Naruto: Imitation Ninja

This…

After hearing Xing Liu's flattery, not only did Minato feel sudden confusion, but even Tsunade, who was directly involved, was left completely dumbfounded.

Had she ever claimed she could cure any illness? Not to mention, she hadn't even seen the patient yet. On what basis did this idiot claim she could heal the person they were talking about?

And the title of "Legendary Sannin"? It was nothing more than an empty label! She wasn't nearly as exceptional as the other two members of the trio…

Although Tsunade internally roasted Xing Liu several times during this short exchange, she still felt indebted to him for accompanying her to the gambling dens over the past few days.

Whether or not she could actually heal that patient didn't matter for now. The fact that he had sought her out with such dedication meant she had to at least make the trip.

Not to mention, Xing Liu had helped her win a considerable amount of silver coins earlier…

"No, Xing Liu came to the gambling den to invite me to see a patient."

"As for why we were all sitting here playing mahjong, that starts with my small, insignificant wish."

With that, Tsunade recounted to Minato what Xing Liu had said when they first met, including his efforts to find two girls to play mahjong with them so she could enjoy the feeling of winning.

Initially, Minato had thought Xing Liu's visit to the gambling den was purely to find Tsunade. However, after listening to her explanation, Minato's hand, which had relaxed, once again clenched into a faint fist.

Damn it! If Xing Liu had simply stated his intentions from the start, all the unnecessary complications could have been avoided!

Even if helping fulfill someone's wish was noble, wouldn't it make more sense to do so after curing the patient?

After piecing everything together, Minato felt a wave of frustration that had no outlet. After all, Xing Liu couldn't be entirely blamed; it was just that he had met the right person but used the wrong approach.

Resting a hand on Xing Liu's shoulder, Minato sighed and said helplessly, "Next time you're about to do something significant, remember to consult me first… so you don't mess things up."

Minato had long since realized that, while Xing Liu might have commendable strength, his strategic planning and command skills were nonexistent.

"Huh? Oh, got it." Xing Liu didn't fully grasp what his brother was getting at, but he was thrilled at the idea of not having to lead anymore.

Satisfied with Xing Liu's agreement, Minato turned his gaze toward the two girls sitting beside him.

"These two lovely young ladies—where did you find them?"

Whether it was Xing Liu's naturally suspicious mindset or Minato's ambiguous phrasing, Xing Liu's ears automatically twisted the question into: Where did you abduct these two girls?

Looking at Minato with a perplexed expression, Xing Liu responded coldly, "Why do you ask? Don't you already have a five-year-old kid?"

What the hell?! Even Minato, known for his patience, had to summon every ounce of self-control to refrain from tying Xing Liu up and giving him a beating.

All he'd wanted was to know where these two girls had come from. Where was the need for such a shady assumption?

Besides, if he hadn't been trying to set Xing Liu up with these girls, he wouldn't have even cared about their origins.

"Fine, fine! Let's just move past this. Anyway, it's about time we head to the hospital, isn't it? Getting Kakashi back on his feet sooner is undoubtedly a good thing for Konoha."

"I know, I know."

Even without Minato's sudden appearance, Xing Liu had already planned to take Tsunade to the hospital right after finishing this round of mahjong. Minato's arrival merely sped up the process.

However, the abrupt decision left the two girls visibly at a loss.

"What a pity. I thought we'd get to play a little longer, but now you're leaving so soon," said the cool older sister, Zhao, pouting.

Seeing her elder sister speak up, the shy Xiao-chan, who had been hiding behind her, nodded her little head in agreement.

"Sorry about that. If you want to blame someone, blame the person who thought his knockoff Sharingan could compete with the real deal. If not for him, we'd still be able to keep playing."

(Somewhere else, a certain someone sneezed.)

"Will you come back?" Xiao-chan asked timidly, peeking out from behind her sister.

"Big Brother promises that as soon as we're done, I'll bring this big sister back to play mahjong with you."

"Big Brother also promises that next time, if anything comes up, I'll leave it to this troublesome uncle here, so I can spend all my time playing with you. How does that sound?" Xing Liu crouched down and smiled at the adorable little girl in front of him.

"Then it's a promise! My sister and I will wait for you here tomorrow." Xiao-chan stretched out her tiny pinky finger, her snow-white hand trembling slightly as she held it up.

"Haha, Big Brother promises." Xing Liu hooked her pinky gently with his own.

Minato didn't want to ruin the heartwarming scene but knew he had to intervene before they got sidetracked.

"Alright, alright. It's not like we're saying goodbye forever. We're just going to treat someone—if all goes well, it'll only take about ten minutes."

"Or you could come with us. Once your Big Brother finishes, you can play mahjong again."

The suggestion was tempting, and the two girls almost agreed before Zhao, showing her discernment, declined politely.

"Thank you, but we'll wait here for Big Brother to return tomorrow."

"Well, then, we'll be back soon."

Saying this, Xing Liu opened a spatial rift behind him and stepped through with Minato and Tsunade, heading toward the hospital.

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