I Catch Myself

I Catch Myself

PS: Oh, right, a passage was missing from Chapter 18. (I was wondering why there was an extra passage in the drafts today. Turns out I forgot to post it.) I just added it, so esteemed readers who finished reading yesterday can go back and take a look.

A detective was a professional responsible for investigating cases, essentially a civilian police officer specializing in investigating and solving criminal cases.

A private detective, on the other hand, took private commissions to investigate affairs, find people, and locate confidential information for clients. Asuka belonged to the latter category.

As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Asuka did not lack money. The reason he had become a private detective in the first place was merely to use the identity as cover. His real purpose was to uncover the little secrets of the supporting cast in the Hokage world.

Having transmigrated into the Hokage world, how could he not be interested in its people and affairs?

Manga certainly would not write about whose spouse was cheating, whose family was fooling around, or who had become a mistress.

Whenever there were matters too embarrassing to speak of, things that could not be handled by posting a mission, that was when it was his turn to step in.

Until the Third Shinobi World War officially began, he often deliberately—or accidentally—dug into the gossip of various supporting characters. He helped people analyze treasure maps and search for treasure. Over time, the title of master detective had been pinned onto him.

If the Third Shinobi World War had not suddenly arrived, that sort of life might have continued for several more years.

"Sorry."

Asuka suddenly came back to his senses. Leaning against the wall, he shook his head and said,

"I've been teaching students lately, so I might have to take a break for a while. If you need someone, I can recommend a few private detectives who are just as gossipy. Ahem. Just as outstanding."

"Asuka-kun, this commission might be somewhat challenging for others."

Asuka's expression stiffened at those words. He fucking hated challenges too.

He recalled the challenging commission he had once accepted.

Investigate why several hundred donkeys at a villager's breeding farm outside the village screamed for no reason in the middle of the night.

When he had first seen the commission, his immediate thought had been that it was man-made. Some pervert was involved. After investigating, he had basically confirmed that it was indeed man-made, and that a pervert was involved. Moreover, that pervert was rather well-known in Konoha.

His name was Orochimaru. During that period, one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru, had been like a corpse driver, frequently herding a group of slow-moving humanoid creatures that occasionally let out roars past the donkey shed in the middle of the night, scaring the donkeys witless.

Later, he set up a simple trap along the path those humanoid creatures had to take, only to discover that they seemed to be incomplete Impure World Reincarnation subjects.

Later still, an anonymous letter had been tossed directly onto the Hokage's desk, reporting Orochimaru.

After secretly observing Asuka for a while, Nara Yoshino saw that he had not rejected her again, but such a long silence was enough to show that he did not want to take the commission.

What a pity. Though the Ninja World War had ostensibly ended, conflicts still continued beneath the surface.

The village's sensory jonin either had important missions or were stationed at the front lines defending against enemies.

She had searched everywhere and failed to find anyone free. Otherwise, she would not have had to seek help from the Uchiha Clan.

After a moment of silence, she turned to Uchiha Mikoto and silently mouthed,

"Mikoto, it's up to you."

"Don't worry!"

Giving her a reassuring look, Uchiha Mikoto stood and walked over to Asuka.

Having lived in the Uchiha Clan for more than twenty years, she knew her clansmen's temperaments extremely well.

Surprisingly, provocation worked very well on her clansmen. "Asuka-kun."

Uchiha Mikoto looked at Asuka with a smile. For some reason, whenever she saw his face, her fingers began to ache faintly. If not for this damned identity—or if time had been turned back a few years—her younger self would probably have already come knocking at his door.

After taking several deep breaths to suppress her dissatisfaction over his urging people to divorce, she made an inviting gesture, signaling for Asuka to follow her into the courtyard.

Once they reached the courtyard, she held her stomach with both hands, gave Asuka a somewhat suspicious look, and softly asked,

"I remember that at the clan meeting, you proposed winning over the Senju and joining forces with other clans, didn't you?"

"That's right!"

"Then why aren't you seizing such a good opportunity today? Or do you not want to accept this commission because you know that, with your current abilities, you cannot complete it in a short time? Do you intend to leave every opportunity to win over other clans to the Clan Head?"

Asuka looked at Uchiha Mikoto with an amused half-smile.

You say I can't do it. I think I can, but I just don't want to prove it to you.

Only normal Uchiha fall for that kind of provocation. I'm not normal. Besides, winning over other clans was the Clan Head's job in the first place. For the glory of the Uchiha, he ought to devote himself to it—even if that includes devoting his body...

After waiting for a while, Asuka still did not hear any further lecturing from the Clan Head's Wife.

Finding it strange, he looked at Uchiha Mikoto and saw that she was staring blankly at him as well. Her nearly black eyes somehow seemed clean, like black gemstones under the sunlight, radiating a captivating luster.

Asuka unconsciously lowered his gaze. Seeing her slightly rising and falling stomach, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he immediately turned his head away.

He could not bring himself to like either of those brothers.

"Asuka-kun."

At that moment, Uchiha Mikoto suddenly raised a hand and waved that injured finger in front of his face. Once she had drawn his attention, she smiled faintly and said,

"Before Fugaku became Clan Head, his abilities were far inferior to yours at the same age. He did not carry the title of genius as a youth, nor did he have spare time to study Medical Ninjutsu.

"But you are far more outstanding than Fugaku was at the same time.

"The future of the Uchiha Clan needs to be created by your own hands.

"Since you want to change the clan's future, why not give it a try? Start by taking this commission.

"You should seize opportunities to build good relations with other clans. It would greatly help with the idea you proposed.

"Youth of the Uchiha, although you often make proposals that anger people, I still think very highly of you.

"Of course, you can refuse outright now. No one will force you to do this."

At that, she saw the smile gradually vanish from Asuka's face. She could not help but raise a lock of hair with her finger, winding and playing with it for a while before saying softly,

"Yes means yes, and no means no. What do you mean by taking a break? That will only make Lady Nara think you simply do not want to accept her commission.

"Besides, it goes against the original intent behind your plan to win over the Senju and unite the other clans.

"Or was your proposal back then merely something you said casually?

"If that's truly the case, then that would be quite delightful.

"One could see the whole leopard from a single spot.

"Your proposal about 'divorce' was only empty talk too, wasn't it? I knew it. How could a clansman I think highly of possibly do something so utterly immoral, unconscionable, deserving of heaven's wrath, struck by lightning, killed by five thunderbolts, doomed to a miserable death, cutting short his own lifespan, infamous—"

Asuka hurriedly covered Uchiha Mikoto's mouth. Looking at the smiling Clan Head's Wife, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

Her tongue was vicious. If she kept going, would words like "die without descendants" come out next?

And she had actually compared Fugaku to him. Why compare Fugaku to him? Could that bastard son have been born from genes like his?

After a moment of silence, Asuka turned and headed straight back into the house.

Though he would not care about such low-grade provocation, he had just remembered that the system seemed to have a mission about becoming friends with Shikamaru.

After seeing the pregnant women off, Asuka weighed the envelope in his hand. Recalling what Lady Yoshino had described earlier, he fell into deep thought once more.

She suspected that the Clan Head's cousin had a man and wanted him to investigate clues about that man. They would handle the rest.

Combining that with the time she had provided, Asuka suddenly slammed his right fist into his left palm, a look of realization appearing on his face.

If he remembered correctly, he had spent that entire night in Ryoko's room, hadn't he?

So the person she was looking for should be me? But I'm not fucking Ryoko's man.

Without ruining my reputation... how am I supposed to turn myself in?