a genin from Konoha.

"Are you a member of the Uchiha clan?"

"That's right. Today is the annual clan hunting day, and this entire forest is currently filled with members of the Uchiha clan."

"Hunting? How come I've never heard of it?"

"You're an outsider, so there's not much I can say to you. I advise you to just leave quietly."

Shen Ye rubbed his chin as a scheme formed in his mind, patting the Uchiha clan member on the shoulder as he turned to leave.

Though the latter was quite puzzled, he didn't think much of it.

As he silently activated Steal Skill in his heart, the system quietly triggered its ability, imbuing Shen Ye's mind with one of the man's skills.

Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining the Uchiha clan skill, Sharingan, via Steal Skill! Skill cooldown: 3 hours.

Heaven is truly helping me, to steal the Sharingan at a time like this.

A faint smile appeared on the corner of Shen Ye's mouth as he chose a different path back to the village.

At this very moment, there wasn't a single member of the Uchiha clan left inside Konoha, which happened to make things convenient for Shen Ye's next move.

With a few consecutive leaps, Shen Ye arrived at the Uchiha clan's residential compound and found a suitable set of clothes for himself.

Returning to the forest, Shen Ye had already changed into Uchiha clan attire; at first glance, no one would be able to spot a single flaw.

"Under Sage Mode, my chakra is enough to support the activation of the Sharingan. Things are about to get interesting."