Becoming a Traveling Merchant

Disgusted by the Root ninja's behavior, Uchiha Yashiro had lost all interest in fighting.

Instead, he began relentlessly giving the Root ninja a hard time. Even after they had withdrawn, he still refused to let the matter go.

The Police Department, which had already been dissatisfied with Shimura Danzo, even invited Namikaze Yoru back to headquarters to give a statement, hoping to use the incident to pressure the Hokage into dealing seriously with Danzo's abuse of authority.

After writing his statement, Namikaze Yoru sincerely thanked Uchiha Yashiro. "Thank you for standing up for me, Yashiro. Having Root watch me train these past few days has been a real nuisance."

Yashiro merely waved a hand and replied, "As a member of the Uchiha Police Department, maintaining order in the village is our Uchiha duty."

He then told Namikaze Yoru to make himself at home and returned to the work in front of him.

Inside the Hokage's Office.

Inside the Hokage's Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi rubbed his aching temples as he read the urgent report from the Police Department, his feelings complicated.

"Why has Danzo gotten Uchiha involved again?" The war had just ended, and paperwork was piling up like a mountain. This sudden incident gave him an even worse headache.

He rubbed the space between his brows and ordered the Anbu behind him, "Get Danzo over here."

Before long, the Hokage Assistant, his face dark and bandages wrapped around his eye, appeared. Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed the scroll in front of him without saying a word.

Shimura Danzo picked up the scroll from the desk and skimmed it. His expression unchanged, he said:

"The Uchiha Police Department is sticking its nose into far too much. Does Root need to answer to them for everything we do?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe and took a deep drag.

"Danzo, you did overstep this time. Why were you monitoring a fellow village shinobi?"

"A civilian shinobi with that kind of strength is suspicious. I suspect there's more to him than meets the eye. I investigated him for Konoha's safety."

Shimura Danzo naturally didn't mention that Namikaze Yoru had rejected him. Instead, he offered this excuse. Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him a meaningful look, then said, "Regardless, withdraw your men immediately. This matter ends here."

"Those wicked Uchiha have been trouble from the start. The teacher should have taken the opportunity to—"

"Enough! Danzo, you can say that in private, but the teacher granted the Uchiha this right." Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off at once.

"The village needs the Uchiha's strength, both within its borders and beyond them."

"Hmph."

Though Shimura Danzo stopped talking after Hiruzen Sarutobi cut him off, he was still seething inside, convinced that the Uchiha Police Department's existence weakened his authority.

Having failed to achieve his goal, he chalked it up to Namikaze Yoru's good luck in getting close to the Uchiha.

After leaving the Hokage Building, Shimura Danzo temporarily called off the surveillance on Namikaze Yoru, waiting for another chance to deal with him. For now, he blamed the Police Department for the whole affair.

At the Three-Color Dumpling Shop, Namikaze Yoru swallowed the last bite of his rice dumpling, satisfied. His trick of redirecting the trouble had worked perfectly: he'd shaken off Root and let the Uchiha steal the spotlight.

He figured Uchiha Yashiro must have seen through it. After all, he hadn't exactly been subtle.

He knew that this little trick wouldn't fool Uchiha Yashiro. But given the Uchiha's pride, as long as the scheme wasn't aimed at them, they were happy to use it to show off their presence.

Under the leadership of the Hawk Faction Elders, the Uchiha were now highly united and had a rather hardline way of doing things, quite unlike the clan under Fugaku Uchiha in the years to come.

If "fake hawk" Fugaku Uchiha hadn't taken charge during the Third Shinobi World War and kept suppressing the rebellious voices within the clan, only to inflame tensions within the Uchiha Clan even further, perhaps the clan wouldn't have met its end so soon.

Namikaze Yoru specifically told the owner to put all of Uchiha Yashiro's future purchases on his tab. Calling on him to offer thanks would have seemed deliberate; this understated way of repaying the favor suited the Uchiha better.

But the peaceful days didn't last long. An unexpected mission soon came his way.

"To Kirigakure?" Namikaze Yoru stared at the mission scroll, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You want a Chunin who just got out of the hospital to carry out a mission in an enemy village?

Who came up with this brilliant idea?"

The Chunin who'd issued the mission scratched his head sheepishly. "Well... we originally planned to send Anbu. But Kirigakure's keeping a close watch right now, so someone like you, who hasn't been seen much, would have an easier time slipping in."

Namikaze Yoru carefully read the mission details: Kirigakure had recently been rocked by internal unrest, and they needed someone to infiltrate the village and gather intelligence. The reward was astonishingly generous, but the danger was just as extreme.

"This mission..." He rubbed his chin. "Could Danzo be using this chance to get back at me?"

"Ahem, it was discussed and approved by the higher-ups," the Chunin quickly explained. "It's also a recognition of your abilities."

Yeah, right! Namikaze Yoru grumbled to himself, deciding to blame this whole thing on Shimura Danzo for now.

Of course, he wasn't tempted by the long string of zeroes after the reward. He mostly wanted to use this opportunity to leave the village and explore on his own.

"Fine, I'll take it." Confident in his own abilities, he accepted without hesitation.

Before setting out, Namikaze Yoru made thorough preparations. He put together an outfit fit for a traveling merchant and stuffed his bag with all kinds of small goods, from accessories to nail clippers, along with an assortment of "secret weapons" he'd tinkered with in his spare time.

Once he was perfectly disguised, he took the forged Konoha identification papers and gave himself an approving nod. "Now I'm just an ordinary traveling merchant."

As soon as he left the village gates, Namikaze Yoru felt someone watching him. When he looked back, Tsunade was standing on the hospital roof, giving him a slight nod.

"I'll be back," he mouthed. She responded with an exasperated eye roll.

Along the way, Namikaze Yoru put his acting skills to good use, pitching his "high-quality goods" to everyone he met.

"Hey, sir, take a look at this comb! It's perfect for fixing up that... distinctive hairstyle of yours."

"Ma'am, this mirror gives an especially clear reflection. I guarantee you'll see just how beautiful you are!"

The results were impressive. Everyone he spoke to hurried away even faster.

Just as he was about to enter the Land of Water, several Kirigakure Anbu suddenly sprang from the trees and surrounded him.

"Stop! Who are you?"

Namikaze Yoru immediately put on a harmless smile and raised both hands. "Gentlemen, I'm just a small-time traveling merchant."

As he spoke, he opened his pack and showed them the goods inside. "Interested in the latest Sidan Kang? The water in the Land of Water is hard, so you probably need this!"

The leader of the Kirigakure Anbu narrowed his eyes and studied him. "A traveling merchant? Coming to the Land of Water at a time like this?"

"Ah, it's tough making a living," Namikaze Yoru sighed. "I've been on the road since I was a kid, scraping together a living wherever I can. I figured I'd come here and try my luck."

While the other man hesitated, he quietly surveyed the surrounding terrain, thinking, Looks like this trip to Kirigakure won't be easy...