"Hahaha! What's this little kid even saying?"
"Just because you're cute doesn't mean you can say weird stuff like that!"
"How about we offer her to Lord Hanzō? I bet he'd reward us big time!"
Honestly, you couldn't blame the Ame-nin for getting ideas. Uchiha Kaien was easily the most adorable child they'd ever seen.
With fair skin, red lips, and a soft blue kimono that gave off an air of natural nobility, Kaien looked like some noble's child who'd gotten separated from their escort. Kids with this kind of presence were rare.
And with Lord Hanzō still in his prime, offering him a child bride like this might just earn them serious rewards.
"Shut up!"
The squad leader from Amegakure quickly barked at his men. There was something off about this kid—he could sense chakra emanating from her.
Which meant... this child was a ninja.
The first thing that came to his mind was spy. She had to be a spy sent by another village!
Before he could think further, he saw a flicker in the child's eyes.
That flash of crimson—he'd seen it before. And then came the tomoe.
The Sharingan.
That was definitely the Sharingan!
"She's got the Sharingan! Enemy attack! Everyone, on alert!"
He shouted the warning, but it was already too late.
Though he was a jōnin, his reaction came a moment too slow—two of his subordinates were already down, showing no signs of life. Only the remaining chūnin managed to draw a kunai in time.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan."
Genjutsu born from the fully awakened three-tomoe Sharingan—built-in illusions that were both subtle and effortless. The two genin didn't even have time to resist before Kaien's genjutsu overwhelmed them.
And since it was just genjutsu, nobody could tell he'd used the three-tomoe form. Kaien wasn't worried about anyone figuring it out.
As far as the world was concerned, he only had a two-tomoe Sharingan. No matter who showed up today, that's all they were going to see.
Grk—
The Amegakure jōnin swallowed hard. His two subordinates were taken out in an instant... So this was the power of the Sharingan?
How do you deal with it?
Right! Close your eyes!
As long as he kept his eyes shut, the genjutsu wouldn't work!
"I'm a jōnin of Amegakure. Even blind, I can still fight. Get ready to die, brat!"
He assumed that aside from those eyes, the kid had no real skills. With his refined sensory abilities, he could still handle this. It was thanks to this very talent that he'd made jōnin in the first place.
"Stop acting like you're not just meat on the chopping block."
Kaien muttered as he cast another genjutsu, freezing the last subordinate in place.
"Genjutsu."
"And as for you—closing your eyes doesn't make you any less pitiful."
His instant-movement jutsu activated. It was so fast, the Amegakure jōnin's sensory ninjutsu couldn't even register it.
Kaien appeared in front of him in a blink. The kunai in his hand reversed, and within a single breath, he ended his life.
"You call that a jōnin? Seriously?"
He'd thought he'd at least survive his first strike.
But this? What a joke.
A phony jōnin.
Could Hanzō of the Salamander really lead a bunch of clowns like this against the Five Great Nations?
The thought crossed Kaien's mind as he flicked three more shuriken into the heads of the genjutsu-bound Ame-nin, finishing them off.
To be honest, this was Kaien's first real battle. He'd never actually taken another life before.
This time, it was a matter of perspective—and the fact that they'd insulted him.
Besides, it didn't feel all that different from cutting down a White Zetsu. Just as fragile. Just as dead with a single strike. Honestly, sometimes you could even cut a Zetsu in half and it wouldn't die.
This was... the numbness toward life.
Aside from a faint tremble—that first-time physiological reaction—Kaien felt nothing.
Who feels guilty about stepping on an ant?
"Kaien..."
At some point, White Zetsu had popped up again, cautiously watching him.
"Let's go. If you dawdle any longer, I'll cut you down too."
Kaien still hadn't forgiven him for not carrying him away immediately when Uchiha Madara dressed him in that kimono.
...
The next morning.
Kaien groggily woke up in his oversized bed.
Experiment concluded: using a shadow clone to sleep was not the same as real sleep.
If it wasn't fighting, a shadow clone was just idle chakra. Might as well be meditating with your eyes closed.
Even after getting up, he was still yawning nonstop.
Turns out those Ame-nin were just goons Madara threw at him for a trial run.
After laughing at the old man's pathetic "test," Kaien snuck back home and sulked in peace.
Forget it—I'm out.
This time, White Zetsu had moved lightning fast, terrified he'd actually make good on his threat to cut him down too.
Now he had to butter up Minato this morning. Ugh.
Guess he had to get up earlier than usual.
He picked up an extra breakfast at the Uchiha compound and headed over to Namikaze Minato's place.
Just as Minato was opening the door, freshly washed and dressed, he found Kaien standing there with two breakfasts in hand.
"About yesterday... I went too far with that prank," he said, handing one to him.
"No, I overreacted. Come in, Kaien..."
Minato noticed he'd brought two servings. His annoyance from the day before vanished instantly.
He hadn't even eaten yet but still came to see him?
[Affection from Namikaze Minato +1]
Kaien smirked. See? Minato was so easy to read.
"To make it up to you, how about I help you chase after Kushina?"
"Don't even try to deny it. I've seen the way you look at her—those red locks clearly got your heart, huh?"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo