Ayame

Outside the Senju Compound's shrine.

A young woman was being chased.

She was beautiful, with brown hair, a pure white little headscarf tied around her head, and an adorable little apron around her waist.

"Ayame, don't run! Teach me how to make ramen."

Shao Nan was chasing Teuchi's daughter, Ayame.

"Don't come any closer! I'm scared!"

Shao Nan couldn't understand it. How had he offended this pretty Ayame enough for her to dislike him?

He only wanted to learn ramen-making from her. He absolutely had no ulterior motives!

When he glanced at Ayame, Shao Nan's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Ayame, your shoulder strap is showing."

Ayame lowered her head and looked at her left shoulder. Her shirt had slipped slightly to the left.

A pale white shoulder strap rested on her shoulder.

Ayame tugged at her shirt, covering the fair skin of her shoulder as she lightly bit her lip.

A faint blush spread across her cheeks.

"Don't look! Lady Tsunade told me not to have contact with you."

At those words, Shao Nan instantly felt as though life had lost all color.

Tsunade is already putting restrictions on me!

[Ding, main quest: Return to the ancestral clan completed]

[Hashirama Senju at his peak's self-healing ability has been granted]

Hm? Tsunade already signed my name into the family register?

"Dad, Mom wants you inside."

Chino padded out of the shrine on her little bare feet and poked her adorable little head out by the entrance.

"Your sister Tsunade was just teasing you. Don't listen to her."

"Tsunade called for me. I'll play with you later!"

Shao Nan strode into the shrine.

Leaving Ayame standing there alone, frozen stiff.

"System, use Genjutsu: Enchantment on Ayame."

[Ding, activation successful. Target: Ayame.]

[Genjutsu: Enchantment uses for this month have been exhausted]

Ayame sat on a chair, watching Shao Nan's retreating figure.

"His back looks just like the man of my dreams!"

Ayame placed her right hand between her legs, and her thighs unconsciously pressed together.

Ayame vigorously shook her head. "What's wrong with me?"

Inside the shrine, incense smoke hung thick in the air. Memorial tablets filled the altar.

Seeing Shao Nan enter the shrine while holding Chino's little hand, Tsunade gave Shizune an order.

"Shizune, go make the preparations."

Shizune then took on the role of master of ceremonies.

Outside the Senju Compound, crowds upon crowds of villagers had gathered to watch.

"Isn't this supposed to be a ceremony welcoming someone back into the clan? Why's everything decorated with lanterns and streamers? Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a wedding."

"Watch your mouth. Returning to the clan is a joyous occasion too. Isn't this perfectly normal?"

Before long, Shizune led the heads of the major clans into the Senju Compound.

They had brought quite a few things with them, clearly gifts.

Holding a little notebook, Shizune sat at a table and had them line up to register their gifts.

It did not take long to finish the registration.

Written in Shizune's notebook were the following entries.

"Nara Clan. Gifts: one pair of elk hams aged for ten years. One hundred jin of antler velvet."

"Sarutobi Clan. Gifts: two large scrolls."

"Hyuga Clan. Gift: one complete collection of Hyuga secret techniques."

"Shicun Clan. Gifts: a pair of jade ruyi scepters, two Kusanagi Swords. Thirty-five million ryo in Land of Fire currency."

After seeing it, Hiruzen Sarutobi quietly said to Danzo beside him, "Danzo, that's quite a lavish gift. Aren't you afraid of taking a loss?"

Danzo smiled. "Hiruzen, Tsunade is someone we watched grow up. As her elders, how could we be stingy?"

Of everyone present, only Kakashi had not registered a gift.

Shizune raised her head and looked at Kakashi.

"Mr. Kakashi, don't tell me you came empty-handed?"

Although Kakashi wore a mask, his face was filled with embarrassment at that moment.

He had been inexplicably dragged here by the Third Hokage.

He had a nagging feeling that he had been set up. The old man had even said that simply showing up would be enough.

But now, every last one of them had brought a gift, while he had brought nothing.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head.

"Um, Shizune, my gift is special! My gift is a ninjutsu I created myself."

Shizune rolled her eyes at Kakashi.

"Are you trying to freeload?"

Everyone present knew Kakashi's famous signature technique.

Lightning Cutter. Also known as Chidori!

An S-rank ninjutsu!

An incredibly powerful ninjutsu requiring no hand seals!

But that did not mean just anyone could learn it!

Leaning on his cane, Danzo said leisurely.

"Kakashi, today's guest of honor probably won't be interested in your ninjutsu. You should offer something practical instead."

Kakashi's one visible eye widened.

Setting me up together wasn't enough, and now you're speaking for him too!

What do you mean he won't be interested?!

My Lightning Cutter is damn impressive, all right?!

Ordinary people can beg all they want, and I still wouldn't be willing to teach them!

Just then, a deep, booming voice came from inside the shrine.

"Don't make the atmosphere so awkward!"

Shao Nan walked out with the swagger of a king.

Tsunade clung close to his side, her arm looped through his.

Her other hand held little Chino's!

Those who had never met Shao Nan could not help revealing shocked expressions when they saw his face!

Kakashi was no exception. He really does look exactly like the First Hokage.

But they were all sour.

Lemons on the lemon tree...

The ultimate fantasy of men had been shattered.

Tsunade had been claimed by this man!

Shao Nan and Tsunade were a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

Seeing them from the corner, Ayame pouted.

She clearly looked unhappy. I want to be by his side too! Together with him.

Shao Nan stared at the white-haired Kakashi. He had to admit, Kakashi was actually a little handsome...

"Isn't this Mr. Fifty-Fifty himself?"

"I think highly of that self-created ninjutsu of yours!"

"Come on, attack me with your ninjutsu. Let me see how powerful it is."

Kakashi was stunned. "Who's Fifty-Fifty?"

Tsunade pinched Shao Nan. "What are you trying to pull again?"

Then she continued speaking to Kakashi.

"Kakashi, not bringing a gift is no big deal! Shizune, put it on Kakashi's tab—ten million ryo!"

"That's too much, Tsunade. Does he look like someone who can come up with ten million?"

"Shao Nan, can you stop interrupting me when I'm talking!"

Upon hearing that, everyone threw Shao Nan envious looks.

Tsunade's little face reddened, and she lightly thumped Shao Nan's chest with her fist.

Then she picked up Chino and hid behind him.

Uh, Shao Nan felt that Tsunade might be a little...

"Damn it, he really pulled that off!" Kakashi cursed inwardly.

Why could all of them be paired up?

While someone as outstanding as him could only read Jiraiya's Make-Out Paradise and enjoy himself alone?

"Hey, Kakashi, Fifty-Fifty means you!"

After hearing that, Kakashi pointed at himself.

Kakashi was utterly confused. This was their first meeting, so why was Shao Nan calling him that?

"Don't take it to heart, Fifty-Fifty. It's just what I call you!"

Konoha's Copy Ninja, Sharingan Kakashi, was renowned throughout the Ninja World.

The future Sixth Hokage!

No matter how strong an opponent Kakashi encountered, he could fight them without falling behind.

He even had a fifty-percent chance of killing his opponent in a reversal.

A ninja with an extremely high ceiling and an extremely high floor.

At the top, Kaguya Otsutsuki.

In the middle, any member of the Akatsuki.

At the bottom, Demon Zabuza.