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Shin and Kushina sat at the table, heads bowed like children caught in mischief.
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Konan looked at them curiously, then at Mikoto. She didn''t understand what was happening.
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Why was Mikoto-neechan, usually so gentle, now radiating an icy aura? And why were Shin-nii and Kushina-neechan acting so guilty?
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"Shin-nii, did you do something wrong?" Konan asked.
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"No, of course not. This breakfast is delicious, by the way."
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Shin quickly changed the subject.
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"Yeah, yeah, the breakfast is great. Your cooking is getting better and better, Mikoto," Kushina chimed in.
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"...."
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Shin finished his breakfast and stood up. "I''m going to train now."
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The atmosphere was a bit awkward, so he decided to escape.
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He went to the courtyard and practiced Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. Then he heard a knock on the door.
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"Shin, are you there?"
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It was Nawaki. Shin opened the door.
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"Nawaki, what''s up?"
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"Nothing much. Just heard you were back, so I came to see you."
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"Oh, I thought you needed something." Shin let him in.
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"Aren''t you on a mission?" Shin asked. Even during the war, there should be missions, right?
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"I just got back from one last night. I heard you returned yesterday too. Is the war over?"
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"Over? Not even close. Kiri''s out of the fight, but there''s still Suna, Iwa, and Amegakure."
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Shin shook his head. If he didn''t intervene, the war wouldn''t end anytime soon.
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He didn''t know why Hiruzen had called him back, but there was definitely some ulterior motive involved.
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"I thought the war was ending." Nawaki sounded disappointed.
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"By the way, I didn''t see many Senju around. Are they all on the battlefield?" Shin asked.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
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"Yeah, they are. I want to go to the battlefield too and fight for Konoha." Nawaki''s eyes shone with determination.
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Shin looked at him. "Nawaki, I think you should give up on that idea. I''m not trying to discourage you, but with your strength, you''d be cannon fodder on the battlefield."
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It wasn''t that he thought Nawaki had no potential, but his age was a limiting factor. Not everyone was like Shin.
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Shin''s physical strength was exceptional, so his age wasn''t a limitation.
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But Nawaki was different. He had the Sage Body, but he was still just a child. He couldn''t compare to an adult.
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Kushina and Mikoto were also limited by their age and physical development. Their strength hadn''t increased much lately.
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Nawaki had the potential to become Kage-level, but that was in the future. Currently, his strength was probably at the Elite Chūnin level.
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Even Jōnin struggled on the battlefield, let alone an elite Chūnin. Countless Chūnin had died in this war.
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"By the way, I heard you''re a Jōnin now. Congratulations!" Nawaki said enviously.
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They had been in the same class, graduated at the same time, but Shin was already a Jōnin.
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"It''s nothing special," Shin said dismissively.
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Nawaki was speechless. Becoming a Jōnin was nothing special?
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Shin seemed arrogant, but he wasn''t trying to be.
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To him, being a Jōnin or a Genin didn''t matter. It wasn''t a measure of strength. It was just a title.
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Sakumo Hatake, for example, had Kage-level strength, but he was only an Elite Jōnin.
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"Nawaki, what''s with that look? Are you looking down on me?" Shin asked, noticing Nawaki''s expression.
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"No, of course not!" Nawaki shook his head quickly.
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He remembered that Shin was much stronger than him. If Shin got angry and beat him up, he wouldn''t be able to complain.
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"Good. I was going to spar with you, but I guess not." Shin smiled "kindly."
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"By the way, you came empty-handed? No gift?"
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Nawaki scratched his head. He hadn''t thought of bringing a gift.
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"I forgot. How about I treat you to dinner?" Nawaki offered, wincing slightly.
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He knew Shin had a huge appetite.
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"Sure, I won''t refuse a free meal. But is your wallet up to the task?" Shin asked.
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"I''ve saved up some money from missions. Please be gentle on my wallet."
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Nawaki patted his wallet, feeling a pang of sympathy for it.
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"Kushina, Mikoto, Konan, Nawaki''s treating us to dinner!" Shin called out.
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Kushina, Mikoto, and Konan emerged. Mikoto was still frowning.
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Nawaki looked at Mikoto''s expression and nudged Shin. "What''s wrong with Mikoto?"
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"Ahem, don''t ask too many questions," Shin said.
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"Fine, keep your secrets."
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Nawaki was curious, but he wasn''t that nosy.
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"Nawaki, when did you become so generous? Treating us to dinner?" Kushina asked, surprised.
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"When was I ever stingy?" Nawaki grumbled.
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"Are we going now?"
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"We just had breakfast. We''re not hungry yet. How about at noon? Come train with me until then," Shin said.
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He decided to give Nawaki some pointers. Not just because of Tsunade, but also because they were friends.
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