Kushina Uzumaki's home was somewhat different from what Senju Chen had imagined.
It had neither the orderly solemnity of the Senju estate nor the standardized design of the ninja apartments. It was a small, cozy detached wooden house, with several flowers and plants he couldn't name growing vigorously in the yard, brimming with untamed vitality.
Minato had barely knocked when a flurry of slightly frantic footsteps came from inside, accompanied by a clear, somewhat impatient female voice.
"Coming, coming! Who is it? Seriously, don't you know I'm cleaning the house?"
Creak-
The wooden door was yanked open.
A waterfall of long, crimson hair, blazing like fire, was the first thing to burst into Senju Chen's view.
Next came a fair, pretty face, full of vitality. Her violet eyes were so bright they seemed to hold stars, and at that moment, they were slightly rounded with their owner's impatience, giving her a distinctively endearing look.
She wore simple house clothes with her sleeves rolled high, and fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead. Clearly, she had just fought a "major battle."
"Minato? What brings you... huh?"
Kushina Uzumaki's gaze shifted away from Minato Namikaze and settled on the little figure beside him.
He was an exquisitely pretty little boy who looked no more than four or five. He wore a well-fitted, plain-colored kimono, and his short, smooth black hair set off skin fairer than snow. At that moment, he was hiding behind Minato, peeking out with only half his little head and looking timidly at her with large, clear eyes, their black and white distinct and free of any impurity.
That gaze was clean and pure, holding a little fear of a stranger mixed with a measure of irrepressible curiosity.
Senju Chen gave his own acting full marks inwardly.
Tsk, she's even livelier in person than in the anime. That smoking-hot figure, that abundant vitality... His gaze swept swiftly over Kushina's impressive curves, and he whistled inwardly, while his face retained its harmless, well-behaved look.
He knew that when dealing with an outgoing, carefree woman overflowing with maternal warmth, excessive enthusiasm would only make her wary.
Showing weakness was the best weapon.
"Kushina, this is Lady Tsunade's younger brother, Senju Chen, whom I mentioned to you." Minato introduced him gently, giving Senju Chen a light nudge forward. "Little Chen, this is Big Sister Kushina Uzumaki."
"Hello... Big Sister Kushina." Senju Chen's voice was soft and sweet, with just the right hint of shyness. After speaking, he shrank behind Minato again.
"Wow! So cute!"
Kushina's eyes lit up instantly. Whatever displeasure she had felt at being interrupted had long since been swept away by the doll-like little fellow before her.
She pushed Minato out of the way, crouched down to meet Senju Chen's eyes, and beamed like the sun. "So you're Little Chen! Hello, hello! Don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person!"
Her voice was infectious, her warmth enough to melt ice and snow.
Senju Chen was "forced" to step out from behind Minato, lowering his head and nervously clutching the hem of his clothes with his little hands, looking utterly at a loss.
That appearance struck the softest spot in Kushina's heart. She could hardly wait to pull Senju Chen inside, leaving Minato, the actual visitor, off to one side.
The furnishings inside were simple, but the whole place felt vividly lived-in. Kushina enthusiastically brought out all kinds of snacks and juice, setting them before Senju Chen as though feeding a little animal, fussing over him for fear of neglecting her "little guest."
Senju Chen, meanwhile, played "well-behaved" and "considerate" to perfection. He ate the snacks in little bites, occasionally raising his head to look at Kushina with admiring eyes, then at Minato, who watched them with a smile from the side.
Quietly, the moment ripened.
While Minato went to the kitchen to help wash cups and Kushina animatedly told him interesting stories about the Uzumaki Clan's sealing jutsu, Senju Chen put down his snack.
He leaned close to Kushina and asked softly, with complete innocence and curiosity, in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Big Sister, do you like Big Brother Minato?"
The air seemed to freeze at that moment.
Kushina's torrent of words stopped abruptly. The smile on her face froze at the corners of her mouth, as though someone had pressed pause.
Senju Chen could even clearly see a lovely blush spread at a visible speed from her slender neck all the way up to her cheeks, until even her ears turned an enticing pink.
Her bright violet eyes contracted sharply, filled with shock, shyness, panic, and a trace of annoyance at having her secret exposed. She looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, its fur about to stand on end.
[Ding! Intense emotional fluctuations detected in target "Kushina Uzumaki." Theft conditions met.]
The cold system notification rang out punctually in Senju Chen's mind.
[Available abilities for theft are listed below:] [A: Adamantine Sealing Chains (S-rank sealing jutsu)] [B: Barrier Ninjutsu and Contract Seal (talent)] [C: High-purity Uzumaki Constitution/Nine-Tails Jinchuriki (bloodline)... Warning! The sealing power and life energy within the target are highly coupled. Direct theft is impossible. Forced theft will trigger unpredictable risks!] [Theft plan adjusted: initiating "Infiltration and Differentiation" mode. Requires repeated, prolonged effective contact with the target to gradually analyze and differentiate the bloodline talent through life-energy resonance.]
Senju Chen inwardly tensed.
As expected, a jinchūriki's power isn't that easy to take. He had already anticipated that directly stealing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's bloodline might come with enormous risks. Although this "Infiltration and Differentiation" mode sounded troublesome, it also suited him perfectly.
He needed a reasonable excuse for long-term contact with Kushina.
And right now was the best opportunity to create that excuse.
His thoughts raced, but his face immediately took on the frightened, helpless expression of someone who had said the wrong thing.
"Big Sister... d-did I say something wrong?" He timidly tugged at Kushina's sleeve, even letting a mist of tears well up in his eyes, looking terribly aggrieved. "I... I heard Uncle Jiraiya say it. He said that if someone is always secretly staring at another person and blushes when they see them, that means they like them..."
"J-Jiraiya-!!!"
Kushina practically squeezed the name through her teeth. Her pretty face was flushed crimson, and she was so embarrassed and angry that she looked ready to explode on the spot.
She had never imagined that a four-year-old child would expose the feelings she had kept so well hidden with a single remark! And the source was that unreliable Pervy Sage, no less!
"What's wrong? Kushina, did I hear you calling my teacher's name?"
Just then, Minato emerged from the kitchen carrying the washed teacups. Seeing Kushina's face so red it looked ready to steam, he paused and asked with concern.
"N-nothing!"
Kushina sprang up as though she had touched a live wire, waving her hands frantically at Minato. "N-nothing!"
Her thoughts were in a tangle. As she watched Minato's approaching face, still gentle and handsome, yet also carrying a hint of innocence and bewilderment, an inexplicable anger surged within her.
Even a child could tell! You're the only blockhead who doesn't understand a thing!
Bang!
With a dull thud, Kushina's punch, thrown in mortified anger, sent Minato flying straight out of the living room. He rolled several times across the yard before stopping, stars still circling his head.
Senju Chen stared at the airborne Minato Namikaze and the huge hole in the door, utterly dumbfounded. He hadn't expected a single remark of his to have such destructive power.
All I can say is, Kushina Uzumaki certainly lives up to the name "Red Hot Habanero." You just sent the legendary "Yellow Flash," our future Fourth Hokage, flying like that?
My tiny body couldn't take a hit like that. Is it too late to leave now? Actually, the Uzumaki Clan's constitution isn't that important, right...
Only after doing all this did Kushina realize what she had done, and the blush on her face deepened.
Kushina looked at Senju Chen, who stood beside her, gaping in "fright." To hide her embarrassment and change the subject, she took a deep breath, forced a smile, and crouched down again.
"Um... Little Chen, Minato said you're very interested in sealing jutsu?"
Senju Chen's heart trembled. Resisting the urge to look at Minato Namikaze, whom she had sent flying, he hurriedly nodded, the thirst for knowledge rekindling in his eyes. "Yes, yes! Big Sister, I think those symbols are so amazing and magical!"
He was as well-behaved as he could possibly be.
Having found a way out of her embarrassment, Kushina immediately perked up.
As a member of the Uzumaki Clan, pride in sealing jutsu was etched into her bones.
She puffed out her chest and gave it a firm pat, declaring with boundless confidence, "Of course! Our Uzumaki Clan's sealing jutsu is the best in the Shinobi World! You're so talented. You can't let it go to waste!"
The more she looked at Senju Chen, the more she liked him. With a sweeping gesture, she made her decision.
"How about this! From now on, come visit me often! I'll teach you myself! I guarantee I'll make you the greatest sealing jutsu master!"
Senju Chen's eyes shone with the light of a wish fulfilled.
He looked up, giving Kushina an incredibly radiant, utterly trusting smile, and said in a clear, ringing voice:
"Okay! Thank you, Big Sister Kushina!"
And so, a perfect, reasonable excuse for long-term "effective contact" was born.
Out in the yard, Minato Namikaze had just climbed to his feet and was rubbing his head. Watching the two getting along so well inside, he gave a gratified smile.
He had no idea that he had just been used as a "tool" and, in the process, had built a bridge to a treasure vault for a certain scheming little brat.