Chapter 27 "Mingxi... how have you been doing out there..."
Saying you hate someone on their turf is something only a sane person would do. Deidara hesitated for a few seconds before stammering, "...No."
"Really? That's good. Otherwise, I might have been a little sad. After all, I admire your talent and was hoping to take this opportunity to become friends with you."
Become friends with the Akatsuki? Are you kidding me? People picture the Akatsuki as vicious criminals, and you actually want to be friends with them?
Deidara chuckled dismissively and said, "Are you kidding me? I'd never be friends with you, huh!"
You seem to have heard another member of the Akatsuki say something like that before, and then he became your bed partner.
Well... I guess a bed partner can be considered a friend in another sense, right?
Of course, Obito is just one example, and his transformation does not mean that Deidara will also transform in the same way.
The reason is that Deidara seems like a child to you, and a child who hasn't received proper guidance.
Forget it, there are countless misguided children in this world, and you don't have the kindness to save them one by one. You just want Deidara to pay back the money as soon as possible and rebuild your factory. Other than that, you have absolutely no interest in saving other people's fates.
I've long since passed that passionate, immature phase.
After Deidara finished speaking, he noticed that you had been silent for a long time. He frowned slightly, not understanding why he was looking at you so cautiously. What did he have to feel guilty about? He had always done things openly and honestly, doing whatever he wanted, but in front of you, he inexplicably became hesitant.
Why is it so quiet? He was complaining that you talked too much before, but now that you're actually silent, he's starting to pray that you'll say a few more words.
Such a conflicted feeling.
So are you angry? Well, he has to admit that he was indeed a bit direct, and his sharp words could hurt others.
When he peeked a second time, he finally couldn't help but speak up, saying, "Hey—why aren't you saying anything?"
"Because I don't want to disturb your work." More accurately, it's just that you're too lazy to deal with an unpredictable little brat.
"Ah...oh." Deidara responded dryly, burying his head in rebuilding the factory. With his help, the factory took shape in half a day. Indeed, ninjas were a very useful workforce. If only they could be obedient.
"Well done," you praised.
"He doesn't need your praise," Deidara thought, but he only thought it and didn't actually say it. He just pursed his lips and then turned and left. He didn't know where he was going, but he certainly wasn't running away. He could feel the gaze from the ninja next to you.
If he shows even the slightest sign of trying to escape, he will definitely act without hesitation.
Ugh, so annoying.
Deidara's frustration was extinguished by a sundae, and that evening you deliberately invited him to dinner, but Deidara said, "I don't want to have dinner with you."
You said, "But I want to."
Deidara was speechless for a moment, and his posture became even more uneasy. What... what do you mean by that?
What's even more infuriating is that after you said that, you acted like nothing happened and continued eating, without ever considering the ripples your words would cause in other people's minds.
Angrily, as if venting a little tantrum, he's stabbing the beef on his plate with his knife and fork. Suddenly, you grab his wrist, just like you did earlier today, and say, "Don't waste food."
That's a very serious statement.
Deidara could easily shake off your hand, but he didn't. He let you hold his wrist, saying, "Stop acting like an elder and lecturing me."
What a hassle. Kids his age are definitely the most troublesome. You narrow your eyes slightly, and under your gaze, his cheeks begin to turn red, and eventually even the tips of his ears turn red.
"Whatever." You pulled your hand away and ignored Deidara throughout the dinner. After dinner, you spoke to him briefly, mainly about tomorrow's work. It didn't feel like a chat; it was more like you were informing him of the matter in a formal tone.
"Goodnight," you said.
Deidara never said goodnight to anyone. He hesitated for a while, and after you had walked quite a distance, he finally said, "I don't need your goodnight, hmm!"
You naive brat, you think.
*
While you were overseeing Deidara's factory reconstruction, people in other parts of the world were also busy, especially the ninjas in Konoha who were working on missions every day.
"I knew Naruto, if you submitted a mission report like that, Lady Tsunade would definitely send it back, right?" Sakura said to Naruto, who was sitting in the barbecue restaurant, looking like he was about to cry as he held the returned report.
"But I've tried my best to write it, I wrote every sentence very carefully, really—why do ninjas have to write reports?" Naruto let out a wail.
"The ability to accurately summarize the ins and outs of a matter tests a ninja's intelligence gathering skills." Before Sasuke could be seen, his voice came first.
Naruto looked up and said to Sakura, "Hey, Sakura, did you hear Sasuke's voice? That's weird, I didn't see him—ah, I saw him." As he spoke, Naruto turned around and saw Sasuke standing behind him. Sasuke was wearing a dark blue Uchiha clan uniform and nodded to his two companions as a greeting.
What? Is he showing off again? That was Naruto's first reaction.
My second reaction was to worry again about whether Sasuke would find out the secret between her and you. He probably hasn't found out... If he really did, he wouldn't be so nonchalant.
Sasuke sat down in the empty seat next to him, poured himself a cup of tea, and was about to drink it when he suddenly turned his head and asked Naruto, "Why are you staring at me like that? What I just said was the truth."
He was taken to be defiant, but thankfully, Naruto said, "Ah... I know, I know all about this."
"It's good that you know."
Sakura asked again, "Do you have any missions coming up?" She had been on vacation for the past few days, and according to her teacher Tsunade, she was expected to focus on training and put missions aside for the time being. Before that, she wanted to hear the plans of her two companions.
Naruto said, "Well, I think I have a mission to complete before leaving the village. Hmm, I'll bring you some souvenirs when I get back!"
"What about Sasuke?"
"Naruto, is the mission you mentioned going to the Land of Waves? That shouldn't be a solo mission; it requires a team. I've also received a request for that." Sasuke took a sip of tea.
Naruto's bright smile froze on his face. Sakura asked curiously, "Naruto, didn't you feel it was a pity that you couldn't go on missions with your comrades before? Isn't it better to go with Sasuke this time?"
"Okay...very good!" Naruto smiled again.
This mission is to go to the Land of Waves, and the address you left in his palm last time was in the Land of Waves. He originally... wanted to go see you, but if Sasuke comes along this time, it will be a bit troublesome.
Naruto seemed lost in thought, and the barbecue tasted bland to him. After the party ended that night, he walked towards home, sharing a part of the way with Sasuke. Sasuke talked about the specific arrangements for the upcoming mission, but Naruto listened absentmindedly.
"You haven't been listening attentively since just now. Even if the report was rejected, there's no need to be so discouraged, is there?"
To this day, he still believes it was a problem with the report.
What should I do? Should I tell him the truth? Should I tell him what happened before?
In the brief moment of his hesitation, the opportunity to confess had already slipped through his fingers.
"Sasuke, do you still think about Aki?" He took a deep breath and asked tentatively. Sasuke paused, and even his expression changed. He said, "Why did you suddenly bring her up?"
"It's nothing, I just sometimes wonder what she's doing these days."
Sasuke felt offended, after all, in his opinion, Naruto and you weren't that close, and to you, Naruto was just Sasuke's teammate, nothing more.
"This has nothing to do with you, right? Besides, since she chose to leave back then, it means she never cared about us at all." The "we" he was referring to was himself and his brother Itachi, not Naruto.
Sure enough, he still gets angry when you mention him; he's still angry with you.
Naruto suddenly felt a little glad that he hadn't confessed.
Sasuke said, "One day... I will find her." Then he questioned you about what you really thought of them, how you could so easily forget about them, and whether they were such cheap beings to you.
At the end of this road is a fork in the road, where Sasuke and Naruto parted ways.
It was all because Naruto mentioned you that he started reminiscing about your past on his way back. He remembered how you used to come back to school to pick him up, and how you would walk home hand in hand, the setting sun casting long shadows of yourselves. At that time, he truly believed that the future would always be like that.
But it seems you don't think that way.
When they got home, Itachi had just returned from get off work. The two brothers met in the entryway, and Itachi said, "Why do you look so pale?"
Sasuke said, "It's nothing."
Actually, there was a period of time after you left that Sasuke resented his brother Itachi, feeling that it was because of the conflict between you that you left.
If—he meant if—his brother could be a little more considerate, he probably could keep you here, right?
If it were him, he would definitely try his best to keep you; he would naturally put himself in the role of your lover.
But these are just hypotheticals; they will never come true.
That evening, Sasuke came to Itachi's study with a late-night snack prepared by his mother, Mikoto. She asked Sasuke to take the snack to his brother, and he did so.
Itachi sat behind his desk without looking up, but knowing it was his younger brother Sasuke, he asked, "Did Mother send you?"
Sasuke hummed in agreement, put down the snacks, but didn't leave immediately. Instead, he lingered in the study, sat down to one side, and asked seemingly casually, "Brother, have you heard anything from Aki lately?"
He still asked the question, thinking he had concealed it well, as if he were asking something casually, but his slightly nervous tone betrayed his true feelings.
Itachi paused, his hand holding the pen still. He said, "...Why are you suddenly bringing this up, Sasuke? What happened to you?"
"It's nothing, it's just that on the way back today, Naruto suddenly asked me about Akira. Come to think of it, he and Akira aren't that close, so why did he ask that? It's really strange." Sasuke blamed Naruto for the question, but it was true; he was indeed upset because Naruto suddenly brought it up.
Where are you now? Are you doing well? Are you in danger? These questions kept popping up, and he couldn't control them.
“Naruto…” Itachi’s expression was meaningful. How could he not have noticed Naruto’s special feelings for you? He was so attached to you. Whenever you were around, his gaze would be involuntarily drawn to you, and he would stare at you without blinking, wishing he could stay by your side forever, completely unaware of what social distance meant.
Sasuke may not have noticed, but he saw it very clearly. Rather, it's because he is your lover that he is extra wary of the people around you.
There must be a reason why Naruto asked that question. Itachi said, "I wrote a letter to Aki before. If all went well, the letter should have reached her by now." By "if all went well," he meant that Zabuza hadn't destroyed the letter along the way. Based on his intuition, although Zabuza disliked him, he probably wouldn't have tampered with the letter.
Sasuke asked in surprise, "Brother, you wrote a letter to Aki? But why didn't you tell me?"
"You were on a mission at the time, and I couldn't be sure if there would be a response. I'm sorry, Sasuke, I didn't want to give you too much unrealistic hope." Giving someone hope and then letting them down is just too cruel.
He understood his brother's thoughts, and then he asked, "Will we ever see her again?"
"Yes, we can definitely meet again," Itachi said confidently, but before meeting you, he had one more thing to do.
The next day, after delivering his report to the Hokage Building, Naruto was about to go home to catch up on sleep when he saw a figure standing at his door. He muttered to himself, "Hey, isn't that Sasuke's brother?" Why is he here?
Just then, Itachi turned around, smiled politely at Naruto, and said, "Naruto-kun, may I have a cup of tea?"
"Ah, okay..." Naruto nodded, puzzled. But was he really just here for tea?
Naruto was full of questions, but he still opened the door and invited Itachi in. Then he went to the kitchen to make tea. At the same time, Itachi stood at the kitchen door and suddenly asked, "By the way, Naruto-kun, do you know how Akane has been doing lately?"
Sure enough, he knew it—
Naruto paused, his hand holding the tea canister still. He said, "Huh? What?"
"You'd better not play dumb with me, I can guess what's going on." Itachi's voice was icy cold.
Naruto continued to pretend he knew nothing, saying, "Itachi-senpai, I don't understand what you mean... Isn't Aki your best friend?"
As he spoke, he used a small spoon to scoop a small spoonful of tea leaves into the teapot, then poured in some warm water. Although his movements were fluid and graceful, a layer of cold sweat had already appeared on his forehead.
He knows how obsessed Itachi is with you. If Sasuke knew the truth, he might just be a little angry, but he would adjust his emotions soon. But if it's his brother... Naruto isn't so sure what will happen.
Just when Naruto thought Itachi would fly into a rage, he changed his attitude and became much gentler. He said, "Naruto-kun, I know you care about Akane too. I've been worried about what kind of danger she will encounter after leaving Konoha. I'm sure you can understand how I feel right now."
Naruto pursed his lips and asked the question that had always intrigued him: "Senpai, you've always referred to yourself as Akira's lover. I don't understand... how could lovers who truly love each other bear to leave one another?"
The implication was that they were questioning the relationship between Itachi and you.
If Naruto's previous behavior only slightly displeased Itachi, then these words truly angered him. His tone was slow, "Naruto, how do you think you have the right to judge my relationship with Akane? You're just an observer. You can't think you're special just because Akane showed you a little bit of concern... In the end, you're no different from anyone else in Akane's eyes."
Itachi, who was getting into the swing of things, spoke as sharply as possible. Naruto, holding a teapot, had calmed down after being a little nervous. Your image floated into his mind. Just thinking about you made him feel much braver. He said, "Yes, I'm no different, but I won't tell you."
Itachi slowly stepped forward, grabbed Naruto's wrist without saying a word, and opened his palm upwards. Then, something strange happened: the writing that should have disappeared reappeared.
Naruto suddenly realized that he had been caught in a genjutsu.
Oh no, when did this start?!
Before he could react, Itachi casually said, "Ah...so this is the little gift she left for you? No wonder you were so nervous. But Sasuke probably doesn't know about this, right? As his partner, you know he's worried about Akane, yet you won't tell him her address? It seems your friendship isn't all that great after all."
Itachi spoke slowly and deliberately the words that Naruto feared most.
That's enough—stop talking!
Naruto desperately tried to break the genjutsu, his hands forming hand seals, "Release—!"
Without any reaction, Itachi continued to stare at him silently. Naruto broke out in a cold sweat again, and his body trembled.
"But anyway... I should still thank you." Naruto heard Itachi say that at the last moment before the genjutsu was broken.
Then, in the next second, he fell into a coma.
Itachi, who had just received the address from Naruto, gazed at the string of numbers and said softly, "We will meet again."
Meanwhile, you, who were supervising the construction in the Land of Earth, suddenly shivered and asked, "Mingxi, what's wrong?"
"It's probably a bit cold." You took the cardigan Bai handed you and wrapped it around yourself.
To be honest, being a supervisor is really boring and tedious. You don't have much interest in infrastructure construction either. After being on site for a while, you started to get bored. Seeing this, Bai said, "Leave the rest to me. You can go take a nap first."
You take a nap almost every afternoon without fail; this is a habit you developed in your past life, and it has continued into this one.
On your way back, you yawned. Deidara, who was still working, saw you leave and became distracted. The clay he was controlling started to run around wildly, and one of the clumps almost stuck to you. Fortunately, Haku stopped it in time and said coldly, "What are you doing?"
Deidara scoffed unhappily. The more he looked at this guy, the more annoyed he became. Honestly, he couldn't understand why Deidara liked this guy so much. He always dragged him along to chat, and he heard that Deidara was in charge of keeping watch at night. What kind of status did Deidara have? Was he your male concubine?
Deidara was someone who couldn't keep things to himself, and when he was curious, he would ask directly, "What exactly is your relationship with her? Are you two a couple?"
Unexpectedly, Bai said, "Mingxi is my master."
Upon hearing this answer, Deidara's expression became somewhat subtle. He muttered to himself, "Master and all that... that's not the kind of art I pursue."
What was he talking to himself again? Haku looked at Deidara with a strange expression, and the latter looked up and said, "So that's what kind of relationship you two have."
His intuition told him that Deidara was probably misunderstanding, and he said, "It's obviously a relationship that you can't understand."
Pshaw, he's not a three-year-old. As an S-class criminal, he's seen a lot and is quite knowledgeable. What's this?
So, you're this kind of person after all? Deidara shifted his attention to rebuilding the factory, but some of it remained as he pondered what kind of person you really were—an incurable good person or a bad person? In this world, there are no clear boundaries between good and bad; it all depends on one's perspective.
So what is your stance? As far as he knows, you built factories and orphanages, and you took in people who were displaced and homeless because of the war. From this perspective, you are indeed a good person, but not an absolutely good person, because all your actions seem to be driven by self-interest.
He had met people like that before, but those people were all driven by greed; everything they did was to amass wealth. You seem to be a little different from them.
Before you know it, his attention is back on your problem, even though he initially planned to run away.
That's right! He's trying to escape. What does it matter to him what kind of person you are?
Deidara may have convinced himself, but his curiosity or inquisitiveness about you is still deeply rooted in his heart. Whenever he has free time, he thinks about what kind of person you really are.
After thinking about it a lot, I've come to the conclusion that you're an unpredictable person.
Moreover, he was someone insignificant to him. After a day of reconstruction work, Deidara finally had some time to rest. He stayed in his room, which was right next to yours. You are so carefree to let such a rogue ninja live next door to you. Aren't you worried that he might kill you on a whim?
It seems you're not worried at all, since you're always surrounded by other bodyguards, and they're all loyal to you.
Deidara lay flat on the bed. If the communication spider he sent out earlier had gone smoothly, it should have reached the other Akatsuki members by now. He was just unsure whether they would come to his rescue, since the Akatsuki was made up of a group of vicious rogue ninjas. How could he expect any genuine camaraderie among those rogue ninjas?
It doesn't matter anyway, he'll be able to leave soon, and the reconstruction of those factories will be nearing completion. As for the money he owes you, since the money in his account isn't enough to pay off the debt, you suggest that he help you complete some tasks, which will be considered as paying off the debt through labor.
When you were talking to him, you brought up a whole bunch of legal regulations that he had never heard of before, and even took out several thick books that were as big as a turn of your head. Those were all books related to law. You spoke so eloquently that Deidara originally wanted to interrupt you, but then he suddenly realized that what you said actually made a lot of sense.
No, he's being led by the nose again! Realizing this, Deidara reverted to his usual boisterous self, saying, "You're lying!"
As for you, it seems you had anticipated that he would say that, and you thoughtfully and carefully pointed out the more important legal clauses to him.
"This is no longer a simple case of damaging property; your actions have endangered public safety. You should be arrested."
"Hmph—who can catch me?"
You smiled and reminded him that the reason he was there was because you shot him down. Deidara's smug smile instantly faded a little, but he still stubbornly insisted, "That was just an accident."
"Well, that was a wonderful accident that brought us together," you said, half-jokingly.
Deidara took your joke to heart and said, "...What a wonderful accident, this is a damn accident, huh!"
Let's not worry about these minor details. If you keep talking to Deidara about these legal clauses, the blond-haired Deidara, who hadn't attended school for long and hadn't learned any legal knowledge, has never seen anything like this before. He just feels annoyed and impatiently says, "So what exactly do you want to say?"
“You can work for me to pay off the debt. As for the rest, I won’t pursue it with you. See? I’m generous enough, aren’t I?” As you said this, you even gave him a smile, revealing your sharp canine teeth.
"It seems kind of cute," Deidara was startled by this sudden idea. He said, "You mean you want me to work for you? Why didn't you just say that earlier? Why bring out all this stuff? Is this just setting the stage? Or are you trying to create pressure to achieve the effect you want?"
Okay, you did succeed a little. He did feel pressured by the legal provisions you just mentioned, but he felt more annoyed than anything else.
I hate your sense of control, I hate the way you seem to look down on everything.
But does he really hate you?
uncertain.
In short, Deidara heard you say, "You Akatsuki members shouldn't have any rules against taking on side jobs, right? Speaking of which, do you sign employment contracts when you join the organization? Is it some kind of old-fashioned contract system...?"
He started rattling off a bunch of names Deidara had never heard of. Enough! Stop talking. He was extremely agitated. He waved his hand and said, "That's enough! It's just some missions, I'll agree!"
Anyway, the tasks you assigned, such as rebuilding the factory, are not difficult for him. Moreover, the Akatsuki organization does not have heavy tasks all year round. So, he can take advantage of his free time to complete some tasks for you, as a way of paying back the money.
At this point, Deidara had forgotten that he had initially refused to acknowledge the agreement, and now he was even starting to think about how to make the most of his time to complete the mission.
“Great! I knew Deidara and I would get along well. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll provide you with the necessary weapons while you’re on missions for me.” Of course, the cost of these weapons would be added to his bill. The naive Deidara was clearly unaware of the capitalists’ ruthlessness, and he was even a little embarrassed.
His embarrassment is obvious, blatant, and he'd love for you to see it directly.
And so Deidara was tricked and coaxed into signing another contract without even realizing it.
With that recollection, Deidara looked up at the ceiling and the small lights adorning its four corners. He felt... things were slipping further and further out of his control. Could he really leave this place safely? This question couldn't help but arise in his mind.
Just then, there was a knock on his door. Deidara guessed it was him, so he got up to open the door. Sure enough, it was him. He said, "I heard from Bai that you've almost finished rebuilding those factories today. Thank you so much."
How come you heard it from that guy? And why didn't you come to the construction site today?
Deidara asked, "Why didn't you come today?"
"It's too boring there, and I'm very busy with a lot of things to do." After all, you're no longer a simple sole proprietor. As your business expands, the risks you need to take on also increase. And if anything goes wrong, thousands of people will lose their jobs, which would be a major economic blow to a small city.
Therefore, you have to think carefully before making any decisions now. Fortunately, Bai takes care of your daily life and is your assistant at work.
You can't expect Deidara to understand your situation. After all, he's just a little kid, and one who doesn't like reading. His comprehension is probably limited.
Sure enough, Deidara thought you were just bragging. He crossed his arms and asked, "Then... what do you want with me now?"
"Nothing much, want a drink?" You want to fully understand Deidara's strength and the advantages and disadvantages of his abilities, so according to your original plan, you'll have him fight Haku while you watch and get a detailed analysis of his abilities. Before that, you can also ask him about his past achievements through chatting.
Deidara's eyes lit up, but then his gaze dimmed again when he saw the soda you had placed on the balcony table. He said, "Is this what you meant by 'have a drink'?"
"Yeah, otherwise what are you expecting?"
Although annoyed, he still sat in the wicker chair, gulped down a couple of mouthfuls of soda. The soda was very fizzy, with bubbles still rising to the surface. Some bubbles landed on the tip of his nose, and the smell was a light orange scent. He looked up and asked, "So, you just came to buy me a soda?"
"Not entirely. We can talk about other things, like your past. I'd be happy to listen." You're drinking lemon-flavored soda, the reduced-sugar version, of course, because you don't like things that are too sweet.
"Hmph, you just want to extract some useful information from me, don't think I don't know that."
"But I think your past must have been very exciting, just as brilliant as the art you pursue. Wouldn't you feel it's a pity if you didn't tell others about it?"
Art always moves him; rather, it's more accurate to say he has an innate pursuit of art, which he considers his mission and destiny.
There were times when he seemed to talk to those around him about his artistic pursuits, but no one listened carefully; instead, they blamed his art for causing destruction.
So gradually, he gave up on making such a statement.
This is meaningless.
He lowered his eyes; the orange soda was still bubbling. He said, "At first, I just thought it was beautiful..."
Once anything gets started, the subsequent development becomes incredibly smooth, and under your guidance, he gradually reveals his past.
Saying these things in front of unfamiliar people is no less than cutting open your chest to show them your living, beating heart—it's an intimate communication tinged with blood.
You remained a listener, letting him say a lot. Finally, he fell silent, pursing his lips. If he continued, you would feel like you were about to touch his heart.
The moment of unease that crossed the social safety distance in conversation struck him, and he said, "This is not fair. I've said so much, but you haven't mentioned your past at all. Even if it's a transaction, you should at least state your terms of exchange, right?"
The change in attitude before and after may seem inexplicable to outsiders, but you can understand it. It is an instinctive attack on others to confirm one's own safety after letting down one's guard. If this can provoke you, then your relationship will be reduced to two opposing sides. He is very familiar with this mode of interaction, so he can return to his familiar environment and feel so at ease.
But you weren't angry; you just said, "So what do you want to hear?" How generous of you, as if you'd tell him whatever he wanted to hear.
"Let me think..."
It was getting late. Deidara thought in silence for a while, then asked, "Have you ever had someone you liked?"
"What kind of question is this? Although it is indeed late at night, this is not some late-night radio program, is it?"
Deidara turned his head to the other side. "You just said I could ask you anything." Now you're going back on your word, aren't you?"
"Okay, there are quite a few people I like... but liking someone is one thing, and how to handle liking someone is another."
What's with all this talk about processing or not processing? It sounds like they're sorting garbage.
"That makes sense, someone as capricious as you is certainly capable of doing something like that," Deidara said. "So how did you handle it?"
"Yes, of course we should give it the cold shoulder."
Isn't that what passive-aggressive behavior means?
But you seem to be saying it so matter-of-factly. Deidara's feelings became inexplicably complicated. He said, "Then you do this..."
"Everyone has their own way of life, and this is mine."
Deidara hesitated, and during the pause in his silence, Haku walked in and whispered a few words in your ear: "He's here."
Who was he referring to? Deidara seemed thoughtful, but how could you possibly tell him who it was? You simply put the cup on the table, then got up to leave. Before leaving, you didn't forget to say to him, "By the way, why don't you have a spar with Haku tomorrow? I want to see your true strength so I can assign you a suitable task."
Upon hearing this, Deidara suddenly realized that the so-called heart-to-heart talk and discussion of the past were all a test by Deidara, with the ultimate goal of understanding his strength.
If that's the case, why didn't you just say it directly from the beginning? Why did you have to use such a roundabout, even misleading, way to test him?
Worse still, he actually fell for it, genuinely believing you wanted to know about his past. Thinking of this, Deidara's face turned ugly, but what good was it now? You had already left the room, closing the door behind you with a loud slam.
Yes, you just left like that, leaving Deidara feeling frustrated.
On the other side, you enter the study, where Kabuto Yakushi is already waiting for a moment. He is holding a document, which is an analysis of the physical condition of children from the orphanage after their vaccinations. When he sees you, Kabuto Yakushi smiles and says, "You seem to have something else to attend to?"
"Give me the document, and don't speak until I ask you a question." You snatched the document from his hand, went around behind the desk, sat down in the chair, leaned back, and flipped through the documents. In general, the side effects of these vaccines are still within a controllable range, which means that the chances of those children dying from infectious diseases will decrease.
As you read the document from the first page to the last, Kabuto Yakushi is also watching you with a smile, but he obediently doesn't say anything, just looks at you.
You put the document you'd just finished reading on the table and let out a long sigh of relief. The result was quite good, and you were satisfied, but you wouldn't show it too obviously, lest Kabuto become smug. You said, "You didn't need to deliver this document personally. Shouldn't you usually be assisting Orochimaru?"
Kabuto said, "But I want to see you; it seems like it's been too long since we last met."
Oh? You met him not long ago, right? Where did this talk of too long come from?
You purse your lips and say, "We're discussing serious matters right now."
Kabuto nodded. "I know, but I think I just saw some members of the Akatsuki. Looks like you've made some new friends?"
"How troublesome," you sighed, beckoning to Kabuto. He walked up to you in a cheerful mood, and you reached out and pinched his cheek. "Don't meddle in other people's business."
The way you treated him made Kabuto's smile even brighter. He said, "Don't be angry. I didn't mean to make you angry. I was just... concerned about you."
"Yakushi Kabuto, you've crossed the line," you warned.
"Will you hate me?" From this sentence onward, honorifics are no longer used, and the language becomes more ambiguous.
"I don't have any feelings of dislike or liking for you. Rather, I don't want to invest too much energy in you." You feel that you might have to teach Kabuto a lesson to let him know what boundaries are, but his personality makes you feel that if you really teach him a lesson, it will only become a reward.
You don't want to reward him.
So you chose to give it the cold shoulder and returned to a businesslike attitude. Sure enough, after seeing your cold attitude, he became noticeably disappointed.
"Now that you've completed your task, it's time for you to leave." You waved to him, indicating that he could go.
The blatant dismissal left Kabuto momentarily stunned.
I don't quite understand why you seem to have never been interested in him. Is it because he's too weak? It's true that he can't compare to the Uchiha in terms of talent, but he thinks he's tried hard enough, yet he still can't seem to get closer to you.
"Once you want others to approve of you, it means you gradually become someone they can manipulate." Orochimaru once said this to Kabuto Yakushi out of the blue.
Kabuto had a good memory; he remembered it all. Orochimaru spoke casually, yet he hit the nail on the head.
He's trying to gain your approval, which is why he lets you manipulate him step by step.
Reason tells him this is a bad thing, a terrible thing; he is heading towards self-destruction, he is gladly handing over the blade that will harm him to you.
But—
"If you want an assistant, I can do it better than Bai; I'm more practical than him."
Who describes themselves like that? They certainly have a knack for self-objectification.
By saying this, he's practically putting himself on a shelf, and going to great lengths to get the buyer's attention, which is you, by placing himself in the most conspicuous position.
"You are not as good as him."
All that effort I put in, and all I got in return was your nonchalant answer.
Kabuto's smile froze on his lips, turning into a stiff mask. After a few seconds, he squeezed out a single syllable, "Eh?"
You mean he's not as good as Haku? Ha, that brat, a brat who thinks he's something just because of his bloodline limit. Finally, you saw Kabuto Yakushi's angry side. He said, "One day I will prove to you that I am no worse than him."
For some inexplicable reason, you have absolutely no interest in this comparison. You frown and say, "Why should I wait for that day? In other words, is your proof something so valuable? You seem to be taking yourself too seriously."
Kabuto lowered his head, his hands, which had been clenched at his sides, then relaxed. He asked again, "How can I make you like me even a little bit?"
Finally, it dawned on you: was he not only a McDonald's fanatic but also a love-struck fool?
You rest your chin on your hand, looking at his dejected expression. You have to admit, seeing him so downcast is somewhat amusing. You say, "You can figure this out yourself. You're so smart anyway."
Okay, you don't want to waste any more time on him, so you wave him away.
Finally, you can get some rest. Bai has prepared a bath for you. Take a relaxing bath, then snuggle into bed. Everything is so wonderful. You pat the space next to you and say to Bai, "Want to rest together?"
He moved to the side, and you felt the mattress sink slightly. He leaned closer, and you snuggled into his arms, inhaling his fragrance, and said, "Mr. Bai smells so good."
He pats your back gently, and soon you drift off to sleep.
Tomorrow will be a brand new day, you think.
Tomorrow is always full of hope for everyone, including Uchiha Itachi. He followed that address to find your villa in the Land of Waves, and he even prepared a gift before officially meeting you.
This is a long-awaited reunion, so the gift should be more elaborate. He even prepared a whole set of jewelry, thinking you might like it. Back when you were at home in Konoha, didn't you and your mother Mikoto go through your dressing case together?
If he were to meet you again, what should he say? First of all, he wouldn't blame you, after all, it wasn't your fault. You probably felt that life in Konoha was too boring and dull, which he could understand. Your personality is such that you like to pursue novelty, it's just your nature.
Secondly, he won't force you to return to Konoha. He will try his best to reason with you and appeal to your emotions. Even though you always say that Konoha isn't your home, you've lived in Konoha for so many years. It would be a lie to say that you have no attachment to it at all. You just don't like to admit your true feelings, and you're a little awkward. That's understandable, and he won't blame you for it.
Just when Itachi thought he had imagined many scenarios, he arrived at the villa, only to find it empty. There was no sign of you, but he found some traces of your past life.
Following your lingering scent, he found your bedroom without a doubt. He was probably going on a long trip, because not only your room, but also the furniture in the other rooms of the villa, including the living room, were covered with a layer of white cloth to keep out the dust.
He leans down slightly and reaches out to touch your pillow and blankets, touching the traces of your life, as if in doing so he can get closer to you.
"Mingxi... are you having a good time out there?" he said softly, as if talking to himself.
She seems to be having a great time; she didn't even write back to him.
He lowered his eyes and curled up lightly on your bedding, like a stray black cat finding its home. Your scent became very faint, almost disappearing.
So you gave Naruto this address because you knew he wouldn't be able to find you even if he came looking for you?
Well... this actually made Itachi feel a little relieved. After all, if he really saw you here, would it mean that you would rather see Naruto than him?
At least now it's clear that you didn't favor anyone; you simply deceived Naruto.
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