Flowers on the graves

Walking along the main roads, surrounded by forests and small streams, feels peaceful. Pakura was kind enough to share the world map with me and explain which routes to follow to reach Konoha without too many inconveniences, thanks to my abilities.

I left the village a few kilometers from Konoha to avoid taking too long but enough to relax a bit. Ameyuri is training Kimimaro, and when she found out that Mariko had almost finished the seals, she looked for her to try to get her to work on the weapon from Kirigakure that we took when we left there.

As I approached the village famous for having the greatest darkness among the five, I could sense several people hidden in the trees observing me with Mantra. They are probably ANBU patrols, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some from ROOT mixed among their ranks.

Contacting Danzo shouldn't be too complicated later if I see the need. I'll try to obtain samples from different clans on my own, and for those that prove to be too problematic, I have no doubt I can buy them from him, although the price he'll demand in return will likely be very high.

Although there are many clans in Konoha, I have some quite specific ones in mind as a priority for my purposes: Hyuga, Inuzuka, Nara, and Senju.

The genetic material of the Nara clan and the Senju clan will be combined with what I obtained from Kimimaro after curing his illness, along with that of Karin and her mother, to gather the best conditions when creating my laboratory assistant. The intelligence of the Nara clan, along with a Senju physique, supported by Kaguya clan bones and the overall recovery of the Uzumaki clan. Yes, I am preparing to create my version of Nemu Kurotsuchi.

And I must point out that this will only form the foundation. As I obtain more samples, I'll be able to "upgrade" my assistant. Furthermore, if I need more labor in the restricted laboratory or to manage village affairs, I can always create more based on Vinsmoke Judge's cloning technology, but with a more perfect version thanks to the additional knowledge I'll have.

As for the genetic material of the Hyuga and Inuzuka clans, they are for two completely different purposes, and while I know one is feasible, I need to conduct some tests to confirm the viability of the second.

Why am I not interested in the Uchiha clan, unlike all the other transmigrators who almost have an erection every time they are born or obtain those eyes by any means possible? They all turn into proud psychopaths with extreme ideals once they grow up, and every time someone uses those eyes, it's like possessing a curse. I don't have the plot armor, so I'm not foolish enough to risk coming into contact with that poison. Perhaps in five years, when the Uchiha massacre occurs, I'll steal some bodies to have samples to study out of curiosity, but nothing more. I'm immune to genjutsu and so fast that even if they can see me, they can't keep up with my reactions, so the beloved and coveted Sharingan can go to hell.

Oh, I see more people starting to appear around me, so I must be near the village entrance. And as I expected, a few minutes later, I see two large gates wide open as people enter and exit, occasionally with some transport or cargo carriages. Do they use such large gates for some particular reason?

"Hello, may I know what brings you to the village?" one of the guards asks as he approaches me, lifting his head to look at my face.

"Tourism," I replied, which is the same as saying nothing at all. I see people with a very suspicious look entering without being stopped, so I think the reason for my attention is my height or the headband I have on my thigh.

"I see," he writes something on a piece of paper with a pen, perhaps a questionnaire. Did he think they still used ink brushes here? It must be one of those inconsistent things in this world.

"Would you kindly tell me which village you are affiliated with? We have no record of your headband."

Ah, it was indeed the headband that caught their attention. One would expect that going shirtless would be a public scandal, but it's hot, and many people like the builders I see are dressed similarly.

"I'm from Seimeigakure, the newly established Hidden Village of Life."

I see him noting the information, but it's hard not to see the disdain in his gaze and the mocking smile when he heard it was a new village.

"It's always nice to hear from a new comrade. Could you tell me where your village is located?"

"No."

Does he think I'm a fool, or what's wrong with this guard? He's not being professional or subtle at all.

"Excuse me?" the guard looks at me as if he misheard.

"I said no. There's a reason it's called a Hidden Village. It wouldn't be hidden if anyone could know where it is."

"Anyone..." I think I touched a sensitive nerve. Is it the pride of belonging to Konoha or something like that?

"I suppose you're right. Thank you for your time," his ugly smile trembles as he walks away. I think I didn't make a good impression, and I couldn't care less.

I pass through the gates and soon realize that I'm under surveillance. How rude. Well, as long as they don't bother me, they can do whatever they want.

My first stop is a classic for anyone visiting this place for the first time, Ichiraku Ramen. The smell is quite enticing, and I ask for a recommendation.

I see that the portion is generous, but after tasting it, my enthusiasm waned, even though I finished the whole meal out of politeness and because I don't like wasting food. Let me be honest, this ramen is not as good as they make it out to be. The noodles are a bit mushy, the vegetables are ordinary, the combination of toppings is incorrect, and the meat wasn't cooked to perfection. The only thing I considered slightly above average was the broth, in which I could sense a great effort to achieve that flavor.

I think they should change their specialty and focus on soups; they would have a better future.

After the disappointment, I walked to the village cemetery, but not before passing by Yamanaka Florist (which conveniently has a shop next door, what a good business sense) and deliberately read the names on some graves until I found the ones I was looking for and left some flowers on them.

Rin Nohara.

Kushina Uzumaki.

Not only that, thanks to a summary of curiosities I read at some point, I also knew their favorite flowers and left those for them.

Rin was the trigger for almost the entire plot, the point of no return for Obito. She likes white lilies.

Kushina, on the other hand, was a prisoner of the village, and even her feelings for Minato were a deliberate manipulation. She was more attracted to peonies.

Presenting them with flowers, even if only once, should be fine. As for the paranoid thoughts and theories of those who are watching them, it's none of their business.

"Let's go look for those samples," I thought after contemplating the graves for a few minutes. I turned around, and to my surprise, I found two people looking at me and the flowers I left on the graves with confusion.

Mikoto Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake.