Konoha's Ino-Shika-Cho

The next morning, only Tokiju, Uchiha Hikari, and Uzumaki Miku remained at the Senju Ancestral Residence.

And Tsunade and Shizune?

They had left the ancestral residence early that morning, saying they were going to work at Konoha Hospital.

Tokiju was skeptical of that explanation.

He believed Shizune had gone to work at the hospital.

But if anyone claimed Tsunade had gone to work too, he could only wonder whether she was short on gambling money again.

"Hey, Tokiju, what are you planning to do today? You can't just sit around like this all day!"

Uchiha Hikari slumped on a cushion in the hall, looking at Tokiju with a bored expression.

Uzumaki Miku, on the other hand, didn't mind at all. She had never been the active type.

She was already very content with the peaceful life she had now.

Hearing Uchiha Hikari's question, Tokiju replied casually, "I'm planning to visit Grandma and Nawaki at the cemetery later. Want to come with me?"

Uchiha Hikari thought it over, then waved a hand. "I'll pass. There are so many people watching us outside right now, and you know that."

"What if they break in and take Miku away while we're both out?"

"You know Miku can barely move right now, and she has no way to protect herself."

Hearing this, Tokiju closed his eyes and sensed the area. Then he immediately cursed inwardly.

Holy crap! Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō have ten people watching us in total—two more than last night. What the hell is wrong with them?!

Tokiju had only just awakened the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, but he could still sense everything within a radius of seven or eight hundred meters.

Hearing that, Uzumaki Miku lowered her head, deeply apologetic. "I'm sorry for dragging everyone into this. I'll work hard to practice controlling chakra from now on."

Tokiju comforted her. "There's no need to rush too much. And it wouldn't help even if you did—you shouldn't overexert yourself in your current condition."

"Exactly, Miku. You're pregnant, so just focus on resting. We'll take care of everything."

Uchiha Hikari chimed in, trying to put Uzumaki Miku at ease.

Even so, Uzumaki Miku remained uneasy.

She knew the tonics she drank every day were very expensive, and she had no way to repay them.

As if guessing what she was thinking, Tokiju continued, "Don't worry. There's plenty of time ahead. You'll have lots of chances to work for me."

"Hey! What are you saying? Miku, don't listen to him. He's talking nonsense."

Uchiha Hikari cursed under her breath, then explained things to Uzumaki Miku.

Uzumaki Miku shook her head and said to Uchiha Hikari, "It's all right, Hikari. Besides, I really want to be able to help Lord Tokiju."

Then she turned back to Tokiju and said earnestly, "Don't worry, Lord Tokiju. I'll work hard for you from now on."

"Uh..." Tokiju was speechless. The way they were talking made him sound like he was exploiting a pregnant woman.

He had wanted to say as much, but after thinking it over, he decided against it. Giving Uzumaki Miku a little hope was better than having her fret all day.

With that, Tokiju rose and said to the two women, "I'll head out, then. I'm not sure when I'll be back, so you'll have to figure out lunch yourselves."

Uchiha Hikari immediately gave him an OK sign. "OK, go on ahead. I'll take care of things here."

Tokiju: ?

Tokiju was speechless again, then silently shook his head. Uchiha Hikari was getting more and more unruly.

The aloof little Hikari he had known was long gone. Tokiju felt a little wistful thinking about it.

Tokiju waved a hand helplessly and left the Senju Ancestral Residence.

At the same time, the four Anbu and six Root operatives hiding outside the Senju Ancestral Residence each sent two members to follow him.

As he walked, Tokiju grumbled inwardly. They each sent two people to follow me? They must really think highly of me.

Tokiju had already noticed them, but he didn't want to make a scene.

As long as they didn't come out and bother him, he would let them do as they pleased.

Besides, there were sealing barriers everywhere inside the ancestral residence. There was no way they'd notice anything.

Since he was going to the cemetery, he naturally needed flowers.

With that in mind, Tokiju headed straight for Konoha Commercial Street, following his memories.

By the time he reached the street, it was already bustling with traffic and crowds of people coming and going.

Tokiju soon found a flower shop. Looking up, he saw that it was indeed run by the Yamanaka Clan.

The Yamanaka Clan was one of Konoha's established clans. Like the Nara Clan and the Akimichi Clan, they were firmly aligned with the Hokage.

That brought great advantages to all three clans.

The Nara Clan controlled most of Konoha's medicinal herb trade, and its clan heads often served as the Hokage's advisers, giving them very high status.

The Akimichi Clan openly ran many barbecue restaurants, but secretly controlled Konoha's soldier pill trade.

As for the Yamanaka Clan, they appeared to run nothing more than flower shops in Konoha, but secretly controlled the Interrogation Department. They, too, wielded great influence.

The three clans were also as close as family, forming Konoha's famous Ino-Shika-Cho.

One thing worth mentioning: the Akimichi Clan represented the butterfly, while the Yamanaka Clan represented the boar.

Just as Tokiju was staring at the sign, a well-dressed woman with a red cord tied around her head came out.

"Oh, young man, are you here to buy flowers?" the elegantly dressed woman asked.

Her question brought Tokiju back to his senses, and he immediately nodded.

The woman chuckled and continued, "Who are the flowers for? Would you like me to help you choose?"

Tokiju obediently nodded. "Sure. Could you help me pick out three bouquets? I'm going to the cemetery to visit my grandparents and little brother."

The woman's eyes softened, and a hint of sympathy crossed her face. But then she smiled and said, "I see. Wait here a moment, young man. I'll pick some out for you."

She turned and went inside the flower shop. A short while later, she came back with two beautiful bouquets and handed them to Tokiju.

Tokiju took them and immediately thanked her. "Thank you, ma'am. How much are they?"

The woman smiled. "Hehe, since you're such a well-behaved young man, I'll give you a thirty percent discount."

Tokiju was delighted. He didn't have much money on him, so every bit he could save mattered.

He finally understood the joy Conan must have felt pretending to be a child.

It wasn't that Tokiju was poor, exactly, but his money was with Sigurd.

He had recently wiped out several bandit hideouts in the Land of Whirlpools and looted quite a bit of money.

But he needed to save it for the future, and he also had several members of the Hozuki Clan to support. It was best not to touch that money if he could help it.