Strolling Through Konoha

"The scenery is nice... They don't have much to do right now, so let's take a stroll around Konoha."

Looking at the scenery and commercial street before him, Uchiha Jun thought to himself, to be honest, his relationship with Uchiha Hikari was more of a cooperative one than a superior-subordinate one.

After all, the Uchiha Hikari Mangekyo's abilities are simply too overpowered; if he were to unleash his full power, Super-Kage Level in his normal state wouldn't be a problem.

During this time, Uchiha Jun also bossed Uchiha Hikari in various ways, and now that he thinks about it, he feels a little guilty.

After all, whether it was Orochimaru or Seimei, while working for the Uchiha Jun, they were also pursuing their own interests and goals.

Only Uchiha Hikari was seriously carrying out her mission, since her goal had always been to return to the Warring States Period period for revenge.

"Perfect timing... while nothing major is happening right now, let her relax a bit."

"Summoning Technique--!"

"Chun, is there a mission this time?"

As the smoke cleared, the Mofang, which had almost turned into a dog, spoke up.

Uchiha Jun when he saw the fat dog in front of him. Then he raised his hand and used Senjutsu Chakra to inject into the Mofang. As a puff of smoke emerged from the Mofang, the originally fat Mofang gradually transformed into the shape it had when the two first met.

"Wow! That's awesome! Chun, when did you learn this trick?! Now we can finally eat to our hearts' content!"

As the 'burden' on his body quickly disappeared, Mofang exclaimed in surprise.

"A little bit of Senjutsu Chakra usage. The main reason I summoned you this time was to have you deliver a letter to Hikaru."

Uchiha Jun took out the sketched letter and handed it to Mofang's Cube.

"No problem, leave it to me!"

After receiving the letter, the Mofang's Cube vanished in a puff of smoke.

The Land of Waterfalls, the Takigakure.

As evening fell, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the entire maple forest in a warm orange-red hue, and the leaves rustled gently in the breeze.

The distant mountains gradually blurred in the twilight, and a few bright stars began to appear on the horizon.

Uchiha Hikari was sitting by the window wiping his Kunai.

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke exploded in front of her.

"Light! Pure faith!"

The Mofang rolled out of the smoke, carrying a letter still smelling of ink in its mouth, its tail wagging like a windmill.

Although his body shape has returned to slim, his dog eyes still look naive.

Uchiha Hikari paused slightly, put down his Kunai, and took the letter. The moment he unfolded the letter, familiar handwriting came into view—

"Hikaru, you've been working hard lately. Konoha is in the best season right now, the scenery is beautiful, and the shopping street is bustling. If you, Yugito, Chino don't have anything urgent to do, come and take a stroll. Consider it... a vacation."

"Uchiha Jun."

The letter was short, and the tone was even somewhat casual, as if it were just a spur-of-the-moment decision. But Uchiha Hikari stared at those words for a long time.

"... Have a holiday?"

She repeated the word in a low voice, her tone carrying a hint of unfamiliar awkwardness.

For her, "missions," "battles," and "goals" are the norm in life, while "relaxation" and "vacation" are like words from another world—a world she once bitterly envied when she saw children playing in the lower reaches of the Naka River.

The Mofang's Cube tilted its head and looked at her. "Guang? Chun said if she has time--"

"I see."

Uchiha Hikari put away the letter and stood up faster than usual.

She walked out of the lounge, across the corridor, and found Yugito and Chino sparring by the training field.

Yugito was fighting Chino in Half-Tailed Beast Transformation form, with dark blue Chakra flames surging around her and a claw lashing out with sharp wind pressure.

Chino was agile, weaving through the gaps in the flames to fight back, occasionally activating her Ketsuryūgan to cast Genjutsu and disrupt the opponent; the two fought back and forth.

"Hikari-neechan!" Chino was the first to notice Uchiha Hikari approaching. She stopped her attack and jumped back, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "You've come at the right time. I was just thinking that it was a waste to have Yugito- neechan as my sparring partner—she activated her Tailed Beast Cloak, and I was just getting beaten up!"

"Come on, that kick you gave me wasn't light." Yugito also withdrew his Tailed Beast Chakra, tossed his long golden hair, and smiled.

She saw the letter in Uchiha Hikari's hand and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Another mission?"

Uchiha Hikari shook his head.

She looked at the two people in front of her— Yugito, who was originally the Two-Tails Jinchuriki from Kumogakure. Since being captured by Uchiha Jun, he seemed to have forgotten his identity as Jinchuriki of Kumogakure after spending time with him.

After all, there's no such thing as the Will of Conqueror with Uchiha Jun, and he gets a decent living allowance every month, which is much better than going back to the village and toiling away doing missions all day.

Uchiha Hikari was silent for a few seconds, then--

She handed the letter over.

Yugito took the letter, glanced at it, and was first stunned, then his eyes lit up. "Oh? Lord Jun is treating us to a tour of Konoha? That's quite rare!"

"What?!" Chino leaned over to read the letter and exclaimed in surprise, "Really?! Hikari-neechan! Jun-sama really invited us to go out?!"

As Uchiha Hikari watched their excited expressions, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly—a very faint curve, but for those who knew her well, it was a rare expression.

"...Hmm," she said, "He said to let us relax."

"That's great!" Chino hugged Uchiha Hikari's arm tightly. "Hikari-neechan, all you ever do is train, you're finally taking a break!"

"That's right, it's rare to see a mature adult like you speak up." Yugito crossed his arms and smiled meaningfully. "Speaking of which, have you been spending Tenten at the training ground lately?"

Uchiha Hikari felt a little uncomfortable from their chatter and turned her head away. "... I just feel there's still room for improvement."

"Alright, alright, there's plenty of room for improvement, but don't think about that today!" Chino grabbed her and headed outside. "Come on, let's go to the shopping street first! I heard there's a new dango shop there, their three-color dango is super delicious!"

"Hello--"

"Yugito, hurry up!" Chino called out as she turned around.

Yugito followed with a smile, and the shadows of the three of them were stretched long in the sunlight.

Uchiha Hikari was pulled along at the front by Chino. The wind blew her long hair. She looked down at the letter in her hand, which was already crumpled. The icy indifference in her eyes finally showed signs of softening.

So this is what it feels like to be remembered.

She looked up at the bustling crowds and fluttering curtains of the shopping street ahead, at Chino excitedly pointing at the distant signs, and at Yugito jokingly saying beside her, "Slow down, the light won't run away."

The next day.

The guards at Konoha's main gate were unusually alert today—not because any important figure was coming, but because Uchiha Jun had been standing at the gate since early morning, arms crossed, gazing at the road in the distance.

According to the two Chunin guarding the gate, the last time they saw such treatment was when the Lord Hokage and other daimyos were there.

"Lord Jun, are you... waiting for someone?" a Chunin finally couldn't help but ask.

Uchiha Jun turned around and smiled, "Yes, a few friends came from the Land of Waterfalls."

"A friend who can make Master Jun wait for him personally must be a very important person, right?"

Uchiha Jun didn't give a direct answer, but the curve of his lips deepened.

Before long, three figures appeared on the road in the distance.

Leading the way was Uchiha Hikari —she wasn't wearing her signature ninja uniform today, but rather a simple dark blue kimono, her long hair casually tied back with a white ribbon.

She had lost her usual austere air and gained a touch of girlish gentleness.

To the right is Yugito, wearing a brown short jacket and black trousers, her long golden hair shimmering in the sunlight, and a ninja tool pouch hanging from her waist.

On the right, Chino is dressed in a light green outfit and carries a bulging bag filled with various "specialties" she bought in the Land of Waterfalls.

The three stopped about ten meters from the gate.

Uchiha Hikari paused slightly as he looked at the familiar figure at the doorway.

Uchiha Jun also saw her.

He raised his hand and waved casually. "Oh, you're here."

His tone was as relaxed as if he had just bumped into a neighbor at his doorstep.

But Uchiha Hikari could sense a warmth in his smiling eyes that she couldn't quite describe.

Yugito nudged Uchiha Hikari's waist with his elbow and chuckled in a low voice, "Look, our Lord Jun has been waiting at the door since early this morning. This is quite the treatment."

"Shut up." Uchiha Hikari replied expressionlessly, but the tips of his ears were already slightly red.

Chino had already jogged over and stopped in front of Uchiha Jun, bowing respectfully. "Lord Jun! Excuse me!"

Uchiha Jun was amused by her serious demeanor. "No need to be so polite, it's good that you're here. You must have had a long journey, right? It's not exactly close to Land of Waterfalls Konoha."

"It's not tiring at all!" Chino shook her head. "Uchiha Hikari- neechan used the Body Flicker Technique to carry us the whole way. I only had to hold onto her waist. It was faster than riding in a carriage!"

Upon hearing Uchiha Jun glanced at Uchiha Hikari and asked, "Aren't you tired from using the Body Flicker Technique to travel such a long distance?"

Uchiha Hikari stepped forward, looked him in the eye, and said in a calm tone, "It's alright."

Seeing this, Uchiha Jun raised his hand and channeled the gentlest Senjutsu Chakra into Uchiha Hikari's body. Uchiha Jun's Chakra control was dozens of times stronger than Tsunade's.

The Senjutsu Chakra acted like an invisible hand, quickly removing the fatigue that Uchiha Hikari had been experiencing!

The two stared at each other for a few seconds.

There was a subtle atmosphere flowing in the air.

Yugito coughed beside him and said, "Um—Lord Jun, shall we go inside first and then talk?"

Uchiha Jun realized what was happening and smiled as he stepped aside, saying, "Let's go, let's go into the village first."

He led the way, Chunin the two Chunin as they passed the gate. "Register."

The two Chunin quickly produced the registration book.

But before he could look any further, Uchiha Hikari had already turned his gaze away and followed Uchiha Jun into the gates of Konoha.

The moment Uchiha Hikari stepped through the main gate of Konoha, he stopped in his tracks once again.

She has been to Konoha.

When she was first summoned to this world from the Warring States Period Uchiha Jun, she stayed in Konoha for a few days.

At that time, Konoha was just a strange and crowded village to her—narrow streets and old houses. However, despite this, the villagers' spirit was much better than that of the villagers in those small ninja villages and hamlets.

After all, there was no trouble from war.

But everything before her eyes was completely different from the Konoha she remembered.

The wide stone-paved road stretched straight ahead, the surface was clean and tidy, and water flowed gently in the drainage ditches on both sides.

Most of the houses along the roadside have been renovated, with white walls and blue tiles, and brand-new wind chimes hanging under the eaves. Flowers and plants are planted in front of each house.

In the distance, several newly built commercial buildings, each over ten stories high, rose from the ground, their exterior walls adorned with colorful banners that fluttered in the wind.

From the direction of the commercial street came the sounds of bustling people, shouts, and children's laughter, and every now and then you could hear music from a radio coming from one of the shops.

The pedestrians on the street were dressed in bright clothes and had peaceful expressions on their faces.

Several vendors pushing carts lined the street, their carts piled high with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Several children chased and played past Uchiha Hikari, holding up sugar figurines they had just bought, their laughter ringing out.

Uchiha Hikari stood at the entrance, his gaze slowly sweeping over everything, and for a moment he was somewhat dazed.

"... Is this Konoha?"

She asked the question out loud without thinking.

Uchiha Jun was walking ahead, stopped and turned around. Seeing the rare look of surprise on Uchiha Hikari's face, he felt a strange sense of pride.

"How is it? It's changed quite a bit since your last visit, hasn't it?"

Uchiha Hikari didn't answer immediately. She took a step forward, her gaze falling on a newly opened dessert shop—the shop's facade was exquisitely decorated, and the window was filled with colorful candies shaped like various animals. Several little girls were leaning against the window, pointing at the candies and chattering excitedly.

"...When I came here last time," Uchiha Hikari began slowly, "There weren't shops this wide on that street."

"Yes, it was just expanded three months ago." Uchiha Jun walked to her side and followed her gaze to the dessert shop. "Fugaku approved a special fund to renovate the commercial street. As you know, Konoha has been at war for the past few years, and the economic pressure is huge. The village needs new growth points, and commercial prosperity is the fastest way to see results."

"These shops..."

"Most of them are privately owned, but some are invested in by ninja clans."

Uchiha Jun pointed to the tall commercial building in the distance, "That building is an investment of the Uchiha Clan. That blacksmith shop over there is Sarutobi Clan business, but it's currently managed by a commoner blacksmith, and Shimura Clan only takes a cut."

He turned around and gestured to the other side with his chin. "And over there, the newly opened bathhouse and hot spring. It's said to be a collaboration Hyuga Clan and someone else. Look at the line of people outside, business is pretty good."

Uchiha Hikari looked at each of his descriptions, his surprise growing more and more obvious.

It wasn't that she hadn't seen bustling cities before.

During the Warring States Period period, she also passed through the markets of some small state capitals, but the liveliness there was rough and chaotic—growing wildly like weeds, carrying the heavy atmosphere of survival.

But the Konoha before us is different.

The prosperity here is orderly and warm, like a carefully watered tree, with every leaf gleaming with a healthy luster.

"... You did this?"

She suddenly turned her head and looked straight at Uchiha Jun.

Uchiha Jun was taken aback by her question, "What?"

"These changes," Uchiha Hikari's gaze was serious and focused, "Were you the one who initiated them?"

Uchiha Jun paused for two seconds before speaking, "It can't be said that it was all my doing. I just... well, offered some suggestions, essentially conducting an 'experiment' on Konoha beforehand. The ones who actually carried out the work were Fugaku and Orochimaru."

He spoke modestly, but Yugito, standing beside him, mercilessly exposed him. "Come on, Jun-sama, I've heard—you wrote the proposal for the renovation of Konoha's commercial street, and you set up the framework for the joint investment by the ninja clans. If you only say you 'made some suggestions,' then those 'suggestions' carry a lot of weight."

Uchiha Jun glanced at Yugito helplessly. "How come you're so well-informed in the Land of Waterfalls?"

"I have my own channels." Yugito tossed his hair smugly.

Uchiha Hikari didn't join their bickering; instead, he turned his gaze back to the distant shopping street.

She recalled the first time she came to Konoha, when Uchiha Jun led her along the same path. At that time, her heart was filled with the deep-seated hatred of the Warring States Period, and everything she saw seemed to be happening in another world—peace, prosperity, smiles, none of which had anything to do with her.

But now...

She looked down at her hands.

These hands were once stained with blood, once clutched Kunai on countless nights, struggling to survive on the battlefield where death was always a possibility.

At this moment, what she was holding in those hands was a letter that she had folded neatly.

A letter that read, "Come and take a look around, consider it a vacation."

She looked up at the figure in front of her who was still arguing with Yugito.

This man pulled her out of a world filled with hatred and told her that she could also take a break.

This feeling was unfamiliar, but she didn't dislike it.

"It's so lively--!"

Upon entering the main street of the commercial district, Chino the first to exclaim in surprise.

Her eyes could barely take it all in—to the left was a shop selling all sorts of ninja tools, with Shuriken and Kunai gleaming in the window, and next to it, a brand-new model of Anbu uniform;

On the right is a dessert shop with a giant tricolor dumpling model displayed at the entrance, with "steam" rising from it;

Ahead was a bookstore, its shelves filled with the latest novels and comics, and several young ninjas were standing in front of them, browsing through the books.

Behind me was the sign of a barbecue restaurant, and an enticing aroma wafted from the chimney...

"Jun-sama! Jun-sama!" Chino excitedly tugged at Uchiha Jun's sleeve. "Is that dumpling model really edible?"

Uchiha Jun glanced at the enormous model, his lips twitching slightly. "That's a display item, you can't eat it. But the shop next door does sell three-colored dumplings, and they taste pretty good."

"Great! Hikari-neechan, let's go right now--"

Chino turned around to pull Uchiha Hikari Uchiha Hikari, only to find him standing in front of a ninja tool shop, his gaze fixed on a short sword displayed in the window.

It was a short knife with a blade about thirty centimeters long, the blade had a smooth, curved shape, and the blade had a light blue sheen—a mark of special forging. The handle was wrapped with a dark blue anti-slip cord, and a small red gemstone was inlaid at the end of the handle.

Uchiha Hikari watched very intently.

Uchiha Jun walked over and stood next to her. "You like it?"

Uchiha Hikari didn't turn his head. "This sword is very well forged. The patterns on the blade are traces of wavy folding and forging, not mass-produced by machine. The ruby at the end of the hilt, though small, is of high purity and the carving is exquisite."

"Hey, good taste." Uchiha Jun smiled and waved towards the shop. "Boss, bring out this knife and let me see it."

The shop owner was an elderly man with gray hair. Upon seeing Uchiha Jun, he quickly smiled and responded, then carefully took the short sword from the display window and handed it to him.

Uchiha Jun took the sword and handed it to Uchiha Hikari: "Try it."

Uchiha Hikari glanced at him, did not refuse, and naturally gripped the short sword in his hand.

The moment she gripped the knife hilt, she froze.

The weight, center of gravity, and grip of this knife were almost tailor-made for her.

"How was it?" Uchiha Jun stood beside her, a hint of barely perceptible anticipation in his voice. "How did it feel?"

Uchiha Hikari did not answer immediately, but instead flicked his wrist, sending the short sword tracing a smooth arc through the air.

"It's very easy to use," she said.

"Then take it."

Uchiha Jun took a card out of his ninja tool bag and handed it to the shopkeeper, "Swipe my card."

"Pure--!"

"Oh, consider it a... well, a housewarming gift for you? No, you didn't really move." Uchiha Jun thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Consider it a bonus for 'taking leave to come to Konoha for fun'."

"I didn't ask for leave at all--"

"Then consider it compensation for 'I gave you a day off without permission'," Uchiha Jun said with a smile, shutting her down.

Uchiha Hikari gripped the short sword in his hand, glaring at Uchiha Jun, unable to find a rebuttal for a moment.

Yugito, watching from the side, shook his head and whispered to Chino, "Look at this, look at this—what kind of mess is this? They bring people all the way from the Land of Waterfalls to play, and the first thing they do is present them with a sword. This isn't sending subordinates to relax; this is clearly..."

"What is it clearly?" Chino asked, blinking.

"... It's nothing, children shouldn't ask."

"I'm not a child! I'm fourteen years old!"

"They're still young."

While the two were whispering to each other, Uchiha Hikari had already put away the short sword—although her expression remained indifferent, her movements were gentler than usual as she put the sword into her ninja tool pouch at her waist.

Uchiha Jun noticed this small detail and smiled to himself.

"Tasty--!"

Chino sat on a wooden chair in the dango shop, holding a string of three-colored dango in her hands, her face beaming with happiness.

The pink cherry blossom-shaped dumplings, white glutinous rice dumplings, and green mugwort dumplings are interspersed with a thin layer of sweet sauce. One bite reveals their soft, chewy, and sweet flavor. Paired with the shop's special matcha, it's simply a heavenly taste.

"Hikari-neechan, you should try some! This is super delicious!" Chino handed the skewer of dango to Hikari.

Uchiha Hikari hesitated for a moment, then took it and took a bite.

--It's very sweet.