Just Fooling Around

Xiu and Sasuke's duel had taken place with no one else around.

Yet it had still been witnessed clearly by someone with ulterior motives.

Outside the clan compound, atop a certain tower.

Several Anbu members wearing animal masks sat around a screen, watching Xiu gently stroke Sasuke's forehead. The atmosphere grew awkward for a moment.

"That kid is your younger brother, isn't he?"

The white-haired man in the lead tilted his head slightly and looked at Itachi Uchiha beside him, who radiated a chilling aura.

"Yes."

Itachi Uchiha stared fixedly at Xiu's house on the screen, his face beneath the mask seeming to be covered in frost.

"The one who hit him is that brat who set fire to the Third Training Ground before, right? Should we report this to the higher-ups?" a teammate beside him asked the white-haired captain.

"Idiot, of course we have to report it." The white-haired ninja sounded lazy, his gaze flicking toward Itachi. "But before that, regarding the reason for this..."

"My father... was injured by him last night. Sasuke probably went looking for him because of that. I already reported last night's incident to the Third Hokage this morning."

As Itachi Uchiha spoke of it, a trace of resentment toward his father rose within him.

As the clan head, not only had he taken the initiative to attack a child, but he had even been crushed in return.

This was the clan mentality...

So narrow-minded, so... weak.

"Huh? Your father? The captain of the Police Force?"

His teammate's shocked tone made Itachi feel even more humiliated.

The white-haired captain gave him a thoughtful glance. "But in the end, your younger brother started this, didn't he?"

Itachi fell silent for a moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly. "After I return, I'll teach him properly."

After saying that, he turned the telescope toward Sasuke and watched his younger brother cover his cheek and stomach as he struggled home. Beneath his mask, Three Tomoe appeared in his eyes without his noticing.

Then he shifted the lens again toward Uchiha Xiu's home, his gaze passing through the living room window and locking onto Xiu, who was eating breakfast at the dining table.

Suddenly, Xiu in the image turned his head slightly. With a teasing smile, he lifted his carton of milk like a glass of red wine and raised it toward the camera from afar.

He had been discovered!

Itachi's heart jolted, and he instinctively raised a hand to cover the telescope's lens.

The white-haired captain beside him noticed the scene through the surveillance feed as well, and his eyes shifted slightly.

Was that child's perception that sharp too?

A sensory ninja's perception targeted chakra, not someone's gaze.

Only battle-hardened experts could sense another's stare, and even that was not guaranteed...

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

"Heh, vermin~"

Sensing that the loathsome gaze had vanished, Xiu sneered. He casually tossed the empty milk carton into the trash, washed up, and headed out for the meeting point.

Along the way, Xiu drew quite a few looks. Clearly, last night's events had already spread throughout the clan.

The clan head being beaten up by a child was, for the Uchiha, who were currently being ostracized by the village, a rare source of entertainment amid their oppressive lives.

Though they respected Fugaku as well, gossiping was human nature.

Besides, the Uchiha inherently revered strength. Other than a few of Fugaku's diehard confidants, no one had developed much ill will toward Xiu.

A few minutes later, Xiu arrived at the meeting point. Kurenai Yuhi and Hazuki, the mother and daughter, had already arrived.

"Morning, Xiu—~"

The moment Uchiha Izumi saw Xiu, she immediately pounced toward him.

Xiu raised a hand, held Izumi by the chin, and pushed her aside with a little force.

Feeling that familiar strength and seeing the same disdainful look as always, Izumi immediately felt delighted. She turned around, covered her face, and giggled.

Kurenai Yuhi gave Izumi a strange look.

Is there really nothing wrong with this girl's mental state?

I seriously don't understand girls these days...

Kurenai Yuhi grumbled inwardly before turning to Xiu. "What kind of mission are we taking today?"

Xiu shook his head. "Anything's fine, as long as it suits us."

Though he had already become a billionaire, he did not mind doing missions. Of course, that was mainly because they were fun.

Ninja missions came in all shapes and sizes, and combat missions were only one part of them. Besides fighting, there were plenty of interesting assignments.

There were missions involving sports competitions, festival events, raising animals, and even matchmaking for others. He wanted to see fields he had never encountered before.

For example, the job Naruto and the others had in the original story, milking cows. Though it was only a D-rank mission, for someone who had grown up in the city, it was incredibly appealing.

Still, it would sound rather embarrassing if word got out that the future strongest man in the Shinobi World liked milking cows. He had some pride, so he was too embarrassed to mention it.

But helping old ladies with housework or picking trash out of riverways? Forget it. He could not do that at all.

Before long, they accepted a job testing ninja tools.

The mission was C-rank. Since it involved dangerous ninja tools such as explosive tags, it carried a certain degree of risk.

With three Uchiha on the team, and any clan member with awakened eyes being above standard with shuriken, the Third Hokage decisively handed the mission to Kurenai Squad.

The client was the Konoha Ninja Tool Research Institute, which also supplied many of the village's ninja tool shops. It was located outside the village.

When they arrived, they heard a loud boom. The client was blasted out of a room by something unknown and landed right in front of them.

Xiu thought the old man looked somewhat familiar. He had probably appeared in the original plot, though Xiu could not remember which episode. He only remembered it had been a storyline involving Tenten.

"Hey! Brat, can't you see an old man has fallen down? Come help me up!"

As he spoke, the old man removed the heavy tool bag from his body. "And help me carry this too."

"Oh?" Xiu slowly folded his arms, his expression unreadable.

Seeing that Xiu's expression was off, Uchiha Izumi gave an awkward laugh and hurried forward.

"Grandpa, I'll help you carry it!"

"No need!"

Xiu sneered and reached out to stop Izumi. Taking two steps forward, he grabbed the old man by the collar and lifted him into the air.

"Old bastard, I'll help you carry it, then!"

Feeling the monstrous strength in Xiu's arm, the old man's face paled, and his eyes darted aside. "Heh, I was merely fooling around. Can we make peace?"

Xiu burst out laughing. "At a time like this? You've got to be joking."

Thud!

After receiving a sharp knock on the head, the old man's gaze became much clearer.

After talking for a while, however, they realized that the old man had not actually been throwing his weight around. He was a ninja tool fanatic who had not slept for two days, and his mental state was already nearing its limit.

Though most of the ninja tools he made were bizarre, with quite a few downright inhumane designs, Hazuki and Izumi both seemed delighted. Uchiha were like cats spotting catnip when it came to ninja tools.

Even Xiu tried out several new ninja tools. He hurled explosive tags like New Year firecrackers and had a blast.

The mission went very smoothly.

That afternoon, after turning in the mission, they even had afternoon tea at Ama Kuri Ama.

While Xiu enjoyed the good life, Itachi Uchiha had also finished his day's duty.

He could barely suppress the anxiety in his heart. All he wanted was to hurry home and see how Sasuke's injuries were doing.

However, just as he stepped out of the Anbu base, an Anbu member brushed past him.

"Danzo wants to see you."