Wild Laughter

Compared to the land inland of the Land of Fire, the land of the Land of Water is even more precious. Even though the Terumi Family is one of the Three Great Mist Families, their territory is not very large.

The entire Mist Shinobi clan seems to be like this, lacking some of the extravagance but possessing more of the elegance and refinement.

In the Terumi Family's courtyard, almost every scene has a unique touch. Flower beds, pavilions, and towers, along with oval-shaped buildings with a distinctive Mist Shinobi, are scattered throughout in a harmonious and orderly manner.

Located by the sea, the temperature in Kirigakure is not too high, and the current season is rather chilly. However, in the pavilion, a slender young woman with a graceful figure reveals her warm and delicate long legs, which are fair and beautiful. She lies barefoot on a soft white velvet carpet, looking noble and languid.

Her lips were moist and lustrous, her expression serene, her gaze unfocused as she gently turned the pages of the scroll beside her, occasionally furrowing her brow.

"Misaka Kurasuke?"

"Is this the representative sent by Autumn Water Trading Company? Is there any record of previous dealings with him?"

Kato Osamu and his companions, who had temporarily settled in Kirigakure, did not forget their identities as merchants temporarily affiliated with the Terumi Family. The next day, they sent a formal letter of invitation to the Terumi Family.

Mei Terumi frowned slightly as she looked at the exquisite black and red scroll in her hand. This matter seemed simple, merely a blockade of maritime trade routes, but during the war, even the Terumi Family did not have this authority.

She already knew that the wealthy merchants of Kyoto had sent envoys, but she had never heard of this name before, which made her more cautious.

"Miss Ming, this person is indeed a member of the Autumn Water Trading Company. We have investigated his details and found nothing unusual."

"Although this person holds a high position in the Autumn Water Trading Company, he has never been involved in any affairs. I wonder why he has come in person this time..."

The attendant standing to the side presented the intelligence he had already received. Information about these matters had been circulating since the caravan was dispatched from Kyoto, and he already knew everything about it.

"Hmm... then arrange for this person to come tomorrow evening."

"Also, inform Elder Xiong that the representatives of the trading company have arrived..."

"Yes..."

Mei Terumi gently brushed her hair back, her eyes showing a hint of seriousness. This was the first time she had encountered such a family affair since officially taking charge. Although she had participated before, she had only assisted Elder Terumi Yu. She never expected to encounter such a thorny matter on her first attempt.

"The banquet will be held in the clan's reception hall, and all arrangements will follow tradition without any deviation..."

"Understood, Your subordinate..."

Once the attic was empty, Mei Terumi slowly got up, stretched, and revealed her alluring curves.

Mei Terumi was worrying, Kato Osamu was not troubled at all; he was enjoying a hearty meal with several people at a tavern in Mist Shinobi.

Living by the sea, the abundance of seafood compared to the inland areas of the Land of Fire was truly eye-opening for the group.

"Teacher! Teacher! Look, look!"

"A giant lobster that's a meter long!"

"And there's more, fish bigger than a person..."

Seeing is believing, and this applies to people as well as fish.

Even though they already knew these things existed, it was only when they saw them with their own eyes and placed them on a plate that they realized the visual impact of such enormous creatures. Even the usually taciturn Itachi Uchiha was quite tempted.

"Pay for yourself if you want to eat..."

Kato Osamu glanced at Iruka, then continued flipping through the menu in his hand, ignoring him completely.

"Um..."

"Teacher..."

The sudden sound from Itachi Uchiha made Kato Osamu narrow his eyes slightly, and he gently stopped flipping through the menu, but did not look up at him.

"How about... I treat you...?"

"Oh?"

It seemed somewhat incongruous for Itachi Uchiha to say such a thing; not only Iruka, but even Uzuki Yugao looked up at him.

"Boss, four orders of one-meter-long lobsters, and one order of your biggest fish, please..."

Kato Osamu broke her silence, slowly closed the menu, recited the names of the dishes, and then closed her eyes to rest, looking completely at ease.

Itachi Uchiha's eyes suddenly widened in surprise. Although he still maintained a blank expression, the corners of his mouth seemed to twitch slightly.

"Little Itachi, you're so kind..."

Although Uzuki Yugao had inherited some of her parents' wealth, it was impossible for her to be so extravagant. After hearing Itachi Uchiha and Kato Osamu's boastful words, she suddenly realized who the real "powerhouse" of this team was. She rested her chin on her hands and looked at Itachi Uchiha with starry eyes, deliberately teasing him.

Over the course of their time together, the four of them became familiar with each other and learned that Itachi Uchiha Uzuki Yugao also tease this young boy who was already trying to act cool from time to time.

"..."

Itachi Uchiha seemed not to hear her and ignored Uzuki Yugao, probably calculating how long he should wash the dishes there.

"Brother Itachi, you're inhumanly rich..."

A hint of expectation appeared in Iruka's eyes; his family background... well, let's not dwell on that.

While one's birth does not completely determine their fate, it is not far off, unless one possesses certain abilities far beyond those of ordinary people. However, according to Kato Osamu's observation, Iruka does not seem to fall into this category.

"It's alright..."

The two laughing and joking seemed to evoke some special emotions in Itachi Uchiha. The corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up slightly, and his hand, which had been silently counting his money in his pocket, stopped moving.

It seems like it doesn't matter how long you wash the dishes.

"Little Itachi, you smiled! You actually smiled!"

Uzuki Yugao seemed to have seen something unbelievable, her eyes widening in disbelief. Iruka laughed, putting an arm around Itachi Uchiha's neck and bursting into laughter.

"Haha, Itachi, when you laugh..."

"Hahaha..."

Iruka, clutching his stomach and laughing heartily, finally understood why Itachi Uchiha always had such a stern face.

Uchiha Clan laughed wildly

Itachi regretted it. He turned his head and silently stared at Iruka, a dangerous glint in his eyes—he decided to drag Iruka along to wash the dishes.

Kato Osamu silently observed Iruka's Uzuki Yugao, a strange look in his eyes. Having studied the Sharingan for so many years, aside from some secrets passed down by word of mouth, he probably understood these eyes better than the Uchiha Clan members.

Itachi Uchiha hasn't awakened his Sharingan yet. If Iruka and Uzuki Yugao knew the standard procedure for awakening the Sharingan in the Uchiha Clan, I wonder if they would still be smiling so happily.

The Sharingan's reputation has always been built upon the suffering of the Uchiha Clan.

"Why..."

With a soft sigh, Kato Osamu wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. Even so, shouldn't they be allowed to live normal lives?