Chapter 39 His Inner World in Your Eyes...
"Who knows? Maybe things will take a turn for the better in the future?" you offered a half-hearted attempt at comfort.
"You don't really care about any of this, do you?"
You said, "You can't assume I don't care just because I don't. You habitually discuss such grand topics, which only puts you on a pedestal. My advice to you is to come down to earth and see the true face of this world."
Your patience is about to run out. Forget it, discussing these issues with people in this world is just asking for trouble. After all, they haven't had much education, let alone political education. No wonder their comprehension is so poor. You feel like you're talking to a brick wall.
The cool night breeze wiped the blush from your cheeks, and your mind became much clearer. You shrugged and said, "There's nothing I can do if that's what you think."
I can't be bothered with this. You'd rather stay a hardened capitalist.
Before leaving the open-air party, you drank another cup of rice wine. It tasted really good, and you felt you were sure to have a good dream tonight. After you finished washing up and came out of the bathroom, you saw Obito standing in your room. You casually dried your hair, and Obito looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. He said, "Can I stay here tonight?"
"No, you should sleep on the roof." You do hold grudges sometimes, but really only a tiny bit.
Just thinking about the warm, comfortable interior versus the chilly rooftop makes it clear which is better. Although Obito's thought process is peculiar, he's not stupid. He knows it's windy outside, so he says, "But I want to stay here."
You pointed to the lounge chair in the corner, "Then you can stay there."
Obito let out an "Oh," and obediently shoved his body into the recliner. You turned off the light, and in the darkness, you could still feel him watching you—an undisguised gaze. You ignored his stare.
Just as you were about to fall asleep, Obito asked, "What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?"
"casual."
You realized he was apologizing by making you breakfast. You turned over, didn't respond, and quietly went to sleep.
Obito was quite obedient and didn't climb into bed at night; he actually squeezed onto that recliner and slept there all night.
He woke up earlier than you in the morning and went to the kitchen, but Bai woke up even earlier. The two of them bumped into each other in the kitchen. The atmosphere wasn't exactly awkward, but it wasn't very harmonious either. Bai said, "What are you doing here?"
"Make breakfast for Mingxi."
The words "If you make breakfast, what am I supposed to do?" were clearly written on Haku's face. Obito replied, "I already talked to her about it last night."
Haku was skeptical of this. He believed half of what Obito Uchiha said, but since you needed to use his abilities, and Haku wouldn't do anything to harm your interests, he nodded almost imperceptibly and handed over the breakfast to Obito. As for himself, he naturally went to your room and woke you up in a gentle tone.
You had already woken up once, but then drifted back to sleep. When you opened your eyes again, the first thing you saw was Bai sitting by the bed. He said, "Do you have a headache? Although rice wine doesn't have a high alcohol content, drinking too much can still cause a headache."
"Do you have a headache...?" You blinked. "Not at the moment."
You said, "No." Then you turned over, got out of bed, and glanced at the recliner in the distance with the neatly folded blanket on it, and a subtle feeling arose in your eyes.
"Do you need me to help you change?" Bai asked.
Although you were still a little sleepy, you weren't at the point where you needed him to help you change, so you refused without thinking. Bai placed the clothes you wanted to wear on the table next to you, and you stretched. While washing up, you opened the system panel. The modules you recently activated were [Railway Transportation] and [Brewing Industry].
Clicking on the former will show you a thumbnail map, which marks the train stations you have built and the railway tracks that are currently in operation. It seems that only the Kingdom of Tea has lit up a few train stations. These things really can't be rushed. After all, building railways does take time, and forcibly increasing workers' working hours can lead to sudden events such as [work-related injuries] and [sudden death from fatigue].
Such events can affect overall work efficiency, so you can only control your working hours within a fixed range. In addition, there are occasional weather effects, such as the extreme weather in winter and summer. Therefore, having a railway line open in the Kingdom of Tea is already a stage of success for you.
Building railways is already this troublesome; just thinking about it makes me realize how time-consuming and labor-intensive it will be to build airports. More importantly, there are many ninjas in this world who can easily reduce your infrastructure progress to negative numbers with a single ninjutsu.
This situation would be considered force majeure in the contract.
In comparison, the [brewing industry] is more worry-free and less labor-intensive because the local brewing history is long, so you don't have to worry about quality control issues. However, you still arranged for a few subordinates to go there to be responsible for product innovation and develop more wine derivatives, which can also increase sales.
Spit out the toothpaste foam, rinse your mouth, and wash your face. The minty flavor of the toothpaste is so strong that it burns your tongue, but that's okay. You feel refreshed after brushing your teeth. Change your clothes.
Breakfast was a waffle prepared by Daito, topped with some cream and garnished with a strawberry. The fresh strawberry exuded a rich aroma, and just smelling it made it seem delicious. I cut the waffle with a knife and fork, letting the sides get covered in cream. The potential greasiness of the cream was perfectly neutralized by the sweet and sour taste of the strawberry, which complemented the texture of the waffle itself.
Obito, sitting opposite you, may seem nonchalant, but he's actually secretly observing your reaction. He won't be at ease until he sees you looking satisfied.
Halfway through the meal, you asked Obito, "Don't you have anything else to do?"
These words sounded like a dismissal to Obito, who said, "You really want me to leave?"
"No, don't you still have grand ambitions to achieve?" If this world were a typical shonen manga, then Obito would be the undisputed villain. Of course, judging from his current wavering state, you can reasonably suspect that the author will eventually come back to redeem him, and then the readers' opinions will be polarized.
That seems to have gone off on a tangent. What you're trying to say is that a villain like that should be causing trouble, not sitting here wearing an apron and making you waffles.
But to be fair, his waffles were really delicious.
"You ate my food and you still mock me like that?"
Honestly, you weren't mocking him. He then added, "I'm free to make my own decisions."
This is similar to saying "I have my own rhythm." You didn't say it outright or expose him, so as not to make him angry. You just gave a perfunctory "oh" and that was it.
Anyway, you won't stop Obito from leaving. At most, you'll just give him some tasks. As the saying goes, make the best use of everything and make the best use of everyone's talents. You're making good use of his abilities. It's just that you've heard that using the Mangekyou Sharingan too often will seriously reduce your strength. Sure enough, such a powerful ability comes at a price.
So after giving Obito his mission this time, you asked again, "Are your eyes alright?"
"I'll take the information and supplies you've given me," Obito retorted, "Why are you asking about this?"
"Oh, I heard that if the Uchiha uses the Mangekyou Sharingan too often, their eyes will hurt a lot."
So you're showing concern for him?
Pain is inevitable. Since it is unavoidable, we can only choose to accept it. Before meeting you, Obito was already able to cope with pain, but your appearance set a bad precedent. When you ran your fingers across his scars and asked how he got them, when you seemed to empathize and said that you felt pain for him.
Even if you only have a fraction of sincerity in what you say, it will feel like a lot to him.
He said, "Where in the world can you find a great power without paying the price?"
Wow, I never realized he actually agreed with this idea so much. If he lived in your past life, he would definitely be someone who enjoys hardship.
But you're different. You suffered too much in your past life, and now you just want to enjoy yourself. You say, "So it's painful, right?" and you bring the topic back to the present.
Obito was speechless. Does pain really matter that much? If saying it hurts, will it bring you comfort? These things are addictive; becoming too dependent on them will only make you weak.
People become timid once they have something to worry about.
He was still stubbornly insisting, "No."
But you hand him a bottle of eye drops, shoving it directly into his hand, saying, "Alright, use two drops whenever your eyes hurt. This was developed by Orochimaru, so the effect is guaranteed."
You almost mentioned Orochimaru's name, and you were seriously considering registering it as a trademark, but then you remembered that he seems to be currently defecting to Juezan, so you had to temporarily give up on the idea.
"Orochimaru isn't that kind. If you deal with him, he'll eventually plot against you."
Of course you know that, so when you built that office building for him, you secretly installed a self-destruct program. If he betrays you, you'll blow up his lab and destroy all his research results. In short, if he betrays you, he won't get any benefit.
Besides, what could possibly drive him to betray you? You provide a stable source of funding and don't interfere with his research; in your past life, you would have been the lab's most beloved boss.
Obito was still worried. In his view, Orochimaru was really treacherous and cunning. What was worse was that he wasn't the only one with such treacherous intentions. Kabuto Yakushi, who was by his side, was just as treacherous.
Even though he knows how cautious you are, he still has some worries in his heart.
You didn't take Obito's words as concern. You said, "Is that so? Then I'll strike first before he can ambush me."
After saying that, you waved to Obito to signal that he could leave.
Did you just brush him off like that? In the past, Obito would have held a grudge, but now he's adapted, or rather, he knows that's just your nature.
After he had walked a short distance, he faintly heard your voice calling him. He turned around and saw that you had a food box in your hand. You said, "This was prepared by the villagers to thank you. They forgot to give it to you earlier. Please accept it. It's red bean cake, and it's delicious."
Could he not smell the aroma of the red bean cake? It's just that he's still not very good at accepting other people's kindness. After accepting it, he felt he should say something, but his throat was dry and he couldn't say anything. You, who usually likes to be sarcastic, didn't say anything this time, but simply patted the back of his hand, "See? Didn't you turn around just now? So turning around isn't that hard, is it?"
Obito tightened his grip on the food box, his fingertips turning slightly white from the force. He said, "You did this on purpose. Does seeing me like this make you happy? You just like seeing others suffer, don't you?"
What are you mumbling about? You poked his forehead and said, "Okay, remember to eat it before it spoils, don't waste food."
In the end, he still left with that box of red bean cakes. You watched his back for a while before looking away.
Well, there's still a lot to do... Even as a capitalist, my daily schedule is packed. Rather, it's precisely because my businesses hold a monopoly in so many industries that I can't afford to be careless, because if I make a mistake, thousands of families will be forced to lose their source of income.
Well... it can put you under a little pressure sometimes.
However, Bai brought you a lot of good news, saying that the establishment of the foundation is progressing smoothly and that it has attracted a lot of investment. Some investors are looking for stable returns, while others are doing charity to put their minds at ease because they have done too many bad things in the past.
Everyone joins the foundation for different reasons, but as long as they can all be of use to you in the end, that's fine. As for other reasons, they are not within your consideration for the time being.
Currently, the foundation's aid programs mainly target orphans and disabled people, but you know that they will gradually expand to other areas in the future.
The successful establishment of the foundation will inevitably require a celebration ceremony, and as the person in charge, you will certainly need to be present at the celebration ceremony.
After attending so many of these banquets, you actually come to prefer the tranquility and beauty of the countryside.
"I heard that Konoha will also send a representative to this celebration ceremony, as an affiliated representative of the Land of Fire."
Upon hearing Bai's words, you rolled over in bed. "A subordinate representative? Who's that?"
"He's from the Nara clan, it should be... Nara Shikamaru."
Hmm? The Nara clan? You narrowed your eyes and thought for a while, finally managing to recall your impression of this clan from the depths of your memory. The clan that seemed very intelligent? Their aesthetic taste was rather ordinary, but their intelligence was renowned. After all, this clan wasn't particularly powerful, yet they had managed to survive unscathed from the Warring States period to the present day, and even held a certain degree of influence in the upper echelons of Konoha. This was enough to prove that this clan was very clever and adept at choosing sides.
Intelligent people naturally have their advantages, such as being easier to communicate with, but there are also disadvantages. The disadvantage is that they tend to overthink.
"Nara Shikamaru..." you murmured. He seems to be Sasuke's classmate, right? Were they classmates? You didn't know much about that, but you seemed to have heard Sasuke mention that when you used to pick him up from school, he would tell you a lot about what happened at school on the way home, from morning to afternoon, explaining all the little details clearly. Although you didn't listen very carefully, you still caught some of what he said.
For example, there's Nara Shikamaru, who always sits in the last row of the classroom and sleeps soundly.
While you and Haku were discussing this subordinate representative, Nara Shikamaru, far away in Konoha, took the document from the Hokage, glanced at it, and could hardly believe his eyes. He said, "Wait—you mean I'm to attend this Foundation celebration ceremony? But I've never had any experience with this before."
Tsunade said irritably, "This is not my idea, but the idea of the higher-ups. They feel that you are a suitable candidate, and I happen to think so too. Although your strength is not the strongest among your peers, your mind is the best. This foundation is not simple. After all, the participants in this celebration are nobles and big merchants from all walks of life. If it were someone else, they might offend those powerful people."
He could understand what the Hokage was saying. Those so-called foundations were nothing more than tools used by the powerful and wealthy to whitewash the situation, and they would even use such tools to show off their pitifully small amount of kindness. But even so, Konoha had no choice but to send representatives to participate, since this had risen to the national level and was not something they could decide on their own.
Nara Shikamaru is so smart that he couldn't possibly not understand. It is precisely because he is too smart that he was able to see through the true intention behind this document at a glance.
Ugh, this is so troublesome. If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have just stayed a genin for life. It doesn't sound great, but at least it would have been peaceful and leisurely, much better than taking on this kind of troublesome mission.
“I think you should already be prepared, right?” Tsunade asked.
"Ah... I think so..." Nara Shikamaru wasn't very sure either, and he didn't sound very confident when he said this.
But what could he do? As a ninja, he had no right to refuse; he could only accept it.
He returned home with the document, or rather, before he even got home. He had already started sighing as soon as he left the Hokage Building. Just then, he ran into Naruto, who had just returned from a mission. Naruto was still full of energy and said, "Hey? Shikamaru, why do you look so listless?"
"Forget it, he wouldn't understand even if I told him," Shikamaru thought. He planned to gloss over the matter, but Naruto saw the document in his hand and asked, "Ah—this, hey, it looks like a confidential document."
Why keep asking questions when you already know it's a confidential document?
Shikamaru sighed helplessly and said, "Sorry, Naruto, this is an internal secret and cannot be disclosed."
Naruto nodded repeatedly to show his understanding, "But if it's something really troublesome... maybe I can help a little?"
Should he come and help? Shikamaru thought for a moment, then decided against it. In this situation, and given Naruto's easily excitable personality, Shikamaru refused without hesitation.
Naruto was only slightly disappointed, but soon his attention was drawn to Sasuke not far away. He said, "Ah—it's Sasuke. Did you complete your mission too? I heard your mission this time was to rescue hostages in a casino, right? Come to think of it, I've never been to a casino before."
Sasuke glanced at Naruto with a calm expression, which puzzled Naruto. He muttered to himself, "Strange... why does everyone look so listless? Shikamaru is like this, and even Sasuke is like this."
"Perhaps only a few people can be this cheerful every day?" Shikamaru said before heading home. He still had many things to take care of, such as analyzing the composition of the foundation's members and determining the true purpose of the foundation's establishment.
Shikamaru's analysis was caught in a delicate situation from the very beginning, because he suddenly realized that the founder of this foundation seemed to be someone he knew. Yes, just someone he knew. He knew you because you were also a prominent figure in Konoha.
Although strength is the standard of measurement in the ninja world, it is undeniable that ninjas are also human, and generally speaking, they are visual creatures. Therefore, there are quite a few ninjas who are attracted to you because of your appearance. However, being attracted is one thing, and formally pursuing is another. Many people only stay at the stage of having a good impression of you and do not take any further steps. The reason is simple: those Uchiha around you.
Shikamaru once overheard a conversation at the next table while having yakiniku with his friend Choji, and the conversation was about you.
"Huh? You mean Miss Aki who lives in the Uchiha clan? Hmm... I advise you to give up. I'm not trying to discourage you, it's just... she's surrounded by Uchiha people, and as you know, Uchiha people are generally difficult to get along with."
"But how will we know it won't work if we don't try?"
"This isn't a matter of trying it out. The problem is that you'll be discouraged the moment you take the first step. I mean, discouraged by force."
At that time, Shikamaru realized that there were undercurrents beneath the seemingly peaceful surface around you. In his eyes, you became a source of trouble. People like him who hate trouble naturally kept their distance from you. He always adhered to this principle and would just quietly watch from the sidelines as you and Sasuke Uchiha's brother became lovers and even got engaged. However, the wedding fell through because of your sudden disappearance.
So he doesn't really know you well yet, he just thinks you're an unpredictable person. Now that you're on this confidential document, as he looks at your name, your smiling profile comes to mind, a beauty that's enough to attract everyone's attention.
Tsk, his headache was getting worse.
Ugh, this is so troublesome.
Although he knew this was a troublesome matter, what could he do? Things had already come to this point; the documents had already been handed to him, and the Hokage had said so as well. He had no way out now.
It seemed he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it. Thinking this, Shikamaru rubbed his temples and took a few deep breaths. Just then, his father, Nara Shikaku, knocked on the door.
"What is it?" Shikamaru opened the door, and his father was standing outside. He said, "I heard about the mission you received from the Hokage."
Did his father find out so quickly? Shikamaru remained standing at the door without moving, and said, "Is that so? The news spread pretty fast."
“If you don’t mind, I can offer some suggestions.”
He had indeed offered a lot of advice since he was a child, so this time was no exception. Shikamaru followed his father into the living room, of course tiptoeing, since disturbing his mother's rest at this time would be a capital offense.
Shikamaru found a teapot and tea leaves, brewed a pot of tea, and then sat down next to the tea table. His father sat opposite him. "Although you are only a subordinate representative, if anything goes wrong, you will be the first one to be blamed. And it will not only be you who will be blamed, but also Konoha behind you."
There were already quite a few people eyeing Konoha, wanting to do something underhanded, and this was simply providing them with a golden opportunity.
"So being called a representative sounds glorious, but it's really just about taking the blame," Shikamaru said lazily. He explained that his family was chosen because they were good at handling complex interpersonal relationships.
"Yes, isn't that how things always go? There's nothing new under the sun."
Is that all you wanted to tell me?
"No, there's one more thing, which you've probably already noticed: who is the founder of this foundation?" Nara Shikaku simply held his teacup without intending to drink, and wisps of steam rose from it.
Shikamaru said he knew, "You're the one who got engaged to the Uchiha and then ran away from the wedding." Upon hearing this, Nara Shikaku's expression changed. "That prefix doesn't mean much. Running away from the wedding is just the least significant thing she's done. Now she's starting to interfere in ninja affairs. I think you've probably noticed that by now."
Yes, first you established a foundation, then you helped orphans, and finally you helped ninjas. Every move you made was perfectly timed. I must say, your plan was indeed perfect.
But is this a good thing or a bad thing for them ninjas? He couldn't quite tell. The reason was that he had had very little contact with you. The few times you did contact him were when you asked him about Sasuke's whereabouts, and the way you addressed him when you asked was also very subtle. You said, "Nara family child, do you know where Sasuke is?"
This illustrates two points: first, you know he is a member of the Shikamaru family; second, you don't remember his name at all.
Well... I guess I feel a little uncomfortable, it's a subtle feeling that's hard to describe. It's not that he's arrogant, it's just that he and Sasuke have been classmates for so long, and you still don't seem to know his name.
But then I thought about it again, and it's only natural that someone like you, who grew up being the center of attention, would overlook other people's feelings. Of course, someone who has always been the focus of attention wouldn't notice him hiding in the crowd.
His personality dictates that he wants to stay away from trouble, but he's still attracted to you when your eyes meet—that's his biggest contradiction.
Father Nara Shikaku added, "So you have another mission this time, which is to test her attitude."
Shikamaru put down his teacup, somewhat flustered, and said, "What? Me?"
"Yes, you're a smart kid, you can definitely do it, right?"
This isn't a question of whether he's smart or not; it's a question of whether he can escape unscathed. And what's worse, if those Uchiha find out he's been in contact with you, ha... that would be a real disaster.
Shikamaru remained silent for a long time before finally sighing and saying, "Alright, I understand."
At this moment, it wasn't just them having a late-night talk in Konoha; Sasuke, who had returned home from a mission, was also having a late-night talk with his brother, or rather, being unilaterally invited to a talk.
"Sasuke, you don't look too good. What's wrong? Did the mission not go well last time?" Itachi, who had been working all day, was still so concerned about his younger brother, even though his workload was much heavier than Sasuke's.
Sasuke looked away. No, he absolutely couldn't reveal his true thoughts to his brother. But... his brother knew him so well, and his thoughts were laid bare before him. Itachi still carried a faint scent of ink, because he had spent the whole day revising documents with a brush, and even the pads of his fingers were inevitably stained with ink, which faded a bit after washing with soap.
"No."
"Then why have you suddenly become so taciturn?"
If my brother finds out that he has seen you and even had a long talk with you all night, will he be angry?
"Is it something you can't tell me? Hmm... It's okay if you don't tell me. I just want you to feel more relaxed and happy."
His brother was still the same brother, still caring about him so much. Sasuke stood up abruptly, lowered his head to avoid his brother's gaze, and said in a steady voice, "I'm going to rest."
"Yes, get some rest." Itachi's voice was calm, but Sasuke, who turned to go to his room, felt a chill run down his spine.
As expected...did I arouse my brother's suspicion?
Back in his room, Sasuke let out a long sigh. He didn't want to, he didn't want to deceive his brother. But what if his brother started to disturb his life again once he opened the door?
He sensed during the two days he spent with you at the casino that you were doing well after leaving Konoha, that you enjoyed the outside world and life, so he shouldn't, and didn't want to, disrupt your life.
He lay flat on the bed, slowly curling up, looking at the dark gray ceiling, murmuring your name, "Mingxi..."
What are you doing now? he wondered.
You are, of course, preparing for the foundation's affairs. Speaking of the foundation, since the newly established foundation has set up several projects to help orphans, you still need to communicate with the directors of various orphanages. One of these orphanages is managed by Yakushi Kabuto.
That's right, Kabuto Yakushi is not only Orochimaru's personal assistant, the second-in-command of the laboratory, and the fire grid supervisor of the office building, but also the head of an orphanage and a doctor.
They have so many titles that listing them would be like reciting a menu.
There's not enough room for all of us.
So, in short, you still have to go through a handover with Kabuto, and then he's like a leech, sticking to you like glue. The moment you leave the village, he's already on the train. Imagine you look up and suddenly see a white-haired man appearing outside the window.
He certainly has a unique personality, clinging to a train with his bare hands.
You stare blankly out the window, and Kabuto is still smiling at you. You silently close the window tightly, and then Kabuto comes in from the other side. He says, "Aki, it's been a long time."
Huh? It's been a long time? Why do you feel like you saw him not long ago?
"You've come uninvited," you said. Bai was preparing afternoon tea at the bar. He had also heard the commotion and was holding a glass when he walked to the entrance of the carriage. When he saw that it was none other than Yakushi Kabuto, he wasn't so nervous anymore. If you ask why, well, it's because he knew you didn't like Yakushi Kabuto very much, so even if the other party tried every means, he wouldn't win your favor.
So Haku only glanced at you, and at your signal, he went back to the bar to continue preparing afternoon tea. Kabuto sat down opposite you and said, "Does this count as uninvited? Hmm... I mainly came here to report on the orphanage. I hope I haven't bothered you."
"Others just send a letter to report their work, but you're quite particular, taking the initiative to come over." To be honest, you really admire Orochimaru; he can give his subordinates time off so often.
Aside from his disgusting ninjutsu, you might think Orochimaru is a considerate boss, as his quick approval of leave already surpasses many bosses who only talk the talk but don't walk the walk.
"Yes, that's how I show my serious attitude towards this job."
Come on, is that a serious attitude towards work? He's clearly just trying to cause you trouble. Don't think you don't know what he's up to.
Haku carried the tea to the table and said, "Didn't Orochimaru assign you any other tasks?"
"I was assigned the task, but I completed it ahead of schedule."
Yes, Kabuto Yakushi is such a manipulative person. Although his personality has issues, his work efficiency is truly unparalleled.
You send Shiro away and listen attentively to Kabuto's work report. Towards the end, he started to slip in his own opinions, saying, "Speaking of which, Akira, your attitude towards Kimimaro is really unusual. Even after he returned to the lab, he still couldn't stop thinking about you, haha... Well, it seems like everyone likes you. I've never met anyone who doesn't like you."
You paused slightly when you heard the name Kimimaro. Oh right, Kimimaro, that white-haired, blue-eyed boy. You even took a picture of him. You said, "I see..."
Kabuto Yakushi subtly implied that Kimimaro was still quite immature, implying that he was the one who was truly mature.
I've seen people recommend themselves before, but I've never seen someone do it by putting down their colleagues like this. It seems the work atmosphere on Orochimaru's side isn't very good, you know.
Before Kabuto can change the subject, interrupt him by saying, "Now that your work report is finished, you should leave."
Kabuto's eyes widened slightly, as if he were surprised, but he quickly composed himself and said, "Ah... Aki, are you just going to kick me out like this?"
You feel there's no problem, he's said everything he needed to say, so you say, "Is there anything else?"
“…I just feel like it’s been so long since I’ve talked to you, Mingxi.” As he spoke, his expression became pitiful. You stared at him for a few seconds, then turned your gaze to the distance outside the window and said, “Then let’s have some afternoon tea.”
Kabuto Yakushi was a smart man and knew what you meant. It meant that he didn't have to leave for the time being. He picked up his teacup, his movements slow and deliberate. When he was trained to be a spy, he had specifically learned tea ceremony and other skills, but he hadn't used these skills for a long time since he chose to follow Lord Orochimaru.
His tea-making skills are not as refined as before. He said, "With trains as a means of transportation, the transport of goods between regions will be more convenient. I must say that you, Xi, are indeed quite farsighted."
Actually, you don't hate Kabuto that much, you just find him annoying occasionally. But how should I put it, this is a common problem among ninjas in this world. After all, there are very few people who can remain mentally and physically healthy in such a world.
After going around in circles, the topic eventually came to the foundation. Of course, Kabuto Yakushi knew about the foundation's celebration ceremony soon, because he would be attending as an ordinary guest.
He said, "Kimimaro was originally supposed to go, but unfortunately, he had a last-minute mission and couldn't go."
Judging from his tone, he seemed quite relieved, as if he couldn't be more pleased that Kimimaro wouldn't appear in front of you. You didn't have much of an impression of Kimimaro; when you heard his name, the image that came to mind was his fair skin turning pale pink when he was emotional, and that was it.
Kabuto Yakushi also noticed that your attitude towards Kimimaro is more like that of a disposable toy, something you play with and then forget about. Ah... He was worried about it before, very concerned that Kimimaro would take a place in your heart. Now it seems that he was overthinking it.
This kind of thing is simply impossible.
Thinking it over, he relaxed completely and said casually, "I heard that Konoha will also send people over. Are you sure it's okay?"
What problem could there be? Your power has grown to this point, so you don't need to worry about Konoha threatening you. Even if Itachi Uchiha comes looking for you, you don't need to worry. At most, he'll just say a few words to you with a hint of resentment. What else can he do?
You will become a major sponsor of Konoha in the future. Even ninjas wouldn't turn down money, so Itachi Uchiha would never harm you against the interests of Konoha.
So, having money really does allow you to do whatever you want.
"No problem," you said.
Kabuto was silent for a moment, then said, "Winter is almost here..."
He didn't really like winter. He went to an orphanage when he was a child because his parents died. But there were too many orphans and not enough supplies. Summer was okay, but winter was hard to endure. There were no warm clothes or charcoal fires for warmth. Everything felt so cold. He would curl up in bed and huddle with the other children to keep warm, but his exposed ears still got frostbite.
Even though the frostbite healed, he couldn't forget the feeling and still remembers it clearly to this day.
He didn't particularly like that memory. The children he shared with in the orphanage were just pawns in someone else's game. But... the orphanage you established suddenly popped into his mind. It was completely different from the one he remembered. Those children didn't have to worry about being affected by the war in the future, nor would they become pawns. They had their own lives. They would enter your factory in the future, and children with learning talents would pursue further education.
These opportunities were all given to them by you.
To them, you're nothing short of a savior, but what about you? You seem completely indifferent to it all.
I still want to know, I want to see through your heart, what exactly... you're thinking?
You looked at Kabuto with slight surprise at how long he had remained silent, and he answered without being asked, "I was thinking that Mingxi is truly a great person."
Really?
You scooped a spoonful of cupcake; it was vanilla flavored and topped with a layer of lime-flavored cream, light and refreshing.
The train stopped in the capital of the Kingdom of Tea. The subsequent foundation celebration ceremony was held in this capital. You didn't choose one of the five major countries because if you had chosen one of them, the other countries would have thought your choice was biased. So you simply chose this small country, and that way they would have nothing to say.
The monarch of the Kingdom of Tea was very pleased that you would hold the celebration there, as it would be entirely beneficial to him. So he readily agreed to cooperate with you. When you arrived in the capital by train, he even went out to greet you, saying, "Lord Mingxi's arrival is truly an honor to our humble abode."
Ignoring the meaningless pleasantries, you cut straight to the point and ask, "So, how's the setup for the celebration going?"
The monarch said, "It's almost done. Now we're just waiting for you to inspect it on-site. If there are any issues with the details, please raise them, and I'll have my staff fix them immediately."
He was not only kind and gentle to you, but also very respectful to Haku and Kabuto who were beside you. He probably considered them both as your assistants. After you had walked a while, you said to Kabuto, "Would you like to come with me to see the venue?"
"Don't you want me to go? But I might be able to offer you some help. It would be my honor to serve Mingxi."
Okay, that's just his style of speaking. At first glance, you might think he's being sarcastic, but if you listen carefully, you'll find that what he says is the truth. At least, most of what he says is true in front of you. It's just that he didn't make a very good first impression on you. First impressions really do matter...
If only time could turn back, back to the first time you met him, he probably wouldn't have said anything to anger you.
But it's just a thought.
He's still waiting for your reply, and you say, "Okay, let's go together then." Putting aside his personality, Kabuto Yakushi is indeed a very competent working person; I've never seen such a conscientious, responsible, and competitive employee.
The venue was decorated with various ribbons, and the sculpture of the foundation's mascot was placed in the center of the venue, so that people entering the banquet hall could see the sculpture at a glance. The mascot of the foundation you created is a white bird with outstretched wings. The details of the sculpture are very exquisite, especially the feathers. Each feather is delicate and vivid. The attention to detail makes the statue lifelike. At first glance, you might think it is a real white bird about to take flight.
Kabuto walked back and forth in the venue, from one end to the other, and finally back to you, offering some suggestions. For example, he said that the ribbon decorations were too much, or that the lighting might be a bit too bright, and that the brightness of the lights should be turned down on the day of the official celebration. In short, he analyzed many things with you in a clear and organized manner.
He smiled at you again at the end and said, "These are my suggestions. Of course, whether or not to adopt them is up to you, Mingxi."
You adopted all the suggestions that you thought were reasonable. As for those minor details, there's no need to make special changes, since going back and forth like that is very time-consuming and laborious.
"Great, it seems I've helped you, Mingxi."
You say to Kabuto, "I won't get angry at you even if you have no expression on your face, so don't try to fool me with a fake smile."
His upturned lips gradually tightened. "Ah... I guess I was found out after all? Isn't it said that you can't hit a smiling face? I thought that smiling would make me seem more approachable."
No, it will only make people think he is insidious and cunning.
It must be because he's wearing glasses, right? So you suddenly reached out your hand to him, and Kabuto didn't try to dodge. He even straightened up and let your hand approach. If I'm not mistaken, there seemed to be a hint of expectation in his eyes.
I don't know what he's expecting. If you take off his glasses, you can reasonably suspect that he's not actually nearsighted and that wearing glasses is just a habit. After all, you've hardly ever heard of nearsighted ninjas, and given how familiar he is with human acupoints, he could easily get himself nearsightedness surgery.
You put his glasses in your hand, and hmm... he does look much better this way. You said, "You look better without your glasses."
"Eh, really?" Kabuto Yakushi feigned surprise. "So you like this look, Meishi."
However, it is indeed a bit uncomfortable not to wear glasses. It's not that I can't see clearly, but rather that I'm not used to it psychologically. Normally, if I have glasses, I don't have to worry about being seen through when I look at someone. But at this moment, he blinked somewhat unnaturally and made eye contact with me directly, as if I could see right through him.
His inner world is laid bare before you.
disturbed.
Years of experience as a spy honed his instincts, making him try his best to avoid letting others see through his true thoughts.
Being a spy and having your identity exposed is a terrifying thing...
Reason was trembling, but he still couldn't help but meet your gaze, though this time he wasn't so at ease, and even felt a bit nervous.
Your fingers are hooked around your glasses frame; you have no idea about Kabuto Yakushi's rich inner thoughts. You simply think he looks better now.
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