Naruto: Imitation Ninja

"Hey, hey... tell me, Xingliu, is what your brother said true?"

Kushina, who had been worrying about Xingliu's marriage prospects, was stunned when Minato told her about certain events. It turned out that love wasn't something you could find simply by looking for it.

Sometimes, the harder you searched, the less likely it was to appear. And yet, other times, it would sneak up on you when you least expected it.

Perhaps this unpredictability was the reason so many people found themselves chasing after the fleeting feeling of love.

"Huh? What's true? What are you talking about?" Xingliu finally paused his meal to answer, responding absentmindedly as he wolfed down his food.

Kushina, believing that Xingliu was just being bashful, gave him a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Oh, come on! Don't be shy! I'm asking if what Minato just said is true—did you really meet your true love at a gambling den?"

Hearing Kushina's teasing, Xingliu momentarily froze, his mind racing to process what she had said.

Did she just mention a gambling den? True love?

Wait—was she talking about him?

What?

Xingliu glanced at Kushina with the faint hope that he had misunderstood. But there she was, staring at him with wide, curious eyes brimming with gossip.

Gulp.

So, she really was talking about him?

Xingliu's last shred of denial vanished under her probing gaze.

"If I say it had nothing to do with those two girls, will you believe me?"

"What do you think?" Kushina countered with a smirk, dodging the question with a question of her own.

"Fine. If that's what you all think, then so be it." Resigned, Xingliu decided it was better to admit to whatever they were imagining than to let Kushina conjure up an even more ridiculous story.

Of course, he didn't actually have any sort of intimate relationship with the girls she was referring to.

Hearing Xingliu's reluctant "confession," Kushina smacked him on the back a few more times, laughing heartily.

"Haha! See? That's the spirit! A man should boldly confess his feelings to the girl he likes. Don't be like a certain block of wood who needed the girl to make all the moves before realizing she liked him."

"Heh... don't worry, I'm not like that. Any man with a wooden head like that doesn't deserve love in the first place."

The two were obviously talking about Minato, and their pointed remarks weren't lost on him. However, aside from him, everyone else present—especially the ninjas who had grown up with Minato—knew the story they were referencing.

After all, in any world, the saying held true: a woman pursuing a man was like a veil separating them—easy to tear through if she took the initiative.

With the right approach, even the densest "block of wood" could be conquered.

---

That meal ended with Minato awkwardly enduring an onslaught of teasing from Xingliu and Kushina about his romantic history. Meanwhile, Sasuke, the only bystander uninvolved in the banter, silently finished the food on the table.

After all, he didn't know when he'd next have the chance to enjoy such a homely meal.

As Xingliu walked Sasuke home later that evening, he suddenly asked, "Did you get enough to eat tonight?"

"Huh?" Sasuke blinked, caught off guard by the question. While he was used to Xingliu's sudden conversational shifts, this one seemed particularly random.

"If you're asking whether I'm full, then yes—this was the best meal I've had in years."

"Heh, you know I wasn't asking that." Xingliu chuckled. "What do you think of Minato and Kushina? Do they make you hate Konoha a little less?"

Sasuke fell silent, his expression darkening. After a moment, he touched the cursed mark Orochimaru had planted on his neck.

"You already know, don't you?"

"It's just the Cursed Seal of Heaven. Nothing impressive," Xingliu replied dismissively, glancing disdainfully at the three-tomoe-shaped mark on Sasuke's neck.

"Instead of relying on that snake freak Orochimaru for power, why don't you work on refining your own abilities? Experiment with fusion techniques between fire and lightning chakra, or study your eye techniques.

"There are so many ways to grow stronger without depending on anyone else. And yet, you chose to let that snake plant his curse mark on you. How stupid can you be?"

Sasuke, unusually, didn't argue back. Instead, he hung his head, a rare look of regret crossing his face.

He was right. Why had he been so desperate to borrow someone else's power? Using Orochimaru's methods to seek vengeance against Itachi would only taint the original intent of avenging his family.

"Xingliu-sensei, can you help me remove this cursed mark?" Sasuke asked, his voice full of hope as he looked at the man beside him.

Though Xingliu often acted nonchalant and carefree, his strength was undeniable—one of the top in the ninja world. If anyone could help, it would be him.

"No."

"...What?"

"I must've misheard. Could you say that again?"

"I said no. I'm not going to help you remove it." Xingliu repeated himself, digging in his ear lazily.

"Why should I clean up your mess? As your teacher, it's my job to give you advice, not to fix your mistakes.

"So, you figure out a solution on your own."

With that, Xingliu turned and walked off toward his apartment, leaving Sasuke standing alone under the night sky, looking like he'd just been dumped.

---

On his way back, Xingliu was startled when someone suddenly leapt down from a tree.

"Are you sure about what you just did?"

Xingliu clutched his chest in mock alarm before glaring at the newcomer.

"Dammit, Tsunade-sama! Why would you jump down from a tree like that? It's pitch dark!"

"Don't give me that. You knew I was following you—why else would you conveniently walk to this secluded spot near your apartment?"

"So, are you here to drag me off to the gambling den again?" Xingliu glanced at the darkened surroundings. "Pretty sure they're closed at this hour."

"My life isn't just about gambling, you know. I came to talk to you about something else this time..."

---

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