"You're already at my doorstep and still not leaving?"
Uchiha Kaien stared suspiciously.
Why do people always take his jokes seriously? Did Minato really want to see him cross-dress?
Kaien wasn't particularly shy, but letting him see it that easily… wouldn't that make him seem a little cheap?
A mature shinobi makes use of every advantage they have.
As for Kaien himself, he'd long stopped caring about appearances.
After all, if there weren't any suitable beautiful girls his age, then why not raise one himself?
Konan could be raised. Rin Nohara could be raised. Shizune too. All it took was a little time and effort.
"A-Ahaha… I'm leaving, I'm leaving…"
Minato gave a sheepish smile. It seemed today's little goal would go unfinished.
Ever since he'd seen the kimono in Kaien's courtyard, his curiosity had been eating him alive.
But, unfortunately, there was no chance today. Even if Kaien didn't care much, this was still Konoha. He wasn't looking to socially self-destruct.
The Uchiha clan was already full of annoying types—obsessed siblings left and right.
Even after he'd made it clear he was a guy, those people just wouldn't give up.
It was exhausting.
Kaien decided to let Minato give them a good beating to make things clear.
It wasn't convenient for Kaien himself to deal with those pests, but Minato could.
If they'd at least provided decent affection, Kaien might have tolerated it. But no—none of them gave as much as Minato alone did. Why bother putting in the effort?
If Minato were to really beg, he'd probably get to see what he wanted.
But that would turn their friendship into an unbalanced relationship—and bonds between friends should always be equal.
If one side grows too strong, eventually the connection fades.
"Help me out with something one day, and maybe I'll say yes," Kaien said casually. He had no qualms about it, especially after all the times he'd pranked Minato using the Transformation Jutsu.
"What is it? I swear on the name Namikaze Minato—I'll get it done flawlessly!"
Minato's eyes sparkled with determination. It was a rare opportunity, and his curiosity was burning bright.
"Some idiots from the Uchiha keep harassing me. Next time they show up, I want you to beat the crap out of them."
"I can't really hit my own clanmates. Fugaku's about to run for clan head—if I laid a hand on them now, it'd cause too much trouble."
They all knew Kaien and Fugaku were on good terms. If Kaien beat them up, it could cost Fugaku a lot of support in the upcoming election.
And the people harassing Kaien weren't just boys his own age. There were also young adults—the same generation as Fugaku.
Once they found out Kaien lived alone, they got even more excited.
Some of them had even awakened the Sharingan, but compared to monsters like Minato, A, or Nagato, they didn't stand a chance.
Their affection levels were garbage too—not even close to Minato's.
Harassing Kaien? Minato instantly became alert.
If it were Uchiha girls, Kaien wouldn't be asking him to intervene. That meant it was boys—Uchiha boys.
Minato's expression turned serious.
Unforgivable. He was just treating Kaien like a friend, and those guys dared to think otherwise?
They needed a beating they'd never forget.
"Oi, tone down the bloodlust, will you? You're supposed to be the 'Little Sun.'"
Kaien sighed, exasperated.
It was subtle—probably undetectable to others—but Minato was radiating a killing intent.
"My bad, got a little carried away. I'll come early tomorrow so we can train!"
With that, Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique and teleported home, not giving Kaien a chance to reply.
"..."
Kaien was speechless.
Oh well. Let him be.
That's just how bonds worked in the ninja world.
Kaien turned and pushed open the door to his home. After pouring himself a glass of water, he started planning his next move.
He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly with Kushina today. Maybe it was time to raise the difficulty level for Minato too. The whole "save the world" thing? He'd leave that to Minato and his son.
Kaien just wanted to take it easy.
It had been over six months since he left Kumogakure. Now it was time to retrieve the phantom beast.
While Konoha's spies in Kumogakure probably couldn't get close to people like Killer B and A, Kaien rarely left his quarters either. Still, it was better to be cautious and not let anything slip.
After all, if there were two Uchiha Kaien running around, that'd be terrifying.
In the meantime, the affection he'd collected had been quite fruitful. He decided to save up a bit more before upgrading [Eternal Light].
It could already rival Indra's level, but that wasn't enough.
The gap between Indra and Uchiha Madara wasn't actually that large. In fact, once Madara awakened the Rinnegan, he might've been even stronger than Indra.
...
Madara had the power of both Uchiha and Senju after awakening the Rinnegan. It was a more complete force than the Uchiha bloodline alone.
So upgrading [Eternal Light] was essential.
Its upper limit might let him brush the threshold of the Sage of Six Paths—but no further. To truly surpass bloodline limits without relying on Senju power, he needed that upgrade.
As for what came next—he'd send the phantom beast to Sunagakure to make contact with Sasori of the Red Sand.
At the moment, Sasori was still just a brat, not yet thinking about assassinating the Third Kazekage.
Still, he was full of potential. Anyone who could develop such genius-level puppet techniques was in the same league as Orochimaru: a research-oriented talent.
Kaien figured the poor "left-behind child" could use a little love.
If Chiyo couldn't properly raise her grandson, then someone as kind and helpful as Kaien could lend a hand for a few days, no problem.
...
Kumogakure.
Kaien's consciousness took control of the phantom beast.
Once he confirmed he was alone in the room, he began writing a farewell letter.
"Life in Kumogakure was alright, but it's getting a little stale. I'm off to chase a broader sky. If one of you becomes the Fourth Raikage, maybe I'll swing by again someday. Bye~"
Short, half-assed, and clearly not written with much effort—but at least Kaien wasn't leaving without a word.
Tomorrow, the phantom beast would cook breakfast for them one last time, then vanish.
Truly, Kaien was a man of sentiment!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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