Chapter 25. I've got you.
You've heard rumors about the Uchiha clan before, that they are very sentimental. After meeting different Uchiha, you've found that this statement is indeed very true. The Uchiha clan does value loyalty and righteousness, which can be considered a strength. However, if taken too far, it can turn from a strength into a weakness.
That's a very heavy emotion. Back in Konoha, you only had a playful attitude towards becoming lovers with Itachi Uchiha, but he already had marriage in mind. Would a normal person's relationship be like that? Only you Uchiha people are like that.
In your opinion, isn't a relationship just about parting amicably?
You didn't even finish reading the letter; you only read the beginning and already felt dizzy.
Sorry, you're confused by the word.
It's reasonable to suspect that Itachi Uchiha added a hypnotic ninjutsu to it, otherwise why would you be so dizzy?
"Mingxi? Are you alright? This letter..." Bai noticed your pale face and immediately asked if you were feeling well.
Wait a minute, you're not that weak. You say, "I'm fine." As you say this, you light a corner of the letter with a lighter and throw the burning letter into the ashtray next to you, along with the envelope.
There's no need to waste time and energy on this. You quietly watch the letter being consumed by the flames, eventually turning into a pile of ashes, the air filled with the smell of burning, and then the smoke alarm is triggered.
Damn it, I forgot about the smoke detector!
Thankfully, Shiro led you to safety in time, otherwise you would have been soaked to the bone. Kabuto, having received the alarm, rushed to your room. This time, he didn't even knock, just pushed the door open and asked, "What triggered the alarm?"
You raise your hand to wipe away the few drops of water from your cheek and say, "It's nothing."
The Pharmacist wiped the water droplets from your cheeks with a handkerchief, then walked to the room where the smoke alarm was located. His gaze locked onto the ashtray filled with ashes. The ashtray was now filled with a layer of water, and the ashes were floating on the surface. It seemed that this was what had triggered the smoke alarm.
"Anyway, it's good that everything's alright," said Kabuto Yakushi.
You didn't know that Kabuto Yakushi also acts as a firefighter in the office building? You said, "You're in charge of that too?"
"Yes, didn't the management regulations for the experimental building that you gave us include a provision for selecting grid members to manage different areas? We strictly abide by the rules and regulations you set."
The management regulations... that thing seems to have been drafted by you in just one night based on your experience from your previous life, yet they actually strictly adhere to it.
But how should I put it... Kabuto the Pharmacist as a grid worker just feels a bit off.
After the alarm was lifted, Kabuto should have left, but he was still curious about what you had been burning, so he asked, "What kind of ashes are in that ashtray?"
You said, "No comment."
"Perhaps I can help you?"
Are you sure you're not just holding us back? You don't really need Kabuto's help. You said, "No, you should just focus on being a grid worker. Besides, you're being so attentive to others, are you planning to switch jobs?"
Thinking about it now, it seems quite possible. Maybe he wanted to switch jobs to work for you. After all, working with Orochimaru every day was too stressful and demanding, unlike working for you where the salary and benefits are generous and the pay is good. More importantly, you don't summon snakes at the drop of a hat like Orochimaru.
You don't have a hobby of playing with snakes.
Even Kabuto Yakushi couldn't control his expression when his concern was misinterpreted as a desire to switch jobs. He said, "I just really admire you."
You nod. There are plenty of people who appreciate you, so you don't need one more. You say, "Very well, then keep appreciating me."
That is, this completely indifferent attitude.
Having gotten nothing from you, Kabuto turned and left, saying, "It seems like he admires you more than just Aki."
You like white-haired characters quite a bit, but you don't like Kabuto Yakushi as much, probably because his sinister image is too deeply ingrained in people's minds.
“That has nothing to do with me,” you said.
Back in your room, the bed in the bedroom is soaked by the rain from the smoke alarm, so it looks like you'll have to sleep in another room tonight.
You've spent enough time in Orochimaru's lab; it's time to leave. But you haven't decided where to go yet. Hmm... should you go to the Land of Waves? But you've lived there for quite a while now. How should I put it? You're getting tired of the scenery there. You need to see something new.
"Where should I go? Where should I go?" After washing up, you lie on the soft bed with a fluffy pillow under your arm. In front of you is an open travel magazine. Hmm... it feels like you could visit the Land of Earth? Your businesses are spread across major countries and even small ones. They're everywhere. As a result, you've bought properties in different countries.
In your past life, you were working hard to buy a house, but in this life, you own properties all over the world. Although the world is still incredibly dark and chaotic, your quality of life has improved, making it barely tolerable for its darkness.
"Yes, it's decided. I'll go to the Land of Earth."
"In the Land of Earth, I remember you owned several mines there, Mingxi, right?" As your assistant, Bai naturally knew your businesses very well. You rolled over and lay sprawled out, saying, "Yes, I have several mines."
The gems mined from those mines every year flow into your jewelry production line, entering the high-end and ordinary lines according to quality, and then reaping the wealth of the upper-class rich.
That's the allure of luxury goods.
Bai put the travel magazine away, "I guess we'll be taking a horse-drawn carriage this time too."
Well, if I had to say what you're not happy about in this world, the first thing I'd put is that the transportation here isn't very developed. There isn't a highway system, and even though you've been working on road construction for the past two years, the pace is slow, so you still have to travel by horse-drawn carriage.
"What a hassle," you muttered.
"Or should I carry Mingxi on the way?" Bai said again.
You recall the scene of Zabuza carrying you on your journey, and you say, "I would throw up."
"I see... then let's not do it." Bai said with difficulty, not wanting to make you feel bad.
So in the end, let's take a horse-drawn carriage. It's a bit slow, but at least you won't throw up.
After deciding on the next destination, you felt much better. Bai said, "Mingxi seems really happy."
You weren't exactly overjoyed, just moderately happy. You rested your chin on your hand. You've been in this world for over ten years now, and you've only just managed to adapt to it.
"If Bai hadn't become my assistant, what kind of person would you want to be?" you suddenly asked, reaching out to hook a strand of his long hair as you spoke.
“Then I still want to meet Mingxi,” he said. “I really want to live without Mingxi. I… Mingxi is the meaning of my existence.”
The topic gradually became heavy, and you sighed. To some extent, you are actually not a person who likes to take responsibility, especially when faced with other people's excessive emotions. You subconsciously feel that it is troublesome. But the people in this world, especially ninjas, are too sentimental and loyal, or at least that's a nicer way of putting it.
To put it more bluntly, their approach to relationships is somewhat extreme. However, given that they perform high-risk missions year after year without adequate psychological support, it is only natural that they would experience mental health problems.
Bai rested her head on your lower abdomen, just like you often do, quietly leaning against you and snuggling close. "Even if Mingxi wants to abandon me or discard me at any time, I can accept it."
"What nonsense are you talking about? I would never want to lose you. If you're gone, who will organize my files and take care of my daily needs?"
"I don't know...maybe it's Kabuto Yakushi?" He casually tossed out a name, but you knew his true meaning as soon as you heard it. You propped yourself up and stroked his hair. "Then let's forget about it."
"Just forget about it?"
"Okay, that's absolutely impossible." You said it with absolute certainty.
Bai, who had buried his face in your arms, finally looked up. His features were delicate and refined, with particularly beautiful eyes. It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and beautiful eyes can speak volumes. When he looked at you, you seemed to hear the voice of his heart, as if he were saying, "I really like Mingxi."
"I also really like white," you said.
*
The next morning, you left the lab building carrying a shoulder bag. Not only did Kabuto come to see you off, but Orochimaru, who had been spending all his time in the lab these past few days, also showed up. You jokingly said to Orochimaru, "Out in broad daylight? Aren't you afraid of getting sunburned?"
Orochimaru understood what you meant and said, "I'm not a vampire."
"I don't know when we'll meet again after this farewell," Orochimaru said, still making polite remarks. You replied in a businesslike tone, "Isn't it all clearly written in the contract? I'll come over next quarter, and I hope you'll have achieved your research results by then."
Unlike in my past life when I was always being asked this and that by clients, it feels so good to be a client in this life. I can give my opinions as I please. But I'm still a client with a conscience. At least you gave Orochimaru and his team enough time and funding. This is much better than the weird clients I encountered in my past life.
"Of course, I will try my best to catch up with the progress you requested," Orochimaru said, watching you and Haku leave.
After you walked away, Orochimaru asked, "What was the progress she was asking for next quarter?"
Kabuto was startled. Judging from Orochimaru's tone just now, he thought the other party was confident. But as soon as the other person left, he said something like that. However, Kabuto was a qualified assistant and secretary. He was the kind of secretary who could earn a million-dollar annual salary in the workplace. His work ability was beyond doubt.
He had read the thick, brick-like contract you gave him from beginning to end, and he still remembered its contents clearly even after all this time. He answered Orochimaru's question earnestly, and at the end, he added, "But actually, I don't think she'll be coming back to us anytime soon."
"Why?"
"Hmm...that's my feeling." It's impossible to tell Orochimaru directly that it's because he failed to recommend himself to you, and that's why you don't want to come here, right?
Kabuto Yakushi was a smart man; he knew what he should and shouldn't say, and this was the kind of thing he shouldn't say.
Fortunately, Orochimaru didn't press the matter, and the topic faded away with your departure.
On the other side, you and Bai are on your way to the Land of Earth by carriage. The night before, you had already spoken with the heads of the companies in the Land of Earth. Although surprise inspections can indeed reveal a company's normal operating status, doing this all the time can create a sense of unease. More importantly, the benefit of telling them in advance is that you will definitely receive the best treatment when the time comes.
The thought of arriving in the Land of Earth after a long and arduous journey, only to find that the accommodations prepared for you are rather basic, is somewhat unacceptable. Even though you used to stay in standard rooms when you were a corporate slave in your past life, things are different now. It's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality.
The carriage kept swaying and rattling as it passed a gravel road. If this continued, you felt like your whole body was going to crack open. So you got off the carriage and stomped on the gravel road in frustration. One day you would turn this place into a cement road and then build many train tracks. If it weren't for the fact that the technology for building airplanes is not yet mature, you would have started building airports.
The modes of transportation in this world are just... hard to accept.
You stretch your body a bit and say to the driver, "You don't need to stop. I'll just walk beside you and get in the carriage after we've crossed this gravel road."
The driver nodded. Bai accompanied you on the gravel road. Along the way, you encountered some bandits who wanted to rob you, but Bai dealt with them before they could even finish their threats. His efficiency was truly remarkable; he was indeed worthy of being your assistant.
The coachman led the horses around the bandits' corpses; you've now become indifferent to such scenes—human adaptability is truly remarkable.
This gravel path is longer than you think. I was worried your legs would get tired, so I asked, "Do you need me to carry you?"
"No need, just consider it a workout." You don't usually get much exercise. The time you got the most exercise was when Itachi dragged you to run laps in Konoha. Although Haku also encourages you to exercise, he's not as scheming as Itachi.
It seems that Bai really is a kind-hearted person.
After walking for a while, you finally reached the end of the gravel path. Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in your path, with golden hair, a bright orange suit, and a spirited voice, "Uncle, have you seen any bandits around here?"
Naruto's first question was to the coachman who was walking in front.
"Mountain bandits? The mountain bandits you're looking for... are probably all dead already," the coachman said.
"What—? He's already dead!?" Naruto exclaimed in surprise. When his gaze fell on you, he was even more surprised, and this time his voice rose another octave, "Ah, yes, it's Aki!"
He still has the same loud voice as always, you know.
"Naruto, it's been so long!" you said.
"Mingxi, you, me, sigh—why did you suddenly leave before? Sasuke was so worried about you." He was also very worried about you, and even became distracted during daily training because of your departure, which led to Kakashi reminding him several times.
He had been wondering if you left for some special reason, but now that he had unexpectedly met you again, he couldn't bring himself to ask you those questions.
Because you seem to be having a great time. No, it's more accurate to say that you're doing well no matter where you are, whether in Konoha or anywhere else.
"Is Sasuke going on this mission with you too?" you asked.
Naruto shook his head, his expression complex, it was hard to tell whether he was relieved that Sasuke wasn't there or saddened for Sasuke. He said, "This mission was a solo mission that I took on all by myself."
As for why it's a solo mission, that's a long story, and Naruto doesn't think you have the patience to listen to his ramblings. He then asked, "So, are you going to come back to Konoha with me?"
These words are spoken as if Konoha is your home, and you say without hesitation, "No, I will not go back."
"Why—but everyone misses you so much, don't you miss them too?" Have you...never thought of him even for a moment? He kept these words hidden in his heart.
Naruto's emotional appeal won't work on you, after all, you're a ruthless and heartless capitalist. You take the opportunity to reveal your true feelings, saying, "I don't feel much of a sense of belonging to Konoha. It's true that I grew up there, but Naruto, you should understand one thing: not everyone has too much attachment to the place where they grew up."
He seems unable to understand your thoughts. It's as if he has never truly understood you, whether in the past or present. You always seem to be saying things that he doesn't quite grasp.
So you have no attachment to Konoha at all? What about the others? What about Sasuke? You used to be very close to Sasuke, and you would often pick him up from school. When Naruto walked alone to the school gate, you would always see him holding Sasuke's hand and walking home. The setting sun would cast long, long shadows of you two, and the atmosphere between you would be so warm. You would patiently listen to Sasuke talk about how he was praised by the teacher in class and how he got first place in the practical training class.
At that time, Naruto was very certain, absolutely certain, that you liked Sasuke. In fact, your interactions became the template for his imagination of tenderness. Occasionally, he would dream that you would stand at the school gate to pick him up after school and then hold his hand to go home.
If you don't have any feelings for Sasuke, then what is real?
"Mingxi, you're lying, aren't you? I don't believe it... I don't believe you're that kind of person." Is what he likes just a figment of his imagination? He instinctively rejects your words. "You should come back to Konoha with me."
"You're so stubborn," you said, pursing your lips. "Give up. With your current strength, you can't beat Haku. Besides, you don't necessarily have to take me back to Konoha. I'd be happy for you to come and play with me."
As you spoke, you walked towards Naruto. Haku was still a little worried that Naruto might suddenly attack and hurt you, but you waved to Haku to reassure him that you knew Naruto wouldn't do that.
Finally, you walk up to Naruto and say, "On the condition that you keep it a secret, you can't tell anyone else about what happened to me, especially Sasuke, um... and his brother Itachi, do you understand?"
Naruto is torn. If he makes a deal with you, wouldn't that be betraying his comrades? Just as he's struggling with this, you reach out your hand to him.
Naruto, who had been so aggressive just moments before, now seemed a little stunned and said, "Um, Aki, what do you want?"
"Hand, give me your hand."
Although you didn't understand, you obediently reached out your hand, grasped his palm, and took out a pen from your backpack. You wrote a line on his palm: "That's my address. If you want to see me, come here. You can only come alone. Do you understand?"
The pen tip tickled his palm, and Naruto was speechless for a moment. He managed to squeeze out a few words, "But Sasuke..."
"Then you can just erase this line and pretend nothing happened. It's that simple, isn't it? Or you can just keep it as a secret between us." You seem to be giving Naruto the choice, but you know he won't erase this line.
After saying that, you left Naruto's side and brushed past him. As you passed by Naruto, you glanced at him, who was still looking down at the words you had left in his palm.
Reaching the end of the cobblestone path, Bai couldn't help but ask, "Is it really okay to just give him the address? What if he tells someone else?"
"No, I believe Naruto wouldn't do that, and besides—I gave him the address for the Land of Waves, and I won't be going there anytime soon." You wouldn't do anything so risky.
"You could have let me do it just now." Haku felt that you had wasted too much time on Naruto.
"That would only make him more persistent." You know Naruto better than Haku. If you defeat him here, he will definitely keep chasing after you stubbornly. So it's better to give in for now and let him feel that he is the special one.
Sigh, the ninjas of Konoha are all incredibly skilled at landmines.
When Naruto returned to Konoha after completing his mission, he was still somewhat distraught. He bumped into Sasuke, who was also there to submit a mission report, at the Hokage Building. He instinctively wanted to wave and greet him, but then he suddenly remembered something: there was still your handwriting on his palm. If Sasuke found it...
"Or perhaps we should keep this as a secret between us."
Your words resurfaced in his mind.
Although the writing on the palm has faded, you can still see the words if you look closely.
Naruto didn't know what he was thinking, but when Sasuke walked over, he lowered his hands and even clenched his palms, but he still looked nonchalant.
"It's Naruto. Did you finish your mission? I hope you can write a good mission report this time. The Hokage was just saying that every time he receives your mission reports, it's like reading gibberish." Sasuke said, frowning slightly, and asked, "Naruto, did something happen to you?"
"Huh? What's wrong?" Oh no, did he notice something was wrong? Naruto swallowed nervously and chuckled, "I'm fine, umm, really fine!"
Sasuke was still skeptical. He said, "If you haven't written a good mission report, I suggest you polish it before submitting it to the Hokage." After all, the current Hokage is not the easy-going Hiruzen Sarutobi from before, but the hot-tempered Tsunade.
Oh, so he's still worried about the mission report. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, but his mood didn't lighten. On the contrary, the thought that Sasuke still cared about him as a comrade, while he... intentionally kept information about him from him, made him even more anxious.
Is this what you call a partner? Just as Naruto was caught in a dilemma, Sasuke spoke first, "Then see you later, I have other things to do."
After saying that, he left first, leaving Naruto conflicted and with those words he couldn't say.
In the end, he still couldn't tell Sasuke that he had met you during the mission.
The clenched hand loosened and then tightened again.
"What's wrong? You look so worried. You were so confident before we set off." Kakashi appeared beside Naruto at some point and asked with a smile, "Did something happen during the mission?"
Kakashi's intention was to care about his students, since they had become increasingly independent since being promoted to Chunin.
Well, as a teacher, seeing his students gradually become capable ninjas would certainly make him feel gratified on one hand, but on the other hand, he would also feel a little lonely.
Of course, I haven't reached the point of being an empty-nest elderly person yet. It's just that I miss the days when they could rely on me. Ah, it feels like that was a long time ago.
But Naruto's expression changed upon hearing Kakashi's concern. He quickly glanced at Kakashi and spoke just as rapidly, "I... nothing happened, nothing at all, everything went smoothly. I need to submit my mission report now. See you later, Kakashi-sensei—"
Before he could finish speaking, he had vanished. Kakashi, standing there, scratched his head in confusion, wondering if the students disliked him.
Could it be that he's really disliked...?
After hurriedly submitting his mission report, Naruto rushed back to his apartment. He stood by the sink, squeezed some hand soap into his palm, and rubbed his hands until they were covered in foam. His inscrutable expression was reflected in the mirror next to the sink.
He rubbed his palms back and forth with his fingertips, and the ink stains in that area became lighter and lighter until they were about to disappear. But then he suddenly felt a little reluctant to let go. He turned on the tap and let the water wash away the foam from his hands.
The fact that you would proactively give him your address suggests that you are special to him/her, especially since even Sasuke doesn't know your address.
I don't know when it started, but I've developed a habit of comparing myself to Sasuke. Maybe it was the seed that was planted the first time you invited me to your home.
Holding your hand, I walked into a house with warm lights, where a steaming dinner was laid out on the table, and I could hear your gentle voice from time to time.
He seems unable to move on from that day, and he doesn't want to.
It must be admitted that humans are selfish creatures, and Naruto also discovered his own selfishness. He sealed the information about you in his heart, not telling anyone, only he himself knew.
He turned off the tap, water droplets dripping from his fingertips, and took a deep breath.
Let's keep this as a secret between him and you.
*
On the other side, you finally arrived in the Land of Earth. Because you had informed the local officials in advance, your accommodations and other necessities were top-notch.
You collapsed onto the soft hotel bed, your eyes fixed on the warm yellow ceiling, and you slowly blinked.
The local official not only brought dinner but also several documents, which you reluctantly got up to look at after a while.
Bai moved the dinner he brought to the table by the window. You sat in the chair next to him, bent one leg, rested your chin on one hand, and held an open document in the other. The document included the operating status of the local factory and the company for the quarter. You paused when you saw the factory's operating status.
What's with this loss rate? You blinked in confusion, not even touching the lamb that was being offered to you. You said, "This is really strange... What is their factory manager doing? Did the factory get bombed?!"
In a fit of anger, you summoned the local manager, threw the documents in front of her, and said unhappily, "Explain to me why the factory's loss rate is so high? Was your factory bombed?"
The person in charge asked in surprise, "How did you know, sir?"
No way, it really got bombed? You were just saying that offhand.
What kind of situation is this where words become law? Now it's your turn to be stunned. The person in charge recounted the events that had occurred recently. She first mentioned the Akatsuki organization, "Sir, you should have heard of the Akatsuki organization, right? It's a criminal organization composed of S-class wanted criminals who travel between countries and create all kinds of terrorist incidents."
You're familiar with the Akatsuki organization? You even slept with one of their members before.
You suddenly remember that Obito Uchiha was a member of the Akatsuki organization. No, thinking about it makes you even angrier. Rebuilding a factory is very expensive!
Seeing your ashen face, the person in charge didn't dare to say much. She succinctly said, "The current situation is that one of the Akatsuki members, who is skilled in bombing attacks, has blown up one of our factories."
Why didn't you tell me this news right away?
"Because we want to minimize the losses, if we can guarantee that the production line will not have any problems, then I think... you don't need to worry about that."
You rubbed your temples. "Never mind." You didn't expect the people on the front lines of production to retaliate against the members of the criminal organization, so your anger gradually dissipated. In the end, your tone softened considerably. You said, "That's enough. You can go now."
This incident has caused you to lose your appetite. After the person in charge left, you picked up the document again and said, "Mingxi, eat something else. You didn't eat much earlier."
"No." You remember you left Obito's contact information last time, but where did you put it? Sigh, you never thought you would ever reach out to him, so even though he did leave you his contact information, you just tossed it aside.
Seeing that you stood up as if searching for something, Bai asked, "What are you looking for?"
"I think he left his contact information before." You scratched your hair, then turned to Bai and asked, "Do you know where I put it?"
As your personal assistant, Haku manages your life perfectly. Although he doesn't particularly like Obito, he still kept Obito's contact information. He handed you that letter, saying, "But I don't think he would reveal information about other members because of this."
"Ah... well, let's give it a try first." You have other intelligence networks besides Obito, you don't rely entirely on Obito.
You take the letter from Bai's hand. The letter contains a hidden secret. When you unfold it, you find that the letter paper inside has complex patterns drawn on it. Based on your shallow understanding of ninjutsu, it should be some kind of communication array. Bai says, "Write down what you want to say to Mingxi here, and then you can be teleported to his side."
It sounds pretty convenient, but how should I put it, the world still needs to build more cell towers. One day you'll be using mobile phones in this world.
You bring your wandering thoughts back and write down what you want to say on the letter paper.
As soon as the last period was drawn, the letter spontaneously combusted. The scene looked somewhat eerie, like burning something for someone from another world.
The last corner of the letter was consumed by flames, and at the same time, somewhere in the world, Obito Uchiha, who was attending an Akatsuki meeting, also received that letter.
"Did someone send you intelligence?" Xiao Nan asked, her eyes slightly narrowed as she looked at the letter in the other person's hand.
"Ah...it seems that my informant has sent over useful information again."
"What is it? Let everyone see," Kisame said.
Obito Uchiha unfolded the letter, and his expression behind the mask froze for a moment when he saw your handwriting. Before anyone else could see the words on the letter, flames engulfed it. Kisame asked in surprise, "What happened?"
"This was my design. It would self-immolate after a certain time to prevent the information from leaking out." Now he had to thank himself for setting such a restriction, which prevented others from discovering the true contents of the letter.
As Obito Uchiha said this, he walked towards the outside of the conference room.
"The meeting isn't over yet," Kisame said.
"Now that all the important things have been said, staying here any longer is a waste of time. I have other important matters to attend to." With that, he left the meeting room without looking back, and the meeting ended shortly after he left.
The important thing he was referring to was, of course, going to your residence.
He arrived late at night, and you couldn't sleep at all. You heard the window in your room being opened, and the next second you saw Obito appear beside you. He asked, "What urgent matter did you mention?"
"Who in your organization is skilled in using bombs?" you asked bluntly.
Obito frowned. "Why are you suddenly interested in the other members of the organization?" You used to be completely indifferent to his plans and the organization he belonged to. This sudden change in attitude made Obito somewhat concerned.
"So you must know that guy, right?" From here on, your tone became less friendly. "That guy blew up several of my factories, and I'm going to make him pay me back."
The concept of compensation doesn't exist in the minds of Akatsuki members. After all, they are a criminal organization, so how can we expect them to have a high level of legal awareness? To them, killing is just a blink of an eye.
However, blowing up the factory will cause you heavy losses. Not only will you have to spend money to rebuild the factory, but you will also have to pay for the medical expenses of the injured employees. Not to mention that blowing up the factory will halve the efficiency of the entire production line, which will affect other production lines and ultimately lead to a chain reaction of reduced profits in the future.
Perhaps in a shonen manga, viewers would only see the villains causing destruction, completely unaware of the economic impact this would have.
"Damn it!" You slammed your fist on the table in anger. This was the first time Obito Uchiha had ever seen you so angry.
He said, "There is no subordinate relationship between him and me."
The implication was that he couldn't command the other party, and you had anticipated this. You said, "I didn't expect you to bring him directly to me; I just need you to provide some information."
"Are you suggesting I betray the organization? How can I be sure you won't leak information to others?"
You rolled your eyes in exasperation. Why is he suddenly being so shrewd?
"It doesn't matter if you don't tell me. Anyway, I have other intelligence networks, and it's only a matter of time before I gather information about him."
Obito said, "He usually teams up with another member to carry out missions, but occasionally he will act alone."
You poured him a glass of water, gesturing for him to continue. Obito gradually revealed some information about Deidara. Yes, you now know that the guy's name is Deidara, a boy with long blond hair, who seems to be younger than you. In the real world, he would definitely be a juvenile delinquent.
He didn't say much, and finally took a sip of water. "He won't listen to reason."
You nodded. "I have plenty of ways to make him obey."
Obito put down his water glass. It seemed like it had been a while since he'd seen you. The last time you met was when you set off for the Land of Earth. You two didn't get along very well back then, because your personalities meant your relationship wouldn't be harmonious. He said, "Uchiha Itachi is still looking for you."
"I know."
Aren't you scared?
"Huh...? I should be scared?" You haven't done anything wrong, so why should you be scared?
"The Uchiha will stop at nothing to achieve their obsessions."
You looked down and wrote a few lines on a piece of paper, outlining your plan to capture Deidara. You handed the paper to Haku outside the door, who leaned slightly towards you and said, "I understand."
After handing over the note, you turned around and said, "I always leave myself room for maneuver in everything I do, and I can be flexible when necessary."
Furthermore, you don't think you'll be found by Itachi Uchiha. You're very confident in your hiding skills. Besides, even if you were found, it's hard to say who would be in control. So you appear calm and composed, and you can even smile at Obito.
The latter said, "That's true, after all, you're a heartless person." How could he expect you to care about others? That's wishful thinking.
Now that you've got the information you wanted, you say, "I guess you must have other things to do, right?"
"Is this how you dismiss me after you've achieved your goal?"
"How can this be considered dismissing you? I'm just being considerate and not wanting to take up too much of your time."
"You're really considerate," Obito muttered to himself. "Just as you said, he does have other things to do, so... he should leave too."
But for some reason, he felt a pang of reluctance. What was it that he was reluctant to part with? Was he actually unwilling to leave your side?
He seems... to have become somewhat unlike himself.
During the few seconds he remained silent, you slowly walked to his side and said, "Then let's meet again sometime."
Look at you, you have no lingering feelings at all, you even wish he would leave sooner. He grabbed your hand and, under your questioning gaze, bit your wrist. It wasn't very hard, but it left two marks.
You suddenly realize that if you get bitten by someone, there is a risk of getting sick. You remember seeing news reports about people who got bitten by humans and their wounds became infected, eventually leading to amputation.
Take a closer look at the inside of your wrist; there's no bleeding. But you're still annoyed at being bitten for no reason, so you slap him across the cheek.
After you hit him, his eyes became even clearer.
Life surrounded by McDonald's is so frustrating. You might say, "Are you satisfied now? Do you have to get slapped to be happy?"
Obito grasped the hand that you had just used to hit him.
Although forces are reciprocal, your palms turned red, while his face remained unchanged.
This proves he really has a thick skin. He asked with a smile, "Does it hurt?"
You used to think that people who would care if someone's hand hurt after being slapped only existed in novels, but now it turns out that such people really exist, and they're standing right in front of you.
You said, "Get out of here."
Obito let out an "Oh" and moved closer again. You thought he was going to bite you again, so you leaned back as if to avoid him, and his arms wrapped around your waist.
Good news, it didn't bite.
Bad news, I kissed your forehead.
Sometimes, the purity of the other person's love can surprise you. After he left, you washed your face and noticed that the mark on the inside of your wrist had faded and would probably disappear after a night's sleep.
When you wake up the next day, your wrist is back to normal. While Bai is setting the breakfast, he tells you that the tracking team he sent out yesterday has found Deidara's trail. "He seems to have been hanging around here recently."
"That's good news!" you thought, taking a sip of your porridge in a good mood. Then you turned to Bai and asked, "Are the tranquilizer guns ready?"
"Yes, I'm ready. This will be a smooth hunt," Bai said with a smile.
The tranquilizer gun you just mentioned should actually be described as a gun loaded with neurotoxins. As for where these toxins came from, well, they were given to you by the clever Orochimaru. He said they were byproducts of his research and that he thought you might like them, so he sent you a lot of them.
And sure enough, it's come in handy now.
Although you don't have the talent to train in ninjutsu, you know how to use tools. After leaving Konoha, you often practiced shooting at the military base in the Land of Waves when you had nothing to do. Originally, it was just a hobby, but after a few experiences, you found that you seemed to have a real talent for shooting, so you turned shooting from a relaxing hobby into a personal skill.
"This sniper rifle has been modified by Orochimaru, resulting in a significant performance improvement. Both its accuracy and power will satisfy you, Akihime." Bai placed the briefcase containing the sniper rifle aside, unfastened the clasp, and opened the case. Inside, the beautiful sniper rifle lay quietly.
After finishing the last mouthful of porridge, you put the empty bowl aside, picked up the sniper rifle, and muttered, "It really is a beautiful gun."
After breakfast, you carried your suitcase to the forest where Deidara was known to roam. Bai said, "Next, I will force the target to come out. At that time, please seize the opportunity, Aki."
You nodded and found a secluded spot to hide.
Before long, you hear a roar coming from the other side of the forest. The heat wave from the explosion sweeps across the entire forest. You squint your eyes, open the box, take out the sniper rifle and place it on the rock next to you. Through the scope, you see the blue sky in the distance stained black by gunpowder smoke.
The next second, you see that figure. The boy standing on the white bird is dodging Bai's attacks. The clay in his hand keeps changing shape and finally turns into the shape of a spider, flying towards Bai.
Although Deidara is indeed a genius, even geniuses can make mistakes. More importantly, he was unaware of the wickedness of human nature.
Then you can teach him a lesson today.
The sniper rifle's muzzle moved little by little in sync with Deidara's movements.
"Damn it—where did these bugs come from? They're such a nuisance!" Deidara had only temporarily settled in the Land of Earth, but it seemed that someone was secretly watching him.
Had his whereabouts been exposed? Deidara dodged the attacks of the strange ninja while planning his counterattack. This passive defense was not his fighting style.
However, just as his attention was focused on dealing with the enemy who was skilled in ice manipulation, a bullet flew out from the shadows and silently pierced his neck.
What--! ?
He opened his eyes wide, his azure eyes filled with disbelief. He slowly turned his head and saw you hiding in a secluded corner in the distance.
You slowly stood up, took off your camouflage uniform, a slight smile playing on your lips, and your lips moved slightly—
I've got you.
The next second, the boy fell like a bird.
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