Yugao Uzuki

The relationship between the Uchiha Clan and the village was delicate, and the Sarutobi Clan and the Uchiha Clan had no real interaction to speak of.

But what was he seeing now? Asuma Sarutobi was actually walking alongside Uchiha Shimizu, heading somewhere to grab a bite to eat.

"Is Qingshui going out to eat with Kurenai Yuhi? I recall a Hyuga woman looking for him before, didn't she?"

Uchiha Inabi clicked his tongue in wonder.

"What do you know? This is what you call high political awareness on Qingshui's part!"

Tekka slapped Inabi on the head, frustrated by his lack of insight.

Qingshui had been so mature since he was a child; was he the type to get bogged down in romantic entanglements?

He could see at a glance that the only reason Qingshui would deal with Asuma Sarutobi was to build a rapport with the Third Hokage.

That way, when Asuma Sarutobi held a high position in the future, he wouldn't be overly hostile toward the Uchiha Clan.

Tekka shared his theory with Inabi, who remained half-skeptical.

Seeing that Inabi didn't believe him, Uchiha Tekka continued to explain the validity of his reasoning.

The conversation between the two did not affect Qingshui and his group in the slightest.

Before long, they arrived at the entrance of Yakiniku Q.

"My balloon, my balloon got stuck on the roof."

A little girl with purple hair looked at her balloon anxiously.

Standing in front of her was a black-haired boy with a sickly, pale complexion.

"Yugao, I don't think we can get the balloon back," Hayate Gekko said to his childhood friend, Yugao Uzuki.

There was a water tank up there, and the balloon had snagged right on it.

Unless one was a ninja who had learned to walk on walls using chakra, Hayate Gekko felt there was no other way to reach it.

"Cough, cough."

Hayate Gekko coughed twice.

He instinctively looked at the palm he had used to cover his mouth, and upon finding no blood, he let out a sigh of relief.

His illness seemed to be getting worse lately, and he didn't know if it would affect his ability to learn ninjutsu or refine chakra.

"Are you alright, Hayate? Let's go back and get your medicine." Yugao Uzuki patted Hayate Gekko on the back, helping him catch his breath.

"I'm much better, but if we go back for medicine now, the wind is so strong that the balloon will have blown away by the time we get back." Hayate Gekko pointed at the swaying balloon.

"It's fine if we can't get it back," Yugao Uzuki said, pretending not to care.

Although she felt a tiny bit disappointed, Hayate Gekko's health was more important.

"Are you two having some trouble?" Kurenai Yuhi stepped forward to ask.

She had noticed the two four or five-year-old children looking very distressed, so she came over to see if there was anything she could do to help.

"My balloon got stuck up there." Yugao Uzuki pointed in a direction, and there it was.

Kurenai Yuhi followed her gesture and saw a cute, cartoon-style balloon swaying next to the water tank.

"Do you two have any ideas?" Kurenai Yuhi turned to ask Asuma Sarutobi and Qingshui.

Her own chakra control wasn't good enough yet; she could manage a three-meter wall, but this was too high.

"Uh..." Asuma Sarutobi looked at Kurenai Yuhi's expectant gaze and broke into a cold sweat.

He couldn't reach that height either.

He didn't get along with Hiruzen Sarutobi, and he usually made a habit of rebelling whenever the Third Hokage told him to do something.

The old man kept telling him to work hard, so he kept slacking off.

Now, he regretted not having enough chakra when he actually needed it; if only he had trained more diligently.

However, Asuma Sarutobi didn't want to lose face in front of Kurenai Yuhi, so he could only stammer.

"I'll go."

Seeing the cold sweat on Asuma Sarutobi's forehead, Qingshui knew he was panicking.

Asuma Sarutobi let out a long breath, relieved that Uchiha Shimizu had offered to go.

Otherwise, he would surely have embarrassed himself here.

"Body Flicker Technique."

Shimizu unleashed the Body Flicker Technique he had practiced so diligently, sprinting rapidly across the wall until he reached the water tank.

"He... has become even stronger."

Kurenai Yuhi's eyes hadn't even been able to track Shimizu's movements; it felt as though he had simply zipped past in the blink of an eye.

Shimizu retrieved the balloon and leaped down from the heights.

His movements were agile and elegant, and the form-fitting Uchiha robes perfectly showcased his robust physique.

Under the envious gaze of Hayate Gekko, Shimizu handed the balloon to Yugao Uzuki.

"Thank you, big brother."

Yugao Uzuki took the balloon happily, and as she looked at Shimizu's vibrant, powerful frame, she couldn't help but think how strong this big brother was.

"Be careful next time."

Shimizu smiled.

The two before him were a tragic pair from the original story.

The cold-hearted sister and the sickly brother.

Yugao Uzuki was an Anbu ninja, which was proof enough of her considerable talent.

And her name, in fact, hinted at the fate of Hayate Gekko.

Yugao was the name of a flower, also known as the moonflower.

It bloomed only at night, shaped like a full moon, bright as moonlight, and its flower language was eternal love.

As for her childhood sweetheart, Hayate Gekko, he was no slouch either, but unfortunately, he suffered from a congenital illness; he would cough up blood at the slightest provocation and grow breathless with the smallest exertion.

Simply put, Hayate Gekko was the type who lacked stamina.

Planting a pawn in the Anbu wouldn't be a bad idea.

Shimizu thought to himself, watching the grateful Yugao Uzuki while calmly contemplating how to bring her into his fold.

"Mm, I will."

Yugao Uzuki nodded heavily, determined to keep a close eye on the balloon.

Once the matter was settled, Asuma Sarutobi led Shimizu and Kurenai Yuhi into Yakiniku Q, inquiring at the front desk about the table he had reserved in advance.

"That guy's body is just too strong. If only I were that sturdy, too."

After Shimizu had left, Hayate Gekko muttered to himself in a self-deprecating tone.

"Hayate, once you recover from your illness, I believe you'll have a body just as strong."

"I hope so."

At Yugao Uzuki's encouragement, a trace of bitterness welled up in Hayate Gekko's heart.

His condition was a hereditary family disease, passed down through a single line.

If it could have been cured, it would have been long ago.

Meanwhile, the three who had already entered Yakiniku Q found their seats, and Asuma Sarutobi was the first to grill a few slices of meat.

The meat sizzled on the iron plate, filling the air with a rich, savory aroma.

"Shimizu, how do you view the village?"

Asuma Sarutobi asked, feigning a casual tone.

"The village is my home."

Shimizu picked up a piece of grilled meat, dipped it in mustard, and ate it.

"Asuma, what kind of questions are you asking?"

Kurenai Yuhi found Asuma Sarutobi's behavior rather inexplicable.

"Just curious, just curious."

Asuma Sarutobi laughed it off, then proceeded to ask Shimizu several more pointed questions.

Shimizu had long anticipated that Asuma Sarutobi might question him about things related to the Will of Fire, so he had already prepared his answers on the way.

"We are the leaves that protect the budding sprouts, shielding them from the howling winds, torrential rains, cold fronts, and thunderbolts. I believe that in the future, with your talent, Asuma, you will surely become a leaf that covers the sky."

Shimizu's words were logical and well-reasoned, making Asuma Sarutobi's blood boil with excitement.

The still-naive Asuma Sarutobi was not yet the seasoned veteran of the future; he was full of passion, compounded by Konoha's constant propaganda about making sacrifices for the village.

The more Asuma Sarutobi listened to Shimizu's words, the more right they felt, and he felt as if he and Shimizu were kindred spirits.