Chapter 34 "Well, just friends."...

"What's that?" Bai's voice reached your ears. You said, "It looks like a crow."

Is it a crow that brings bad luck? You wonder.

Bai took out the items from the storage scroll and busied himself around the room. First, he changed the sheets, duvet cover, and pillowcases. Then he checked if other areas needed cleaning. Although it was getting late, he still wanted you to stay in a clean and comfortable place.

While Bai was busy, you opened the window. The crow was quite intelligent; it wasn't startled by your action of opening the window and even hopped onto the windowsill inside. You whispered, "I didn't even invite you, but you're acting all familiar."

The crow's feathers were glossy and smooth, clearly indicating that it was a well-bred crow. It tilted its head, as if carefully trying to understand the meaning of your words.

After cleaning the bathroom and running your bath, Bai walked up behind you and said, "Mingxi, are you going to take a bath? I've already run the bath. Ah... is that crow still here?" As he spoke, he walked towards the window, and the more he looked at the crow, the stranger it seemed.

This doesn't seem like an ordinary crow, Bai thought.

Just as he was about to observe further, the crow suddenly flapped its wings and flew away. He said, "Ah... was it because I approached?"

"Maybe so, but crows aren't exactly friendly, are they? The bathwater's ready, isn't it?" You walk into the bathroom, and Bai neatly folds your change of clothes and places them on the shelf next to you. You put your long hair up and step into the bathtub.

The crow that flew away returned to its owner with good news.

"Going to that island nation... is it for a vacation? Ah, and that boy named Shiro is with her, isn't he?" Shisui let the crow perch on his forearm, analyzing the information it brought.

It's not surprising that Bai will stay by your side, after all, he's like your right-hand man, and he probably wouldn't want to leave you.

That's not the point. The point is how he can reasonably and logically bump into you by chance. Should he just say he came here on a whim for tourism? You'd probably see through that excuse immediately. So what would be a more appropriate way to say it?

Zhi Shui thought about this a lot and finally concluded that since you would see through whatever he said, it would be better to be honest with him from the beginning, so that he might not make you too disgusted.

*

Taking a relaxing bath and then sleeping soundly are some of the most precious moments of happiness in life, especially with Bai by your side.

After you drifted off to sleep, Bai looked out the window thoughtfully. Although the crow had flown away, his intuition told him that it would come back, and when it did, it would likely have something extra with it.

Sure enough, there will still be a lot of clueless men coming to your door, but it doesn't matter. Since he's by your side, he'll take care of these ungrateful people for you.

After all, this is his duty.

So sleep peacefully, nothing will bother you.

Bai approached you quietly, and after a long gaze, he finally pressed his forehead against yours. That was enough for him; he was content with everything he had.

The next morning, you are woken up by the chirping of birds outside your window. Honestly, how come these birds are so energetic so early in the morning?

You get out of bed, slip on your slippers, and walk to the window. A row of sparrows on the telephone pole outside turn to look at you in unison, perfectly synchronized.

Well, that scene was actually kind of cute. Your morning grumpiness from being woken up subsided considerably. You opened the window and whispered, "I'll let it go since you're all so adorable."

After you washed up, you went downstairs. You arrived too late yesterday and didn't have time to properly explore the house. The interior decoration of the house is exceptionally exquisite.

People subconsciously associate sophistication with luxury, but in reality, even ordinary furniture and decorations can appear stylish after careful design.

The wall next to the stairs is covered with many photos, including family photos, individual photos, photos of trips to the beach, photos of picnics, and wedding photos.

Standing on the last step, you stare at the wedding photo hanging at the very bottom.

“I really miss those days. My father was still alive then, and the whole family was happy and harmonious.” Yuko’s voice suddenly came out. She was also looking at the group photo. Everyone in the photo was dressed in formal attire and standing in front of the camera with smiles on their faces. The smiles on the faces of the newlyweds, who were surrounded in the very center, were the most radiant.

To be honest, you always feel that the style of this photo is similar to that of The Godfather, and the same goes for this island. From the moment you landed on the island, you felt like you had come to Sicily instead of the land of wine.

Okay, anyway, some details of this world are similar to your past life, maybe it's just a coincidence.

"What happened to the people in the photos behind?" you ask. If you're playing a game right now, a notification will definitely pop up asking if a side quest has been dropped.

“Some left, some scattered; some went out into the world with ambition, some stayed here. But the tide of the times will not become gentle because of individual choices.” Yuko adjusted her glasses and laughed. “Talking about this kind of thing in the morning seems too heavy. Come on, Miss Aki, your boyfriend has already made you tea and even made pancakes. I must say, his pancake-making skills are truly superb.”

The male companion she was referring to must be Bai, right? You said, "He can make more than just pancakes, he can make a lot of things."

"Really? You're so lucky to have such a virtuous male companion." Yuko led you toward the restaurant, and you followed her through a slightly narrow corridor. The walls of the corridor were also covered with many photos, and you could tell from these clues that a large family used to live here.

What a big family.

You don't feel a sense of belonging to your family; you're just sighing.

The restaurant in this house has bright floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides, and outside is a garden. However, the garden has been neglected for many years, so the flowers are growing wildly, which gives it a natural beauty.

Bai is pouring you tea and then asks what kind of syrup you'd like to drizzle on your pancakes. He offers maple syrup and elderflower syrup, and you choose the latter.

"Miss Aki, please have a seat," Yuko said to you.

After you sit down, you pick up your knife and fork. Shiro drizzles a layer of syrup on the golden-brown pancake. You cut the pancake with your knife and fork, take a bite, and the sweet taste of the syrup hits your palate. Yuko is drinking coffee. She says, "After breakfast, Miss Aki, would you like to go for a walk in the vineyard with me?"

After swallowing the pancake in your mouth, you took another sip of black tea and said, "Sure, your main purpose in coming here was to acquire this vineyard, wasn't it?"

After drinking a cup of black tea, you feel warm and cozy all over. Eating sweets really does make people feel happy. Of course, the sweets you're talking about are not too sweet, not the kind of sweets that Uchiha provides.

After breakfast, you will go with Yuko to visit the vineyard. She said that grapes were no longer grown here a few years ago, "because a group of outsiders wanted to buy the land, but I know that their acquisition was not for good purposes."

What can you do with a piece of land? You can build skyscrapers or grow other crops. Their ambition will certainly drive them to grow high-value crops, such as tobacco or poppies.

You've tried working in the tobacco industry before and it was indeed profitable, but given how much you suffered from secondhand smoke in your past life, you don't want the industry to prosper too much.

If you can barely accept the tobacco industry, then the latter is absolutely unacceptable; this is a concept carried over from your past life.

Judging from Yuko's serious and solemn expression, you can guess that the situation is likely the latter, after all, the latter is the real high-profit industry, and it can also control a region or even a country through this method.

"Is it because they want to grow something else?" you said.

"Yes... they lure other local plantation owners with promises of high returns, but I can see very clearly that their goal is not just to make money."

Sigh, I guess it's the same old goal of world domination again. It's so unoriginal. Didn't you ever think of something like this?

Yuko smiled and said, "But you give me a very different feeling. You are not the same kind of people as them."

It's probably because you hate secondhand smoke and have a strong aversion to drugs.

So you're saying you agree to sell this land to me?

“I can give it to you for free,” Yuko said.

As everyone knows, free things are the most expensive. If you could, you would rather buy them with real money. You shrug and say generously, "I don't lack this money. If you want me to do something for you, you might as well just ask. I might consider it."

"Miss Mingxi, you are a smart person."

It's not that you're particularly smart; it's just that people in this world tend to be too narrow-minded. You're not as prone to getting stuck on details as they are.

"Speak."

"To be honest, if they also plan to build a factory here and sell all the wines mixed with addictive extracts all over the world, it will cause chaos worldwide."

They're going to build a factory... I should have sent Deidara here to blow it up.

You listened quietly, and as Yuko got more emotional, she said, "This island was originally very beautiful, but their arrival has made it dark and degenerate little by little. I cannot allow them to destroy my homeland like this."

"So... could you please help me?"

"I can help." Eliminating this drug den won't do you any harm; you could even take over their factory directly, which would be more beneficial than harmful.

The problem is that you came in such a hurry this time that you only had one bodyguard with you, um... that's a bit troublesome. The main thing is that you don't want Bai to get hurt, so you said, "I need some time to get my people to this island."

Even if the nearest stronghold to the Land of Wine sends someone over, it might take several days, so you plan to stay put for the time being and treat this trip as a vacation.

Yuko said, "Thank you so much... thank you so much."

You haven't done anything yet, why is she already thanking you? You say, "It's not time for you to thank me yet, save your thanks for later."

The sunlight outside gradually became dazzling. When you and Yuko came out, the sky was still foggy, but now the fog had completely dissipated, and the bright sunlight was shining on you. You didn't like this feeling and turned to go back inside. You should have worn a sun hat when you came out.

Your cheeks were flushed from walking back to the villa from the vineyard. You went to the bathroom on the first floor, turned on the tap, scooped up a handful of water, and washed your face.

Bai, who was standing at the bathroom door, handed you a handkerchief at the right moment. As you wiped the water droplets off your cheeks with the handkerchief, you told Bai to have him notify the mercenaries at the nearby outposts.

"Are you sending an entire team over?" Bai asked you to confirm. "An entire team... it seems you're planning something big next," he said. "Perhaps I can go and scout the situation first."

“No, you stay with me. Someone else will handle this,” you said, water droplets sliding down your cheeks. You smiled. “I can’t live without Bai, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Bai lowered his eyes and softly called your name, "Mingxi..."

"Do as I say." That's how you give the order.

"Okay, I understand."

After that, you act as if nothing happened and stroll around the island like a tourist. There are many tourists sunbathing on the beach, and people are carrying insulated boxes and asking tourists if they need shaved ice.

You found a quiet spot, spread out a deck chair, and lay down in the shade under a parasol, where you could enjoy the sea view without getting scorched by the sun.

You're listening to music with your headphones on, and you doze off with your eyes half-closed. When you open them again, there's a figure next to you. You look closely and realize, oh, it's Zhishui wearing a floral shirt and loose beach shorts.

Hmm? Still water?

"What the hell is going on..." You turned your head and saw Zhishui pull down his sunglasses, revealing his eyes with slightly upturned corners, and said, "Long time no see, Mingxi."

His floral shirt was truly floral, with a pattern of large swaths of cosmos flowers, exuding a sunny and cheerful vibe.

Honestly, it might be your stereotype of the Uchiha clan. You always feel that people of this clan are more suited to wearing dark-colored clothes, such as navy blue or black. But how should I put it, Shisui's curly hair and his personality make him an outlier among the Uchiha, so you don't find it strange that he wears a floral shirt. In fact, it even seems a bit appropriate.

"That crow, it really was sent by you, wasn't it?" You thought of the crow that had been lingering outside your window last night, and you knew something was wrong with it. Sure enough, your intuition was right.

"You saw through me. I was going to say it was a chance encounter. Don't worry, I just wanted to see you. I'm not here to take you back to Konoha. I'm not like Itachi."

Wow, you're still putting down your friend at a time like this? Uchiha Itachi, do you know that your best friend is talking about you behind your back?

Your gaze fell on his floral shirt, and you said, "It's definitely different."

Zhi Shui pushed his sunglasses up to the top of his head, so that his beautiful eyes were fully visible. He said, "Don't you think they look good? When I bought them, the seller said they would suit me perfectly."

Do you really believe what the seller says?

But he's not bad-looking either. After all, he's really handsome, and with that face, he can wear anything and still look good.

"Won't you be discovered by the people of Konoha if you come here?"

"I converted my time off into a short holiday." He sat down on the recliner next to you.

That sounded a bit pitiful, and seeing that you still had to use your time off, you couldn't help but feel a little sympathy. But where did Bai go? You looked away, and Zhishui guessed what you were looking for and said, "Are you looking for Bai? He probably went to buy you a drink."

You cross your arms and ask, "Is that all the vacation Konoha gave you?"

"yes."

I was thinking of telling him, "Why don't you come work for me?" But then I thought, if I really said that, he would probably happily agree. Although he is indeed very capable, Uchiha people are not very stable in their mental state. You need an employee with stable emotions.

He's not a love-struck employee who wants to be a mistress, but he can also be your informant in Konoha.

"At this moment, Mingxi, shouldn't you say, 'Then why don't you come over to my side?'"

"Sorry, I just like to do things unconventionally."

Shisui said, "I know you're worried that I'll actually agree. Don't worry, I won't pester you like Itachi did."

Huh? So what is he doing now...?

With a bright smile on his face, Shisui emphasized that he was different from Itachi.

Yes, yes, they are indeed different; one has curly hair and the other has straight hair. How can they be the same?

"Speaking of which, we were investigating members of the Akatsuki organization last time," Shisui casually recounted his previous mission.

Is it really okay to tell you things that are Konoha's secrets directly?

"It was a mission with Itachi, and we almost got into an argument because of your question. Ugh, he still acts like he's your fiancé. Just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable."

Wait a minute, why did the topic jump so fast?

That's probably the Uchiha's erratic thinking; you can probably understand it for now.

Just then, Bai walked over with the drinks he had bought. Compared to Zhi Shui, who was dressed in flashy clothes, his clothes were much simpler: a loose white shirt and light-colored trousers. Sometimes, simple beauty is true beauty. Bai tied his long black hair into a braid and let it hang down in front of his chest. His delicate features were like a lotus emerging from clear water.

"You'll be a little thirsty after you wake up, right? How about some shaved ice?" Bai said, not glancing at Zhishui even once, as if he didn't exist.

You're scooping out pineapple shaved ice. Eating pineapple on its own can hurt your tongue, but making it into shaved ice is just right.

“Oh right, I came here again to tell you that Itachi hasn’t left Konoha recently because he’s been busy with work, but once he’s done with this—” he paused for a moment, “he will come to find you.”

No, he'll be busy for a while and then he'll start another. You were able to write directly to the Fire Country Daimyo to mediate the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha, so you can naturally create some trouble for the Uchiha now. Ideally, you should keep Itachi Uchiha extremely busy.

"It's really kind of you to come all this way to deliver this message to me." After a few sips of shaved ice, your mood improved considerably. Zhi Shui said, "It's nothing."

As the sun set, the temperature at the beach gradually decreased. A sea breeze swept across the sand, and you shivered. Seeing this, Bai draped a coat over you.

When you left the beach, Zhishui naturally followed. It seems you didn't click the "Pet Follow" button, right?

After walking for a while, you asked in confusion, "How much longer are you going to follow me?"

With a slightly aggrieved yet still soft voice, she answered, "Mingxi, do you really hate me that much?" This commotion drew a sidelong glance from Bai beside him, her brows furrowing.

What are you pretending for?

You said, "No, there isn't."

"Really? That's great! Oh, and if there's anything I can help with, just let me know."

Normally you might have refused, but now... you do need help, so you ask, "How many people can you kill in one minute?"

Zhi Shui paused for a moment, but still answered seriously, "It depends on the other party's level."

After thinking for a moment, you figured the other party was probably just an average mercenary, since hiring ninjas is very expensive, so you said, "Just average."

He holds up three fingers to you, and you say, "Thirty? That doesn't seem like a lot."

"No, I meant three-digit numbers. As for which number it starts with, that depends on how many people are on the other side."

The person who can be called a genius of the Uchiha clan is so terrifyingly strong that you ask with a hint of curiosity, "Who is stronger, you or Itachi?"

"It's hard to say, because it's very difficult for us to get to the point where we have to risk our lives," he replied cautiously.

That's true. Their interests are aligned right now. Even if they really fight, it would seem to you like a love triangle, which is pointless.

"Alright, I really need you this time. Go and investigate their internal situation for me."

Shisui asked eagerly, "Is that all?"

What? His tone made it sound like he wanted to kill your enemy right then and there. You said, "Yeah."

He takes your hands and says, "Okay, I understand. I will complete the mission perfectly."

Later, you told him some more things, and he disappeared from your sight happily. I don't understand why he was so happy to work for someone else for free. There's really no hope for ninjas in this world.

After Shisui left, Bai asked, "Is it really okay to entrust such an important task to him?"

"Although he sometimes has mental instability, which is a common problem among Uchiha, his work ability is indeed beyond doubt." And even if he were really injured, you probably wouldn't feel anything.

Bai frowned and said, "What about me? Mingxi, am I too weak?"

You stared at Bai for a while, then couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Of course not."

You know that Bai often reflects on himself, and reflection is a good habit, but excessive reflection is not good.

"I'm just making the most of what I have," you explained succinctly. You'd made it so clear that he should understand, but you underestimated the reading comprehension abilities of the ninjas in this world. They always managed to analyze and understand what you said from angles you hadn't even considered.

Take Bai, for example. He said, "I also hope that Mingxi can make good use of me. That's the meaning of my life."

Okay, you've gotten used to those ninjas occasionally spouting out some outrageous remarks. You say, "Doesn't 'using' sound jarring?"

"Hmm... then I hope you'll make good use of me, Mingxi."

...That sounds even worse.

The topic had veered completely off course by now. You took a deep breath and said, "I've always been making good use of you."

Bai held your hand. "Really? But I have many other uses that Mingxi doesn't seem to have discovered yet."

Stop, this topic will get really bad if we keep going on like this. You said, "It's mainly because Shisui has the Sharingan, which makes it easier for him to do this intelligence work."

Bai finally stopped talking about it. You returned to the manor from the beach. You had just arrived at the manor when the last ray of sunset was swallowed up on the horizon. The sky turned gloomy, and you couldn't see any stars when you looked up. It was obvious that the weather wouldn't be good tomorrow.

Actually, it started to drizzle outside the window that night. The pitter-patter of the rain turned into white noise that helped you sleep, especially through the window, the sound was even more hazy and indistinct, which made you sleep even better.

While you are sound asleep, Shisui, who has received a mission, silently infiltrates the enemy's underground lair. It is here that they use a series of instruments to peel, extract, concentrate, and finally blend the poppies into wine.

"Are you on night shift tonight?" the man in the black uniform asked another colleague.

My colleague said, "Yeah, it's because that guy Jiu Tai is going to the casino again. Honestly, he always asks me to cover his shift, which means I can't go find any women."

The two men chatted casually when suddenly, the man with the cigarette in his mouth frowned. He rarely got goosebumps, and he turned to his colleague and asked, "Don't you feel a little chilly?"

"What do you mean by feeling cold? Are you too weak? Tsk, judging from your complexion, you must have drunk too much again. Don't drink yourself to death one day."

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant—the atmosphere seems a bit off. Wait, what about that security camera?" The man's cigarette was still in his mouth, and his eyes turned to the side. Before he could react, his gaze was met with a crimson light.

He then lost consciousness.

"Eh... is the security here really that weak?" The boy crouched down and took a bunch of keys from the two men. Hmm, this was what he wanted.

The keychain in his hand made a faint sound, which disappeared into the air. The next second, another male voice broke the silence, "Sharingan? You're an Uchiha from Konoha? How come I didn't know Konoha's influence extended so far, even reaching here?"

Shisui turned around and saw that the other person was still wearing a headband, but there was a scratch on the headband. He was a rogue ninja. That made it no surprise. After betraying his village, he chose to collude with other dark forces and completely lost his way.

“I am not acting on behalf of Konoha in this operation,” Shisui said.

"That's interesting. You say you don't represent Konoha, so who are you fighting for?" the man asked with interest, believing that the Uchiha in front of him was just making excuses.

Shisui thought carefully, then said, "I'm fighting for the one I love, but even if I say that, you probably won't understand, and you don't need to understand, after all, you—" As he spoke, Shisui drew the longsword from his back, "...and will die soon."

The cold blades gleamed with a chilling light, their surfaces reflecting his equally aloof profile.

"Hahaha—how arrogant! You're the one who deserves to die!" As he spoke, a pair of swords suddenly appeared in the man's hands. In order not to damage the other precision instruments in the basement, the man refrained from using any powerful ninjutsu. However, no matter how he attacked, the Uchiha in front of him was completely unharmed. Even when his swords pierced through the Uchiha's shoulder, his expression did not change in the slightest.

Oops--!

The man finally realized what was happening, his hands formed a hand seal again, and he shouted, "Release—!"

"Oh, so you finally realized that you were actually in my illusion, but you realized it a little too late." Shisui said as he slowly walked towards him. The cut on his shoulder had not healed. A crow crawled out of the wound, flapped its wings, and suddenly grew larger as it approached the man. Its sharp and huge beak pecked at the man's eyeballs.

"Aaaaaah—My eyes! My eyes!!" The man clutched his eyes in agony. Meanwhile, in the real world, Shisui had already walked past the man, watching him clutch his eyes and scratch them until they bled profusely with his fingers.

This should be considered one of the more formidable figures in this ninja den. The others he encountered later were merely small fry, who thought they could harm him with firearms. Of course, if caught off guard, an ordinary ninja might indeed be injured, but Shisui was clearly not one of those ordinary ninjas.

But then he suddenly remembered something, and deliberately slowed down his dodge, letting the bullet graze his shoulder and twist his waist. Instantly, his skin was torn open, and the flowing blood soaked his clothes. But he was quite satisfied with this. The injury looked just right. After achieving the effect he wanted, he used his Sharingan to deal with all the small fry present.

Then he leisurely gathered intelligence. Yes, you did send him to gather intelligence, and he did indeed do so, except that he also took down the enemy's base in the process. Shouldn't that be considered exceeding expectations?

Zhishui is already imagining the expression on your face when you hear this good news.

He dragged his still-bleeding body to the solemn place where you were, not caring that it was still raining outside, which would make him even more pitiful by getting soaked.

He knows that when you see someone pitiful, especially a good-looking person, you're bound to be moved to some extent by their pitiful act.

Although it's somewhat obvious, as long as you can achieve your goal, nothing else matters.

He easily climbed onto your balcony and opened the door connecting to the bedroom.

Bai, who was guarding you, woke up instantly, his sharp eyes piercing Zhishui, this uninvited guest. He looked down at you, who was fast asleep, gently stroked your hair, and silently gave Zhishui a look. The latter immediately understood. Just as they were about to go out to negotiate, a clap of thunder suddenly came from outside, waking you up.

Slowly opening your eyes, you see Zhishui, who was perfectly fine during the day, now kneeling by your bedside, covered in blood. Although you have a strong mental fortitude, you are not invincible, so you are still startled, though not as obviously. You turn on the bedside lamp, and the warm light makes Zhishui's disheveled appearance even clearer.

What happened? You only asked him to gather some information, how did he end up in such a mess?

You said, "Aren't you going to explain?"

"I... exceeded the work you assigned." His voice was a little hoarse. You sat up, sighed, and asked Bai to get a bath towel. The latter frowned, but still obediently got up and took a clean and soft bath towel from the cabinet. Then he handed it to Zhishui with a perfunctory attitude. It would be a miracle if he had a good attitude towards him.

Shisui, standing before you, showed no displeasure with the dialogue. He said, "It was just a moment of carelessness. I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest."

Bai glanced at Zhishui again. Sorry? He didn't see any apology in Zhishui. He was clearly just smug about his little trick.

He's deliberately playing the victim because he knows you fall for it.

You told him to wipe the rain off himself before speaking, and Shisui obediently did so. After a while, he said, "So, can Aki forgive me for what I did before?"

"Ah...you mean the locator you installed in my necklace?" As you spoke, you beckoned to Shisui, who crawled toward you on his knees. You held out your hand, and he looked at your palm expectantly. Finally, you pinched his cheek and said, "You did that on purpose to gain sympathy, didn't you? Don't think I can't tell."

You can see through his little tricks at a glance.

Zhi Shui, whose cheek you pinched, paused for a moment. He lowered his eyes, his long, thick eyelashes clumped together after being wet by the rain. He said, "I'm sorry."

"I hope you really feel sorry."

“I… have been thinking about this. Why wasn’t it me who made Itachi sacrifice himself for the sake of peace in the Uchiha clan? I could have sacrificed myself for peace too.”

Was he truly sacrificing himself for peace? Why is he still arguing with his good brother over trivial matters?

After saying this, he pressed his cheek against your palm and said, "What Itachi can do, I can do too."

This is so troublesome. You should have pretended to be asleep earlier and said, "Really? Well, let's think about this later."

The main reason is that he is such a useful labor force that he can destroy the enemy's base all by himself, without you having to send a team. This saves you a lot of money, so you can forgive his previous actions for the time being, and you are even in a good mood.

The conversation is over, and you should go back to sleep. You yawn and wave to him, saying, "You can go now. By the way, as for your wounds, Bai, go get him some hemostatic agent and treat him a bit more. Then put him in the room next door."

And then that was it. You fell asleep immediately, not caring what Bai Hui and Zhi Shui were saying, or whether there would be any conflict between them. All you wanted to do was rest.

Bai turned off the bedside lamp on your side, then led Zhishui out of the room. After walking for a while, he said, "Your tricks are really good. Did you achieve the effect you wanted? Your method of playing the victim is top-notch."

Since you're not here, Zhishui won't bother pretending anymore. He said expressionlessly, "You must hate me now, right? But so what? There's more than one person like me. You should know how many people are eyeing the spot next to her, since you've always been by her side."

He had the air of a smug little devil. He pulled out a first-aid kit, took out some hemostatic agents, and asked, "So, do you still need my treatment? I think you probably don't. After all, a ninja of your caliber should be able to tolerate this kind of injury."

But after saying that, Bai changed his mind again. He went back to Zhishui's side and coldly treated his wounds. He suddenly realized that if this guy was still injured tomorrow, he would definitely take the opportunity to continue to play the victim. He couldn't let that happen again, so he decisively treated his wounds.

Shisui must have expected this as well. While Haku was being treated, he asked again, "Where is that ninja named Zabuza? Last time Zabuza was by your side, so why haven't we seen him this time?"

Bai countered, "You seem to know a lot about the people around Mingxi?"

Ah... I wouldn't say I know them very well. It's instinctive to want to understand your lover; it's human nature.

Even now, Shisui doesn't think he did anything wrong. Any other Uchiha would have done the same, and maybe even more extreme. Yes, he's referring to his friend Itachi, who is considered a mild-mannered Uchiha by comparison.

"I can't tell you these things," Bai said.

Well, he knew this would be the answer, so he wasn't too disappointed.

Bai healed the small wound quickly. Zhi Shui continued, "I've grown up with Mingxi since we were little. If you really want to talk about it, well, we should be considered childhood sweethearts. When we were little, Mingxi was someone who only had a short attention span. She wasn't interested in anything around her. The only thing she seemed to be interested in was money. I always wondered if I could become her lover if I earned enough money. But later I found out that she was only interested in her lover for a short time."

"Do you think I want to hear about your unrequited love journey?" Bai asked. "I don't think I have any obligation to answer your emotional questions, do I?"

“No, that’s not what I wanted to say. What I wanted to say was—” Shisui smiled slightly, “Do you think you’ll be that special case? That special case who breaks free from the curse of short-lived enthusiasm?”

Bai pursed his lips tightly. His words were clearly meant to sow discord, but he still couldn't help but start to overthink it.

No, he should trust you. If he can't even trust you, then what right does he have to stay by your side?

“At least I don’t need to pretend to be pitiful to get close to her. The one who actively pretends to be pitiful is the real pathetic one.” Bai nodded to Zhishui. “Then, please be quiet and don’t disturb Mingxi’s sleep anymore.”

There was no smile on Zhi Shui's face at all. He walked to the bedroom door and disappeared behind it.

*

Things that happen in the early hours of the morning are often mistaken for dreams. After you wake up, it takes you a while to distinguish which parts were dreams and which happened in reality.

You look at the scattered bloodstains on the carpet beside the bed and remember, oh right, Zhishui came over last night, saying he had exceeded the task you assigned, and then went on and on about a long time, but you got annoyed and sent him away.

Right now, he should be in the room next to yours.

Never mind these little details. You get out of bed, slip on your slippers, and go to the bathroom to wash up. You're already a little hungry, but as you walk out of the bathroom, you catch a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of your eye.

Hmm...? Did something just float by? You turn your head and look, oh, it's Obito.

Hmm, wait, what's he doing here?

You turn your head, and the other person is looking at you with their hands supporting their chin, of course, through a mask. Their voice is still so affected and pretentious. They say, "Hey, Miss Mingxi, why are you looking at me like that? Do you hate me, Afei?"

"You're crazy," you rolled your eyes.

"Ah, Miss Mingxi just rolled her eyes at me. Hmm, even if you look at Fei with disgust, Fei will still be happy!"

"If you keep this up, get out of here. What are you even doing here?" You're hungry right now, so your temper won't be any better.

Obito said, "Ah... isn't that because Tobi is worried that the fickle Miss Aki is having affairs outside?"

As he spoke, he fiddled with his fingers, looking a little embarrassed.

“Yeah, I also met another beautiful ninja last time.” You said casually, but Obito was really getting impatient. He said, “Ha—I knew it, you went and met other men again.”

His tone instantly shifted from affected affectation to utter resentment; he changed that fast. You covered your ears to mute yourself, but Obito persisted, asking, "Then what do you take me for?"

"Just for fun? For entertainment?" You went to great lengths to provoke him, and you did manage to do just that. Obito angrily questioned, "If I hadn't come, you wouldn't have been going to mess with that Uchiha downstairs again, would you? Do you really like Uchiha that much?"

You see, he rushed over in such a hurry because he found out Shisui was looking for him. You smiled and said, "No, not really. My tastes aren't limited to the Uchiha."

Your explanation only further enraged Obito, but it doesn't matter anyway. He's just angry, and it won't affect you.

"You know that Uchiha is loyal to Konoha. What do you think his reaction would be if he knew you were having an affair with a member of Akatsuki?"

Wow, he's threatening you! You're slightly surprised, but also a little curious. You say, "Then you should try it out. I'm curious too."

It didn't pose any threat at all; in fact, it piqued your curiosity.

It was like punching cotton, leaving him with a strange sense of powerlessness.

Why does he always seem to be the passive one in your relationship? What went wrong?

Obito pursed his lips and said, "Very well, you said it yourself."

You nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I admit that's what I said, so you can go and show yourself in front of Zhishui now. Go ahead."

Obito remained motionless, and asked in return, "Why do you always look so indifferent?"

"What else do you want from me? Or rather, what kind of person do you expect me to be? Have you never been in an intimate relationship before, which is why you're so clueless about how to handle this kind of problem?"

The way you two are arguing right now is just like a couple going through a cold war. That's why you think that while the Uchiha are useful, dealing with their relationship issues is incredibly troublesome. It seems that everything has its advantages and disadvantages, even this matter.

This is so annoying. Your stomach is growling with hunger. You make a pause gesture and say, "I haven't had breakfast yet, so let's pause the argument."

Obito was so angry he almost laughed. He said, "What kind of reason is that?"

"Aren't you hungry?" you asked earnestly.

"Eating is not that important to me."

Oh, I understand. He has strict control over his physique, that's great. All men should learn from him and use intermittent fasting to control their physique. You nod. As for you, intermittent fasting is out of the question.

"Fine, then you can go hungry."

"Hey—what do you mean by that?" Obito found that no matter how fierce he was, he would always lose his composure with just a few words from you, and this feeling was really terrible.

You walk a few steps, then turn back and ask him, "So, are you going to get up and have breakfast or not?"

He finally agreed and even sat down next to you. To avoid causing you trouble, he thoughtfully changed into another set of clothes, which pleased you. However, he kept staring at Bai and Zhishui across the table while eating.

Shizuku asked thoughtfully, "Who is this, Mingxi?" She seemed genuinely curious about who the other person was, but in reality, she hid her inner hostility very well.

"Don't you know? That's Mingxi's friend. She's probably here to visit her," Bai explained considerately.

Ha, really just friends? Shisui's gaze lingered between you and Obito. How could that be... Ninjas have also studied body language analysis. He could tell from the other person's body language that they subconsciously wanted to get close to you. In other words, your relationship couldn't just be friends.

Ah... As expected, you have many more women around you after leaving Konoha. This was within his expectations, but... he is still a little unhappy.

You took a sip of tea and said, "Well, just friends."

Obito snorted coldly, but said nothing.