Chapter 27: Touring Konoha

Itachi is the eldest son of Clan Leader Fugaku and is destined to become the next Clan Head if nothing unexpected happens. If Shisui wants to achieve his goals, he will inevitably have to confront Itachi.

Whether for the family or for the position of Clan Head, killing the other might actually be beneficial.

"Absolutely not!"

Shisui's heart tightened, and he couldn't help but shout.

After shouting, he realized something was wrong, lowering his head with an expression of guilt.

Sima Yi frowned, surprised that Shisui had such a close relationship with Itachi.

However, he was never one to subdue his juniors with sheer power.

He spoke softly, "This is just one option. If he can achieve such things, his strength must not be lacking. If you can persuade him after becoming Clan Head, he would be a strong pillar for the family."

Shisui let out a sigh of relief. "I apologize, sensei. I lost my composure."

"It's nothing. However, if you are to seize the position of Clan Head in the future, what will your relationship with him become?"

"No, if it's Itachi—if it's him—if I tell him my thoughts, he will definitely support me!"

Shisui looked up, his gaze fixed and determined as he stared at Sima Yi.

You want to take his position as Clan Head, and he will still support you?

Sima Yi fell silent. This was the third time Shisui had confidently asserted someone's character. The relationships among these people were more complex and strange than he had imagined!

"If that's really the case, having him help you might allow you to seize the position of Clan Head without a fight."

Sima Yi didn't understand these people well and didn't comment much, simply following Shisui's lead.

"Thank you for your support, sensei!"

Shisui smiled, determined to pull Itachi back from the wrong path.

After a brief conversation, the two parted ways.

Shisui went to Fugaku's residence, while Sima Yi took the money and called Kai to leave the clan grounds and explore deeper into Konoha.

"Hah~ Uncle Yi, why are we going out shopping on such a cold day?"

He had to bring me along too.

Kai looked weary; he had drunk quite a bit the night before and really didn't want to get out of bed in the middle of winter.

"You're still young; how can you be so relaxed and idle? How will you achieve great things in the future?"

"What's wrong with that? Just living off food and waiting to die is pretty good. Anyway, I can't become Hokage. Yesterday, Dad found me a job in the Police Department; I'll just retire there."

Sima Yi, upon hearing this, wasn't angry at all. Instead, he laughed heartily. The Uchiha really were a bunch of interesting characters.

"Shisui gave me quite a bit of money. Why don't you accompany this old man for a stroll? Tonight, we'll go eat the barbecue you've been longing for."

"Barbecue!"

Kai instantly perked up. Although he was quite powerful, as a member of the Uchiha clan, he didn't actually have much income.

Unless it was during wartime when they were useful, it was tough for them to take on high-rank missions during peacetime, as there were often various restrictions.

Especially after the Nine-Tails incident, the funds allocated to the Police Department by the village had been decreasing year by year.

"That sounds great, Uncle Yi! How much did Shisui give? Will it be enough to fill us up?"

Eating barbecue to his heart's content had always been Kai's small goal.

"Don't worry; just lead the way."

With the answer, Kai's spirits soared, and he puffed out his chest in anticipation of tonight's delicious meal.

"We're just on the outskirts; there's nothing much to see. Let's head inside."

Seeing Sima Yi continuously patrolling the perimeter, Kai felt a bit curious and spoke up to remind him.

Sima Yi took the opportunity to furrow his brows, covering his forehead and sighing, "I'm getting older, and lately I've been feeling that my memories from the past aren't as clear anymore. It's only been a year since I left the village, yet I've forgotten quite a bit."

Kai's expression changed, and he quickly leaned over to support him, "It's okay, Uncle Yi. You'll definitely live to be a hundred!"

While a hundred years seemed unlikely, reaching seventy was definitely within the realm of possibility.

"No worries, just help me reintroduce things so I can remember properly and avoid leaving with regrets."

"Don't worry, I'm still very familiar with this area of Konoha!"

Kai patted his chest and immediately pointed around, saying, "This is just the outskirts of Konoha. Most of the residents here are merchants who rushed over from the capital, while the rest are here to commission tasks, and most of them are nobles. They're not easy to deal with."

"Commission tasks?"

"Yeah, that's right. Taking on tasks is an important means of survival for ninjas. Unfortunately, our Uchiha clan has always been marginalized in Konoha. Uncle Yi, you probably haven't taken on a task in a long time, and you've even forgotten about it."

Kai empathized, not doubting his words.

Nobles? Tasks?

Sima Yi keenly sensed something but chose not to elaborate.

"They commission tasks, and ninjas take them on for profit. Konoha must take a significant cut, right?"

"Of course! After a task is completed, twenty percent is taken as a service fee for Konoha. But that's nothing; it's always been this way."

It's akin to a tax, Sima Yi understood.

"You can access the inner part of Konoha from this street; it's much livelier inside, and the barbecue restaurant is there."

As the two of them talked, they crossed several streets and entered the inner part of Konoha.

"Apples! The last apples of winter, brought in from the capital~"

"Dumplings, lamb filling, sixty ryō a bowl~"

"Buns for sale! Chicken, duck, goose, pork, beef, lamb—everything you can think of~"

"Ramen~"

As they entered, a wave of warm air greeted them, and the continuous calls from both sides of the street echoed. Villagers were huddled together, peering around cautiously.

A wave of unique aromas instantly activated Sima Yi's taste buds. He followed the scent and discovered it was a breakfast shop.

"Hm? What can I get for you two?"

A woman was busy at the shop's entrance. When the two approached, she looked up, slightly taken aback when her gaze landed on Kai's clothes, but quickly composed herself and asked.

"What do you sell here?" Sima Yi inquired curiously, taking in the fragrant air.

Seeing the elder's impressive demeanor, the woman didn't dare to be neglectful and promptly replied, "We sell lamb offal soup. Would you like a bowl?"

"Let's have two bowls, and we'll sit down and rest for a bit."

Kai naturally had no objections; he was worried that something might happen to Sima Yi, fearing his father would be furious upon their return.

The soup was quickly served, and Sima Yi blew on it to cool it down before slowly tasting it. He relaxed his brows and nodded in appreciation, saying, "Not bad, the flavor is rich. I didn't expect lamb offal to yield such a delicious broth."

"Is there?"

Kai looked at the rather ordinary lamb offal soup in the bowl, puzzled, as he stared at Sima Yi.

He had taken several sips but didn't find anything particularly praiseworthy.

Sima Yi chuckled lightly without explaining. He was enjoying the food but didn't forget to pay attention to the villagers passing by.

He carefully observed each person's expression and each shop.

After finishing a bowl of soup, the two felt much warmer.

"That'll be 160 ryo for the two of you."

The woman wiped the water stains off her hands, her gaze landing on Kai.

".Cough, Uncle Yi."

Kai felt awkward; he hadn't brought a single ryo with him, and being stared at like this made him uncomfortable all over.

Sima Yi smiled, taking a banknote out of his pocket. Each bill Shisui had given him was worth a thousand ryo.

"Please wait."

The woman took the banknote and turned to leave, while Sima Yi seized the opportunity to casually ask, "Madam, selling soup here must earn you quite a bit every day, right?"

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