After Yanbai finished coaxing the puppy, quite a few clan members lingered, hoping to see what he would do next.
But once he was done with the dog, Yanbai ran outside the Clan Grounds to play with stray cats.
Many of the clan members were deeply disappointed.
With matters to attend to back at the Clan Grounds, they could not all follow Yanbai.
Tobirama Senju remained just as he had been, silently following behind Yanbai.
Yanbai could no longer be bothered to guess what Tobirama Senju was thinking. He could do as he pleased.
"Quinoa~" Yanbai spotted a pregnant stray cat crouching beside a stream and immediately greeted her. "Oh~ Quinoa, you're fishing again."
Yanbai's eyes shifted, scanning the stream. Then he exclaimed, "Ah! Quinoa, I see a fish. I'll help you."
As he spoke, Yanbai raised his hand.
Green vines plunged into the water in an instant and pulled out a fish. Smiling, Yanbai took it in his hand.
Watching from a short distance away, Tobirama Senju could not help frowning. He had seen Yanbai use a jutsu. Finally unable to hold back, he walked up behind Yanbai, his lips moving as he tried to ask a question.
But then he saw Yanbai hold the fish out to the cat named Quinoa.
The cat looked at the fish in Yanbai's hand and actually hesitated.
As though he had only just realized something, Yanbai exclaimed, "Oh! This fish seems to be pregnant too. There must be lots of roe in her belly."
Then Yanbai spoke to the cat in a coaxing tone. "You're a mama cat, so you don't want to eat a mama fish, is that it?"
The little cat looked at Yanbai, her eyes brimming with intelligence.
"Then... let's let her go." Yanbai thought for a few seconds before saying earnestly, "I'll catch another... normal fish for you to eat."
The little cat took the fish from Yanbai's hand in her mouth and tossed it into the water, truly setting it free.
After releasing the "mama fish," the little cat crouched obediently beside Yanbai again.
Yanbai repeated the same trick several more times. Sometimes he caught an ornamental carp, sometimes a baby fish, but the little cat released them all.
Only after he finally caught a "normal" dead fish did the little cat eat it.
Tobirama Senju watched silently throughout. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have imagined that an oddball like Yanbai could persuade a cat to release fish...
Over the years, Tobirama Senju had witnessed more and more of the malice in human nature.
Only around this naughty child, Yanbai, could he see things that truly soothed the heart.
Was the cat too considerate, or was Yanbai just too good at sweet-talking?
After only a brief moment of distraction, Tobirama Senju saw that Yanbai was already petting the cat.
Yanbai asked gently, "Quinoa, was it tasty?"
The little cat replied softly, "Mm~"
Yanbai continued, "All finished? Hurry home and get some rest, then. Would you like to stay at my place? My house has lots of room."
The little cat replied softly again, "Mm~"
Yanbai smiled and said, "That way, I can help when you have your kittens. It's settled, then. Come home with me. Come on, come on..."
As he spoke, Yanbai stood up and beckoned to the little cat.
The little cat gave another "Mm..." and followed behind Yanbai, carrying her rounded belly.
Tobirama Senju: "..."
Just like that... Yanbai had sweet-talked her into coming home with him?
Tobirama Senju watched wordlessly as Yanbai led the little cat home. Then he hurried forward and called, "Yanbai, wait!"
Yanbai turned back with a puzzled look. Quinoa turned too, staring at Tobirama Senju along with him.
Looking at Yanbai, Tobirama Senju said earnestly, "There's something I want to talk to you about."
Yanbai nodded. He crouched down and stroked the little cat's head, saying softly, "I'm going to talk to my big brother. Will you wait for us a little while?"
The little cat obediently gave another "Mm."
Yanbai smiled faintly, stood up, and walked toward Tobirama Senju.
Yanbai had "corrected" Tobirama Senju rather frequently lately. After all those little touch-ups to his imperfections, his good looks were beginning to reach sky-shattering heights.
Still, Tobirama Senju remained as expressionless as ever.
Yanbai stopped a meter away from Tobirama Senju and asked with a smile, "Tobirama, what did you want to tell me?"
Tobirama Senju stared at Yanbai as many strange scenes flashed through his mind.
A shattered world.
Wounded people.
The shadows in people's hearts grew unchecked, like weeds across a wasteland.
A beautiful young girl stood in a forest brimming with life.
With her tenderness and her singing, she awakened the kindness in people's hearts.
Miles of spring breezes could not compare to her flowerlike smile.
Whether it was the Senju Clan or the Uchiha Clan, whether it was reality or lies, none of it mattered anymore. What mattered was what she wanted.
Tobirama Senju's gaze slowly softened. He said to Yanbai, "I went to the forest by the Naka River this morning."
Yanbai continued to look at Tobirama Senju with an innocent expression, without the slightest change.
Tobirama Senju watched Yanbai's face, unwilling to miss even the smallest shift in his expression. His own expression remained gentle. "I saw... those two from the Uchiha Clan."
Yanbai's expression still did not change. He wore a light smile, without the slightest sign of panic.
Tobirama Senju continued, "I know that mouse has been living with the Uchiha Clan for a while now. I also know you had it deliver something to those two Uchiha today."
As expected, Yanbai showed no sign of nervousness. His smile remained as bright as a flower. "Oh, so you saw."
"Yes, I saw, but I won't tell Father." Tobirama Senju took a step forward, moving closer to Yanbai, and added, "That boy was the one you and our eldest brother met at the Naka River before, wasn't he?"
"Yes." Yanbai met Tobirama Senju's gaze without denying it.
"You and our eldest brother like him a lot?"
Tobirama Senju's tone held no negative emotion, as though they were discussing something as ordinary as the weather.
Yanbai answered honestly, "He shares our dream. We hope that one day, we can work together to create a place where people can reconcile. Unfortunately, he and our eldest brother are still too weak right now. They have little standing, and their words carry little weight. Everyone is working toward that dream."
"Then why did you and our eldest brother leave me out?"
That question had been bottled up in Tobirama Senju's heart for so long that he could no longer remember when it had begun. It had tormented him all this time, and he decided to ask it today.
Even if Yanbai sweet-talked him as though he were a hen, it no longer mattered.
As Tobirama Senju understood it, a lie repeated often enough would become reality.
So what if it was a lie?
As long as he and Yanbai believed it was true, sooner or later, it would come true.
As an older brother, what harm was there in being a little more forgiving?
Yanbai looked at Tobirama Senju and answered without much hesitation, "Because you're too clever, Tobirama. You understand me better than anyone else in this world. I'm afraid you'll expose my true nature to our eldest brother."
Although he had already guessed some of it beforehand, Tobirama Senju still smiled when he heard the definite answer.
Before you continue