Three people now sat rigidly upright.
Of course, black eyes and swollen faces were unavoidable.
The first two had been beaten by the third, and the third had been beaten by the newcomer.
"Why?"
Kin looked at White Fang with confusion, wondering why this guy had shown up at his house.
White Fang gently blew on the hot tea—tea that Kin had personally prepared.
"Just paying a visit, of course. As your team's Jonin leader, I should know where my subordinate lives," White Fang said matter-of-factly.
But what kind of guest beats up the host before visiting?
And where's your visiting gift?!
Empty-handed, huh?
Kin turned to look at Namikaze Minato and Kushina, who also averted their eyes guiltily.
They, too, had come empty-handed.
Fine, fine. So this is how you all want to play.
Kin gritted his teeth.
He should've never prepared tea and snacks in the first place.
White Fang took a sip of tea and set the cup down on the table.
He looked at Kin with surprise.
"This tea is incredibly fragrant."
Moreover, he had never tasted tea with such a refreshing aroma before.
Kin smirked.
Of course. The tea varieties in the shinobi world were limited, but this was something he had cultivated himself in his backyard.
Reserved exclusively for his own enjoyment.
It was far superior to the teas commonly found in the shinobi world.
"It really is. The tea at Kin's place is exceptional," Minato remarked after taking a sip, joining in the praise.
Of the three, he was the only one who could converse naturally with White Fang.
As for Kushina...
Kin stared at her with a dark expression.
"Look who's on the receiving end now," Kushina cackled, thoroughly enjoying herself. "Hahaha!"
Uchiha Kin had always been the one to suppress her mercilessly. Finally, she got to see him being the one suppressed.
Even if she wasn't the one who did it, she was still overjoyed.
"Hahaha!"
"Thud!"
The world fell silent.
Kushina pouted, rubbing the bump on her head, and glared at Kin with gritted teeth.
Damn Uchiha.
Even now, he still dared to act so arrogantly.
She quietly scooted over to Minato's other side.
Staying any closer would just invite another hit.
"You all have such a great bond," White Fang observed, watching their interactions with a hint of admiration.
"Teammates should trust each other, after all," Minato replied with a strained smile.
But really, what kind of teammates resorted to swords and fists at the drop of a hat?
Oh right.
His teammates were exactly like that.
Never mind.
Seeing Minato chatting amiably with White Fang even made Kushina glance at him in surprise.
Kin, however, wasn't fazed. Minato was a shinobi with immense charisma. Though it wasn't as obvious now while he was young, that charm would shine through as he grew older.
This was just a minor display.
As for whether Kin felt jealous...
Jealous? Of what? Minato still couldn't beat him in a fight, and in the future, he'd still be stuck with this even fiercer tigress.
Hmph.
White Fang, too, was smiling warmly as he conversed with Minato.
This was a far cry from how he treated Kin.
"Is anyone home?!"
A familiar voice called from outside.
"Might Dai?!"
"Today's really lively," Kin muttered, standing up to greet him.
At the door stood Might Dai, his face sickly pale.
"Dai-san, what happened to you?"
That unhealthy complexion was definitely not normal.
"Accidentally got poisoned. Came back to the village to recuperate," Dai explained, raising a thumbs-up and flashing his signature gleaming white teeth.
"Youth has only paused momentarily! Soon, it will charge forward with even greater speed!"
"And I thought I'd drop by for a visit," he added. "Also, Orochimaru asked me to pass along his regards."
Dai then held up a fruit basket and a book.
"The book is Lord Orochimaru's notes. He hopes they'll be useful to you, Kin. The fruit basket is from me."
Kin stared at Might Dai, who was still grinning with his thumb raised.
Something felt off about a sick person visiting and bringing a fruit basket.
Even if he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
Kin invited Dai inside anyway.
The group quickly exchanged introductions and gathered around the table to chat.
"So you're the legendary Green Beast, Might Dai?!"
Minato's eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked at Dai.
"Young Minato, you've heard of me? Thank you for acknowledging my efforts!"
Dai's smile widened.
They hadn't returned to the village at the same time, so this was their first meeting.
"Even in the most dangerous situations, you never hesitate to save your comrades. The Green Beast is truly admirable!"
To enemies, Might Dai was a threatening elite Jonin. But to Konoha's shinobi...
He was a beacon of hope.
On any battlefield where Dai was present, the mortality rate was astonishingly low. Even if only corpses remained, Dai would bring them back.
This reputation was well-known among frontline shinobi.
Everyone wanted someone like him as their teammate.
White Fang, too, looked at Dai in surprise. The man had joined the frontlines after he left, so this was his first time hearing about him.
His gaze held newfound respect.
Any shinobi who risked their life to save others deserved respect.
"I just want to protect everyone, that's all."
Dai struck his signature pose.
What an incredible man.
White Fang's smile deepened. A man with such unwavering resolve would undoubtedly shine brilliantly.
Even Kushina joined the conversation.
Meanwhile, Kin sat silently at the table, nibbling on fruit.
Utterly out of place.
When the group finally left, Kin let out a sigh of relief.
"So... what exactly did they come here for?"
In the end, he hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise. The entire time had been filled with their chatter—
Protecting the village, the value of life, comradeship, and so on.
Kin just felt... disconnected from them.
Shaking off his thoughts, he headed to his study.
On the desk lay a new chakra cultivation manual.
"Creating a demon cultivation art is seriously difficult."
As for how he'd developed it? The answer lay in the wonders of sealing techniques.
While the manual might seem like a product of sealing techniques, the techniques themselves were merely a crucial auxiliary tool.
At their core, sealing techniques encompassed three functions: containment, conversion, and attribute attachment—the foundation of chakra internal energy.
The essence of chakra internal energy was, quite literally, the utilization of chakra.
The true marvel wasn't the sealing techniques but the chakra itself.
In theory, the foundational internal energy art was indiscriminate. However, the Golden Finger's deductions were based on the human body, making chakra internal energy more suited for humans.
For animals, this led to seal leakage issues, drastically slowing chakra accumulation.
Thus, the solution was to adapt it for animals.
And so, the demon cultivation art was born.
"Little White!"
Kin called out. Cautiously, a small white snake slithered out from a corner, its eyes darting around warily.
That damn cat in the house was too terrifying.
Kin's face darkened.
This thing came from Ryūchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Lands, and it was scared of a cat?
How pathetic.
Little White climbed onto the desk and lifted its head to look at Kin.
"Come here."
Kin placed his hand on the snake's body.
...
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(End of Chapter)