Naruto, are you all so good at self-seduction

Uchiha Clan Grounds.

In a spacious training area, two boys, one larger and one smaller, were practicing shuriken throwing together.

The two boys bore a resemblance, both having black hair and eyes, and both looked somewhat delicate, with a five to six-year age difference between them.

Kunai flew through the air, accurately sticking into each target, including those in hidden corners.

The younger boy gasped in admiration, looking at his older brother with admiration in his eyes. "Wow, you're amazing, Brother! How do you do it?"

Itachi remained calm about his effortless achievement, saying, "You'll be able to learn it soon."

As he spoke, he seemed to notice something, turning his head to see a figure leaning against a tree not far away, quietly watching the two of them.

"Shisui?"

After being spotted, Shisui chuckled lightly and greeted them, "Itachi, Sasuke."

Sasuke, hearing this, quickly returned the greeting, "Brother Shisui."

Shisui walked over to them, asking, "Am I interrupting your training?"

"Not at all," Itachi replied with a smile.

"Sorry, but I'll need to borrow your brother for a bit, Sasuke," Shisui said, looking at Sasuke with a friendly smile.

Sasuke glanced at Itachi upon hearing this.

"It's fine. You can go home first, and we can practice next time," Itachi said immediately.

Sasuke pouted, looking somewhat displeased, but didn't say anything more as he turned to leave.

Watching Sasuke stomp away, Shisui couldn't help but smile, "Having a younger brother is quite nice."

Itachi subtly smiled as well. "Is there something you need?"

"How's it going in ANBU?"

After contemplating for a moment, Itachi answered, "I haven't gone on any official missions yet; I've just been stationed at my post. But Elder Kakashi is quite easy to get along with, different from the rumors."

"Rumors?" Shisui raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, I heard he killed his own teammates for missions," Itachi nodded.

Shisui recalled the incident in the Mist Village where Kakashi had personally killed his teammate, Nohara Rin, during a mission. At that time, the news had spread through the village, and Kakashi always appeared to be very standoffish, making the rumors seem credible. Additionally, he and Kakashi weren't familiar enough to know each other well.

"Rumors are inherently unreliable," Shisui said, "but it's good that you're adapting well. ANBU is generally busier than regular shinobi."

"I think it's fine. Being busy is helpful for my training," Itachi responded, "And I finally feel like I can contribute something now."

"Mm?" Shisui blinked in surprise.

"My father told me yesterday that he hopes I can serve as Uchiha's eyes and ears in the village," Itachi said with a smile, showing that he had no reservations about sharing with Shisui.

Shisui looked at Itachi, hesitating for a moment on whether to voice his thoughts.

"...Do you know why Father feels this way?"

Itachi nodded. "I understand some of it. The Nine-Tails Incident forced the Uchiha Clan to relocate, and Father wants to reclaim our power."

His father had told him this more than once and had taught him the perspective that he was first an Uchiha and only later a Konoha ninja.

"What do you think of that perspective?" Shisui asked.

"Wh…what do you mean?" Itachi replied, confused.

"The village and the clan are two separate entities, aren't they?" Shisui's tone held a cryptic meaning that puzzled Itachi.

"The 'reclaiming of power' that Father speaks of is not as simple as a wayward student winning back a teacher's favor."

Itachi fell silent, realizing that he was not foolish; Shisui's words had made him aware of the many things he still did not understand.

"It's fine; these are just things you haven't been exposed to yet," Shisui laughed again. "You've just joined ANBU, and before this, you haven't even seen the Hokage in person much."

He spoke lightly, as if discussing something trivial.

Itachi stood silently for a moment, his gaze flickering slightly. "I want to know."

"…"

"I hope to be able to assist my father, and I also want to help you, Shisui." Itachi said earnestly, his youthful face filled with sincerity.

Shisui was reminded of the words Kanzuki had spoken to him and couldn't help but sigh.

He was uncertain whether he felt gratified or melancholy.

What kind of tasks does Root usually perform?

Assassination, reconnaissance, surveillance, and communication missions are all standard, much like ANBU. The difference is that Root ninjas serve Danzo, while ANBU serve the Hokage.

Some of the more specialized missions, as Shisui had mentioned, were something Kanzuki currently didn't have access to.

As Gaku, the senior responsible for guiding him, didn't intervene much during missions, much of the combat was left up to Kanzuki.

After several missions, he hadn't encountered any urgent situations. Kanzuki hadn't even seen Gaku use Insect Jutsu.

"You seem to have adapted quite easily to this kind of task," Gaku commented suddenly while handing over a mission.

"I have taken on many missions in the past, and my experience may be a contributing factor," Kanzuki replied. He had a significant workload before, and although he often worked alone, his performance equaled that of any small team.

What Kanzuki found most regrettable after coming to Root was that the generous mission rewards he used to receive had now turned into a fixed salary.

He sighed inwardly; perhaps he would ask Shisui for some compensation later.

By the time he returned home, it was already afternoon. Due to his attire, Kanzuki entered his room through the window.

After showering and changing into comfortable home clothes, he heard a knock on his door. Opening it, he saw Tenten standing outside, looking energetic.

"Oboro, didn't you see the note on the door when you got back?" Tenten questioned.

"A note?" Kanzuki asked in confusion.

"Here!" Tenten pointed to a paper stuck to the door, written with "Come to my house for dinner tonight," signed by Tenten.

"Mom specifically prepared your portion, and if I hadn't seen your light on, I wouldn't have known how long I'd have to wait for you," Tenten said, hands on her hips and looking a bit annoyed.

"I climbed in through the window," Kanzuki replied.

"Eh? Climbing in through the… window?" Tenten was momentarily dumbfounded. "Why not use the front door?"

"It's too much trouble."

"…"

"Just hurry up and follow me," Tenten said dismissively, yanking Kanzuki along toward her house.

"I need to change my shoes," Kanzuki said helplessly.

Their homes were neighbors across from each other. Tenten's mom had always been caring toward Kanzuki since she noticed he lived alone. Although he had refused her kindness before, he couldn't withstand her enthusiasm.

Tenten's home felt much cozier than Kanzuki's. From the decoration to everything else, Kanzuki's home could at best be described as functional.

A table was already set with a sumptuous meal, making it look inviting.

"Oboro's here; it'll be ready soon!" Tenten's mom said, peeking out from the kitchen with a smile.

"Take off your shoes," Tenten instructed Kanzuki at the entrance.

Seeing her act like a little adult made Kanzuki unable to resist ruffling her hair, only to have her swat his hand away with an annoyed glare.

"Wash your hands!" she said sharply.

Who said that ruffling hair increases affinity...

Kanzuki thought to himself, secretly annoyed.

"I just showered and didn't touch anything dirty," Kanzuki argued.

"You touched your shoes," Tenten insisted, remembering clearly, and pushed Kanzuki toward the bathroom.

"Be careful or no boys will like you," Kanzuki remarked, teasing.

"Mind your own business!" Tenten's face flushed red as she punched Kanzuki lightly.

Tenten's family ran a Ninja Tool Shop, providing a decent living. Kanzuki often visited and received favorable prices in return.

Coming out of the bathroom, Tenten's mom brought out the last pot of soup, while Tenten was already busy setting the table.

"This looks so great!" Kanzuki commented.

"Today was relatively free, and I had the sudden urge to cook," Tenten's mom said warmly, exuding a friendly aura.

"Please enjoy and let me know how it tastes."

As they ate, they exchanged casual conversation.

"I rarely see you around during the day; even if you're young, don't overwork yourself," Tenten's mom said to Kanzuki. "I see other ninjas seem to have quite a bit of leisure time."

"Oboro's not like the others; he's in ANBU now," Tenten interjected.

"How do you know that?" Kanzuki raised an eyebrow, curious.

"I saw the uniform on your wall and the mask on the table. Isn't that an ANBU outfit?" Tenten said, matter-of-factly.

I completely forgot to shut the window...

Kanzuki silently took a bite of his rice.

"I heard that ANBU consists of elite ninjas. You're really something, Oboro," Tenten's mom praised him.

"That's… true," Tenten nodded proudly, as if she were the elite being referred to.

"There are many better than I," Kanzuki replied.

Tenten's mom nodded, agreeing, "That's true. I see many ninjas around your age have girlfriends now."

"…Auntie, could you please serve me another bowl of rice?"

Tenten was quietly enjoying the moment, holding her bowl.

Kanzuki glanced at Tenten, "Tenten."

"Yeah?"

"Is there a Hyuga Neji in your class?"

"Ehh...? Oh?" Tenten responded, initially confused, but when she met Kanzuki's calm eyes and tone, she sensed a hint of malice.

"I heard he's quite popular among the girls."

Seeing her mother's suspicious and analyzing gaze on her, Tenten lowered her head a bit, feeling somewhat guilty.

Affinity Level -1.

The system interface notified Kanzuki, but he paid it no mind.

"Auntie, your cooking skills have truly improved!"