Amnesiac Old Man

Uchiha Aozora had originally thought he would see the little boy's happy smile.

Who would have thought the boy would casually knock over his pinwheel, tilt his eyes, and say, "Do you take me for a three-year-old?"

Uchiha Aozora did not get angry with a child. "What else, then?"

"I'm already four! In another year, I can attend the Ninja Academy!"

The little boy put his hands on his hips, stood on tiptoe as hard as he could, and raised his head as he spoke.

Watching the little boy struggle to act mature, Uchiha Aozora found it amusing, but he also realized his strategy had been wrong.

Children in the Shinobi World matured early. They had to learn ninjutsu at four or five, and some were sent to the battlefield at six or seven.

Thinking of the lollipops, little pinwheels, balloons, and other things he had bought in advance, he instantly felt a little stupid.

Before Uchiha Aozora could wallow in it, the little boy asked, "You're ninja, right?"

"That's right!"

"Then show me a couple of ninjutsu!"

"..." The three of them were speechless.

"So you can't, huh? And you call yourselves ninja. You're just rookies!"

"..."

Ever since the Beautiful Woman had left home, the little boy had become a completely different person. The obedient young master had turned into a little demon king. Not only was his tongue sharp, but he also had endless ideas for mischief.

One moment, he wanted to go outside for some fresh air; the next, he wanted to play ninja games; then he wanted to visit the Ninja Academy ahead of time.

If the three of them displeased him even slightly, he would threaten to tell his parents that they had abused him and have his mother leave them a bad review.

At first, the three of them indulged him, but in the end, Inuzuka Aya could not take it anymore and gave him a good beating. Only then did he settle down a little.

And after that beating, he started clinging to Inuzuka Aya, calling her Big Sister at every turn and obeying her every word.

After Inuzuka Aya became the little brat's Big Sister, their second mission was easily completed.

After turning in the mission, Aburame Shibi announced that Team 3 would have two days off to rest and recover.

Uchiha Aozora held the newly received 1,500 Ryo, yet he was not very happy.

Because he had not received a Little Water Droplet from the second mission.

On his way home, Uchiha Aozora carefully considered the issue of the Little Water Droplet.

"Where exactly did it go wrong?"

"Was it because the brat did not say he was grateful?"

"Or did taking care of a brat not count as a good deed?"

"Or was my role this time too small?"

Questions surfaced one after another in his mind, but unfortunately, he had no answers to refer to. Everything was merely speculation.

As he pondered, the commotion ahead interrupted his thoughts.

"What happened? Why is everyone blocked here?"

"Looks like a carriage overturned, blocking the intersection."

"How did it overturn?"

"An old lady was standing in the middle of the road. The driver couldn't control the carriage, so it overturned."

"That old lady is still standing in the middle of the road. No one can persuade her to leave."

"Stop talking. The Uchiha are here. Let's see how they handle it."

"How else would they handle it? They'll just haul her away."

He had not intended to join the excitement, but Aozora vaguely heard the words "Uchiha."

After some thought, he still squeezed into the crowd.

"Make way, please! Excuse me!"

Relying on his agile, strong build, Uchiha Aozora quickly made his way into the inner circle.

Before him was a crossroads. An elderly old lady stood in the middle of the intersection, beside an overturned carriage.

Two black-haired ninja wearing Ninja Vests were separately negotiating with the old lady and the carriage owner.

Before long, the carriage owner shook his head and sighed, then had one of the black-haired ninja help right the carriage.

The carriage owner's problem seemed to have been resolved, but the old lady's problem remained.

Many stopped vehicles were lined up beside them.

Uchiha Aozora immediately recognized the ninja in Ninja Vests as members of the Konoha Military Police Force.

As the complaints around him grew louder, Uchiha Aozora stepped forward, intending to learn more about the situation.

One of the black-haired ninja came forward to stop him. "The Military Police Force is handling business. Uninvolved people, stay back!"

Seeing his utterly unapproachable expression, Uchiha Aozora fully understood why the Uchiha were so unpopular in Konoha.

It was already Year 49 of Konoha. Even the Hokage emphasized service with a smile, yet the Uchiha still clung to their original service standards.

He was not angry, though. He simply said, "I'm Uchiha Aozora. Is there anything I can help with?"

Upon hearing he was a Clan Member, the man immediately changed his attitude.

His voice noticeably softened. He patted Uchiha Aozora on the shoulder and said, "So you're one of us, brother."

Then he explained with a troubled look, "This old lady won't listen. No matter what we say, she refuses to leave."

Uchiha Aozora nodded, then moved closer to listen to how the other Uchiha Clan Member was persuading her.

"Ma'am, this is an intersection. Don't block the road."

"If you keep this up, I'll take you to Konoha Prison."

"..."

The Uchiha handling the negotiation kept emphasizing the importance of the intersection, even threatening the old lady from time to time.

But the old lady remained unmoved by his threats, her eyes fixed only on the distance.

Uchiha Aozora had a guess. He said to the Uchiha beside him, "Can I give it a try? I have an idea."

"Oh, Aozora, you have an idea? Good. I'll tell Sosuke."

After saying that, he walked over and whispered a few words to the ninja who was negotiating. At the same time, he pointed at Uchiha Aozora.

The man turned back to glance at Uchiha Aozora, who gave him a friendly smile.

After considering it for a moment, he walked over with a cold expression. "Aozora, right?"

Uchiha Aozora hurriedly nodded.

"Yuichi said you have an idea? If you do, go ahead and try. It's fine if you fail."

Uchiha Aozora looked at him in surprise. Cold face, warm heart.

He walked up beside the old lady and asked, "What are you doing here?"

The old lady did not turn around. "I'm waiting for someone."

"Who are you waiting for?"

The old lady answered, "I'm waiting for my son. He went to school, and I'm waiting for him to come home for dinner."

Uchiha Aozora's eyes lit up. "Waiting for your son? What school does he attend?"

"Him? He attends the Ninja Academy. He's already in his third year this year, and he'll graduate soon!" When she spoke of her son, even the wrinkles on the old lady's face seemed to glow with happiness.

How could an old lady in her sixties or seventies have a child in the third year of the Ninja Academy?

Uchiha Aozora fell into thought. If his guess was right, this old lady should have amnesia.

This condition was uncommon in the Shinobi World, mainly because there were not many people who lived to old age. It was normal that the two Uchiha did not understand it.

Having confirmed his guess, Uchiha Aozora decided to coax the old lady and help her return home.

He examined the old lady's clothes. They were neat and clean, and the fabric was clearly beyond what he could identify.

His preliminary estimate was that she had family to care for her and that her family was fairly well-off, so she did not need to work.

But with Uchiha Aozora's limited experience, that was all he could determine. To help the old lady get home, he needed more information.

"Your son is really impressive!"

Uchiha Aozora first praised her son. Once the old lady beamed with joy, he asked, "Where do you live? Maybe your son is already home! School ended quite a while ago."

"Oh... you're right, little one. Ken might already be home."

"I'm going home."