"Senior Kakashi! Senior Kakashi!"
…
"Senior Nara, let's chat for a bit."
…
"Uncle Ichiraku, two bowls of ramen—and let's talk?"
…
"No one's paying attention to me?"
Jin watched as everyone hurried off the moment they saw him. His gaze drifted toward the distance and he sighed.
"Come on, little Pakkun, at least chat with your big brother."
Truly— even the dogs on the roadside have to chat with him!
Pakkun turned his head to look at Jin.
In those dog eyes, unmistakably human disdain flickered.
Then he turned around and left.
"Don't go! Teach me how to carve a dog's head into a Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"
"Would that count as a dog-head talisman for survival?!"
Tap tap tap—
Unfortunately, Pakkun vanished in a flash.
Only Jin was left sitting on the village street, staring somewhat forlornly at the sun as it began to set.
From morning until now—more than ten hours—and not a single trait had been copied!
It wasn't that he hadn't talked to anyone…
It was just that every attempt had failed.
"Could it be that today is… Mercury retrograde?"
Just then, the system popped up with a notification.
[Congratulations to the host for sunbathing for 666 minutes. Chakra +666.]
"Six hundred sixty-six?
Fine, fine—System, you're not even pretending anymore, huh!"
Jin's face darkened as he turned and headed back toward the clan compound.
"Woof woof."
But interestingly, on the way back, Pakkun—along with a group of pugs and Akitas—suddenly chased after him.
Seven or eight dogs gathered around his feet, affectionately rubbing against him.
He froze, a little surprised.
"Huh? I don't think I copied Kakashi's summoning trait, did I?"
"Kakashi wouldn't seriously think that sending a dog over would be enough to shut me up, right?"
Three minutes later—
"Pakkun, you're kinda… squishy."
And really—who doesn't like puppies?
Cute. Soft. Squishy puppies.
Ten minutes later.
When Jin returned to the clan grounds hugging a small dog, a broad-shouldered man was already standing at the entrance.
In his hand was a long stick, clearly branded with the words 'Seven Wolves'.
It was Uchiha Fugaku.
When he saw Jin, his face darkened noticeably. He snorted coldly.
"Jin!"
"Present!"
Fugaku: "…What exactly did you do to Sasuke?!"
His voice carried obvious displeasure.
Over the years, knowing his second son's talent, he'd mostly just watched quietly, rarely intervening.
But now—this involved his other son.
That forced him to take things seriously.
"Sasuke? What did he do?"
Jin rubbed Pakkun's head, looking puzzled.
Didn't the old man already beat the Second Pillar up this morning?
"Hmph! Since morning, that brat has been yelling about sunbathing! Saying sunbathing makes you stronger!
He's laughing while basking in the sun—and even shouting about becoming Hokage!"
"Listen to that nonsense! An Uchiha kid wanting to become Hokage?!"
"No matter how much I beat him, he wouldn't listen! He even said he'd rather die on top of the courtyard wall!"
As he spoke, Fugaku raised the stick in his hand and swung it down angrily—
"Woof woof woof! Awooo!"
And then…
Pakkun took the hit right on the head.
Jin calmly shifted Pakkun aside without the slightest guilt and softly suggested,
"Uh… how about I go talk to him?"
"Hmph! Go on then!"
"If you can't talk him back down, then tonight we're having—dog meat!"
With that, Fugaku flicked his sleeve and turned away.
Three- or four-year-old kids were at their most troublesome anyway.
He couldn't be bothered, so he simply dumped the problem on Uchiha Arata.
Maybe—just maybe—it would produce another genius?
Behind him—
Pakkun, cradled in Jin's arms, clamped his tail tight.
How did this suddenly turn into eating him?!
He didn't understand.
He really didn't understand!
And suddenly felt that this mission… might be a bit difficult!
Three minutes later.
On top of the clan head's courtyard wall.
A tiny figure stood there, howling at the sky.
"THE SKY IS CLEAR, THE RAIN HAS STOPPED—
I, UCHIHA SASUKE, AM GOING TO BECOME HOKAGE!!"
Facing the setting sun, Sasuke shouted the words Jin had repeated in front of him countless times.
Then, copying Jin's movements from memory, he ran a hand through his hair, covered his face, and burst into wild laughter—
"Hahahahaha! Hahahaha!"
"You've got about thirty percent of it.
But your voice is too childish, your mouth doesn't open wide enough, and your throat isn't laughing broadly enough."
Amid the laughter, Jin's commentary drifted up from below.
He shook his head, Pakkun tucked under one arm, seven yawning Shiba Inu trailing behind him.
Who would've thought that words meant to tease the Second Pillar would actually stick?
Now this was bad.
Instead of destroying the village, the Second Pillar was starting to want to become Hokage!
So… what was Naruto supposed to do now?
"Y-you-you—you bastard!
Why did you suddenly come back?!"
Being caught like this felt like wetting the bed and getting seen by your mortal enemy.
Sasuke's small face flushed bright red as he huffed and turned his head away.
He refused to look at the person below.
Until Jin smiled, rubbed the dog's head, and gently asked:
"So… Sasuke also wants to become as strong as your big brother?"
"Huh?"
This gentle tone—Sasuke had never heard it before.
He hesitated… then firmly shook his head in refusal!
"Oh right, about yesterday's shuriken—"
As he spoke, Jin casually flicked a piece of metal.
The shuriken traced seven折angular trajectories through the air, shredding the distant target into splinters of wood.
"This kind of effect—this is what you want, right?"
Gulp.
Sasuke stared at the flying debris, his throat bobbing.
He was tempted.
Deeply tempted.
That flashy, ridiculous shuriken technique—
It had been poking at his heart nonstop these past two days!
So after struggling for a moment, he muttered softly,
"O-okay… fine…
But you begged me, got it? Even if I get stronger, I'll still beat you up!"
"At most… I'll hit a little lighter…"
He agreed?
Good. As long as he agreed.
Jin shook his head and dragged things out for a bit.
[Attempting to copy trait after ten minutes of conversation with Uchiha Sasuke.]
[Copy failed. Chakra +1.]
Failed again?!
What was going on today?!
If talking didn't work—
Then it was time to turn up the intensity!
Jin grinned and patted Pakkun.
"Release the dogs. Bite him."
Sasuke: ???
Pakkun: WOOF!!!
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 60 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/CanonBreaker