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A System mission! Shin was finally seeing another mission, the first one since arriving in Konoha five years ago.
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And a chance to get another Replication Card! Even a Common card was valuable to him.
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Currently, he had three Replication Cards.
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The System gifted him one card annually. In the past four years, he had received four cards: one Advanced and three Common.
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He hadn''t used the Advanced cards yet. They were precious, capable of copying Kekkei Genkai. He had used the Common cards to copy Sharingan prowess.
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That was how he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. By accumulating enough ocular power through repeated copying, he had forced his Sharingan to evolve.
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He had copied the Sharingan prowess of Uchiha Jōnin seven times. Combined with his own training, that was enough to push his Sharingan to the next level.
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Shin immediately accepted the mission. He was going on this mission anyway; getting a Replication Card was a bonus.
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"System, will you issue missions that match the missions I take on?"
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Shin was excited by the possibility.
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If that were the case, he could become a mission master, grinding missions to farm System rewards.
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"Do not get your hopes up, Master. There is no pattern to the System''s mission assignments."
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The System''s response dashed his hopes, leaving him disappointed.
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"Shin, let''s go. What are you daydreaming about?" Kushina nudged him.
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Shin snapped back to reality and followed Kushina and Mikoto. They didn''t know he had been communicating with the System.
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"Tsunade-san! What a coincidence! We meet again."
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A ninja with light blue hair, a handsome face, and a Jōnin vest greeted Tsunade.
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Tsunade frowned. "Kato Dan, this is the fifth time this week. The first time was a coincidence. The second time, maybe. But the third, fourth, and fifth? Really?"
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Her bluntness made Dan''s smile falter.
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''That''s Kato Dan? Why is Tsunade so cold to him?''
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Shin observed Dan.
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Dan looked at Shin and the others, seemingly trying to deflect the awkwardness. "These must be your students."
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"You''re Uzumaki Shin, right? I''m Kato Dan. Nice to meet you." Dan smiled at Shin.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
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But Shin sensed malice. He trusted his instincts.
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After awakening the Mind''s Eye of Kagura, he had gained the ability to sense negative emotions directed at him.
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Dan might be smiling, but his malice was clear to Shin.
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Shin frowned. He had never interacted with Dan before. Why the hostility?
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Was it because of Tsunade?
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Was he jealous of Shin''s closeness to Tsunade? But that didn''t make sense. Who would be jealous of a ten-year-old?
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Whatever the reason, Dan clearly disliked him. Shin wasn''t going to be polite.
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He glanced at Dan, then ignored him completely.
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Dan''s smile became strained. His eyes flashed with anger, then he turned and left with his team. He was also a Jōnin-sensei, leading a team of Genin who had graduated last year.
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"You don''t seem to like him very much."
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Tsunade looked at Shin with amusement. "Are you jealous that he''s talking to me? Do you have a crush on me, little Shin?"
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"Even though you''re young, if you confess your feelings, I might be impressed by your courage and give you a chance."
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Shin''s lips twitched.
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"Tsunade, you''re so self-centered. I was rude to him because he was giving me bad vibes. It has nothing to do with you."
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"Yeah, Tsunade, you''re so full of yourself! Shin likes me, don''t you, Shin?" Kushina suddenly clung to Shin''s arm.
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"Brat, I gave you a chance, and you didn''t take it."
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Tsunade raised her fist playfully, aiming for Shin''s head. He dodged easily.
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"Tsunade, with that violent temper, you''ll never get married," Shin teased.
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Tsunade scowled. "If I can''t find anyone else, I''ll marry you. And if you refuse, I''ll castrate you."
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Shin quickly backed away, feeling a chill in his nether regions.
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Kushina''s expression changed. Shin didn''t like violent girls. Should she try to be more gentle?
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She glanced at Mikoto, her eyes filled with suspicion.
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Mikoto was gentle. Would Shin like her? And from Kushina''s observations, Mikoto seemed to like Shin. She was a rival!
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She had thought Tsunade, the "cougar," was her biggest threat, but it seemed Mikoto was the one to watch out for.
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Mikoto was confused by Kushina''s sudden hostility. She had no idea what was going on in Kushina''s mind.
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"Shin, you said Dan was giving you bad vibes?"
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Tsunade looked at Shin.
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"Yeah, don''t you believe me?"
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Tsunade shook her head. "I believe you. And there''s something else that''s been bothering me."
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"What is it?" Shin asked curiously.
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"Want to know?"
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A mischievous smile spread across Tsunade''s face. Shin had a bad feeling about this.
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"If you want to know, come here and let me pinch your cheeks."
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"On second thought, I don''t need to know that badly," Shin rolled his eyes.
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"Brat, don''t try to weasel your way out of this. You promised to let me pinch your cheeks if I kept your strength a secret."
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"What promise? Sorry, I have a bad memory. Kushina, did I promise Tsunade anything?" Shin asked innocently.
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"Nope, I don''t remember anything," Kushina shook her head. She wasn''t going to let Tsunade take advantage of Shin.
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Tsunade glared at them. These two brats!
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"Fine, I''ll tell you. Kato Dan asked me about you a while back. I thought it was strange, but I didn''t think much of it at the time," Tsunade said, giving in.
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Shin frowned. Dan had asked about him? They had never even interacted. Why would he do that?
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Had he met Dan before? Shin thought it over, but he couldn''t think of anything. He had been keeping a low profile in Konoha.
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He didn''t know enough about Dan to understand his motives.
------
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