Report Truthfully

Minato and Shikaku shared the same concerns.

As a member of the Nara Clan, Shikaku perfectly upheld his family's legacy, possessing a highly forward-thinking approach to problem-solving.

Even so, this matter had to be reported to the Third Hokage; that guy was becoming increasingly arrogant within the village.

The three of them exchanged glances, no longer caring about finishing their Ichiraku Ramen, and hurried toward the Hokage Office.

At the entrance, they collided with Tsunade as she was walking out, and Shen Ye ended up crashing right into her.

Shikaku and Minato both gulped; had it been any other male ninja colliding with her at such close range, they likely would have faced Tsunade's ruthless Strength of a Hundred.

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

"Did you get hurt, little Shen Ye?"

"Now isn't the time for this. We have a very urgent matter to report to the Third Hokage. Tsunade, you should listen in as well."

Tsunade nodded, and seeing the expressions on Shen Ye and the other two, she knew the situation was grave.

They pushed open the office door again, but the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen was nowhere to be found inside.

Tsunade frowned in confusion; he had only been gone for a minute, yet the Third had already left.

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

"Yes, he was. He left in such a short amount of time, and we didn't even see how he managed to slip away."

"Is this the level of a Kage? I still can't quite grasp it."

Tsunade smiled and reached out to gently flick Shen Ye's nose.

"What are you little ones overthinking? One day you will become even more formidable ninjas. By the way, what exactly is making the three of you so flustered?"

"We encountered the guy who was impersonating Jiraiya, but he managed to get away."

Tsunade's smile vanished instantly. This matter was not only vital to the Third Hokage, but to the entire village as well.

Despite days of continuous patrols, they still hadn't located this individual, who was clearly a powerful opponent.

As long as this guy remained at large, the village would never truly be at peace.

The current tranquility was merely a facade; beneath the surface, danger and crisis were surging.

"You three be careful. Since that guy sought you out himself, he certainly won't give up easily."

Shen Ye nodded. He understood this logic, but with his current strength, he didn't have absolute confidence in apprehending him.

However, with the help of the many ninjas in Konoha, the outcome would be entirely different.

"Tsunade, we'll take our leave now. Please, trouble yourself to report this to the Third Hokage."

Minato tugged at the sleeves of Shikaku and Shen Ye, signaling with his eyes, and the latter immediately understood his intent.

Waving goodbye to Tsunade, the three headed toward the Ninja Academy, remaining silent throughout the journey.

When three clever people are together, a single look is enough to understand each other's thoughts.

Although they had only experienced a brief battle, a solid rapport had already formed between them.

Returning to the classroom, the teacher was just standing at the front, and the afternoon lessons hadn't yet begun.

"This guy doesn't seem to have noticed that we weren't here this morning."

"I really hope that guy tries to find his way here; I want to see how our teacher handles a sudden battle."

Shikaku patted Shen Ye and Minato on the shoulders, his eyes fixed on a window seat where a familiar figure sat.

The two followed Shikaku's gaze and saw the uninvited guest of the village; even with a different face, his identity was easy to confirm.

Minato was about to stand up and shout it out, hoping to give him a good beating while so many people were around.

However, Shen Ye pressed down on his shoulder and shook his head slightly at Minato.

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

"You're right. He is an extremely dangerous guy, and our classmates wouldn't be able to withstand his onslaught."

They spent the afternoon restless; both Shikaku and Minato kept their eyes on that guy, fearing he might suddenly strike.

But until school ended, he made no moves, even listening to the lecture more attentively than the other students.

In the blink of an eye, the guy vanished from his seat. Shen Ye looked at Shikaku and Minato in confusion, only to find they were equally bewildered.

"Even though our eyes were on him the whole time, we didn't see how he left."

"I suspect we accidentally fell under his genjutsu, but we don't need to worry; the village must have already stepped up the search."

"Shen Ye, what are you all discussing? School is over, do you want to walk home together?"

Yue Xing appeared before the three, pulling Kushina along. Her fiery red hair and pure white eyes were particularly striking among the other girls.

Shikaku coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness and then walked toward the gate alone.

Shen Ye nodded and walked home with Yue Xing. To return to the Hyuga Clan estate, one had to pass by Tsunade's house, so everything seemed quite convenient.

Standing at the entrance of Tsunade's home, Shen Ye watched Yue Xing's back disappear around the street corner.

"I only stole one skill today; it feels a bit like a waste of the system's divine ability."

Shen Ye rubbed his chin, carefully contemplating where he should go to find his next target to fulfill his ninjutsu needs.

Just as Shen Ye was at a loss, a person wearing a forehead protector walked past him.

The corners of his mouth curled upward slightly, and he hurriedly followed behind the person, tapping her on the shoulder when she wasn't paying attention.

"Steal Skill!"

He silently activated the system's ability in his heart while putting on a beaming smile.

"Where are you headed, Sister Kurenai?"

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

"I was just about to head inside when I saw you passing by, so I came over to say hello. I've missed you a bit."

Kurenai Yuhi rolled her eyes at Shen Ye; with such a fair face paired with sweet talk, it was no wonder Tsunade liked him so much.

Even Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help but want to pull Shen Ye into her arms, though his height no longer allowed for such things.

Looking at Shen Ye's expectant face, Kurenai Yuhi ultimately couldn't resist, bending down slightly to pat Shen Ye on his little head.

"Sister has missed you too, but I have a very important mission to attend to, so I can't play with you this time. Next time, for sure."