Hello, You're So Beautiful

Only Tsunade could make Jiraiya genuinely submit to her. Even if she beat him up for no reason, he wouldn't feel the slightest urge to fight back.

"Shen Ye, whatever you do, don't tell Tsunade about this!"

Shen Ye couldn't help bursting into laughter. He'd finally seen Jiraiya's weak side.

But in the end, Jiraiya had done it for the village, and to help Shen Ye clear his name faster. His actions had been a little inappropriate, though.

"Don't worry, Jiraiya. I'll take this to my grave."

Jiraiya nodded. Since Shen Ye had said it, he had no reason to doubt him.

A crescent moon hung in the sky. Shen Ye made his way home in the dark, and from a distance, he could see the lights were still on in the house.

When he opened the door, Tsunade was dozing on the sofa, looking as if she might close her eyes and fall fast asleep at any moment.

"You little brat, you finally came back. I wonder what kind of trouble Jiraiya dragged you into."

"It's late, Tsunade. You should go to bed. You've been working hard all day."

Shen Ye helped Tsunade's weary body into her room, then went back to his own and fell into a deep sleep.

In his dreams, Shen Ye used the system's Steal Skill to reach the pinnacle of the ninja world and become someone everyone admired.

When he opened his eyes again, Shen Ye realized it was already midday. Without even noticing, he'd missed his morning classes.

If Shen Ye's memory served him right, the Third Hokage was coming to the Ninja Academy to teach in person today.

"It's all that Jiraiya's fault. He wasted so much of my time for nothing."

Shen Ye sighed deeply, hurriedly straightened his clothes, and ran toward the Ninja Academy.

In his haste, Shen Ye failed to notice the little girl standing at the academy gates, and the two of them collided.

"Ow!"

A pained cry rang out beside Shen Ye. He hurried over and helped the girl to her feet.

When he got a good look at her face, Shen Ye was momentarily stunned. Her fair face, bright eyes, and perfectly shaped lips all accentuated her beauty.

Shen Ye was a little surprised. As far as he could remember, she hadn't appeared in the ninja world before.

"You're so beautiful."

The words slipped out before Shen Ye could stop them. Even he didn't know why he'd said that.

"Hello, my name is Nakata Misho. Today is my first day at the Ninja Academy. Please take care of me."

Misho didn't get angry even though Shen Ye had crashed into her. Instead, she bowed politely, displaying her humility.

In an instant, Shen Ye felt as though a gentle breeze had washed over him.

"Let me show you to the classroom."

Without thinking, Shen Ye took Misho's hand. Her face turned a little red, but she didn't pull away.

The two of them walked into the classroom, one after the other, immediately drawing plenty of attention. Yue Xing and Mikoto in particular kept their eyes fixed on Shen Ye.

Minato nudged Shikaku and gave him a knowing look.

"Shen Ye's already met a new girl in such a short time. That handsome face of his really does come in handy."

"That's our new classmate, Nakata Misho. I heard her background is a lot like Shen Ye's."

Minato rubbed his chin. He hadn't expected such a beautiful girl to have suffered so much, too.

Holding Misho's hand, Shen Ye walked over to Namikaze Minato. Minato promptly made room for the two of them.

Yue Xing gave a little huff, stood up from her seat, and headed straight toward Shen Ye.

Minato looked on with an entertained expression, already prepared for a good show.

But Shen Ye's expression didn't change at all. He didn't take any of this seriously.

"Shen Ye, who's this beautiful big sister?"

"She's our new classmate. You two may as well get to know each other while you're here. I haven't gotten to know Misho properly yet, either."

"Everyone, quiet down. The Third Hokage will be teaching today's lesson."

The classroom fell silent in an instant. These children might have been unruly and disrespectful much of the time, but the moment they heard the words "Third Hokage," they became obedient.

The Third Hokage, wearing his hat, walked slowly to the front of the classroom, his gaze passing over each student.

Some of them already had looks of longing on their faces. Becoming Hokage was a goal many people strove toward, and Minato was no exception.

Only Shen Ye remained calm, wondering what had brought the old man here so suddenly.

Feeling the scent wafting from Misho beside him, Shen Ye thought he understood.

"You are the future of the village. I'm already old, and I won't be able to protect you for much longer. So your task now is to grow up quickly."

"Special instructors will teach you ninjutsu. I've come today to tell you two things."

Shen Ye folded his arms and watched the Third Hokage with interest. If he was right, one of those two things would be about the man who had impersonated Jiraiya.

Sure enough, the Third Hokage's gaze eventually settled on Shen Ye. He gave a slight wave of his hand, releasing a burst of chakra.

Shen Ye felt a warm sensation behind him, and his body stood up on its own.

Now everyone was looking at Shen Ye. The Third Hokage spoke slowly.

"You've all been misunderstanding Shen Ye. You said he was the peeping tom at the women's bathhouse that day, but I've thoroughly investigated the situation. I can now confirm that Shen Ye had nothing to do with it."

Shen Ye stared wide-eyed at Sarutobi Hiruzen. He hadn't expected the Third Hokage to defend him.

Mikoto was momentarily struck by doubt. Since the Third Hokage had said so, that proved Shen Ye hadn't been the one that day.

But for Mikoto to completely stop suspecting Shen Ye, she would need undeniable proof.

Yue Xing was even more confused. She couldn't understand why Lord Hokage would lie to help Shen Ye when it was clear that Shen Ye had been the one peeping that day.

"I told you it had nothing to do with me. Do you believe me now?"

"There's one other important matter. A dangerous person has appeared in the village recently. If you happen to run into him, make sure you run away immediately."

With that, the Third Hokage turned to leave the classroom. Everyone shifted their attention from Shen Ye to him, and Shen Ye took the opportunity to sit back down.

Minato was the first to react. He quickly leaned close to Shen Ye and asked,

"So it really wasn't you that day? Then the other boys in the class shouldn't have been holding a grudge against you before that, either."