Naruto: Imitation Ninja

And so, the man Sasuke had scornfully referred to as the "dog man," Xing Liu, gave the brat a thorough beating before dragging him along to Minato's house to mooch a meal.

After all, the "landlord's family" always had plenty of food. One freeloader or two didn't make a difference, and as two solitary men with no one else to turn to, they could only rely on the generous Minato for support.

When Minato returned home from work, he found two extra freeloaders lounging on his sofa. The older one he could recognize even if he were reduced to ashes, but the younger one? That was a surprise, to say the least.

"So? You freeloading here alone wasn't enough? Now you've brought along a tagalong too?"

Minato had thought that with Naruto off training with his teacher, he and Kushina could finally enjoy some long-awaited alone time as a couple. But that beautiful dream was shattered by the sight of the shameless scoundrel sitting before him, grinning from ear to ear.

"Ah, come on, big bro! I was just worried the two of you might not be used to such a quiet atmosphere. So, I thoughtfully brought along Naruto's good buddy to keep you company while we mooch a meal."

"Besides, don't you want to experience a different type of son?"

"Compared to Naruto's lively type, I highly recommend this brooding, cool type!" Xing Liu, acting like a sly peddler, slung his arm around Minato's shoulder, pitching Sasuke as if he were a product.

Minato, fed up with Xing Liu's nonsense, brusquely shrugged off the offending arm and retreated into the kitchen to join his wife. Spending time with this rascal was a waste of life. At least in the kitchen, he could hug his wife while helping with dinner.

"Left, huh?" Sasuke observed coolly as Minato disappeared into the kitchen.

"Never thought you'd act like such a dog in front of the Fourth Hokage," he remarked dryly, nearly earning himself another lesson in "the harsh realities of life" from Xing Liu.

But it puzzled Xing Liu—why did this brat, who behaved so well in front of Minato, always reveal his true colors the moment they were alone? Was Xing Liu's charisma just that overwhelming?

"Ugh… Who knew your personality could be so dog-like, and your expression so disgusting?" Sasuke muttered, shuddering at Xing Liu's smirking face.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Xing Liu tried to recover his dignity. "Ahem… Details like that don't matter. Just remember that I'll always be stronger than you."

But the proud Uchiha Second Young Master simply snorted in disdain. Ignoring Xing Liu's provocations, he sat quietly on the sofa, waiting for dinner.

Finally, when the call to dinner came from the kitchen, Sasuke got up to help set the table, while Xing Liu remained seated, lounging like a lord.

Seeing this, Minato couldn't hold back his frustration. "Look at you! You're older than Sasuke, and you've been here longer, yet he's helping in the kitchen while you sit here like some great master waiting to be served!"

Even Sasuke, emerging from the kitchen with a dish in hand, nodded in agreement. Xing Liu might be freeloading, but did he have to be so shameless about it?

Faced with their scorn, Xing Liu immediately unleashed his award-winning acting skills.

"Ahem… You don't understand. There's a reason I'm not helping…" Covering his mouth with his hand, he coughed weakly and looked at the two with "frail" eyes.

"While treating Kakashi this afternoon, I accidentally triggered a trap left by Uchiha Itachi within his body. What you're seeing now—this healthy complexion—it's just a fleeting moment before the end… Cough… cough…"

Minato and Sasuke exchanged a glance, placed the dishes on the table, and promptly returned to the kitchen, ignoring the theatrics.

If someone was shameless enough to feign illness to avoid work, how could they, decent people with dignity, stoop to his level?

---

After much effort from everyone except Xing Liu, the not-so-warm dinner was finally served.

However, the dinner table soon became the battlefield for yet another round of sparring centered around Xing Liu. The instigator? None other than Minato.

"Kushina, Kushina, you've got to hear this. Something absolutely absurd happened today…" Minato said, placing a slice of meat into Kushina's bowl and beginning his performance.

"Oh? What happened?" Kushina's curiosity was piqued, and even her meal seemed to pale in comparison to this juicy gossip.

"Heh, it's about Xing Liu," Minato replied, glancing at the shameless man wolfing down his food. Then he began recounting the day's events.

"Today, the Akatsuki infiltrated, and Kakashi got injured by Uchiha Itachi's genjutsu…"

"Oh no! Is Kakashi okay? He has the Sharingan too. How could he be hurt by genjutsu?"

"Sigh… How can a fake compare to the real deal? Kakashi brought it on himself by challenging Itachi head-on."

"But that's not the main story."

Minato then recounted how Xing Liu had run into two young women at the gambling den. By the time he finished, Kushina's gaze toward Xing Liu had completely changed…

---

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