Anko's Invitation

A new day meant I couldn't slack off on training.

Even without Itachi and Inuzuka Hana, I had to train hard on my own.

One day, his name would resound throughout the entire Ninja World.

No one had come to him for pet treatment these past two days, because there simply weren't any sick pets. He ended up with two leisurely days.

Before he even reached the Dumpling Shop, he saw Anko approaching with Uzuki Yugao.

"Bad start." Qingfeng immediately turned to leave. Running into them would definitely mean trouble, and they clearly seemed to be coming for him.

They didn't see me, they didn't see me. Don't call out to me.

He successfully reached the corner. He could disappear from their sight any moment now and shake them off.

But what was meant to come would always come.

"Uchiha Qingfeng, stop right there!"

Hearing the furious voice of Mushroom Head, Qingfeng reluctantly turned around.

"Didn't we put the past behind us? What do you want from me now?"

"What do you mean, dodging us the moment you see us? Are we going to eat you or something?"

Qingfeng knew he couldn't win an argument against Anko, so he honestly waited to hear what they had to say.

Anko was no longer wearing her Mushroom Head hairstyle today. She had deliberately tied her hair into a bun, clearly showing that although she never said it aloud, she still hated Qingfeng giving her that nickname.

"Here, Three-Color Dumplings. I'm treating you!"

Faced with the dumplings Anko offered him, Qingfeng truly did not want to take them. Never mind whether she had added some "seasoning" or certain "accessories"—once he accepted something from her, he would have no room to refuse whatever came next.

"What are you staring at? Aren't you going to take them? I bought these for you myself, so accept them with gratitude."

Anko kept urging him, leaving Qingfeng no choice but to accept the sugar-coated bait she handed over.

The moment he took a bite, Anko began speaking.

"We're going to the Orphanage to spread some warmth, and out of the kindness of our hearts, we're inviting you along. You should feel honored, shouldn't you?"

Orphans? Orphans? Wasn't Qingfeng, at least on the surface, an orphan too?

"That sounds great. Actually, you don't need to go all the way to the Orphanage to spread warmth. You can just bring it directly to me. Then you won't even need to go there—two birds with one stone."

Anko had already investigated Qingfeng's background when she had been looking for a chance to get revenge on him. While it was true that he was an orphan, that was completely different from being an orphan from the Orphanage.

Leaf Village residents who lost family members in accidents received regular survivor benefits from the village. For someone from a major clan like Qingfeng, food and clothing were guaranteed at the very least.

The children at Konoha Orphanage, however, were not dependents of Leaf Village residents. They were all outsiders.

They received no survivor benefits at all and relied entirely on donations to the Orphanage to get by. Once they were a little older, they had to do whatever work they could manage.

Compared to them, Qingfeng was practically living like an immortal. He did not need to do anything except train in ninjutsu, and he even had his own Pharmacy. Just casually working at it had already made him a renowned veterinarian in Konoha.

"Bring warmth to you? Do you deserve it?"

Qingfeng had a headache. Anko had always talked like this since they were children—so rude, it was simply too much.

She was just a brat, and a little girl at that. He had to hold back and not get into another pointless argument.

Seeing Qingfeng back down, Anko did not continue pressing him.

"Alright, hurry up and come with us."

Qingfeng threw away the bamboo skewer left from the Three-Color Dumplings.

He formed Hand Seals. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

"Shadow Clone No. 1, Shadow Clone No. 2, today's training is up to you."

The two Shadow Clones left immediately, and Anko and Uzuki Yugao stared at Qingfeng's maneuver in surprise.

They had already known from last time that Qingfeng was very skilled at Taijutsu, roughly at Chunin level.

Although Anko was somewhat impulsive, she still possessed basic judgment. Looking at the Shadow Clones he had casually created, she knew they were not the low-level Clone Jutsu, and he had even created two at once.

Was the gap really this big?

Anko fell into self-doubt. They were clearly the same age, yet he was not only highly skilled in medical arts, but his Taijutsu and ninjutsu had both reached Chunin level. Even so, he still trained diligently every day...

Qingfeng waited for a long time, but they did not react.

"Are we going to the Orphanage or not?"

The two of them finally snapped out of it.

"Yes."

"Of course we are!"

"Then why aren't you leading the way?"

Along the way, Mitarashi Anko spoke far more restrainedly, making Qingfeng wonder whether she had been replaced by someone else.

Was this still the Mushroom Head who threatened to smash windows every three sentences? And she had actually smashed one.

Anko explained the difference between someone like Qingfeng and the children at the Orphanage, and only then did Qingfeng understand that Leaf Village residents received quite good treatment.

Walking and stopping along the way, always on the road of training, Qingfeng had never experienced such leisurely time before.

Actually, it was nice to occasionally walk around with two girls. At the very least, he had never experienced the feeling of listening to their chatter beside him.

They passed through the bustling Commercial Street, leaving the crowds behind as the area gradually became sparsely populated, until they arrived at the entrance to the Orphanage.

This place could not be considered a slum, but it resembled the rural-urban fringe. It was somewhat run-down, yet it looked very clean.

The three of them entered the Orphanage without obstruction.

Several children were playing in the courtyard. When they saw visitors enter, they did not gather around. Instead, they seemed somewhat evasive.

Qingfeng looked at the orphans. The younger ones were younger than him, while there were almost none older than him. The older children had probably gone out to do whatever work they could.

One child ran into the building, and then the director of the Orphanage came out.

Fluffy blond hair, black-and-white clothing, and those distinctive glasses—Qingfeng recognized her at once. This was Yakushi Nonō.

One of Danzō's subordinates, a Root intelligence ninja known as the Wandering Miko, and also a female ninja proficient in medical ninjutsu.

No one should say Medical Ninja lacked combat power. Yakushi Kabuto was also a Medical Ninja, yet he could trade blows with Tsunade. Her strength was absolutely not to be underestimated.

Her later fate was simply tragic. Abandoned by Danzō, she died at the hands of the disciple she trusted most. It was truly ironic. If he ever had the chance, he had to change this kind woman's fate.

"So it's Anko and Yugao. It's been a long time."

Yakushi Nonō was also observing Qingfeng. An Uchiha bearing the Fan Emblem, with strength already at Chunin level—she had already formed a guess.

This should be the Uchiha genius, Uchiha Qingfeng, who had awakened the Sharingan.

Wasn't the Uchiha Clan highly exclusionary? How had he ended up with the Mitarashi Clan?

"Big Sister Director, we came to see you today."

It seemed Anko and Yugao were indeed not visiting for the first time. They already knew Nonō.

The three followed Nonō around the entire Orphanage.

Though somewhat old and worn, everything was kept in perfect order. That was all thanks to this director.

She only wanted to be the director of an Orphanage, yet such a kind person had been forced by Danzō to become a spy. In the end, merely because of suspicion, he had plotted to kill her without hesitation.

Sure enough, Danzō needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.