Waking up, Night Namikaze could almost still feel the soft, warm touch lingering on his lips. The image of Tsunade, flushed with a mix of shame, annoyance, and shyness, replayed in his mind.
Naturally, they had stopped at that kiss. Night was still too young to take it further.
Though he didn't press his advantage, his burning gaze had said everything.
Even the usually domineering Tsunade, under the influence of alcohol, had shown a rare flustered side. When she closed the door and retreated, it felt almost like she was running away.
Night didn't indulge in the ambiguous memory for long. He knew strength was the foundation of everything. After washing up, he headed to the training grounds to loosen up his body, which felt stiff after months of bed rest.
On the way, he considered picking up his Chunin uniform but decided against it. Since he was already registered, the vest wasn't mandatory.
Besides, that green flak jacket was ugly.
In reality, with his strength, becoming a Chunin meant he was qualified to lead a team.
Especially since Konoha probably wouldn't assign him a new Jonin leader. Even a village as strong as Konoha couldn't afford to lose Jonin at the rate Night seemed to "curse" them to death.
Jonin were the elite force of any village. They weren't consumables.
"OSU! My Best Friend!"
Might Duy suddenly popped out from a street corner, but his gait was a bit limp.
Having trained with Duy for so long, Night noticed immediately. He asked hesitantly:
"Duy-niisan, what happened?"
"Hurt my back a little during a mission." Duy clutched his waist, smiling wryly.
"Did you go to the hospital?"
"I did. Just need rest. No big deal! Even burning youth needs a pit stop for maintenance sometimes!"
He flashed his signature thumbs-up and blinding white teeth, optimistic as ever.
After exchanging pleasantries, Night bid Duy farewell and continued to the training grounds.
Just as he started warming up, he keenly sensed something amiss. He spoke coldly toward a shadowed corner:
"Who's there? Come out."
The person hiding in the shadows didn't move or respond, ignoring Night completely.
Sensing no killing intent, Night couldn't forcibly drive them away. He moved to another training ground.
But the person followed like a shadow, continuing to spy from the dark.
This feeling of being watched made Night extremely uncomfortable. He walked straight toward the stalker. When the person didn't budge, Night threw a punch. Only then did the figure retreat and reveal himself.
Seeing the intruder, Night's anger flared. It was a ROOT ninja.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Executing a ROOT surveillance mission." The ninja replied flatly.
Since they were technically on the same side, Night couldn't say much. He couldn't just attack a fellow Konoha ninja without cause.
But Night knew "surveillance mission" was nonsense. Danzo was clearly holding a grudge over his refusal.
Since they were determined to be annoying, Night decided to ignore them and focus on training.
But it got worse. The ninja took out a notebook and started recording Night's every move. Whether it was to analyze his training or just to be irritating, it crossed the line.
"Damn Danzo!" Night cursed internally, keeping his face impassive.
Dealing with a sticky plaster like Danzo, who had both power and time, was the worst.
Looking at the ninja blatantly trying to disgust him, Night's eyes flashed. He had an idea. If executed correctly, Danzo would regret this.
Finishing his training, the "silent observer" finally slipped away.
Night didn't go home immediately. instead, he wandered the streets, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings and taking mental notes.
For the next few days, the ROOT ninja appeared punctually at the training grounds, like a silent shadow.
Night pretended to ignore him while secretly looking for an opportunity to break the stalemate.
One day, he "coincidentally" met Yashiro Uchiha buying tri-colored dango at a shop.
This Uchiha Jonin always looked cold and stern, treating everyone with indifference while on duty.
Night, a commoner, knew the Uchiha personality well. Their pride was etched into their bones. They looked down on everyone equally.
But if you stroked their ego, you could get unexpected results.
Night approached with a look of admiration. A few questions about taijutsu opened the conversation. Mentioning a bottleneck in his training, Night sighed intentionally:
"I always feel like I'm missing the point during training. If only I had a dojutsu bloodline like the Uchiha or Hyuga."
Hearing this, Yashiro replied arrogantly, "Hyuga? When it comes to dojutsu, if the Uchiha claim second place, no one dares claim first!"
Night seized the moment. "I've heard the Uchiha excel in taijutsu. Would it be possible for Yashiro-senpai to give me some pointers?"
Perhaps due to Night's sincere attitude, or curiosity about this rising young ninja, Yashiro paused for a moment, then nodded.
They went to the training grounds together. As soon as they finished warming up, Yashiro's eyes flashed scarlet. He activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, habitually scanning the environment.
Suddenly, Yashiro's gaze locked onto a seemingly empty corner. He barked coldly:
"Come out, you rat hiding in the shadows!"
Night smirked internally but feigned surprise. Under the piercing gaze of the Sharingan, the ROOT ninja had nowhere to hide and was forced to reveal himself.
"ROOT?" Yashiro frowned, his tone filled with characteristic Uchiha arrogance and displeasure.
"Since when does ROOT's reach extend so far? Daring to spy on a Konoha ninja's normal training?"
Night chimed in at the perfect moment, his voice tinged with helpless frustration—a masterclass in acting like a "green tea" (innocent victim). "Yashiro-senpai... he said he's executing a 'surveillance mission'."
"Surveillance mission? In a public training ground inside Konoha, surveilling a newly promoted Chunin who just earned merit?"
Yashiro's voice turned icy. His Sharingan bore into the ROOT ninja.
"I'll have to ask Elder Danzo exactly what kind of 'surveillance' this is!"
Facing the pressure of an Uchiha Jonin and the penetrating stare of the Sharingan, the ROOT ninja froze, speechless.
Standing behind Yashiro, Night watched the scene unfold exactly as planned. He knew the "borrowed knife" had struck true against Danzo's scheme.