At such a tender age, Saiki possessed an overwhelming power that vastly eclipsed that of ordinary men—a power so immense that even seasoned veterans like Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze felt a deep, gnawing unease.
It couldn't be helped; transmigrators were inherently broken. And in a world that preached love and friendship on the surface but was rotten to the core underneath, if you wanted to build a harem and live life on your own terms, you had to be a walking cheat code.
Returning to the rest camp, they settled the wounded Shinku Yuhi in the medical tent. Tsume Inuzuka went off to find her ninken, Kuromaru, leaving only the "kids" behind.
Due to his actual mental age, Saiki genuinely had zero interest in the trivial dramas of children. When he interacted with them, it was always from the perspective of an older brother humoring his younger siblings. Frankly, he wasn't very good at dealing with kids anyway.
The girls—Kurenai, Shizune, and Rin—were fine; they would naturally chatter and find topics without him having to do much. Genhai was treated like an actual little brother, so they always had plenty to talk about.
However, the presence of Kakashi and Obito made the atmosphere incredibly awkward.
The future Kakashi and Obito would become legendary, world-shaking figures. But right now? Kakashi was just a lost, arrogant brat with a perpetual dead-fish stare, and Obito was a delusional, chuunibyou-infected idiot who didn't know his own limits.
Fortunately, Saiki had the perfect method to break the ice!
Sizzle! Crackle!
Fat dripped onto the roaring campfire, producing a sound that made mouths water instantly. A massive, whole wild boar was roasting over the flames, its skin blistering and glistening with oil, emitting an intoxicating, savory aroma. Saiki constantly turned the spit, showering the meat with a blend of exotic spices.
As for where he got a whole wild boar? He'd simply "picked it up" on the way back.
A core tenet of ninja training is controlling one's desires. Setting aside the obvious drain on one's vitality and spirit from excessive sexual indulgence, a strict diet is also heavily emphasized—unless you belonged to the Akimichi clan, whose secret jutsu required massive caloric intake.
In the anime, it was common to see Kakashi eating a simple meal of a single salted fish, some boiled vegetables, and a bowl of rice.
Kakashi's father might be dead, but Sakumo had undoubtedly left him a small fortune. Furthermore, as a genius, Kakashi completed a high volume of lucrative missions. While ninja training was expensive, there was no financial reason for him to eat like a starving monk.
But Saiki? Saiki refused to mistreat himself. He had no need for such ascetic restraint. Eating was part of his cultivation; he literally dedicated an entire sealing scroll solely to hoarding high-quality food.
Surrounding the campfire, the group of young teenagers stared transfixed. The front lines were suffering severe supply shortages, meaning their recent meals had been incredibly bland and meager. They all watched Saiki with ravenous eyes.
In the week Saiki had been missing, Genhai hadn't tasted a single scrap of real meat. He was practically drooling on his shoes.
The rich aroma drifted through the camp. If Saiki possessed the ability to see "resentment," he would have noticed a literal black cloud of starving envy gathering in the forest around them from the other soldiers.
The sky grew completely dark, and the massive boar was finally roasted to perfection.
"Alright, dig in! Dinner's ready!" With a display of masterful knife skills, Saiki carved off massive slabs of steaming, juicy meat and dropped them onto everyone's plates. At this moment, even Obito—who hated Saiki's guts—didn't utter a single word of complaint and eagerly dug in.
After serving the humans, Saiki tossed a massive, bone-in chunk to the fierce-looking Kuromaru, who was sitting nearby.
Saiki vividly remembered the moment Kuromaru had reunited with Tsume. The massive dog had shot Saiki a highly suspicious, confused glare. Kuromaru was likely deeply disturbed by the fact that Saiki smelled like Tsume, and Tsume absolutely reeked of Saiki!
While they were eating, well after nightfall, Tsunade finally returned to the camp.
As for the uninvited guests, Jiraiya and Minato, who followed her? Saiki found them deeply annoying, completely unaware that they were harboring heavy suspicions about him.
Why was he annoyed? Because who the hell invited these guys to hang around his women?!
He had already conquered Tsunade, and as a latecomer, Saiki knew the pressure was on regarding Kushina.
The last, massive chunk of the boar was ultimately devoured by Saiki himself. Looking at the relatively small portions the others had eaten, Saiki wanted to scream: Chakra generation obeys the laws of thermodynamics, you idiots! How do you expect to fight on those bird-sized rations?! Do you think you're the reincarnations of the Sage of Six Paths' sons or something?! No wonder you're all so weak!
After dinner, Jiraiya actually showed a shred of conscience and didn't assign Saiki's squad any night patrols. If he had, after marching all day, Saiki genuinely would have flipped the table and deserted on the spot.
Returning to the frontline camp life left Saiki feeling a bit dissatisfied. Without Tsume's warm, soft embrace, he felt a distinct void—especially since their relationship had finally crossed the point of no return.
As for sneaking into Tsunade's tent? With so many people around, trying to force her into submission would be far too difficult and risky.
Expecting to sleep alone, Saiki returned to his assigned tent. When he pulled back his quilt, he found a small, folded slip of paper resting on his bedsheets.
Reading the contents, Saiki's brow furrowed deeply. The note only specified a time and a meeting location. There was no signature, but judging by the handwriting, it had likely been penned by a woman.
Shizune and Kurenai had set up his bedding. This earned Saiki a few dirty looks from Shinku Yuhi, but Saiki knew the note couldn't be from either of the girls; he recognized their handwriting.
He also recognized the handwriting of Tsume and Tsunade, and he knew neither of them were the type to be so desperately horny that they couldn't wait a single night.
However, Saiki decided to check it out anyway. After all, the "Yin Seal" he had inscribed on Tsunade's abdomen had definitely reached the point where the accumulated "heat" would be nearly impossible for her to suppress.
Perhaps Tsunade was afraid of being discovered, so she had used her non-dominant hand or disguised her writing. This would be child's play for her, and Saiki was hardly a forensic handwriting expert.
Waiting until Genhai, who was sleeping on the adjacent cot, began snoring softly, Saiki left a Shadow Clone in his place. He completely retracted his chakra signature and slipped out of the camp like a ghost, entirely undetected by the patrol sentries.
Several kilometers away from the Leaf camp, hidden within a small, rocky hill.
"Are you certain the message was delivered?" a Leaf ninja wearing a blank, porcelain demon mask asked another similarly masked operative.
"Yes, Sir. It was placed directly on his bedsheets."
Currently, there were nine individuals within the small, subterranean base. Leaf forehead protectors, demon masks, a hidden underground facility near the main camp shielded by multiple sensory-blocking barriers... who else could it be but Danzo's Root?
"Good." The operative who had asked the question—clearly the squad leader—nodded. Inwardly, he thought, "Let's hope our intel was accurate. During his recent disappearance, he seemed to have formed a 'special' bond with that Inuzuka woman. Let's hope that leverage is enough to bring him here alone."
Saiki was completely unaware that the complex, emotionally charged look he and Tsume had exchanged at the entrance of the command tent had been noticed. Root's infiltration into the Leaf's various departments was absolute; they had eyes everywhere.
It didn't take long for a Root scout to enter and report.
Saiki had taken his time, moving cautiously. To prevent further infiltrations near the command center and medical camp, the Leaf patrols were incredibly dense—a sentry every five steps, a watchpost every ten. It took considerable effort for Saiki to navigate the perimeter and reach the designated coordinates.
Saiki wasn't exactly a master of stealth, but his cultivation of Pre-natal Qi made his ability to conceal his presence flawless. That was the only reason he had slipped through undetected.
Upon arriving at the specified location, Saiki's suspicion spiked. Neither Tsunade nor Tsume would choose a place this complicated or remote for a secret rendezvous.
"Come out. Stop hiding." Saiki's ability to conceal his presence was matched only by the sheer power of his sensory perception.
Seeing that the figures hiding behind the rocks didn't move, presumably trying to figure out how they had been spotted, Saiki didn't attack immediately. He sensed several more signatures rapidly converging on his position; it was obvious he was their target.
Before long, the others arrived, and the figures hiding behind the rocks finally stepped out into the open.
Looking at the demon masks and feeling the cold, emotionless, deadened auras radiating from them, Saiki instantly knew exactly who had invited him.
"What do you want with me?" Saiki asked the Root squad leader.
Looking at the boy—who was casually holding his longsword, his brow slightly furrowed, clearly recognizing who they were yet remaining perfectly calm—the Root leader made a highly positive assessment of Saiki's mental fortitude.
Normally, when an average ninja encountered the village's Anbu black ops, they would feel a jolt of panic. Anbu answered only to the Hokage; if they were looking for you, it meant you were in serious trouble.
Even though Root wasn't technically Anbu, those in the Leaf who knew of Root's existence knew that they were darker, colder, and far more terrifying than the Anbu. After all, the man backing them was known as the "Shadow Hokage" and the "Darkness of the Shinobi."