Border Frictions

"War is bound to happen sooner or later?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the little brat who had yet to reach his chest and, for the first time, felt doubt.

"Every country's resources are limited, but human greed is limitless."

Xuanhui suddenly raised his head and looked Hiruzen Sarutobi in the eyes.

"Teacher, you know it too, don't you? Border clashes have definitely become more frequent lately than before, and there's a reason for that.

The Land of Wind has developed so rapidly. After the First Shinobi World War, Second Kazekage Shamon imitated Lord Tobirama and established the ANBU and schools, advancing technology. Their strength is probably unprecedented by now.

I have a feeling that, leaving other villages aside, the Sand Village will definitely take part in the coming conflict!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile froze. These were not things an eight-year-old child should have been able to understand, were they?

"Teacher, war is about to come. We do not advocate war, but we cannot fail to prepare for it..."

Xuanhui had also considered whether he should say such things.

After all, the way he was acting did not resemble an eight-year-old child in the slightest.

But if he treated himself like an eight-year-old, then his growth would remain indefinitely far away!

Even now, the only ninjutsu he knew was the Three-Body Technique, while the Second Shinobi World War was about to arrive. Would he really have time to change the timeline?

To make the two of them believe he was reliable, Xuanhui chose to display his maturity and wisdom.

Not hiding his talents was risky, but the benefits certainly outweighed the risks. The current Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru would not betray him.

"Xuanhui... you truly are a genius. At such a young age, you already possess the mindset of a Hokage... That is incredibly rare and precious!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally began to take the child before him seriously. His back straightened naturally, and a sharp light shone in his eyes.

"Official duties have been busy lately, and this is partly why. Xuanhui, perhaps for a while... you will need Teacher Orochimaru to spend more time with you."

"That's fine, Teacher. You only need to answer some of my questions!"

This child... will certainly become Hokage in the future!

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Xuanhui the highest praise in his heart.

At this moment, Orochimaru had nearly finished packing. He opened the door and found the two of them talking.

"Xuanhui, there's still plenty of time. Do you want to train with me?"

"Sure! But... Teacher Orochimaru, could you first tell me about chakra nature transformation? I'm very interested in it!"

Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi exchanged a glance.

Hiruzen Sarutobi put an arm around Xuanhui's shoulders and kindly reminded him.

"Xuanhui, I can explain it, but it is still too early for practice. After all, you have barely encountered proper ninjutsu. You should master the basics first. Using them proficiently is the best course of action!"

"Uh... all right!"

He was still being too hasty... Oh well, that was how it was without cheats. In the end, people really had to rely on themselves!

Xuanhui encouraged himself, stood up, and began a new round of learning...

"Damn it, why was this so exhausting?"

Chakra control was still far too basic! The repeated practice had drained his stamina much too quickly...

He practically staggered through the front door, plopped down in the entryway, and could no longer get back up.

"Xuanhui? Xuanhui!"

After calling out twice without hearing a response, Nara Yamanaka turned her head slightly, walked out of the kitchen, and looked toward the entryway.

"Ah! Why are you sleeping in the entryway? It smells so bad there!"

Nara Yamanaka hurried over, picked Xuanhui up, and ran toward the living room.

"Mom?"

Nara Yamanaka lowered her head and glanced at Xuanhui.

He still had the strength to talk, so he was probably just tired!

Nara Yamanaka then tossed Xuanhui onto the sofa, not even noticing that he had landed face-down.

"All right, son, hurry up and rest for a bit. We'll eat once your dad gets home!"

Nara Yamanaka lightly tapped Xuanhui on the head with her spatula, then dashed back to the bedroom.

Lying facedown on the sofa, Xuanhui tried to raise a hand and smiled weakly...

He could not feel his hand at all...

"Yo, Xuanhui, dinner's almost ready. Why are you still sleeping?"

Uchiha Uzumaki suddenly appeared beside the sofa and raised a hand to pat Xuanhui's butt.

"Dad?"

Xuanhui struggled to turn his head. He looked at his smiling father, then at the open window in the living room.

"Mom! Dad climbed in through the window again!"

Take that... you stinking old man!

That was my complaint, made with the last of my strength!

After saying that, Xuanhui's mouth fell slightly open, his eyes rolled back, and his head drooped straight down.

Uchiha Uzumaki inwardly cursed that things were bad. Just as he was about to turn around, he looked up and saw his wife smiling with narrowed eyes.

"Hus! Band!"

From Uchiha Uzumaki's perspective, his wife had not even moved. Her feet had not taken a single step, yet her whole body floated straight toward him!

"Why did you climb through the window again when I clearly told you mopping the floor is a huge hassle why did you have to climb through the window and increase my workload why can't you be more considerate of me don't tell me you've already started to dislike me and hate me?"

A wicked curve lifted at the corner of Xuanhui's mouth.

Even though Mom rattled off a whole bunch of things and I didn't understand a word... Dad was probably finished!

He raised his trembling head and smugly looked at his father.

But then...

The father he saw... was hugging his mother...

Noticing his gaze, Uchiha Uzumaki wiggled his eyebrows at Xuanhui.

As if to say, Watch closely!

"Wife, no one in this world loves you more than I do. How could I ever bear to let my wife tire herself out?"

"Then why did you still..."

Nara Yamanaka looked down and discovered that her husband's feet were bare. He was not wearing shoes at all.

"Baby, this is the surprise I prepared for you."

His fingers brushed through his wife's hair, and before long, he pulled out a silver-glinting object.

If Xuanhui's 5.2-vision Sharingan was not mistaken, that was a ring, right?

Uchiha Uzumaki wrapped his left arm around his wife's slender waist and held the ring out before her with his right hand.

Nara Yamanaka's face instantly turned red, as though the temperature in her cheeks had risen sharply.

Without giving her a chance to speak, Uchiha Uzumaki directly sealed her soft lips with his.

The sour, muffled whimpers continuously stimulated both of their nerves.

Xuanhui's face was already covered in black lines. He turned away, refusing to suffer through this spectacle.

When the two finally parted reluctantly, the looks they exchanged in the air remained sweet.

"I originally wanted to sneak into the kitchen, so I deliberately didn't use the door. I was afraid you'd hear it open...

But our son still caught me..."

Upon hearing that, Xuanhui cursed inwardly. Unfortunately, his limbs were weak, and he could not even move.

"Xuan? Hui?"

His loving mother grabbed Xuanhui by the neck in one swift motion, her face brimming with maternal love!