Chapter 35 I really don't know what methods he used...
Such an explanation is perfunctory. Of course you know this won't work on Zhishui, but it's more like you didn't intend to give a proper answer at all. Even if he discovers the truth, it doesn't matter. After all, the one who will be shocked and in pain is him, not you.
With a polite smile on his face, Shisui said, "I don't know your friend Aki's name yet."
"Why ask so many questions? And who are you to her?" Obito questioned irritably. Shisui glanced at you subconsciously and found you unmoved, which meant that you tacitly approved of what was happening.
Are you just going to let that stranger question you like this? You didn't even react at all. After all, you two are childhood sweethearts who grew up together, right?
Judging from this, the guy sitting next to you right now is probably someone important, someone who is very useful to you, which is why you are patiently tolerating his every move.
As for why I don't guess that you're indulging him because you like him? It's because Shisui thinks you won't like him. If you really had to choose a lover, he would be the most suitable candidate.
This is not out of narcissism, but a very objective fact.
"Hmm... Me? I guess I'd say I'm Mingxi's childhood friend. I've seen what Mingxi looked like when she was little. As for you, I'm afraid you haven't, have you?" Shisui took a sip of black tea, seemingly just asking a simple question.
Obito wasn't easily provoked. He would only get angry when you provoked him. At other times, especially when facing other Uchiha, he seemed much calmer. He lifted a corner of his mask, revealing the lower half of his face.
Shisui observed Obito's lower face, silently estimating his true appearance. He figured it wouldn't be too good-looking. He had to admit, "You seem to prefer Itachi's face, which is enough to prove that you're very superficial."
"How could someone who looks like that possibly be your lover?" Shisui concluded in her heart, a somewhat sarcastic conclusion.
Completely ignoring their subtle rivalry, you're still spreading cheese on your toast. I heard that Yuko made this cheese herself; it's very creamy. The whole wheat toast has a light, grainy aroma, and the cheese perfectly balances out the slightly dryness of the whole wheat toast. You quietly eat your toast.
Watching the men tear each other apart this morning was truly entertaining. Yuko asked you what you thought of the cheese; she has a lot left over, and you can take some with you when you leave.
You said you couldn't possibly accept this, but you'd already decided to pack a few pieces to take with you; the cheese really does taste good.
Shisui and Obito only argued verbally and didn't actually fight. After you finished eating a piece of toast and told them to go outside and fight, they, like two cats that were hissing and making threats, stopped their threats and hissing after you forcibly intervened.
Zhishui said, "Mingxi, you've misunderstood me. I have no ill intentions towards your friend."
That's the truth; there was no malice intended, only hostility. There's a difference between the two.
Obito wasn't as good at pretending as Shisui. He said, "We'll spar later."
You say "oh" twice, saying, "Don't let anyone die, after all, they are all very useful tools, and you will feel sorry no matter who dies."
Obito persisted, asking, "So, who do you want to live?"
It's boring. Watching men fight can be entertaining, but you don't want to get involved. So you smile and gently pat his cheek, saying, "It doesn't matter. I can find replacements for you all if you die."
After you finish saying that, get up. Yesterday, Zhishui brought back news that he had taken down the enemy's stronghold without warning. Now you should take advantage of this opportunity to scavenge for what's left. There must be a lot of good stuff in their stronghold. Instead of watching them chatter, you might as well go and shop on Taobao.
The sun was shining brightly outside. This time, you had the foresight to wear a sun hat, the wide brim casting your face in shadow. Bai, who was next to you, was also wearing a hat, though the brim wasn't as wide as yours. He said, "Is it really okay to leave them both there?"
"It's okay, they're actually calmer when I'm not around." Instead of constantly showing off like a peacock.
Comparing the two, you still feel that Bai's emotions are more stable and more likable, so you turn to Bai and say, "As expected, Bai is the most likable."
"Eh...the most likable? So, is he your favorite person right now?" Bai looked flattered and blinked helplessly. "I...Is Mingxi's favorite person really me?"
"Yes, Bai is the one who's the least troublesome."
He took everything you said as a compliment, and his pale cheeks flushed slightly. Indeed, in his opinion, the other two Uchiha were too immature, even arguing with you in front of your face. Didn't they ever think that such things should at least be done in private?
No wonder you're just using them.
As you chatted with Bai, you walked toward the lair. As you approached the entrance to the basement, you could smell the strong stench of blood. Speaking of which, these corpses shouldn't be wasted. They could be packed up and sent to Orochimaru. Doesn't he always need corpses for his experiments?
Walking down the stone steps from the entrance, the first corpse we encountered lay face down on the stairs. Judging from the expression, it must have died from cardiac arrest caused by terror. This is the wonder of the Sharingan – killing without shedding blood, greatly preserving the integrity of the corpse. Orochimaru would probably be very happy to see this. You have Haku store the corpse in the storage scroll.
The second corpse died in a similar manner to the first; both were literally scared to death. Bai dutifully stored the corpse in the scroll.
Walking to the central area of the basement, roughly in the control room area, you can tell from the surrounding traces that a battle broke out here not long ago. The person who could make Shisui personally take action was probably no ordinary person. Bai turned the lying corpse over, and you caught a glimpse of the bloody and mangled face, frowning.
As the white horse was cleaning up the corpse, he said, "Mingxi, you'd better not look at these things."
"It's just a glance. If you deliberately avoid looking at things like this, you'll mistakenly believe you're living in a safe and bright world. But I don't want to deceive myself. I want to see this world clearly." As you said this, you started rummaging through the lab again. Your purpose in coming here was to collect valuable items.
While rummaging through drawers and cabinets looking for something, you actually discover an unexpected treasure.
"Kado? Is that the same Kado who confronted me in the Land of Waves and even tried to assassinate me?" You look at the familiar names on the buyer list, which is sorted by the number of orders placed. Kado being at the top means he is the biggest buyer in this operation.
Haku walked over and said, "But didn't Zabuza-san do that before..."
You waved your hand and said, "Yes, you sent your mercenaries to deal with Kado before, but you couldn't. Your power hadn't developed to the level you have today, and Kado wasn't someone to be trifled with, so it didn't work. But he's been a little more obedient since then, probably because he realized you're not so easy to mess with."
Later, you forgot about it because you were too busy, but that doesn't mean the matter is over. You rubbed your chin with your fingers. Since the other party is the biggest buyer, they will definitely be furious and come to argue if they don't get the goods. At that time, you can set a trap for them to walk into your trap.
Hmm... this is truly an unexpected delight, the corners of your lips turned up slightly.
But how do the people here usually communicate with the buyers? That's another question; things are definitely not that simple.
"Mingxi, are you going to completely eliminate Kado this time?" Bai said, as if he would go through fire and water for you as long as you gave the order.
"It's a bit difficult, but it would be good to squeeze some more money out of him." After all, who would complain about having too much money? You'll never complain about having too much money anyway.
You put away that list. Everyone on it except for Kado is already on your blacklist. As a buyer, you should know that this batch of goods is addictive, but you still bought it in large quantities. Your motives couldn't be clearer.
Even though you're a capitalist, you might occasionally take action to deal with some scoundrels out of personal feelings, like drug dealers.
Putting everything of value in this hideout into your own pocket feels like collecting items in a game, giving you a great sense of accomplishment.
While you were collecting things, the fight between the two Uchiha had escalated into a full-blown confrontation. Of course, before they actually started fighting, they followed your advice and left the house to spar in an open space. Shisui said, "You are no ordinary person... You've heard Itachi mention you; you're also a member of the Akatsuki."
Obito stopped hiding his intentions and said, "Is that so? Since you already know, you should understand one thing: she'd rather be with the Akatsuki than bother with you. Is that what you call childhood friend?" What childhood friend? All she knows is how to pat herself on the back. How can she claim to be your true love? If everyone talked nonsense, there would be a lot of your true loves in this world, right?
"You deceived her." Shisui unhesitatingly shifted all the blame onto Obito. How could you possibly be wrong? No matter how you look at it, it's his fault. He bewitched you and even dragged you into a dangerous vortex, so he's the one who deserves to die.
"Fool, I never lied to her from the beginning." He was the one who was constantly being deceived and fooled in this relationship with you, and this Uchiha can't even see that? What else could he be but a fool?
"How much credibility do you have in your words?" Shisui stood firmly on your side, believing it was all a conspiracy by this Akatsuki member.
Obito scoffed and said, "I didn't expect you to believe me anyway." As soon as he finished speaking, he flashed behind Shisui, the kunai in his hand gleaming coldly, and thrust straight at Shisui's nape. However, in the next second, the "Shisui" turned into a cloud of smoke.
"The Shadow Clone Technique..." Obito muttered to himself. He guessed that while talking to him, Obito had secretly replaced his original body with a shadow clone. At this moment, his original body should be observing the situation from not far away.
Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure so fast that even its afterimage was indistinguishable.
With a clang—
Obito forcefully blocked the opponent's long sword with a kunai. He narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking, "As expected of Konoha's 'Shisui of the Body Flicker Technique'? To be able to do something like this..."
"Although I don't know exactly what you did to Mingxi, I know she would never like you."
Still so certain? Obito increasingly felt the other person was beyond redemption. If he knew the true nature of his relationship with you, he'd probably be too heartbroken to speak. Obito was actually looking forward to that scene, so he smiled and said, "Is that so? Then let me ask you, has she ever touched you? She hasn't even kissed you first, has she? And she's done all the things I mentioned earlier to me, so do you still think you're the most unique one?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze. Shisui's expression stiffened, and after a few seconds he managed to squeeze out a meaningless chuckle, but there was no smile in his eyes. "Ha...you bastard...I should have killed you."
“If you can do it.” Obito didn’t take his threat to heart, because it only proved that his plan was working. Yes, he was just telling the truth, and Uchiha Shisui was furious because of those few words.
What does this mean...? It means you never touched him when you were in Konoha, yet he still came running to you.
It's a completely degrading attitude.
"And why do you think she should sever ties with the Akatsuki? Do you really understand her? Just because you endorse the so-called Will of Fire, does that mean she should also be manipulated by it?" As he spoke, Obito became a little angry. Perhaps this topic had once again stirred up the anger deep within him, his hatred for this world and the ninja system.
“She’s different from you. She’s free.” Obito said, piercing Shisui’s shoulder with a kunai. Shisui’s dark pupils turned crimson, and the pattern in his eyes was clearly the Mangekyou Sharingan.
"The Mangekyou Sharingan, huh..." Obito said nonchalantly.
Was it anger? Shisui had to admit that he was indeed angered by what Obito had just said, but at the same time, a wavering arose in his heart: was everything he had done really just causing trouble for him?
No, that's not it. He said, "You're confusing things. I've never forced her to accept the Will of Fire, nor have I ever thought of sending her back to Konoha. It's her freedom to live wherever she wants, but you, you'll bring her too much danger. You're a potential bomb next to her."
He was quite good at slandering his enemies. Obito said, "But she touched me too. At least I'm different from you."
Meanwhile, as you were rummaging through the base for other things, you sneezed. You pouted and said, "I guess someone's been talking about me behind my back."
You stored all the corpses in the base in a scroll, intending to give them to Orochimaru as a gift later. Feeling it was about time, you walked to the exit of the basement. As you exited, you heard Haku say, "Something seems to have happened over there." Although he didn't say it very clearly, you immediately knew that Shisui and Obito had just fought.
You gaze into the distance. Hmm, they're quite sensible; they didn't fight inside the house, and they even deliberately chose to do it while you were raiding the base. You adjust the brim of your sun hat, then look away and say, "Then it should be over by now, right?"
It's really over. When you return to the manor, you only see Shisui's figure; Obito has vanished without a trace.
"Mingxi, are you looking for him?" Zhishui asked.
Hmm? Are you making it too obvious? You honestly answer, "Yes, where are they?"
Covered in blood and covered in wounds, Shisui looked pitiful. He said, "I thought you would ask about my condition first."
Is there even a question? Isn't this a serious injury that's obvious at a glance? Besides, didn't you ask Bai to treat his wounds? What is he complaining about?
As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. The fact that he was able to fight Obito is enough to show that he also disliked Obito. Therefore, he should have been prepared for all the consequences of the fight, including serious injury.
You think that as a mature ninja he should understand such a simple principle, but why is he still acting pitiful in front of you?
Once or twice is fine, but if he always acts pitiful, it will get tiresome. Can't he come up with a different trick?
You reached out and poked Zhishui's forehead. "I see you're still alive and well, so I'm skipping the concern."
"What if I die?"
You thought about it for a moment. His body definitely couldn't be given to Orochimaru. For the latter, obtaining the corpse of the Uchiha genius would be like obtaining a treasure. Moreover, the Uchiha clan of Konoha would have to come looking for him. Just thinking about it was too troublesome. So, after consideration, you said, "I haven't thought about that possibility."
These words took on a different meaning when they reached Shisui's ears. He beamed with joy and said, "I knew you cared about me, Mingxi, even though you've been involved with that Akatsuki member."
"Huh, how did he know about this?" You asked with a hint of doubt. Shisui kindly explained, "Ah... he told me this just now during our sparring session. Well, actually, I still think he's lying. After all, Aki, you don't seem like you'd like this type of man."
He brought this matter out into the open, and he said it so casually, with such a calm and composed expression.
You catch the key words in his words and say, "Ah... you already know he's a member of Akatsuki? Then you should also know about my relationship with him, so is this really okay? You were investigating Akatsuki members before, right? Let me think about what you're doing now... it's covering up for someone."
A ninja as loyal to the village as him basically embodies the so-called Will of Fire throughout his life, so it wouldn't be surprising if Shisui directly sent a message to Konoha now. But he didn't do that. In fact, he even said, "No, I know that you must have your reasons for doing this, Aki. Itachi and I have both witnessed how cunning the Akatsuki members are, so you must be the one who was deceived."
It's really troublesome that he came up with so many excuses for you. In his words, you became a great person with unspeakable difficulties. But is it possible that you are not a good person at all? Everything you do is just because it is profitable, and profit is the driving force behind most of your actions.
But that's how the Uchiha are—no, not just the Uchiha, but most ninjas are like that. They'll take your actions out of context. Some ninjas think you're saving the world, some think you're forced into it, and some think you're the most innocent one.
Shisui belongs to the third category. He doesn't even need you to say anything; he has already filled in the blanks in his mind. He said, "I will not tell anyone what happened here. I came here as Shisui, just Shisui, not Uchiha Shisui of Konoha."
What is this person babbling about? But if you patiently listen to him finish, you'll find that he's been speaking up for you the whole time.
It would be a lie to say that you were completely unmoved; you might feel a little touched, but only slightly.
Because you were so touched, you gave him another task: to investigate the hideout and the contact information of the largest buyer, Kado.
That's right, you were moved, but you didn't forget your original plan. Saying such cold words in such an emotional atmosphere would probably make others feel like they'd been doused with cold water. But the person standing in front of you wasn't an ordinary person. He was an Uchiha, and an Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan. With such a combination of advantages, his reaction after hearing what you said was one of excitement.
He said, "As expected, Aki, you still trust me, don't you?"
Sigh, the love-struck Uchiha are like employees who bring their own food and work for free, working hard without complaint, and sometimes even thinking that the tasks you assign are too easy.
Capitalists really do need good employees like the Uchiha.
You said, "Yes, I trust you completely."
Haku had treated Shisui's wounds to a great extent, but not completely. After all, this kind of medical ninjutsu consumed a lot of chakra. You suggested that the slightly tired Haku go and rest, but Haku was a little reluctant. He said, "But Aki..."
"You must be very tired. Go and get some rest," you said patiently.
Left with no other choice, Bai could only leave, leaving you and Zhishui staring at each other. He said, "Mingxi, I'll go and carry out your mission now."
You paused for a moment, thinking, "Wasn't he here on vacation?" You said, "Weren't you here on vacation?"
"Ah, that was just an excuse. I've already seen Mingxi, so nothing else matters."
How could you say that holidays aren't that important? Listen to that, is that even human language? You said, "...there's no need to rush."
Zhi Shui's expression changed, a hint of shyness appearing in his eyes. He said, "Ming Xi, are you worried about me?"
Let's just call it concern, after all, you're just a slightly unscrupulous capitalist, not a big villain who exploits people to death. The concept of sustainable use is deeply ingrained in you. You said, "If that's how you see it, then there's no problem. So you should rest well for the next few days."
"Can I stay by your side?"
...The rest and relaxation you mentioned doesn't mean staying by your side like a little shadow. You said, "Don't you have any other ideas? The scenery here is so beautiful, and there are so many delicious foods you can try."
"But if I can't see Mingxi, all of this seems meaningless."
You're convinced; you're deeply impressed by the Uchiha's romantic nature. You say, "You, uh, never mind."
Finally, he let Shisui stay by your side for the time being. He was happy and stayed close to you, completely ignoring the sharp gaze that Shira was casting at you from beside you.
You weren't just resting during your stay on the island. Given that Zhi Shui had wiped out the entire drug production den in one fell swoop, you're now considered the savior of this island. The owners of the vineyards sent you invitations to banquets one after another. You felt that attending each banquet would be too time-consuming, so you suggested that we simply hold one large banquet.
That would save time and effort. Yuko smiled and said she would pass on your suggestion to others. "By the way, which male companion are you going to bring to the banquet?"
These words caused an unexpected undercurrent in the atmosphere. You said, "Who said I can only bring one male companion? It wouldn't be a problem if I brought several, would it?"
That's true, Yuko said, "That's true, it's so good to be young..."
You accept what Yuko said to you well.
However, attending a banquet definitely requires careful dressing up. There was a formal dress in the luggage that Bai prepared for you, but Zhishui did not think about attending a banquet when he came, so his formal dress became a problem.
Otherwise, he could just go to a clothing store on the island and buy one. Although it wouldn't be as good as a custom-made one, it would still be passable and would be more appropriate than him wearing a black uniform to the banquet.
“If you don’t mind, you can take my son’s suit and make some minor alterations. It won’t take much time and can be done quickly,” Yuko said.
Zhi Shui said, "Wouldn't this be a bit inappropriate? Your son might mind if he found out?"
Yuko smiled calmly, "You mean he'd be so angry he'd crawl out of his coffin? Don't worry, he was a helpful and kind kid when he was alive. It's just a matter of lending him a set of clothes; he'd definitely be happy to oblige."
Realizing that he might have touched on something painful for the other person, Shisui frowned, as if he wanted to say something. You patted him on the shoulder and said, "At times like these, just smile and express your gratitude."
Shisui obediently did as he was told, saying, "Thank you so much."
Shisui went to the living room to help take measurements. You sat in the dining room watching Haku prepare afternoon tea. He said, "Zabuza sent word that the Akatsuki are searching for Jinchuriki worldwide. Perhaps they will launch a war once they have collected all the Tailed Beasts."
To start a war... Your fingers rubbed your chin. How to put it? Even in your past life, there was no complete peace, so how can you expect to usher in peace in this turbulent world?
You reacted indifferently to what Bai said, simply saying "Oh," and adding, "Then I can only guarantee that the lives of the residents within my sphere of influence will not be affected." There's very little else you can do.
After all, you weren't reincarnated into this world to be a savior. You've passed the age of being passionately eager to save the world. As someone who has lived twice, you deeply understand that not all worlds need to be saved.
Simply put, it's about living if you can, and dying if you can't. It's precisely because of this positive mindset that you can remain calm and collected when you hear such news.
"Did you put too much sugar in the cookies?" You still had the mind to remind Bai that you put too much sugar in the cookie dough. Bai muttered with some annoyance, "Ah... oh no."
"It's okay, Shisui should like it if it's too sweet," you comforted him.
But it didn't seem to have any comforting effect, because Haku's brows were furrowed. He didn't really like Shisui. He didn't like most of the Uchiha who got close to you, thinking they were all scheming and would bring you trouble. But you didn't seem to think so. Wouldn't it be a downer for him to say it out loud?
So he just pursed his lips and swallowed his words.
On the other side, Shisui, who was helping Yuko take her measurements, heard her say, "Pursuing someone must be really difficult, especially someone as dazzling as Miss Aki."
Shisui opened his arms and said, "But if we do nothing, we will only regret it later, so we must try no matter what."
“It’s good that you have this mindset. We have a proverb here: ‘Don’t try to win your lover’s heart, because a good lover’s heart always belongs to freedom.’”
"A proverb... Shisui lowered his eyes. "I'm not that greedy. I just want to be by her side." That's right, he wouldn't be as greedy as Itachi, who ended up backfiring. Now, Itachi doesn't even want to see him. With Itachi as a prime example, Shisui would think twice before acting.
"It's good that you have this kind of awareness."
After taking the measurements, Yuko sat on the other side and took apart the old clothes to make alterations.
Zhi Shui sat to the side, occasionally helping to hand her things, and would also chat with her about her memories of her time with you.
"I learned from my friend that he actually had a younger sister. At first, I thought she was his biological sister, but later I found out that she was his adopted daughter." Zhi Shui recounted the story of how she met and got to know him.
"So Aki and Itachi aren't related by blood?" Shisui asked curiously at that time.
Itachi's expression changed, and his tone became sullen, as if he were complaining about why Shisui addressed him so intimately. He said, "You haven't even met her yet, why are you calling her by her name?"
"Ah... I'm sorry, but since she's Itachi's sister, she's my sister too."
"What's the connection between these two things?" Itachi frowned, feeling that Shisui's words made no sense. As a ninja, one shouldn't make such logical errors, but Shisui could still smile and said, "Because we're friends."
Does Konoha's law explicitly state that a friend's sister is also one's own sister?
Itachi told Shisui seriously, "You have no sense of boundaries."
"Huh? Boundaries?" Shisui blinked, not understanding why Itachi suddenly got angry. Had he said something wrong? He asked again, "I used to treat Sasuke as my younger brother, so why didn't Itachi object then?"
"Yes, why didn't he refute it?" Shisui's question startled Itachi. He thought for a long time before saying, "Aki and Sasuke are different."
This was just a small episode before Shisui met you. He officially met you at the Uchiha clan's New Year's banquet. As a large clan, the New Year's atmosphere was very strong, and children like Shisui could receive red envelopes if they went to the clan head's house to pay New Year's respects.
Of course, Shisui's visit wasn't for the red envelope. On one hand, it was out of politeness, and on the other hand, it also contained a bit of his own selfish motive, which was that he wanted to see you.
If Shisui had directly told Itachi that he wanted to see his sister, Itachi would have been very wary of him. So, the clever Shisui chose a more indirect way to see him.
At first, it was just out of curiosity. After all, he had already met Itachi's younger brother, so it was only natural for him to want to see his sister as well.
So on New Year's Eve, he knocked on the clan chief's door with gifts in hand. Itachi opened the door and said, "Why did you bring gifts?"
“Etiquette is essential,” Shisui said, taking off his shoes and walking through the entrance hall. He subtly observed his surroundings. Itachi took the gift from him and said that his father was in the living room. Shisui responded, but his mind was not on paying New Year’s respects to the clan leader at all.
His hidden, shifty gaze finally found its destination: you were coming down the stairs from the second floor. You had probably just woken up, as there were still some sleep marks on your cheeks, and you looked listless. You had black hair and black eyes just like the Uchiha. If Itachi hadn't specifically emphasized that you weren't related by blood, Shisui would definitely have mistaken you for an Uchiha.
"Aki, you're awake." Itachi greeted you first, and Shisui sensed the joy hidden in his words, like a short black cat's tail swaying gently.
You hummed in response, your dark eyes fixed on Shisui. The latter forgot to offer you a polite smile, staring blankly at you before you asked Itachi, "Who is he?"
"Shisui, my friend."
"oh."
So your first meeting with him wasn't exactly pleasant; your attitude was as cold as the temperature that night.
“Mingxi’s heart is like an ice cube, so cold, yet so crystal clear. If it were to melt, there would be nothing left.” Time returns to the present, and Shisui hands the ball of needle and thread in his hand to Yuko.
“Your emotions are really delicate; you remember even details from so many years ago so clearly,” Yuko said.
"How could I forget that?"
How could I possibly forget?
While you're in the kitchen, help Bai put the cookies into the oven and set the temperature and time.
You then began to take stock of the various precious raw materials you had scavenged in that underground laboratory, and asked, "When are we going to give those collected corpses to Orochimaru?"
"Let's wait until we leave this island," you said. "Giving gifts doesn't have to be timed, and Orochimaru will definitely like this gift."
Speaking of Orochimaru, you might recall the time you spent with Kimimaro at the sanatorium. It has to be said, Orochimaru's subordinates are quite interesting. I wonder if Orochimaru saw the photo you sent him?
You, being a bit behind on the news, are unaware that the photo was delivered to Orochimaru the moment Kimimaro returned to the office building.
Orochimaru, who had seen many storms, simply smiled when he saw the photo. Just because he could completely ignore it didn't mean his subordinates were indifferent. At least for now, it seemed that his subordinates still remembered this incident.
After Kimimaro returned to Orochimaru's side, he had to undergo regular check-ups. The person in charge of the check-ups was Kabuto Yakushi. In the past, Kabuto Yakushi wouldn't say much nonsense when examining him, but ever since Kimimaro returned from the sanatorium, Kabuto Yakushi had been bringing up the sanatorium from time to time. Even this time, Kabuto Yakushi said while recording data, "It seems that you were taken very well taken care of in the sanatorium, Kimimaro. Your physical functions are even better than before."
The point of his statement wasn't about the recovery of physical functions, but about the sanatorium. He looked up, stared at Yakushi Kabuto, and said coldly, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Kabuto adjusted his glasses and said, "Hmm? Me? I don't have anything to say, I'm just amazed at how quickly you've recovered. I suppose you'll be able to continue serving Lord Orochimaru soon."
Yes, isn't his mission to serve Lord Orochimaru? But why... does it sound so sarcastic coming from Kabuto's mouth?
No, that's not what you mean.
"So you were found out after all? To be honest, even if you were on an intelligence mission, your information gathering skills would be terrible. In the end, all you got was information that she was going to the Land of Sake. As for when she was going and what she was going there for, you had no idea. Forgive my bluntness—" Kabuto put down his pen and said with a smile, "All your efforts to please her have only yielded useless information."
Was he really just discussing whether this intelligence operation had failed or not?
Or is it using the guise of analysis to actually mix in strong personal feelings?
Kimimaro said, "Are you resentful? Because I am able to get close to her and please her with her permission, but you don't even have the right to stay by her side."
With a blank expression, he uttered extremely sarcastic and cutting words, so sharp that Yakushi Kabuto fell silent for a few seconds.
As expected, what he said just now was indeed mixed with some personal grudges. He couldn't understand why his efforts to get close to you had yielded no results.
On the contrary, he can still climb into your bed.
I really don't know what methods he used.
It would be a lie to say he didn't hold a grudge. The smile on Yakushi Kabuto's face became as obscure as the moon's shadow shrouded in thick fog. He said, "That's enough, shut up."
"Lord Orochimaru told me that you are too scheming, which is why she dislikes you. She likes people who are innocent and straightforward." Kimimaro added after a few seconds, "Simple and beautiful people."
The smile vanished completely. Pharmacist Kabuto put away the medical record, opened the door to the treatment room, and directly told him to leave, "You can go now."
Upon hearing this, Kimimaro stood up, not forgetting to say before leaving, "By the way, she praised my hair as very beautiful, like silk woven from moonlight."
Kabuto rolled his eyes in annoyance. He had no interest in hearing Kimimaro relay Kimimaro's sweet talk. He was so angry he wanted to laugh. "What does it have to do with me?" he said.
"Because you also have silver hair, right? I thought she had complimented you like that before."
In response, Kabuto slammed the door shut.
At the same moment, you hear the oven ding, which means the cookies are done. You open the oven, put on oven mitts, and take out the tray of cookies.
The freshly baked cookies are piping hot, set aside to cool. You go to the living room to check on Yuko's progress in altering her dress. She's very skillful, clearly having done many alterations by hand before. When she sees you, she says, "Almost done, um... just one more knot." As soon as she finishes speaking, she cuts the thread with scissors.
Zhi Shui took the dress from her and put it on. He was already tall and had good proportions, making him a typical clothes hanger. Even the ugliest clothes could be salvaged by his figure and face, let alone a black dress that fit him perfectly after being altered.
He straightened his cuffs and asked somewhat uneasily, "So, Mingxi, what do you think?"
What else could it be? Of course it looks good! You said, "It looks pretty good."
Shisui, who had been very nervous just moments before, immediately beamed with joy. "That's good."
You instructed Zhishui to turn around again so you could see the details of the dress, and he obediently did as you said. He stood still and slowly turned clockwise once, then counterclockwise once, finally facing you directly and making an inviting gesture, "May I dance with you?"
Considering he's going to be working for you for free, you take his outstretched right hand and whisper in his ear, "Do ninjas learn to dance?"
"Some ninjas can." For the Uchiha, especially those with the Sharingan, learning a skill is a piece of cake. They only need to watch someone else's movements once to learn them all. The Sharingan is truly a great cheat skill.
It was Zhishui's first time dancing with you, so it was inevitable that he was nervous. No matter how well he tried to hide it, his breathing still became erratic under your gaze. Fortunately, his movements were not out of control, but he just didn't feel like he was dancing.
You feel like he's practicing physical techniques.
Yuko saw the two of you dancing slowly in the living room. She smiled and took out her treasured old records, which she had kept very well. She placed the needle on them and said, "You dance like you're practicing physical arts, you know?"
You still said it out loud.
Shisui blinked awkwardly and said, "Then I will try to improve in the future."
He was still thinking about the future, but you weren't thinking that far ahead. You said, "There's no need to improve, since there won't be many opportunities to dance in the future anyway."
"Mingxi, how can you be so sure?" Shisui pitifully rested her head on your shoulder, trying her best to gain your sympathy.
"Because you've come to see me so many times, the next one to come will be Uchiha Itachi."
Oh... Shisui can barely accept this reason, after all, it sounds like the person you hate is Itachi, not him.
If you don't dislike him, then it's fine.
Although Shisui and Itachi were indeed good friends, there is no distinction between friends when it comes to matters of the heart. Therefore, Shisui only felt a little sorry for his friend and then quickly put that feeling behind him.
After the dance ended, you thought the cookies should have cooled down, so you went back to the kitchen, and Shisui followed you like a little tail.
You are sitting at the kitchen counter eating cookies.
Shisui told you a lot about Konoha. He's really carefree, telling you everything. As far as you know, a lot of things are Konoha's secrets, right? He just told you all that without a second thought?
"Aren't you worried that I might join forces with other forces and wipe out Konoha?" The other forces mentioned here refer to Orochimaru, or the Akatsuki organization.
"No, Mingxi, you wouldn't do that, because it's a huge loss for you." He didn't use the cliché line about your kind nature, but instead analyzed it from your capitalist perspective. He said that you consider the pros and cons before doing anything, and after weighing the pros and cons, you would know that destroying Konoha would do more harm than good.
He was right after all. You snorted, "So you ninjas don't abide by the confidentiality agreement."
"I've only said these things to you, Mingxi."
A statement that sounds a bit like a love confession.
You're tired of cookies. Butter smells similar, but it tastes cloying. You take several sips of lemonade, and then you hear Shisui say, "Although Itachi can't leave Konoha for the time being, his younger brother often takes on missions outside the village." The implication is that he's warning you to be careful.
Oh, Sasuke, there's no need to worry too much. Sasuke seems exceptionally normal among a bunch of emotionally twisted Uchiha. Even if you actually met him, you'd feel that he could listen to you calmly, instead of talking to himself like his brother.
That's right, Itachi Uchiha can talk a lot on his own, and this was already evident before you left Konoha.
You take him on a business trip to the Land of Cherry Blossoms, and when you wake up in the middle of the night, you find him still staring at you, muttering something to himself.
Honestly, you really think Itachi Uchiha should see a psychiatrist, no, all of the Uchiha should see one.
"Even if we see each other, it's not a big deal," you said.
Shisui rested her chin on her hand. "Really?"
"I didn't do anything wrong, there's no need for me to feel guilty." You shrug.
The words of Shisui largely predicted future events.
Sasuke, who had once again received a mission to leave the village, glanced at the mission scroll. "Go to the casino in the Land of Jade... to rescue hostages?"
“Yes, the client’s son has been detained at the casino. They’re saying they’ll chop off his fingers if he can’t pay back the money,” Tsunade said. “This is a common tactic of casinos. First, they set up a scheme to make you lose everything, then they lend you money to gamble, and finally they make you owe an exorbitant debt. They use this method to threaten your family to pay you. In short, just get him out of there.”
Sasuke left the Hokage's office with the mission scroll in his hand. He seemed to vaguely remember the casino in the Land of Jade; it should be the territory of the big merchant Gato.
That would be a little troublesome, but the mission isn't too difficult. Sasuke puts away the scroll; maybe he can get some information about you out of Gato?
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