Chapter 37 (C37)

Kana's schedule on her days off usually goes like this: In the morning, she's very likely to be called in by her heartless boss to report on her work, and she'll be seething with anger from working overtime. So she'll beat up Uchiha Sasuke to vent her frustration, then go to the village market to buy some things to replenish her household supplies, feed some unwanted fox cubs on the way, and then go home—sometimes she'll run into Neji, who has already graduated from the Ninja Academy and is on a genin mission, and then they'll go home together.

When paying the bill, the shopkeeper didn't have any small change, so she gave me a few lollipops instead. Kana rummaged through the brown paper bag and handed it to her, saying, "Here you go."

The blonde child with cat-whisker-like markings on her cheeks jumped up, "Thank you, Kana-neechan."

Kana took a few steps, stopped, and turned back. "Why are you following me again?"

Naruto knew that this was actually a form of tacit approval from her, and he happily ran up to her, saying, "It's on my way, isn't it?"

The Hyuga clan's territory was located at the far east of the village, exactly in the opposite direction from Naruto's. However, Kana was too lazy to expose him and let him chatter on and on about trivial matters, including a few embellished boastful stories.

She's very strong. So no one will show disgust at her standing next to the "monster." As for whether they dare to say anything behind her back, Kana doesn't hear it and just pretends it doesn't exist.

The Third Hokage once asked her to evaluate Naruto.

On the very day she first came into contact with Naruto Uzumaki, she was summoned to extract information from him. Kana thought to herself that this old man indeed had 24/7 surveillance capabilities and that she should be wary of him, but she showed no sign of it on her face. "He is a lonely child."

So as long as you give him a little attention and love, he will give you his whole heart.

Kana doesn't deny that her initial purpose in approaching Naruto wasn't entirely pure—the system, which claimed to be a graduate of the "Saving the World" program, made her constantly boost other people's favorability.

But that was far too simple. She carefully recalled what she had done—

She originally wanted to avoid it, but when she realized it was a small child, landing face-first from that direction could result in a chipped front tooth or even a broken nose, so she gently lifted him up and placed him on the ground.

The system immediately told her that the child who had been kicked out of the bakery was the protagonist and refreshed the task box.

Kana, who was already planning to leave, turned around, picked up his hood, went inside, and asked him what he wanted.

Under the shopkeeper's angry but silent gaze, I bought the small cake that the child pointed to.

Then lead him out in a normal walking position.

Cakes often have special meaning. Kana thought for a moment, searched all her clothes, but couldn't find anything suitable as a gift. So she could only hand over an apple she had just bought, saying, "Here. Be careful when you walk next time."

As Kana listened to the system's announcement of "Affection +20," indicating that the mission had been exceeded, she looked down at the dirty-looking child with a complex expression—wasn't this child a little too gullible?! Even Hyuga Neji's affection level didn't rise this much.

To reiterate, Kana hates children and she also hates dirty things.

But his once radiant blond hair had lost its luster due to malnutrition, and tears and snot mixed together, dripping onto the apple and cake box in his hands.

Kana crouched down. "Look up."

Given the choice between taking the apple with snot on it and letting him wipe it himself with a handkerchief, and wiping his face through a layer of cloth, Kana chose the latter.

After wiping it clean, Kana finally took a good look at the face—round face, big eyes, blue pupils, blonde hair. Logically, it should conform to most people's universal aesthetic standards.

She didn't want to know what unspeakable troubles the Third Hokage might have, like the continuation of the Hyuga Caged Bird Seal or the annihilation of the Uchiha clan. He always had all sorts of difficulties. She just sincerely wished that the trashy Konoha would be destroyed as soon as possible.

"Little one, I don't have any extra handkerchiefs." So please stop crying.

“I…I am Naruto Uzumaki.”

"Oh." She stood up, showing none of the reaction Naruto had expected—no hatred or fear in her eyes like others, as if it were just an ordinary name.

Happy birthday, Naruto Uzumaki.

Kana only found out later.

Naruto would often appear on that eastward-bound road in the evening to wait for her. Because he didn't know her schedule or plans, he could only wait for her whenever he had free time.

Just to say a few words to her—just to talk to someone who wouldn't judge me based on prejudice.

That's why Kana said he was lonely.

"...I'm going to take the Chunin Exams the day after tomorrow," Naruto said, his fingers interlaced behind his head, palms resting on his head, striding forward with his head held high, his innocent face showing no trace of gloom. "Then I'll become a Chunin, and then..."

"Naruto."

Kana stopped in her tracks. He had been so engrossed in talking that he realized they had reached a fork in the road where they would part ways. Further ahead, they would be close to the Hyuga clan's territory. He remembered Kana's cold, almost indifferent tone when he first followed them here: "Don't follow me. That's not a good place."

Her gaze swept across the dark woods, just a glance, so it was unclear whether it was intentional.

"You should go back now."

A child's eyes are the color of the sky, clear and bright, so even the slightest disappointment or gloom is particularly noticeable.

She tapped him on the head. "And good luck on your exam."

Birds love the forest.

When the Hyuga clan's ancestors chose their clan's territory, they selected the most lush corner of Konoha. After confirming that Naruto had left safely, Kana stepped into the deep, dark forest alone.

In the heart of the jungle, where the foliage is most abundant, sunlight cannot penetrate this impenetrable green canopy, leaving shadows on the earth.

Blades clashed, metal struck stone, and sparks flew.

Kana walked out of that area, a drop of water in her palm containing a grain of sand.

—Sand clone.

Kana thought for a moment, then changed the direction of her feet.

He was indeed here.

Kana walked up behind him.

The tombstone has already been cleaned.

She had just given the only snack to Naruto, so she could only take an orange as a token gesture.

Kana sat down on the ground next to Shikatori, at a height that allowed her to look at the photo on the monument at eye level.

She skipped a grade and graduated, so she was originally a few years younger than Ji Tai. However, since his time stopped, their age difference has gradually narrowed and disappeared.

Kita was always the glue that held Class 6 together. After his death, Shikatori and Kana almost broke up.

Shikatori has known her for over ten years and has never seen her break down or shed a tear.

What are we to you?

Even at Mrs. Ji's funeral, her expression remained calm and undisturbed—so his desperate questioning of her seemed like a joke.

A month later, the two bounty hunters who had been gathering intelligence on Shikatori suddenly died a violent death—the scene was handled very cleanly, with no distinguishing features, and no one knew who did it. The humiliated gold exchange posted an 80 million yen bounty.

An absurd idea popped into Shikatori's mind, and he abandoned his teammates and rushed out of the izakaya, ignoring the shouts of others.

By the time he appeared before Kana, he had quickly regained his composure. The Nara family members, the more chaotic and urgent the situation, the faster their minds work.

Where did you go on your day off five days ago?

"It has nothing to do with you."

Lu Qu grabbed her hand with such force that she couldn't break free for a moment.

He stared intently into her eyes. "We're playing chess."

She frowned, as if she wanted to say something.

The force in his hands increased, and Kana vaguely heard the sound of bones being crushed. When she looked up, she realized that it was Shikatori's jaw trembling.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered quickly, "They've issued a kill order, but there are still no leads. No matter who asks, you insist you didn't leave the village that day."

Too close.

Kana was so close that she could feel his anxious breathing and see the pleading in his eyes.

She placed her palm against his chest, feeling his heart pounding rapidly. She pulled away slightly, swallowing back the words she wanted to say, and finally gave in to his wishes, saying, "We're playing chess."

Of course, what happened later proved that Shikatori was just worrying unnecessarily—Kana never fights a battle unprepared.

Bounty hunters live a life of constant danger, reaping countless souls, including many famous figures. Who would notice that an insignificant Chunin was killed by them?

Naturally, no one would expect that someone would risk their life for just that insignificant Chunin.

To this day, Kana still hasn't answered that question.

But Shikatori felt that it didn't matter anymore.

"Aren't you on vacation?" Shikato glanced at her.

She remembered the task the third generation leader had given her that morning, "My vacation is ruined."

In short, it means that "the ANBU's mole in Sunagakure has been overdue for six days without any news, so the higher-ups sent me to investigate."

A tiny grain of sand lay quietly in her outstretched palm. Fortunately, her skin was fair enough to serve as a suitable backdrop. Shikato squinted and observed for a while before finally noticing it.

“Someone is watching me,” she said. “This Chunin Exam isn’t going to be easy.”

"Sending you out at a time like this?" Lu Qu scoffed. "Isn't it just to make way for him?"

The "he" refers to another deputy head of the secret service. With the head of the secret service killed in the line of duty, the department is temporarily leaderless and a new head must be elected as soon as possible to take charge—this person will be chosen from among the two current deputy heads.

Kana has been in the Anbu for six years, and the number of days she can get leave is very limited. However, this time the Third Hokage generously granted her a week's leave.

This year's Chunin Exams are exceptionally grand, with all six villages joining forces. Such a political occasion is a great opportunity to build prestige and develop connections.

"This is not fair." After Ji Tai's death, Shikatoki's dream was no longer just to become an ordinary Jonin. He joined the Anbu two years ago and knew more about its internal undercurrents than most people.

Kana glanced at him, finding his behavior baffling. "The world is inherently unfair."

For those in positions of power, loyalty is more important than ability.

The Caged Bird Seal is a family secret of the Hyuga clan, but it is not a secret unknown to anyone.

Who would dare to let someone whose life is in the hands of so many family members become their confidant?

Therefore, the highest position one can reach after splitting up is the second-in-command of a department.

The higher-ups are aware of this, and even the main family is aware of it, which is why they have become impatient in cultivating a successor for the main family. They want a member of the main family to take over her "political assets" and lead the Hyuga clan to further progress.

Lu Qu slammed his fist on the ground, even more unwilling than she was, the person involved, "You are clearly stronger than him."

The strongest person is not necessarily a leader. Clearly, Hiruzen Sarutobi only needed her to be an obedient and sharp sword.

“Of course I’m better than him,” Kana said nonchalantly. “But you know, I don’t want to be a minister either.”

She is a staunch believer in the principle of "more work, more pay" and refuses to accept any deal that results in a 20% increase in workload and 100% responsibility for a 5% raise.

To some extent, Hiruzen Sarutobi had a knack for judging people; she was destined not to be the "Successor of the Will of Fire" who would dedicate herself to Konoha to the point of death.

Moreover, even though he's old and a cunning old fox who's been entangled in officialdom for many years, he still retains a keen political sense—something has indeed happened in Sunagakure, but it's necessary to maintain a facade of peace between the two villages, so the fewer people sent to investigate, the less attention it will attract.

"But your not wanting it and their refusal to give it are two different things."

"Don't waste your brain cells on this kind of thing," Kana warned him, telling him not to cause trouble. "Look at all the ministers in the past, which one of them has ended well? Hope I'm right."

On the surface, she had been treated unfairly, but only she knew the truth of the matter. Thinking about all the mess that was to come, Kana was actually happy to go out and find some peace and quiet.

In any case, according to the plot the system told her, Neji and Sasuke both survived until the Fourth Shinobi World War. Without her involvement, even if the plot was bad, it would just be following the main storyline.

"Things haven't been peaceful lately, so be careful. I'll say it again: life is more important than missions." This has always been her philosophy of leading the team. Fortunately, she has the strength to back her up and nothing has gone wrong, so Hiruzen Sarutobi has turned a blind eye and let her be.

Kana patted her clothes and stood up. "Also, help me record Neji's battle exam."

"...I won't help you for nothing, I'll treat you to a meal."

"The Charcoal House. The most expensive one."

"..." Kana gave a thumbs up, then switched the order—Nara Shikato, you are this one.