Sei stood before the apartment door assigned to him by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and ran a hand through his ink-black hair with a touch of helplessness.
It had originally been a rather dilapidated apartment, but after Sei organized it with the neatness he had learned from Tsunade, it looked exceptionally tidy, and even the wooden floors carried a faint scent of soap.
“Master said Konoha is one of the most prosperous villages in the Ninja World, but the rent here is over three times more expensive than in Tanzaku Town,” Sei muttered to himself as he neatly arranged the medical scrolls from his pack on the nightstand.
Just as he was about to head out to buy some daily necessities, a brisk, rhythmic knocking interrupted his thoughts.
“Excuse me, is the new student, Sei, living here?” Sei opened the wooden door, letting the warm sunlight pour inside.
Standing outside was a man with long blond hair and deep, analytical eyes—Inoichi Yamanaka, a core figure of the Konoha Intel Division.
Beside him stood Ino Yamanaka, the girl who had spent the previous day in class practically glued to Sei with her eyes.
“You are…
Senior Yamanaka?” Sei’s pupils dilated slightly before he instantly switched to his harmless, sunny, Minato-style smile.
He bowed slightly.
“I am Sei, the new transfer student.” Inoichi studied Sei closely, a hidden trace of scrutiny flashing through his eyes.
As one of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio and a trusted confidant of the Third Hokage, his visit today was not just to help his daughter pursue her crush, but also at the request of the Third Hokage to observe this orphan whom Tsunade had recommended.
“Don’t be nervous, Sei.
My family runs the Yamanaka Flower Shop just a street over.
The Hokage mentioned you had just returned to the village and might not be familiar with daily life, so he asked me to bring Ino over to see if there’s anything we can help with.” Inoichi smiled warmly.
This kind of elder-like friendliness made it very difficult for anyone to stay on guard.
“Ah!
Sei, these are some African daisies fresh from our shop today.
Their flower language is ‘mystery, mutual respect, and love’!
Also, here is a small gift I made.
It’s a bit clumsy, so please don’t mind!” Ino somewhat nervously handed over a bouquet of flowers and a gift box that seemed to contain chocolates.
Her face was as red as a ripe tomato, completely lacking her usual loud and boisterous demeanor.
Sei took the flowers, his fingertips brushing against the back of Ino’s hand.
The soft touch made her heart skip a beat.
“Thank you, Ino.
These are beautifully trimmed; they’ll last a long time.” Sei’s casual praise made Inoichi secretly respect him.
As an experienced ninja, he could tell this child was far from simple.
“Do you know about flowers too, Sei?” Ino’s eyes widened in surprise.
“When I was traveling outside, I had to identify medicinal herbs, so I read a few guides.
I know a little about plants, but not much.
I wouldn’t dare show off in front of a professional.” Sei politely invited them inside while smoothly retrieving a tea set from beneath the table.
“My place is quite simple, and I only have coarse tea.
Please don’t mind, Senior.” For the next half hour, Ino was like a cheerful little sparrow, chirping away as she introduced Sei to various interesting happenings in Konoha.
Inoichi sat to the side, watching Sei’s pure, water-like smile.
In his mind, however, he was analyzing: *This child possesses a natural, comforting charisma that makes people want to get close to him…
very much like a certain old friend.* Before leaving, Ino turned back several times, reluctant to go.
“Sei, should I come pick you up for school tomorrow morning?
I can show you the most famous breakfast spot in Konoha!” “Sure, I’ll trouble you then, Ino,” Sei replied politely, waving them goodbye.
Only when the father and daughter’s figures disappeared around the street corner did the smile fade from Sei’s face.
He locked the door behind him, drew the curtains, and made sure there were no Anbu watching before biting his fingertip and drawing a line of blood across his palm.
“Summoning Jutsu!” With a soft *poof*, a cloud of white smoke cleared to reveal a palm-sized, pristine white slug with blue stripes sitting on the table.
“Lady Katsuyu, long time no see.
Sorry to trouble you.” Sei gently extended his hand, letting the small slug crawl onto his palm.
“Lord Sei, long time no see.
You are as gentle as ever.” At that moment, in a tavern near the border of the Land of Fire, Tsunade paused with a cup of sake in hand.
A slug appeared on her table, instantly clearing half her drunkenness.
“Sei, it seems you’ve arrived safely in Konoha?” Katsuyu’s gentle, serene voice echoed in both places simultaneously.
Through Katsuyu’s vast, shared consciousness, Sei and Tsunade were essentially connected in a cross-spatial video call.
“Master, you look great.
Did you win some money last night?” Sei raised an eyebrow at the small slug, his tone carrying a cheeky, mischievous edge.
“You brat, shut up!
That was a temporary strategic setback!” Miles away, Tsunade glared at him through Katsuyu’s shared vision—Sei had given her the idea of using Katsuyu’s split-bodies as a communication network, similar to a projection device.
She then turned slightly serious.
“Have you seen the old man?” “Yes.
And I happened to beat up Sasuke Uchiha along the way.
The kid looks like he wants to eat me alive now.” Sei placed the flowers Ino had given him into a vase.
“Inoichi Yamanaka just stopped by with his daughter.
The Third Hokage seems wary of me; he sent his intelligence chief to feel me out.” “Inoichi is a meticulous man.
Tone down your slyness around him.” Tsunade looked around Sei’s new quarters through Katsuyu’s eyes.
“The place is a mess; keep it clean.
Also, don’t slack off on storing chakra in the Yin Seal.
I’m not there to watch you, but in a place like Konoha, strength is your only real guarantee.” “I know, Master.
But you should also avoid hanging around those small casinos.
Practice that ‘Gambling Psychology’ guide I wrote for you.
Don’t always be the Legendary Sucker.
What bad luck.
The moment I return to the village, I have to figure out how to make money to support you.” Sei sighed, though his eyes were warm.
“Get lost!
Teach me a lesson when you actually become a ninja and earn a commission!” Before the shared vision cut off, Sei caught a glimpse of a faint, fond smile on Tsunade’s face, Tonton fast asleep beside her, and Shizune busy sorting through a pile of IOUs.
Sei dispersed the Summoning Jutsu and sat by the window, watching the moon rise over Konoha.
He knew that this connection through Katsuyu was his ultimate trump card.
In this village, where rot ran deep and danger lurked in every shadow, only that violent female master far away felt like home.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll play the part of a ‘good, kind villager.’ Let’s start by making friends with the Rookie Nine…” Sei closed his eyes and felt the flow of Chakra in his body as he channeled it to charge his Yin Seal, imagining he could still smell the faint scent of sake and orchids that always followed his master.