Report the Truth

Minato and Shikaku shared the same concern.

As a member of the Nara Clan, Shikaku had perfectly upheld his family's legacy, and his way of thinking was very forward-looking.

Even so, they still had to report this matter to the Third Hokage. That guy was growing more and more brazen in the village.

The three exchanged glances. They no longer had time to keep eating at Ichiraku Ramen and hurried toward the Hokage Office.

At the entrance, they ran straight into Tsunade as she came out. Shen Ye threw himself right into her arms.

Shikaku and Minato both swallowed. If another male ninja had collided with her at such close range, he would probably have faced Tsunade's merciless Strength of a Hundred.

But once Tsunade realized it was Shen Ye, she crouched down with a gentle expression.

"Did you get hurt, little Shen Ye?"

"Now's not the time to talk about that. We have something very important to report to the Third Hokage. Sister Tsunade, you should listen too."

Tsunade nodded. From the looks on Shen Ye's and the other two's faces, she could tell it was serious.

She pushed open the office door again, but the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was nowhere to be seen.

Tsunade furrowed her brow in confusion. She had only been gone for a minute, yet the Third Hokage had already left.

"Was the Third Hokage still in the room before you left?"

"That's right. He left in such a short time, and we didn't even see how he got out."

"Is this what Kage Level is like? There's still a lot I can't understand."

Tsunade smiled and gently tapped Shen Ye on the nose.

"What are you daydreaming about, little guy? One day, you'll become an even more formidable ninja. Anyway, what happened to make the three of you look so flustered?"

"We saw the guy pretending to be Jiraiya, but he got away."

Tsunade's smile vanished at once. This matter was extremely important not only to the Third Hokage but to the entire village.

They had patrolled for several days and still hadn't found the guy. He was clearly a formidable opponent.

As long as they didn't find him, the village would never truly be at peace.

The calm they saw now was only on the surface. Beneath it, trouble was brewing, along with danger and crisis.

"You three be careful. Since that guy came looking for you, he definitely won't let the matter go."

Shen Ye nodded. Of course he understood, but with his current strength, he couldn't be sure he could capture the man.

But with all the ninjas of Konoha helping, the outcome would be completely different.

"Lady Tsunade, we'll be going now. Please tell the Third Hokage about this."

Minato tugged at Shikaku and Shen Ye's sleeves, then signaled with his eyes. Shen Ye immediately understood what he meant.

They waved goodbye to Tsunade and headed toward the Ninja Academy without exchanging a word.

When three clever people were together, a single glance was enough to convey what they were thinking.

Though their fight had been brief, they had already developed strong teamwork.

When they returned to the classroom, class was just about to begin. The teacher stood at the front, and the afternoon lesson hadn't started yet.

"It seems that guy didn't notice we were gone this morning."

"I hope he comes here. Then we can see how our teacher handles a sudden fight."

Shikaku patted Shen Ye and Minato on the shoulders, then looked toward the window. A familiar figure sat there.

The two followed Shikaku's gaze. It was the unwelcome visitor to the village. Even with a different face, it was easy to identify him.

Minato was about to stand up and loudly expose him, then give him a good beating while so many people were around.

But Shen Ye pressed down on his shoulder and gently shook his head.

"If we make a scene now, it'll cause a panic."

"Right. He's extremely dangerous. Our classmates wouldn't be able to withstand his relentless attacks."

The entire afternoon, Shikaku and Minato sat on edge, their eyes fixed on the man, afraid he might suddenly make a move.

But right up until school let out, he did nothing. He even listened to the lessons more attentively than the other students.

In the blink of an eye, the man vanished from his seat. Shen Ye looked at Shikaku and Minato in confusion, only to find that neither of them knew what had happened either.

"We were watching him the whole time, but didn't see how he left."

"I think we must have fallen under his genjutsu without realizing it. But we don't need to worry. The village must have stepped up the search."

"Shen Ye, what are you talking about? School's out. Should we walk home together?"

Yue Xing appeared in front of them with Kushina. Her fiery red hair and pure white eyes stood out among the girls.

Shikaku gave a light cough to cover his awkwardness, then headed for the door alone.

Shen Ye nodded and walked home with Yue Xing. Since he had to pass Tsunade's house to reach the Hyuga Clan compound, everything worked out rather conveniently.

Standing outside Tsunade's house, Shen Ye watched Yue Xing's figure gradually disappear around the corner.

"I only stole one skill today. What a waste of the system's divine ability."

Shen Ye rubbed his chin, thinking hard about where to find his next target and acquire another ninjutsu.

Just as he was at a loss, someone wearing a Forehead Protector walked past him.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He hurried after the person and tapped her shoulder when she wasn't paying attention.

"Steal Skill!"

He silently activated the system's ability, his face changing to a beaming smile.

"Where are you off to, Sister Kurenai?"

"Oh, it's you, Shen Ye. Why are you here alone? Isn't Tsunade at home?"

"I was just about to go inside when I saw you passing by, so I came over to say hello. I missed you."

Kurenai Yuhi rolled her eyes at Shen Ye. With his fair face and sweet words, no wonder Tsunade liked him so much.

Even Kurenai couldn't help wanting to hug Shen Ye, but he had already grown too tall for that.

Seeing how hopeful Shen Ye looked, Kurenai finally gave in. She bent down slightly and patted his little head.

"I missed you too, but I have an important mission to take care of, so I can't play with you this time. Next time, for sure."