Chapter 32 "You look terrible right now..."
"Mingxi, what did the letter say?" Bai asked. You handed the letter to Bai, then took off your sun hat and threw it aside. You then handed the basket full of green grapes to Zabuza and told him to wash the grapes.
While Haku was reading letters, you were bored and wandered over to Zabuza. You taught him to use scissors to cut the grapes off the stem one by one. The round, green grapes rolled into a glass bowl. You picked up a few, rinsed them with water, and peeled off the skins. The aroma of grapes filled the air. You took a bite, and it tasted quite good.
You had considered getting involved in the wine industry before, but you were busy developing other businesses at the time and forgot about it. Now that you have some free time, it's time to put this idea into practice.
Imagine you open the system panel and realize that once your business empire is stable, you only need to check the system at fixed times in the morning and evening to view the business status. You no longer need to check the system frequently to see how your two ramen shops and izakaya are doing, as you used to.
Some entrepreneurs may miss the early days of their business, but you don't miss it at all. After all, back then you were worried every day that your store would lose money, and if the cash flow dried up, you would have to start all over again. That's the charm of the capitalist system; even as the host, you have to start from scratch again.
The system panel displays the business sectors you have activated, divided into two maps: a world map showing which regions your industry is located in, and a statistical chart of various industries, including the types of industries your business involves and its market share within those industries.
Starting a new industry also requires caution; generally, you should observe for a period of time before making a decision.
"How much longer are you going to stand here?" Zabuza asked.
You snapped out of your daze, closed the system panel, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you getting impatient?"
Zabuza rinsed the green grapes again, drained them, and the water gushed into the sewer. He said, "No."
You and he walked into the living room. Bai had already folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. When he saw you, he said, "I don't quite understand what he meant by this letter. Is he trying to report to you, Mingxi, on the completion of his mission? If so, why say so many unimportant things?"
Bai seemed genuinely puzzled, but you saw things much more clearly than him. You said, "Hmm, he's just being coquettish."
Hearing you say that, Zabuza, who was holding a glass bowl, couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. Only you would say that the Akatsuki members were being coquettish.
You put the glass bowl he was holding on the table and then invited them to eat grapes.
"So Mingxi... do you know how he feels?" Bai wasn't really in the mood for grapes. You sat down opposite him and nodded. "Of course I know. He's so immature, he can't even pretend. What he's thinking is written all over his face. How could I not know?"
You can accept other people's affection for you without hesitation, since you're already used to it, and you'll even make good use of their affection, because it feels like a waste not to use someone's affection.
"He's a member of Akatsuki, so dealing with him might be troublesome." Bai was already worried, but you reassured him, "It's okay, Bai, I can handle it." If all else fails, just let them fight amongst themselves; that way, you'll save yourself the trouble of dealing with them.
Zabuza said coldly, "Anyway, if you can't handle it, you can just run away. You've already done this before, so it's not hard to repeat it again."
You glanced at Zabuza and reminded him, "If you can't speak properly, then don't speak. Just eat your grapes quietly."
Zabuza was relatively obedient and didn't say anything more after that. You were able to check the documents they had processed and open the system map. The regions in this world with developed wine industries are concentrated in a small group of countries in the northwest of the map. These countries are closely connected because of the wine industry.
With increased economic exchanges, political exchanges inevitably followed, eventually leading to the signing of alliances. Although these were merely economic cooperation agreements, they had already subtly fostered the unity of these small countries.
Hmm... It feels a bit like your world from your past life. So, there are commonalities between different worlds after all?
Because it is a small country with limited strength, it has chosen to join forces with its neighbors in order to defend against other countries. In the end, it will probably reach a military cooperation agreement, which is an inevitable result.
If you click on one of the countries, it is a coastal country with a pleasant climate. In addition to the wine industry, the tourism industry is also well-developed.
You rest your chin on your hand, and... this spot suits your taste perfectly.
"Mingxi, is there a problem with these documents?" Bai asked.
"No problem, you did a great job. What would you like as a reward?" You closed the system map and asked them curiously.
Bai said, "I don't want anything. It's enough to be able to stay by Mingxi's side."
Isn't this exactly the kind of employee every capitalist wants? You pressed further, "Really, you don't want anything at all?"
"Um...no." Bai lowered his eyes.
Okay, then you looked at Zabuza and asked, "And what about you? What do you want?"
Zabuza said, "Didn't you tell me to shut up?"
He's still arguing with you over every little thing, how petty! You shrug: "If I miss this opportunity, I won't be so generous anymore."
"Pshaw, your generosity always comes at a price. I don't believe you'd be a good person for no reason."
It seems your image as a treacherous and cunning capitalist is deeply ingrained in people's minds.
That evening, Zabuza received a message from Kirigakure saying there was an urgent mission. He held the mission scroll with a gloomy expression. You, who was curled up on the sofa watching a movie, didn't even turn your head and said, "Since it's an urgent mission, let's go. It'll also lower the village's guard against you, so you can become the Mizukage smoothly in the future."
"You really want me to become the Mizukage?"
"Isn't this your dream as ninjas? Those born in Konoha hope to become Hokage, and those born in Sunagakure want to become Kazekage. It's all the same principle, so I think your dream is pretty much the same, right?"
Indeed, before meeting you, he did have the idea of assassinating the current Mizukage to end the terror of Kirigakure. It wasn't a dream, just a plan, a plan to end the darkness. But your appearance and the documents you handed to the Daimyo gradually brought Kirigakure out of the darkness. He had long forgotten the plan and his attempt to assassinate the Mizukage.
Do you always feel like you can see through everything and control other people's destinies?
You rolled your eyes in exasperation. How old is he? Still acting like a teenager? You beckoned to him, and he walked behind the sofa, bent down as you instructed, and you reached out and pinched his chin.
Right now, the TV is showing the male and female leads having a close encounter, the atmosphere is ambiguous, and the background music is very romantic, but that's just TV. Reality isn't that romantic. You say, "Don't be ungrateful for what you've got."
You pinched his chin, and even slapped his cheek in a somewhat humiliating way, but he showed no signs of anger. He just looked at you quietly, and then bit you.
This guy really can't kiss, you know.
“Fool, is that your answer?” you said.
Because he didn't use much force, your lip didn't bleed; at most, it just left a mark. But you, being vengeful, bit back, and blood seeped from his lip, but he didn't care at all.
Zabuza thought he had won back a point, and said, "Yes, that's my answer."
You pursed your lips, which aggravated your injury, and clicked your tongue in annoyance, thinking that you should get rid of him as soon as possible. "You can go now."
He stared at you for a long time, until you started to get a little annoyed, before he finally said, "I'll come back after the mission is complete."
"It doesn't matter if you don't come back, I have plenty of obedient people around me anyway."
"Then I will be stronger than them."
You're so stubborn. You said, "At times like this, all you need to do is tell me, 'Then I'll be more obedient.'"
Zabuza's lip wound was still bleeding, and his voice carried a metallic taste of blood. He said, "Do you think I'm your dog?"
"I really hadn't thought of that."
His saying that only shows that he thought that way, so it's self-evident who really wants to be a dog. Zabuza put away the mission scroll and said one last thing before leaving, "Can't you say something nice?"
Just as he opened the balcony door to leave, he caught your lighthearted words, "Then come back alive."
He smiled silently, and his figure disappeared into the night.
You glanced at the TV series, a very clichéd romance. You turned it off after a few seconds, stretched, and walked into the bedroom. Bai had just changed your bedding. You rushed over and plopped into the soft blankets, most of your face covered by the plush sheets. After a few seconds, you patted the empty spot next to you, signaling Bai to come over.
You talked a lot before going to bed, probably because you had two cups of milk tea for afternoon tea, so your brain is still very excited. You talked about your development plans in that coastal country.
“We can also go there for a vacation and see how the local wine industry works.” You got more and more excited as you talked, and eventually couldn’t sleep at all.
"If you're tired, you can go to sleep first. I'm too energetic," you say to Bai.
"It's okay, I'm not sleepy."
You snuggled into Bai's arms, listening to his heartbeat, and said, "Although this world is terrible, there are still some beautiful things."
"I know." Bai gently patted your back. If it weren't for you, he might have died that winter long ago. So... so for him, the only beautiful thing in this world was you.
*
You've been living in the sanatorium for a while now. After finishing your work, you usually go fishing in the back mountains, picking fruits and vegetables, and occasionally riding horses. Since you plan to visit that coastal country that produces wine in a while, Bai has been investigating that country whenever he has free time these past few days. He's not just investigating that country, but also the countries around it, trying to figure out the power relationships within these countries as quickly as possible.
This is not an easy task, but you know Bai will complete it smoothly, and you have great confidence in his abilities.
While he was busy working, you were fishing in the back hill. You sat by the lake with your fishing rod beside you, but the hook in the water didn't move much, so it looked like you wouldn't catch anything today.
You rest your chin on your hand when you suddenly hear a rustling sound behind you. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch a glimpse of a piece of clothing, and a slight smile appears on your lips. It seems you haven't come away empty-handed after all. You turn around, and sure enough, it's Kimimaro. He glances at your fishing rod and says, "You won't catch any fish like that."
"That's not necessarily true. I've already caught one."
Kimimaro didn't quite understand what you meant, so he sat down next to you and said, "What do you mean by this?"
"Literal meaning."
Kimimaro realized that Kimimaro liked to speak in a cryptic, ambiguous way, as if he was deliberately trying to make people unable to understand him. He asked, "Then where are your fish?"
"It's you."
"I am a human being."
Sigh, never mind, it's better to be direct when chatting with him. You could say, "Okay, human, are you here to fish too?"
"Fishing is too inefficient; it's better to just catch fish directly," he replied, focusing on efficiency.
"But then you lose the fun of fishing."
"Is fun that important?" What exactly do you mean by fun? Is it just sitting here wasting time? Lord Orochimaru says you are an ambitious person, but he can't quite see it, and he can't understand your words and actions sometimes.
Lord Orochimaru admires you, as does Kabuto Yakushi, but after getting to know you, he only feels that you are a dangerous and unpredictable person.
How could anyone fall for such a dangerous person? Even now, Kimimaro still can't understand Kabuto's feelings for you; in his eyes, Kabuto is just courting death.
In battle, these uncertainties should be eliminated immediately and without hesitation, rather than allowing this potential threat to exist.
“Of course it’s important. You’ll find the answer here, the answer besides Orochimaru’s,” you said.
No, I won't.
His emerald green eyes looked at you, and a silent standoff formed between you. After a few seconds, you smiled slightly and said, "That's hard to say."
As soon as you finished speaking, the fish took the bait, and the fishing line started to sway. You grabbed the fishing rod, took several steps back, and pulled the fish out of the water in one go.
Wow, what a powerful fish! You toss the fish into the bucket; it's enough for dinner. But Kimimaro catches a few more fish, so your bucket has a few more. On your way back, you ask him if he wants to come over for dinner.
He asked, "Is this a trap?"
"Yes," you said with a smile.
Unexpectedly, you admitted it so frankly. Kimimaro's eyes widened slightly, looking quite amusing. You laughed out loud, "I was just kidding. But even if it really was a trap, you would still come, right?"
Kimimaro remained silent, as if he had been completely seen through.
You hand these fish to the kitchen, and just wait a while, and they will deliver fresh fish dishes.
You, on the other hand, went back to your room to change out of your pants that had been splattered with mud while fishing.
As you passed by the study, you saw Bai still looking at documents. Standing at the door, you asked him if he wanted anything to eat, since there was still some time before dinner. Bai looked up and asked if you were hungry, then said, "Sorry, I was so busy looking at documents that I forgot about it..."
Before you could even say anything, he started apologizing. You waved your hand at him and said, "I'm not angry. You don't need to apologize to me. Just sit still and I'll go check on the kitchen."
At this time, the kitchen is busily preparing dinner. Your arrival attracts the attention of the kitchen staff. When they see that it is you who came in person, they think that their work efficiency is too low and hurriedly want to apologize to you. Before they can apologize, you speak up and say, "I just came to find some snacks to fill my stomach."
The chef breathed a sigh of relief. There were still afternoon tea snacks in the kitchen. Although they weren't as fresh as the ones that had just been made, they were still quite fresh. Since your requirements weren't that high, he picked up the tray and was about to leave.
"Lord Aki, are you sure you don't need us to help you carry it over?"
You've already walked to the corridor outside the kitchen with the tray in your hand. Without turning your head, you say, "I can do it myself."
After walking through the long corridor and climbing several flights of stairs, I finally arrived at the study carrying the tray.
Before you could even speak, Bai stood up and took the tray from your hands. You said, "Put your work aside for now."
Bai is very obedient; he does almost everything you say. You are sitting at another table, and he is quietly eating his snacks. You say that you are having fish dishes tonight, and that the biggest fish was caught by me.
"Really? Aki is really amazing. Thanks to Aki, I was able to enjoy a delicious fish dish tonight."
You were a little embarrassed by the compliment, but only slightly. You raised your chin, still very proud of yourself, and said, "Of course I'm good!"
"Oh, right, Kimimaro will be coming over for dinner too."
Bai paused in his fork-scooping motion of the mousse cake, and asked, "Did you invite me, Mingxi?"
"Yes, because there are so many dishes that the two of us might not be able to finish them, so we invited him. But whether he will come or not is another matter." He will most likely come, after all, he still has to dig for information for his respected Lord Orochimaru. It's just that in the end, it's hard to say whether he will get himself into trouble.
Is it really just because of the fish dish? Bai didn't think so. He knew you were interested in this Orochimaru subordinate, but he wasn't quite sure to what extent. He tentatively said, "Aki, Kimimaro doesn't seem like someone who would listen to orders." At least not as obedient as him.
"Is that so? Not necessarily." You're quite curious about what Kimimaro's obedient attitude towards you is really like.
When people have money and power, the worst aspects of their character are amplified, and you laugh and say, "Isn't that what makes it interesting?"
Bai Xiang, no matter what you do, he will clean up the mess for you, as long as you are happy... it doesn't matter who suffers.
Getting back to the main point, you chatted with Bai for a while about the alliances formed by those small countries, and before you knew it, it was dinner time.
At dinner time, the kitchen delivered steaming hot fish dishes, and you saw Kimimaro outside the door. After arriving at the sanatorium, he finally changed out of the strangely styled clothes that Orochimaru had given him. Now he was wearing a simple white square-neck shirt, revealing half of his collarbone. The cuffs of the shirt were rolled up to reveal a section of his forearm, and he wore black underpants.
This combination looks much more pleasing to the eye.
He said, "Good evening."
It felt like I didn't know what to say, so I forced out a topic.
You also say to him, "Good evening."
If you don't bring up the topic, Kimimaro doesn't know what to say next. His hands hanging at his sides betray his unease. You say, "You've come at the right time. I was going to call you."
"I have already accepted your invitation, so I will come," Kimimaro replied earnestly.
Bai, who was on the other side, had already helped the other waiters lay out the tablecloth and set out the water glasses and other tableware. He asked, "Mingxi, what would you like to drink?"
"Sparkling water is fine." You smiled at Kimimaro without turning around. "Drinking too much alcohol will give you a headache."
Bai Ning watched your retreating figure. He wanted to say that it didn't matter because he would make you a hangover soup, but you didn't turn around and naturally didn't notice the change in his expression.
The tenderest parts of the fish are steamed, while the other parts with too many bones are minced after the bones are removed and then steamed to make fish soup. Some fish are also made into grilled fish with a crispy skin and flavorful seasoning. In addition to fish dishes, there are other vegetables to accompany the dishes. Fried lotus root balls float in the vegetable soup, which prevents the soup from being too bland, and small oil droplets float on the surface.
Of the three people present, Kimimaro was the most uneasy. After all, he wasn't really there for dinner; he was thinking about how to extract information from you while he was eating.
Bai, who was sitting opposite him, stood up, served you a bowl of soup, and then naturally served Kimimaro a bowl as well. "Here you go, this vegetable soup tastes delicious."
When Kimimaro took the soup bowl from Shiro's hand, he felt that there was a lot hidden in Shiro's smile.
Was he implying something? Or was he reminding him not to lay a hand on you? Kimimaro pondered this. The dinner tasted bland by the end, but Kimimaro wasn't picky about food anyway, as long as it filled his stomach.
Kimimaro was bothered by what the ninja named Haku said during dinner. Even after dinner, Kimimaro was still thinking about it when he returned to his room, pondering his next move.
As he pondered, he heard your knock on the door.
Even without opening the door, he knew it was you knocking. He stood up, walked to the door, opened it, and saw that you had changed your clothes again, looking very neat and tidy. Your long hair was tied up. You winked at him and asked, "Do you want to go horseback riding?"
"What?" He was taken aback.
"I said, want to go horseback riding?" You patiently repeated yourself, and only then did Kimimaro understand what you meant. You were inviting him to go horseback riding that night.
Kimimaro had never ridden a horse before, not because he was afraid of riding, but because there was absolutely no need for him to learn. As a ninja, he could travel much faster than riding a horse, so why waste time on such a thing?
"You haven't learned to ride a horse, have you?" you asked, your smile sly and your eyes sparkling. Before meeting you, Kimimaro had no concept of beauty or ugliness. He had been raised as a human weapon since childhood and rarely came into contact with people outside the Kaguya clan, and no one had ever taught him.
Even after choosing to follow Lord Orochimaru, most of what that man taught him were killing techniques, such as which parts of the body to attack to kill an enemy instantly and which parts to attack without immediately causing death.
Of course, Orochimaru would also say other things, such as that life is fragile, short and fleeting, so he wanted to pursue immortality.
Kimimaro took everything Orochimaru said to heart, listening attentively and keeping it all in mind.
However, everything changed subtly after he met you. At first, the change was small, so subtle that it was hard to notice, but it spread quickly and soon affected his heart.
"It shouldn't be like this," he thought. "Things shouldn't have gotten this far."
Your beauty is undeniable; even Kimimaro, who has no concept of beauty or ugliness, would develop this idea, either spontaneously or passively, after interacting with you.
He gazed into your eyes, and then saw his own reflection in your pupils.
You are looking at him, gazing intently at him.
He said, "I have absolutely no need to learn this."
"There are many things in life that we do not do out of necessity." As you spoke, you grasped his wrist, then his palm. His body temperature was slightly lower than yours. Could it be that spending too much time with Orochimaru would lead to his assimilation?
He subconsciously squeezed his fingers, but the unconscious little movement made Kimimaro want to pull his hand back as if he had been electrocuted. He asked stiffly, "What are you doing?"
Huh? What did you just do? You turn around and see his bewildered expression. He's suppressing his instinct to retaliate, constantly telling himself that this isn't an attack, that you had no reason to attack him, that you just...
I just gently pinched his fingers.
You still think you've done something wrong, and you're thinking of offering him a half-hearted apology, but Kimimaro quickly skips the topic and says, "So, you do a lot of things just for fun, right?"
"Pretty much. You can learn from me too. Life will be much easier that way." After all, if you start from your own perspective and consider your own feelings, then without a doubt, you will live a more comfortable life. At least you won't have to worry about what others think like you did in your previous life.
Kimimaro tried to pull his hand back, but he couldn't move it. He pursed his lips and said, "I won't do as you wish."
"That's not necessarily true. Aren't you still coming out horseback riding with me now?"
You smiled, the kind of smile that comes from a successful prank. Kimimaro stared at your smile, surprised to find that he didn't seem angry with you at all.
He knows he's not a good-tempered person, but he can tolerate many of your words and actions.
"This is just an exception," he stubbornly insisted.
"Yes, I hope there are as many exceptions as possible." You nodded repeatedly.
Kimimaro simply stopped talking. He figured that the more he said in front of you, the more mistakes he would make, so he preferred to say nothing at all, at least that way he wouldn't reveal any flaws.
You lead him to the stable. Not all the horses are sleeping. Some are night owls and are still chewing hay at this time. When they see you coming, they peek out, looking like they're just there to join in the fun.
“Since you’ve never learned to ride a horse, you probably don’t know how to choose one either, so I’ll leave it to you.” With that, you picked out a horse from the still-awake ones that seemed to have a gentle and friendly temperament. You opened the fence and led the white horse out of the stable, still holding the reins in your hand, and raised your chin at Kimimaro.
Kimimaro looked at the spirited white horse. He watched you put the saddle on its back, then lead the reins to the outside of the stable. He saw you grab the saddle with both hands, take a deep breath, and successfully sit on the horse's back. At this moment, the night sky was bright with stars, and the bright moonlight covered the earth.
You sit on horseback with your eyes downcast, extend your hand to him, and ask, "Want to get on?"
The night breeze caressed your cheek, ruffling the stray hairs on your face. Kimimaro momentarily forgot his own voice. He stared at you intently, and it took him a while to find his voice again. He wanted to say that it wasn't necessary, but his gaze fell on your hand, which was suspended in mid-air. He still remembered the warmth of your hand when it held his wrist.
He is not opposed to it.
Just when you thought Kimimaro was going to refuse, he finally took your hand. Actually, you felt that even without your help, he could easily climb onto the horse, after all, the physique of a ninja is just different from that of ordinary people.
He sat down behind you, and you asked, "Are you seated? If you are, then we're about to set off!"
Before Kimimaro could answer, you took the reins and urged the white horse to gallop across the night fields. The gentle night breeze ruffled the hems of your clothes, and your laughter reached Kimimaro's ears.
"Isn't it fun?" you said, turning your head with a look of joy in your eyes. Kimimaro was about to ask what was so fun about it, but you flicked the reins again, and the white horse, which had been controlling its speed, suddenly accelerated. Even Kimimaro was startled, and his bewildered expression made your laughter even more cheerful.
Kimimaro said, "You did this on purpose."
You raise one eyebrow and readily admit, "Yes, I did it on purpose, but didn't you have a lot of fun?"
"I don't."
You poked the corner of his lips. "Kimimaro, you're smiling. Didn't you feel it?"
Ah, is he smiling? He paused for a moment.
He wasn't just laughing; his heart was racing too.
Sitting on horseback, they galloped from one end of the plain to the other, and it took them a long time to stop. You had the foresight to tie your long hair into a high ponytail, but Kimimaro didn't. His silver hair was blown into a mess, and even his expression revealed a bit of disarray.
"You look a mess right now, you know?" After a few seconds, you added, "But you're also cute."
Kimimaro couldn't figure out if you were praising him or mocking him. Can "disheveled" and "cute" be used together as adjectives?
He said, "Don't use that kind of word to describe me."
"If you don't want to hear it, you can cover your ears," you suggested earnestly.
Kimimaro's heart was still racing. Even though he tried his best to avoid your gaze, your every move still affected his emotions.
Frustration and the frustration of losing control spread through his mind.
He had to say something; he couldn't always let her dominate, so he said, "Your hair is messy too."
I thought about it for a long time before I came up with this sentence. It's not aggressive at all; it will only make you think I'm cuter. You can fix your own hair, no matter how messy it gets. It's still much better than his.
You brought the white horse back to the stable. The white horse, which had been galloping wildly across the fields all night, was still full of energy. When you locked it up, it nudged your hand with its head, as if it was begging you to take it out to run again. You stroked its head and said gently, "That's enough for today. I'll come find you again next time."
The white horse seemed to understand what you said, tilting its head and exhaling warm breath that brushed against the back of your hand. You left the stable, thinking that Kimimaro had already left, but he hadn't; he was still standing there, his messy hair slightly tidied up, finally looking less disheveled.
"Were you waiting for me?" you asked.
"No." He didn't want you to misunderstand him as if he cared about you a lot, even though he did want to get closer to you, but... he just didn't want to say that.
"Really? What were you doing just now? Fixing your hair?" You walked over to him and chuckled as you reached out and ruffled his hair.
Kimimaro followed the lead you gave him, saying, "I was just fixing my hair."
You're not lying at all, take your hand back.
Just as you were about to return to the top floor, Kimimaro suddenly heard you say, "What other music do you like to listen to? Don't get me wrong, I'm just doing some research. I own a record company, so I wanted to ask you. It's okay if you don't answer."
You walked a few steps faster than him, and when you turned around, you were at a downward angle. Kimimaro stopped, looked up to meet your gaze, and said, "I don't know."
He really didn't know, because he didn't have the habit of listening to music before he met you, so how could he have any favorite songs?
"It's okay, you have a long life ahead of you. You can think about it slowly, and you'll understand later." With that, you took three steps at a time and walked to the top of the stairs.
Kimimaro wants to ask you, why are you so sure, so certain, that he will find something he likes, songs he likes? Why are you so confident about his life?
He walked to the top of the stairs and saw you heading straight for the door. He called out to you as if possessed, and clearly called your name, "Mingxi."
Your hand is on the doorknob, you turn your head and ask, "What's wrong?"
"I actually had quite a bit of fun just now." After saying this, he hurried back to his room, closing the door quietly to avoid your reply.
Is it that you don't want to hear your answer, or are you afraid to hear something else? These are two completely different concepts. You smiled, looked down, and opened the door.
Bai came out of the study and said, "The bath water is ready. Mingxi, what scented bath salts are you planning to use today?"
"Hmm...anything is fine." You seem indifferent to it.
Take a relaxing bath, then drift off to sleep cuddling with Bai.
I should have a good dream tonight.
*
When you wake up the next morning, it's drizzling outside the window. The good mood you had before going to sleep last night is completely ruined by the rain in the morning. You eat your breakfast with a bit of morning grumpiness, taking big bites of toast and chewing with force.
Bai noticed you were in a bad mood, so he didn't talk to you about work. But you still received letters from other subordinates, one of which was about the Akatsuki organization. Given your relationship with Obito Uchiha, you occasionally use his ability—you mean that space-time ability. Of course, sometimes you also use him in person, but that's not the point.
The key point is that you sponsored Obito Uchiha with some money, and he used the money to capture Jinchuriki. According to your understanding, Jinchuriki are similar to the nuclear weapons possessed by major countries in your previous life.
Simply put, nuclear weapons have been personified, thus becoming indispensable weapons for major powers. The Akatsuki's capture of Jinchuriki is equivalent to stealing nuclear warheads from the arsenals of major powers.
That's pretty much the idea.
You had heard Obito mention similar practices before, but you didn't take them to heart, and even found his babbling annoying, so you kissed him until he shut up.
Now that you're reading this letter, you realize, oh right, the Akatsuki was originally a criminal organization.
And then that was it. You wrote a letter reminding the regional leaders to pay attention to the Akatsuki's movements and protect the factory's equipment and the safety of the employees. In times of crisis, saving lives comes first. As for the production equipment, if it is destroyed, you can buy new ones. But if people are lost, that's a real problem.
The subordinate also mentioned in the letter that Konoha had also made a move this time. This sentence was written very late in the letter, so much so that you only see it at the very end.
Bai stood beside you and poured you another cup of tea. You stared at that sentence for a few more seconds. The rain outside the window intensified. You looked up at the outside and muttered to yourself, "It seems this isn't a light rain, but a downpour..."
Meanwhile, in the rain-shrouded outskirts, Itachi Uchiha, who had left Konoha to pursue the Akatsuki members, encountered a lone Akatsuki member. The member wore an orange mask, remained silent, and attacked Itachi with fierce and swift movements, each move aimed at killing him.
Something's not right. While dodging the opponent's attacks, Itachi Uchiha pondered why the opponent was attacking him so fiercely right from the start.
"Have we met before?" Itachi's voice was muffled by the sound of the rain, becoming indistinct and unclear. The Akatsuki member paused for a moment, then Itachi continued, "You seem to have a lot of hostility towards me, not just because of my mission. Have we—had any past grievances?"
Sensing the malice hidden behind the attack, Itachi Uchiha seemed to be genuinely just curious, but his question never received an answer; instead, he was met with the next round of attacks.
It seems there's no way to communicate anymore. Just as Itachi Uchiha was gradually regaining control of the battle, the other party suddenly disappeared.
Was it a Body Flicker Technique? Or a Shadow Clone Technique? Uchiha Itachi analyzed the opponent's moves and finally ruled out both possibilities. He had just seen that when the enemy disappeared, he didn't actually vanish suddenly. Moreover, the surrounding scenery was briefly distorted when he disappeared. So this must be his special ability?
The rain was still falling. Itachi Uchiha stood there, pondering the other party's true identity. He had also gathered a lot of useful information during the battle.
Shisui, a teammate, rushed over after the battle ended. It wasn't that he didn't want to come and help immediately, but rather that he had recently been entangled by another Akatsuki member and had only managed to escape with great difficulty. He asked, "Itachi, are you alright? Are you injured?"
Itachi turned around and said, "No, Shisui, what about you?"
Shisui had cuts on his forearm and shoulder, but they weren't too serious. The two found a nearby hotel to stay in. After cleaning up, Shisui sat in a corner of the room bandaging his wounds. While bandaging, he exchanged information about the Akatsuki organization that he had just gathered with Itachi. "It seems that they have also set their sights on Konoha's Jinchuriki. If Konoha's Jinchuriki are taken away, that will be troublesome."
After all, the Nine-Tails is sealed inside the Jinchuriki of Konoha, and it was released before, causing Konoha heavy losses. Shisui couldn't help but sigh heavily at the thought that such history would repeat itself. Although Akatsuki is currently capturing Jinchuriki from other villages, Konoha cannot remain indifferent to this matter, because one day, it will be Konoha's turn.
It was precisely with this in mind that the newly appointed Hokage, Tsunade, dispatched them to search for information about the Akatsuki organization, in order to prevent any potential problems.
After Itachi finished describing the strange Akatsuki member's abilities, Shisui said, "It might be some kind of space-time ninjutsu? It's a bit like the Flying Thunder God Technique."
But Itachi denied his guess, saying, "I don't think it's Flying Thunder God Technique."
"So what do you think it is?"
Itachi pondered, "That's more like an ability that the Sharingan would possess."
"So the other party is an Uchiha? No, it's also possible that he stole the Sharingan." Shisui put forward two possibilities, and he was more inclined to the latter, because if it was the former, he found it hard to imagine why an Uchiha would choose to join the Akatsuki organization, and didn't most Uchiha live in Konoha?
While it's possible that some Uchiha members may be living elsewhere, the possibility is very small, and Shisui fell into deep thought.
Itachi said, "I think he should know me, and maybe we've even met a few times."
"What do you mean by that?"
“He was aiming for my vital spots when he attacked me, but others who know I’m an Uchiha from Konoha would definitely want to extract more information from me. But he didn’t; he only wanted me dead,” Itachi said succinctly. “If it was only our first meeting, why would he harbor such intense hatred for me?”
Such a conjecture is quite reasonable, and even Shisui nodded after hearing it. "So what impression do you have of him?"
That's the problem. He didn't recognize him at all. He said, "No, I can't remember where I've seen him before."
Zhi Shui said, "Perhaps he found out about you through someone else?"
Itachi paused. Shisui's words did indeed provide him with another perspective on the problem. He smiled slightly and said, "Indeed... that's very possible."
Since he can't remember where he met the other person, he probably learned about him from someone else. So who wants to kill him?
There wouldn't be an answer to this question anytime soon, so he changed the subject, saying, "But at least our mission went relatively smoothly this time."
"Yes, it's quite rare to be able to go on a mission with Itachi. I thought you wouldn't take on these kinds of missions away from the village anymore after you joined the Guard." Shisui said meaningfully.
“If you want to say something else, then I suggest you get straight to the point.” He immediately understood the implication in Shisui’s words.
"Ah... how should I put it? I know you're still looking for her, but I feel like your search is likely just causing her more trouble," Shisui said with a troubled expression, uttering the sharp truth.
The previously calm atmosphere suddenly changed. Itachi said, "I know you've been resentful ever since you received our wedding invitation, haven't you? You resent not being the groom at this wedding, but... no matter how angry you are, it's an unchangeable fact."
Shisui, who had met you at that charity gala not long ago, smiled broadly because he knew that what Itachi said was just his imagination. He had met you and knew that you didn't want to get married at all, let alone marry Itachi, so it was all just a dream of his.
Shisui smiled without saying a word, while Itachi continued talking to himself.
Finally, he said, "Zhishui, I hope you can keep your distance and stop interfering in my relationship with Mingxi."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, but the fact that you still haven't found her can only mean one thing—she doesn't want to see you at all."
After Shizuku finished speaking, the atmosphere became deathly quiet.
Itachi's expression remained calm, but beneath that calm lay a burning rage.
At this very moment, while you're still reading documents in the sanatorium, you sneeze.
"Did you catch a cold from horseback riding last night? You were exposed to the cold wind for so long, and he didn't take good care of you. Drink some ginger tea first, and I'll check you out later." Bai said, and went to make you some ginger tea.
You rubbed the tip of your nose, thinking that there was probably nothing wrong with your body. It was probably someone talking about you behind your back, most likely Itachi Uchiha, but it could also be someone else.
After a while, Bai returned to your side with freshly brewed ginger tea. He said, "Mingxi, you shouldn't go horseback riding at night anymore. If you really want to go, I can go with you."
You initially misheard him, and holding your teacup, you winked at him, "Is it a proper horseback riding?"
Bai smiled gently and said, "You can be unconventional if you want."
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