Chapter 29 Uchiha Itachi, you heard me, you…
"What? I still don't quite understand what you mean, Sasuke." Naruto blinked in confusion. Military bases generally only exist in large countries, but there are always exceptions, right? A small country might also have a military base. Naruto didn't think about it in detail.
After all, their mission here was to capture criminals, and now they have completed their mission. However, Sasuke's expression was so serious that even Naruto became serious as well.
Sasuke said, "If even this small country has a military base, then war is not far off." And this country will undoubtedly be engulfed in war. Thinking of this, Sasuke couldn't help but worry about you. He could see from the details of your mission that the situation was turbulent. How could you ensure your safety living alone out there?
All he seems to do is send you money at a fixed time every month, at least that way you won't have any financial worries.
“Okay…” Naruto finally understood. He couldn’t help but feel a little worried. Once the war broke out, Konoha, as the military reserve force of the Land of Fire, would inevitably have to send many ninjas to fight, and there would be no shortage of bloodshed and sacrifice.
He knew that this was a ninja's duty and mission, but he also didn't want the people he cherished to die in the war.
Feeling conflicted, Naruto sighed. He bought a lot of local specialties and souvenirs when he passed by a souvenir shop. He temporarily put the shadow of war behind him and returned to his energetic state.
"Ah, they even have novels about local customs and culture? Hmm, Kakashi-sensei will definitely like them!" Naruto also saw a special cultural and creative area in the specialty store. The shelves were filled with a wide variety of cultural and creative products, as well as several rows of novels introducing the culture and customs of the Land of Waves. Feeling that his teacher Kakashi would like them, Naruto bought several books without hesitation, and also picked out some other cultural and creative products.
Although his frog wallet suffered a blow when he paid the bill, Naruto still felt that the money was well spent. After all, bringing gifts for friends and teachers would make them happy.
Sasuke also picked out some souvenirs, all carefully selected. After paying the bill and leaving the store, Naruto stored the items in his storage scroll, rubbed his stomach which had been rumbling since earlier, and said, "Let's eat something. I'm starving after chasing our target for so long."
They randomly picked a restaurant and sat down to eat sukiyaki. Since Naruto's wallet was empty, Sasuke treated them.
"Oh dear, I already told you to come back next time, so you don't have to be so gloomy all the time, do you?" Naruto said, and Sasuke replied, "I'm not upset about such a small thing, I'm not that petty."
Naruto took a bite of the beef roll. "Huh? And why is that?"
"Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."
How could Naruto not understand? He could see it clearly. He realized that Sasuke was worried about you, afraid that you would be in danger, afraid that you would die tragically where he couldn't see you.
He knew all of this, and he could understand that feeling. Naruto swallowed the piece of beef and thought about finding an opportunity to leave the hotel and go to your address later. He really just wanted to take a look, and he didn't want to disturb your life because of his presence.
Night fell quickly. After returning to the hotel, Naruto went to his room and stayed there for a while. Feeling that Sasuke should be resting by now, he got up and left from the balcony.
After he left, a familiar figure appeared on the balcony next door. Sasuke looked at Naruto's departing figure thoughtfully.
Where is Naruto going now? Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly.
The moonlight tonight is hazy, obscured by a thick fog, its brightness flickering like Naruto's anxious heart. He longs to see you, but what should he say when he does? He hasn't decided yet. In any case, he absolutely cannot be like last time, stammering incoherently as soon as he sees you.
That would be too shameful; history must not repeat itself.
Finally, he stopped in his tracks in the small forest in front of your villa. He took a few deep breaths to regulate his breathing and even patted his cheeks.
Whew, calm down, calm down.
Only take the next step after you've made sure you've truly calmed down.
Your villa is dark, with no lights on. The closer I get to Naruto, the less certain I am that I will be able to see you.
Judging from your appearance, you don't seem to be here.
No, no, no, we should ring the doorbell first to see if anyone is home.
So he walked to the door, pressed the doorbell, and his calm mood, which had been just moments before, was plunged into a strange cycle of ups and downs the moment he pressed the doorbell.
The waiting time seemed to stretch on endlessly, making the anxiety even more intense.
In the end, no one opened the door. He scratched his head and muttered, "As expected... not here."
"Naruto, why are you here?" Sasuke's voice rang out from not far away. Naruto was startled and his body stiffened. He slowly raised his head. When did Sasuke find him? And how did he follow him so silently? It was all because he was too nervous and didn't realize that someone was following him.
"Sasuke?"
"Do you know anyone living here? That's strange... Do you have friends living in other countries? I don't think you've ever mentioned them before," Sasuke said casually, seemingly only interested in who the villa's owner was. "Aren't you going to introduce them to me?"
Naruto's voice sounded like it was stuck in his throat, neither coming out nor coming back out. He really wasn't good at lying at all, he couldn't even pretend, and his disguise was so clumsy.
This gave Sasuke the idea, and he asked, "Is Aki here?"
"No, there seems to be no one here."
But Sasuke was determined to go inside and see for himself. He opened the door, but a mere wooden door was far too weak for a ninja's strength. He walked ahead, and Naruto hurriedly stood up behind him, almost tripping over himself. Fortunately, he regained his balance in time and caught up with Sasuke. "Wait—Sasuke, wait a minute!"
They finally made it, and Naruto asked again, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"I was just trying to confirm if she was here. Don't you want to know, Naruto?"
"Um... well, this." Of course he wanted to know, but what if he made you angry? He didn't want you to dislike him.
Sasuke walked silently in the darkness, but he never found you. However, he was certain that you had lived here. He stood at the door of your room, his expression inscrutable.
"Did Naruto already know? Who told you that she lived in the Land of Waves?"
"this……"
"For the sake of our partnership, I hope you can answer me seriously."
Naruto paused for a few seconds before saying, "She told me."
"Yes, I understand." Sasuke's tone was flat, leaving Naruto unable to guess what he really meant.
Sasuke looked away and said, "You've been fooled. Judging from the amount of dust on these furniture covers, she probably left here some time ago before giving you this address. So, she never intended to tell you the real address in the first place."
You're as cunning as ever, he thought.
*
Sasuke isn't the only one who thinks you're cunning. You sent Haku to the Land of Waves to discuss establishing a foundation, and as a result, Zabuza became your bodyguard. When he saw you, he asked, "How could you bear to let Haku go on a mission? And for such a long time at that?"
Look at the way he says that. In his words, Bai is like a little child who can't live without you. You said, "It wouldn't matter if he left me, because I still have you, don't I?"
Zabuza, who was expecting to make sarcastic remarks, was naturally surprised to hear you say something nice. Seeing his speechless expression of surprise, you couldn't help but find it amusing. You said, "What, are you so surprised that I praised you?"
Zabuza snorted coldly. He knew you. He understood your character. Saying a nice word in advance meant that you would bring up a whole bunch of demands later, and he wouldn't have a chance to refuse.
He looked at you, watching your lips move, and you started giving orders. You said, "Can you cook? You usually prepare three meals a day for me for free. Oh, and occasionally there will be a late-night snack, but not often."
So this is what you meant? A question about cooking?
As a ninja, the most important thing is to improve one's skills, and learning to cook is obviously not within this scope. He even suspects that you are deliberately making things difficult for him. "No."
"You can learn if you don't know how. I know you're a smart person. You'll get it after a few tries."
So, Zabuza, who originally thought he only needed to be responsible for guarding, was learning to cook a few days before you left to attend the charity gala.
He had a cold face, but his chopping movements were very standard. The cleaver clattered against the cutting board, making a sound like a machine gun. You would watch with a smile and occasionally offer some suggestions.
"Did he come here just to be your babysitter?" He put down the kitchen knife and said irritably, "Listen up, kid, I'm not here to be your babysitter, I'm a ninja."
"Forget about nannies or anything like that, I call them all housekeepers."
Going from nanny to housekeeper might sound barely acceptable, but no, that's definitely not the point. Zabuza realized you were diverting attention and said, "That's not the point."
"But didn't you do a great job? It's always good to have more skills. Even if you don't want to be a ninja anymore, you'll still have another way out. I'm doing this for your own good." As you spoke, you took a bite of a slice of bell pepper. It tasted sweet and refreshing. It would probably taste even better with cheese, so you walked to the refrigerator, opened the door, and took out a box of cheese.
Zabuza followed you to your side without saying a word. He walked past you and took a box of whipping cream from the refrigerator because you wanted to eat creamy mushroom noodles, and now all you needed was whipping cream.
"Remember not to put in too much parsley, just a little bit is enough," you instructed, then dipped the red bell pepper in your hand into some cheese.
He didn't respond, but instead leaned down slightly and took a bite out of the cheese and bell pepper in your hand. He even bit your finger, probably on purpose; it was the maximum amount of revenge he could muster.
"Is it good?" you asked.
Zabuza walked away with the whipped cream, his voice drifting back casually, "It tastes awful."
Even if you say it tastes bad, you still end up eating it, don't you?
Dinner was a fairly satisfactory creamy mushroom pasta. While you were eating, Zabuza was wiping his sword. By the time you finished, his greatsword was gleaming. You said, "Didn't you use the weapon we ordered before?"
"It's no use."
"That's just a waste of money," you said, taking a sip of lemonade.
"Anyway, it's not my money that's being spent."
Wow, you say that with such confidence. You purse your lips, get up, and go back to your room from the restaurant. Zabuza follows you. You give him a strange look, and he says, "I'll keep watch for you. Didn't Haku do that before?"
Indeed, but you can sleep peacefully while Bai is on night watch, and you're not afraid when he's on night watch... but you always feel like he's watching you the whole time.
Zabuza retorted, "Since you're asking me to replace him, then I'll take over all the responsibilities he was in."
That makes sense. Anyone who hears that would say, "What a dedicated employee!"
You went to wash up, take a shower, wash your hair, and after drying it, you came out of the bathroom. A white carrier pigeon delivered a letter. You sat on the edge of the bed to read the letter. After a while, the mattress next to you sank significantly. You said to it irritably, "Did you change into your pajamas? Do you know how dirty your clothes are outside?"
You're genuinely angry that he's sitting on the edge of the bed in his outdoor clothes. You immediately order him to wash up and change into a clean set of home clothes.
By the time he finishes doing all that, you'll have already read the letter Bai wrote.
Zabuza asked, "And now?"
The pajamas you picked out for him on the spur of the moment had a cartoon pattern, which contrasted sharply with his serious face. After you saw it, you nodded repeatedly and said, "Hmm, very nice, this style suits you well."
Zabuza knew immediately that you were lying through your teeth, and he scoffed, "Now are you satisfied?"
Actually, I'm not entirely satisfied. If I had to say what would make you truly satisfied, I'd prefer Bai to be the one here with you.
But... he has other work to do, you shrug and say reluctantly, "It's passable."
You turn off the bedside lamp, crawl into bed, and Zabuza sits quietly in the corner of the room, his figure motionless. Later, in your half-awake state, you can still see his figure, maintaining the same posture.
Won't this lead to an acute lumbar disc herniation? Your past life as a corporate slave is still haunting you. When you get up to get a drink of water, you say to Zabuza, "You can lie down and rest on the sofa over there for a while. There's no need to sit like this."
Zabuza looked at you quietly, and after a few seconds he asked, "Are you pitying me?"
You rolled your eyes, feeling like you were having a cross-frequency conversation with him.
"Even if I really sympathize with you, so what? Is that something to be ashamed of? It just means you deserve to be cared for, understand?"
You ninjas really haven't received any mental health education at all.
You really shouldn't have wasted your time talking to him about this. In terms of personality, he's no match for Bai at all; they're worlds apart. You sighed.
"What, you're already starting to get annoyed?"
Since Zabuza will be your bodyguard for a while, you feel that communication between the two of you is important. So you sit down on the chair next to you, put down your water glass, and say, "When someone cares about you, there's no need to attack them like a hedgehog. Does that make you feel good? And you're going to come with me to the banquet later. Are you going to create conflict with me like that too?"
"I thought you'd be more mature. Although your body is strong, your heart seems so fragile that you can't even accept other people's concern." As you spoke, you realized that you were just being redundant. Giving psychological counseling to a ninja was just asking for trouble. You stood up and walked to Zabuza. His figure seemed to move slightly.
You leaned down slightly and pinched his cheek. "Now all you need to do is say 'thank you' to me. Go ahead and say it."
Zabuza's voice was forced out of his throat as he said, "Thank you."
Hmm, she's fairly obedient. It seems she's not completely uncommunicative, you think, and then went to sleep.
You and Zabuza spent a few days together like this. As the charity gala approached, you finally set off for the hotel where the banquet would be held. On the way, you were still chatting with Zabuza about random things. If Deidara came and saw that you actually had a talkative side, he would probably be very surprised. You only talked a lot when you were with Zabuza because it was really interesting to see him get angry.
You mention to him that you recently shot down a golden cat from the sky. Zabuza smirks, wanting to ask where the cat came from, but after listening to a few more sentences, he realizes you're talking about a person.
Since it's a person, don't use "cat" to refer to them. It's easy to cause misunderstandings. You don't mean to change it, and you even say, "He has a fiery temper, but he will eventually become docile."
Such nasty words, but coming from your mouth, they seem less unforgivable. Your tone, your demeanor, and your appearance greatly diminish the wickedness of the words, reducing them to a joke that subconsciously makes people overlook the true thoughts behind them.
After you've said all that, give Zabuza the chance to speak, "Why don't you talk about your own story?"
His affairs? What is there for him to say? It's nothing more than how many people he killed, how many missions he completed, and now he has to accompany you to banquets hosted by the powerful and wealthy, watching them clink glasses and watch them, with just a few words, cause irreversible damage to the future fate of countless ordinary people.
Are you deliberately trying to see him show his vulnerable side? Just like a predator enjoys watching its prey struggle for its life, he's applying that theory from nature to human society, to interpersonal relationships. That's why he said, "Last time when I went to assassinate your competitor, he tried to bribe me with money. At first, it was double, then ten times, and finally a hundred times." In his words, that money was just a string of numbers, numbers used to buy lives.
Zabuza spoke of this in a nonchalant tone, as if he were telling a lame joke. You were genuinely amused and laughed heartily, saying, "So, what was your answer?"
Zabuza subtly shifted his gaze, pursed his lips, and said, "I said, my client is very vengeful, and there will be no good end for anyone who betrays her."
"Hmm... that's a bit of an overstatement. I don't think I'm the kind of person who holds grudges."
As you spoke, you arrived at the hotel entrance. Zabuza asked, "Then can you tolerate betrayal?"
"You can't say that. I just feel that you won't betray me, and you like me, don't you?" She said this very frankly, as if it were a matter of course, as if declaring a fact.
Ninjas are people who are so ashamed to admit their emotions, especially those who come from Kirigakure. Not to mention how strange Kirigakure's rules were back then, they were simply against human nature.
Fortunately, thanks to your intervention, Kirigakure has abolished many unreasonable rules, so the next generation of ninjas will probably have it a little easier.
Zabuza said, "How narcissistic."
The doorman at the hotel entrance greeted you and Zabuza. You took the invitation out of your handbag, and the doorman led you inside. On the way to the banquet hall, you were still talking about this topic with Zabuza. You said, "I'm telling the truth. I think you're just a little embarrassed, aren't you?"
"Excuse me? You even know what 'excuse me' means?" Zabuza scoffed. "Do you really think everyone should like you?"
"Actually, I don't care whether others like me or not. Whether they hate me or like me, it won't have any impact on me personally, and my life trajectory won't be affected by it."
Upon arriving at the entrance of the banquet hall, the doors slowly opened, and the first thing that caught the eye was a crystal chandelier hanging from the dome. Since there is no artificial crystal in this world, these are all natural crystals, each one of which has been polished by hand. It is unknown how much time and effort it takes to finally obtain such a crystal chandelier.
This lamp was merely an insignificant decorative item in the entire banquet hall.
You squint slightly as the light from the crystal chandelier dazzles your eyes, thinking to yourself, "This light is too bright!"
You blinked slowly a few times, and once you felt your eyes had adjusted to the brightness of the light, you looked around. There were quite a few people like you who came to the banquet with guards. After all, everyone is afraid of death, and the rich are especially afraid of death. They wish they could take guards with them wherever they go, lest their wealth and glory come to an abrupt end because of death.
Your gaze suddenly stopped on a familiar figure halfway through your sight. You paused, and the other person looked over as well. His slightly curly black hair still looked fluffy and cute. He walked up to you and said with a smile, "Mingxi, what a coincidence to meet you here."
Shisui feigned surprise, but you didn't really believe what he said.
Was it really a coincidence?
It was clearly not a coincidence. Most coincidences in the world are the result of someone's elaborate schemes and calculations, especially when the other party is an Uchiha, the possibility of such a thing is even higher.
So, in what capacity did Shisui attend this banquet? You glanced at his attire; he didn't seem like someone's bodyguard, but rather a guest. However, you weren't interested in what mission he had brought with him.
Taking a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray, you say to Shizuku without much apology, "Sorry, I forgot to ask if you wanted some champagne, but I think you can get some over there if you do."
"No, I have important business to attend to today, so I shouldn't drink." With that, Zhishui smiled at you, then turned and left, as if he were really just exchanging a few pleasantries with a long-lost friend.
As you hold your wine glass, Zabuza's voice drifts to your ear. He asks, "Another old acquaintance?"
"I guess so," you replied rather perfunctorily.
Zabuza gave Shisui a meaningful look at his back. He had a bad feeling about Shisui, a feeling he had also felt with that guy named Uchiha Itachi. He asked you curiously, "Why do you like the Uchiha so much?"
How many Uchiha are there now? This is really never going to end.
"I don't know. By the time I realized it, I was surrounded by Uchiha." You shrugged helplessly. Besides, you'd lived among Uchiha for over a decade, so it was unavoidable.
Fortunately, Shisui was still a Uchiha with some sense of boundaries. The counterpart here is Uchiha Itachi, at least he wouldn't start preparing for the wedding the moment you've just taken a nap.
Although Shisui wasn't exactly an ordinary person, he was considered one of the few with a relatively normal personality among the Uchiha clan.
After Zhishui left, you chatted happily with the other guests at the banquet. You meant that you were all smiling on the surface, but in reality, you were all thinking that the ideas of these powerful people were so naive and cruel. You heard from a nobleman of a small country that an infectious disease had broken out in the country's slums.
"Ugh, it's so annoying. We already live in the slums, why do we still have to cause them trouble? They're just like rats in the sewers, so prolific and disgusting."
"If you ask me, why not just use explosives to raze that place to the ground? Hmm, that would also create a new development zone. Wouldn't that be great? We could attract more investment, not only solving the current problems but also making some money."
"That's really a perfect solution!"
You quietly listen to those pot-bellied dignitaries freely discussing how to dispose of other people's lives, finish a glass of champagne, and then take another glass from the long table.
You already know how awful this world is, but you're still always surprised by the depths of depravity some people reach.
"Isn't that our great entrepreneur, Miss Mingxi? Oh dear, look at us, we were so busy chatting that we forgot you were also at this banquet." One of the men waved to you, as if he were beckoning to a mascot, and a beautiful one at that.
Zabuza leaned down and whispered in your ear, "They were very disrespectful to you. Do you want me to kill them?"
"Not for now." You held your champagne glass without moving, and finally they walked towards you helplessly.
Sensing your earlier show of force, the man named Renyu said again, "If you ask me, even if Miss Mingxi didn't go into business, she could enjoy a life of luxury just by relying on her face, right?"
Here we go again, naturally extending the conversation from your appearance to other topics, and then casually dismissing your achievements.
Yes, men like this exist in every world.
You said, "What are you saying? I think you're still quite attractive. If you work hard, you might even be able to make a living with your body. After all, aren't you always thinking about things like that? Hahaha—don't be angry, don't be so sensitive. I was just joking. Look, everyone's having such a good time. We can't let you spoil the fun, can we?"
Although honorifics were used throughout, there was no respect whatsoever; rather, every word contained sarcasm and malice.
It's an honor for him to receive such a long sarcastic remark from you.
"Miss Mingxi, I heard you've been expanding your arms business recently? Oh, right, we were just talking about the slums with the infectious disease outbreak. How about this, could you send some explosives over and blow that place up?"
"As long as the money is in place, this is a minor matter."
"Ah, I knew Miss Mingxi could definitely do it."
You shrug nonchalantly. Come on, what you really want to do is blow up their palaces, but you can't do that now. Your current power only controls one or two small countries at most. Once you touch the interests of major powers, you will face the cold, hard military machine of a great power alliance.
While you can't blow up the palace, there's a lot of room for maneuver in the task they asked you to do. You can easily relocate the slum residents to your base; after all, they're a workforce, and your numerous factories and companies can easily absorb them.
This is the best method you can think of.
After downing your second glass of champagne and eating a few olives, you started talking to them about the foundation. They weren't interested in things like helping orphans or improving the working conditions for employees, but when they heard that you could share some of the profits with them, they became enthusiastic about the foundation's establishment and started talking about how kind they were.
Those people's acting skills are always exaggerated, but the audience members present are all in cahoots and will not expose them. Instead, they will join in and play the role of good people, as if doing so can absolve them of their sins.
Although chatting with this kind of person may affect your mood to some extent, it is generally beneficial. For example, it seems that your foundation can be promoted in several countries, which is a good thing for you.
You seemed to have drunk a bit too much champagne, and then you ate a few more desserts. The cherries adorning the cupcakes were pickled, their bright red appearance resembling miniature hearts. Just as you bit into the candied cherry, the windows on both sides of the banquet hall suddenly burst open.
Zabuza immediately shielded you behind him. Chaos erupted in the banquet hall, filled with screams and explosions. The once elegantly dressed guests were now scrambling around like headless flies, unable to find their way and even bumping into each other as they ran.
In this chaotic situation, you take a deep breath and take out the pistol from your handbag.
"It seems to be a criminal organization made up of rogue ninjas," Zabuza said. You glanced at it and it was indeed rogue ninjas. After all, the headband with a slash was still obediently worn on his forehead, which was practically telling the other party that he was a rogue ninja.
Zabuza pulled you away, and the crystal chandelier hanging in mid-air fell, scattering crystals all over the ground. One of your shoes fell off while you were running, which further slowed you down. Zabuza seemed to mutter something, bent down, and put his arm under your knees to pick you up.
This attack seems to be aimed at you. Sigh, you know you have a lot of enemies, but to go to such lengths just to kill you, it's really something for them.
Holding Zabuza, you didn't slow down, but you couldn't withstand the assassins' pursuit. You placed a pistol on his shoulder and said, "Don't move."
The next second you aim at the rogue ninja who suddenly appears, bang—
A bullet struck him in the chest.
You say with a touch of pride, "My marksmanship is still as accurate as ever."
Zabuza dodged the attack while holding you, and you realized that having him hold you would really affect his combat. So you patted his shoulder to signal him to put you down.
"You think you can run away by yourself?" Zabuza didn't quite believe in your ability to escape.
You rolled your eyes at him, annoyed, and said, "I'm not some useless piece of trash who can't even protect himself. Fine, go and kill them all."
As you spoke, you pointed to the few rogue ninjas not far away, your tone casual.
Zabuza drew his greatsword, and you stepped aside, occasionally firing sniper shots from behind. Soon, your magazine was emptied. As you reloaded, the enemy ninja suddenly used a strange ninjutsu, and a pale purple smoke instantly filled the corridor.
So you really hate those weird and strange ninjutsu.
You held your breath and fled the corridor as fast as you could. You didn't need Buza to remind you anymore; you'd witnessed countless ninja battles and knew exactly what the wind-up animation was for their powerful attacks. You weren't stupid.
You ran to the corner of the corridor and came face to face with the figure behind the corner. You reacted quickly and raised your pistol.
The bullet grazed the other person's cheek, leaving a small scar. You met Shisui's smiling eyes, and he said, "That was close—I almost got killed by you, Aki."
What do you mean by "almost"? You almost missed, didn't you? If you don't think you could hit Shisui with your own strength, then there's only one possibility: he was holding back, no, he was holding back the sea.
Ignoring the wound on his cheek, Shisui grabbed your wrist and said, "It's still too dangerous here. Come with me."
Are you going with him with some doubt? Where is he going to take you? You and Shisui are old acquaintances, but that doesn't mean you'll trust him unconditionally. Maybe Itachi Uchiha will suddenly appear out of nowhere soon after you go with him.
No, I won't go with you.
Shisui frowned, "But..."
You can barely hear what they say after that. Your thoughts are in a daze. Before your consciousness fades, you curse in your heart: It's all because of that damn fog!
When you wake up again, you sit up in bed with a jolt, followed by a severe headache.
Damn, this is going to be a disaster.
You rub your temples, massaging them while observing your surroundings. It looks like a hotel, and a small one at that. Anyway, once you have money, you'll be staying in luxury hotels.
Click,
The door to the room was opened, and you stared intently at the person who entered. It was Shisui, dressed in a black uniform. You said, "What are you doing here?"
He was carrying a tray with a small bowl of porridge and other side dishes. He sat down by your bed and said, "You fell into a coma because you inhaled some toxic gas. Fortunately, the amount inhaled was not large, and you should recover in a couple of days. Here—have some porridge first."
How come he acts so nonchalant? You didn't touch the spoon, and then you asked, "Don't you have anything else to say to me?"
Zhishui tilted her head. "Hmm... You want to ask about your guard? Well, I haven't been back since I took you away from there, so I don't know how he is doing."
Whether he lives or dies is meaningless to Shisui. It would probably be better if he died, since he couldn't stand the way that guy stood beside him with his eyes glued to him.
Do you know he likes you? You probably do, you're actually very good at understanding people's hearts, otherwise you wouldn't be able to manipulate them so easily.
I thought you would be sad, or at least show a little bit of emotion, right? But actually, you didn't. You just said "Oh," and then lowered your head to scoop up a spoonful of lean meat porridge. Compared to the news, it was the slightly hot bowl of lean meat porridge in front of you that made you say a few more words.
First you said it was too hot, then you didn't even touch it.
Zhi Shui stirred the lean meat porridge with a spoon to make it cool down faster, and asked while stirring, "Mingxi, are you feeling alright? Is there anything wrong?"
You narrowed your eyes slightly, staring at Shisui with a suspicious and scrutinizing gaze. The latter smiled helplessly, indicating that he meant no harm, and said, "I won't tell Itachi about this."
Really?
"So your friendship is quite fragile," you said.
Shisui laughed out loud, "You can't say that. In battle, I would do my best to save him, but in the battlefield of emotions, it's just a different story."
Of course you know Shisui likes you. Uchiha can't hide their feelings for someone. Their eyes are so beautiful and expressive. Once they like someone, they want to express their love with their eyes.
You were just too lazy to reciprocate his feelings at the time; you were busy with your career.
Moreover, you just slept with one Uchiha, and then you slept with another one right afterward. What's more, the two of them are good friends.
Although you treat Itachi with a playful attitude, given his petty nature, he'll probably come looking for you the moment you and Shisui kiss.
So, never underestimate a man's jealousy.
You said, "I don't quite understand."
"No, Mingxi, you actually know very well, but you just don't want to take responsibility, so you pretend not to understand."
He made your true nature crystal clear, and you pouted, "I was just playing around with him."
“I know. If he can be treated like this by you, so can I. And I’ll be even more obedient.”
As he spoke, he scooped up a spoonful of the cooled lean meat porridge and held it to your lips. "So what do you think?"
What else can you think? He's practically begging to be the other woman. You say, somewhat amused, "So you're the third party in this relationship."
"Isn't that a bit too harsh? There's nothing wrong with pursuing true love, right? And if I can make you happier, it just means that the former isn't right for you."
Uchiha Itachi, did you hear that? Your friend is going to be a mistress.
You take the spoon from his hand and start drinking your porridge. Zhi Shui isn't in a hurry and even looks at you with a smile.
"You're still a Konoha ninja, what a hassle."
"I'll handle it; no one will find out." His tone was eager, as if he had been planning this for a long time.
You put down your chopsticks, met Shisui's gaze, and finally said, "I'll think about it."
You said you'd consider it, but in reality, all you could think about was how to leave this place. Your body hasn't fully recovered, and you're still a little dizzy. However, you already sent a message to your guard team, so they should find this place soon.
Zhi Shui smiled and said, "Then I'll await your answer."
What are you waiting for? He won't get the answer he wants, you think to yourself.
"Oh, right, I've put your necklace away for you." As he spoke, he took your diamond necklace out of his pocket. "There was some blood on it, but I cleaned it off. Would you like me to put it on you?"
You shake your head. Why would you wear a necklace now? You only reluctantly wear jewelry when attending important occasions. Most of the time, you keep these pieces of jewelry in a safe as investments.
Shisui withdrew her hand and said meaningfully, "As expected, Aki, you still prefer diamonds to pearls, don't you?"
With such an obvious hint, how could you not remember that a long time ago he gave you a diamond necklace, while Uchiha Itachi gave you a pearl necklace?
Seriously? You even have to compare this? You thought Shizuru wasn't the type to compare himself to others? Now take back what you said earlier. He is, after all, an Uchiha, so he has all the characteristics of the Uchiha clan. It's like a curse that no one can escape.
“Liking diamonds doesn’t mean anything,” you said.
Zhi Shui cleared away your dishes, stood up, and said to you, "Everything you do has meaning."
After saying that, he left the room with the tray. After he left, you analyzed your current situation. By the way, where's your pistol? You searched the room and finally found the familiar pistol in the bedside table drawer.
You almost thought Shisui had hidden him after searching for so long.
Remove the magazine, and just like before you lost consciousness, only one bullet was fired. You still had enough ammunition. You pushed the magazine back in, and heard a click, the cold machinery making a pleasant sound.
The doorknob turned slightly, and you raised your pistol, the dark muzzle pointed at the newcomer.
As soon as Zhishui opened the door, he was greeted by the muzzle of a gun. Just like a passerby in a movie who is being shot at, he raised his hands and cooperated, saying, "I have no ill intentions, please let me go."
But in reality, with his "instantaneous movement and still water" speed, he can snatch the gun from your hand in an instant, and his grip strength can also violently dismantle the gun.
What he's doing now is just a disguise.
You put down your gun, and Zhishui walks towards you with a smile. This time, he has two pills in his hand. He says, "These can relieve your headache. Don't worry, they're not poisonous." As he speaks, he calmly swallows one of the pills.
Seriously? You're going to eat it dry? This is a pill, not instant noodles. You're definitely not going to eat it dry.
To be honest, your headache did get better after taking the pill. It was at this moment that your guards arrived. You opened the door and were hit by a strong smell of blood. Upon closer inspection, you saw Zabuza covered in blood, his eyes showing signs of exhaustion.
Despite being exhausted, he still stubbornly insisted, "Did you think I was dead?"
You hugged him with a smile, not caring about the smell of blood on him, and even laughed out loud, "I knew you wouldn't die!"
Zabuza stiffened when you held him. He could be stubborn and say harsh things, but once you smiled, once you treated him with soft, elusive tenderness, he became helpless again.
It's too quiet. It's not that he doesn't want to talk, but that he doesn't know what to say. He wants to push you away.
He knows how clean you are; he would even be looked down upon if he sat on the edge of your bed in his outdoor clothes. Now he is even more disheveled.
“I’m very dirty,” he said.
But you have a pure heart.
You're talking nonsense again.
In the end, Zabuza didn't push you away. He let you hug him until you let go, at which point he began to feel reluctant to let go.
Shisui stepped out from behind you. "Looks like Aki, you're leaving?"
I almost forgot there was an Uchiha here. You turn around and see Shisui smiling, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes; it's a shallow and superficial smile.
"yes."
Shisui's advantage is that he doesn't keep asking you if you'll ever see him again like other Uchiha. He just says, "Oh, and don't forget your necklace."
You took the diamond necklace from his hand, and just as you were about to pull your hand back, he suddenly grabbed your wrist and asked, "Can we hug before we part?"
It was a very tactful request, just a hug. You didn't seem to have a reason to refuse, after all, he had saved your life. So you hugged him openly and patted his back.
You let go, take a step back; it was just a hug, and that's it, you're leaving.
As Zabuza left the inn, he said, "He just let you leave like that?"
"That only shows that you don't understand him."
Zabuza thought to himself that he certainly didn't know anything about that Uchiha, after all, he hadn't had much contact with him, he had only heard of his reputation as Shisui of the Body Flicker.
"So, what do you mean?" Zabuza asked.
At this moment, you take out the diamond necklace that Shisui handed you, examine it carefully, and finally select one of the diamonds. You then say to Zabuza, "Take this diamond apart."
Zabuza obediently did as he was told, and then he and you saw the locator hidden behind the main drill. You raised an eyebrow at Zabuza, "What did I tell you?"
He clenched his hand and crushed the locator to pieces.
Meanwhile, Shisui, still in the hotel, noticed the locator's signal suddenly disappear. He muttered to himself with a hint of disappointment, "Ah...were we discovered after all?"
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