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Time flew by. Shin and Konan had been in the Land of Rain for half a month, and today, Shin encountered an acquaintance.
"It really is you, Nawaki. I thought I was mistaken."
Shin and Konan were sitting in a humble ramen shop, across from Nawaki.
"Shin, what are you doing in the Land of Rain?"
Nawaki was both surprised and delighted to see him, but at the same time, confused. He couldn't fathom why Shin would be here in a war-torn country.
"I had some business here. It's done now, but Konan wanted to stay in the Land of Rain for a while, so we're still here," Shin explained with a casual shrug.
"Oh, I see," Nawaki nodded, accepting the explanation easily.
"What about you? the Land of Rain is in the middle of a war. Why are you here?" Shin asked, turning the question back on Nawaki.
"I'm here because of Uzumaki Kai," Nawaki replied, his fists clenching at the mention of the name.
He couldn't forgive Kai for almost killing him. He had come to the Land of Rain after hearing that Kai was here.
"I see. You still haven't gotten your revenge? That's...well, 'disappointing' isn't quite the word, but you know what I mean. I heard Kai is quite strong now. It might be tough to get your revenge." Shin looked at Nawaki appraisingly.
It had been a long time since he last saw Nawaki, so he wasn't sure how much he had improved. Though he could sense that Nawaki had a large chakra reserve, battle prowess was another matter entirely.
"You sure you don't want my help? Considering I'm practically your brother-in-law, It's only right for me to help you," Shin offered, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Nawaki shot up from his seat, staring at Shin with wide eyes.
"What's with the reaction?" Shin asked, bemused.
"How can I not be surprised?" Nawaki looked at Shin with a mix of admiration and disbelief, as if he were looking at a living legend. He couldn't believe Shin had managed to win over his sister.
Originally, he had thought Tsunade would be single for life.
"So, do you want my help or not? If I step in, taking down Uzumaki Kai would be a piece of cake." Shin offered again, leaning back with a confident smirk.
Nawaki hesitated, then shook his head.
"No, thank you. I want to handle this myself."
If he had wanted someone else to do it, Uzumaki Kai would have been dead already. Tsunade alone could've ended him.
But Nawaki had always insisted on settling the score personally—It was a matter of pride.
"Alright." Shin didn't try to persuade him. He could see Nawaki's determination.
"I'm full. I'll be going now, Shin."
Nawaki finished his ramen, paid, and stood up.
He still couldn't bring himself to call Shin "brother-in-law." It felt awkward. And Shin didn't force him to.
"Alright, be careful. Don't get yourself killed. If you die, Tsunade would be… well, probably heartbroken." Shin said with a playful wink.
Nawaki paused, then turned to stare at him.
"Did you just say 'probably'?"
"Yeah. Probably heartbroken. Or maybe not. she never talks about you. She might've already forgotten you exist." Shin teased, enjoying Nawaki's reaction.
Nawaki clutched his chest dramatically and left the ramen shop, pretending to be heartbroken.
"Shin-nii, this ramen is terrible. I don't like it," Konan said after Nawaki left. She had been quiet until now.
"I don't like it either. No wonder this place is so empty. Let's go."
Shin paid and left with Konan, leaving the ramen shop owner fuming.
How dare they badmouth his ramen? If he didn't think they were Shinobi, he would have fought them.
After leaving the shop, Konan patted her stomach.
She regretted complaining now. Although the ramen wasn't good, it was still edible. Better than starving.
"Are you hungry, Konan? Let's go find some animals in the forest," Shin said, pinching her cheek gently.
Konan didn't like headpats anymore, so he switched to pinching her cheeks.
Konan blushed and lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
"Seeing you blush like that makes me want to tease you more," Shin said, poking her cheek playfully.
"Shin-nii, if you keep doing that, I won't talk to you anymore," Konan said, walking ahead of him and pouting.
"Alright, alright. Just messing with you. How could I bear to bully someone as cute as you?"
"S-Shin-nii! D-Don't just call me cute out of nowhere!"
Konan was flustered, her hands fidgeting. She even started walking awkwardly.
Shin chuckled and caught up to her.
They went into the forest and caught a rabbit, then Shin prepared to roast it.
Roasting was the most convenient way to cook in the wild. And Shin liked roasted meat.
"There aren't many animals in this forest. We spent so long just to find one rabbit," Konan said as she lit a fire with some dry branches.
"This rabbit is fat enough for us," Shin said, bringing over the cleaned rabbit.
"After we eat, I'll continue teaching you Sage Mode. I didn't expect you to be learning it so quickly—way faster than Kushina, Tsunade, or Mikoto."
"Really?" Konan asked, a bit surprised.
"Of course. It's only been half a month, and you're already close to mastering it."
Shin nodded. Konan was a fast learner because she was diligent.
And she was different now. After Shin used the Life Contract on her, she seemed to have gained the Sage Body.
Her progress in Sage Mode was much faster. She was already in the final stages and was close to mastering it.
Shin spent the afternoon guiding her. Although she hadn't fused Senjutsu Chakra yet, she was close.
Shin believed she would master Sage Mode in a few days.
"It's getting late. Let's rest."
Shin said, then used Wood Release to create a small, cozy cabin.
Wood Release was truly convenient, especially in the wilderness. He didn't have to worry about sleeping outdoors. He could build a house wherever he went.
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