Chapter 23: For the Future of the Clan

Chapter 23: For the Future of the Clan

"Ma'am."

"Yes?"

"I want to..."

"What do you want?"

"I want to see you."

Nara Yoshino was stunned to see the serious expression on Tobio Uchiha's face. She seemed to understand what he wanted and, after hesitating for a moment, rejected him.

"No, if Shikaku finds out about this, he'll hit us."

"You don't say anything, I don't say anything, he won't know."

"There are no walls without cracks."

"Please, humor me."

Tobio clasped his hands, looking at her sincerely.

"No."

Seeing that she refused again, Tobio took a step back, showing a determined expression, as if he had made an important decision. He gritted his teeth and said:

"Three times. Only three times."

"Three times?"

Nara Yoshino stroked her chin, discreetly observing Tobio's strong body, sighed, and then raised five fingers, negotiating.

"Three times is too little, five times. If you agree, I'll do it."

"Alright."

After thinking for a moment, Tobio nodded, accepting the condition.

"Here you go!"

Yoshino took a large package from the counter and handed it to Tobio. As she gave him the package, she looked curiously at Tobio.

The Nara clan has raised deer in Konoha for generations. Deer antlers are a precious medicine, and their achievements in the medical field are unparalleled. They supply most of the medicines and herbs in Konoha.

When civilians and ninjas want to buy medicines or herbs, they usually go to them.

Today, just as Yoshino arrived at the shop, she saw Tobio Uchiha haggling intensely with the clerk. So, she intervened and personally negotiated the price with him.

"Tobio-kun, why do you need these basic herbs? Is someone in your clan trying to become a medical ninja?"

"No."

Tobio loaded the herbs onto his back and replied:

"This morning I took on an apprentice who wants to learn medicine. She just graduated from the ninja academy."

"Wow!"

Yoshino slightly opened her mouth, exaggerating as she looked at Tobio, and then gave him a thumbs-up in approval.

"Tobio-kun, you are very persuasive."

"If you think I'm so persuasive, how about three medical check-ups?"

"No, we agreed on five times. After all, you're getting these herbs at an eighty percent discount; it's practically a gift."

"Ugh."

Tobio frowned. If it weren't for those greedy merchants in Konoha, he would never have to haggle like this.

Before, when he planned to defect, he sold everything he could and converted all his savings into weapons from Granny Cat. Then, when he decided not to defect and tried to recover the weapons, she charged him a fortune, reducing his assets to a third.

When he tried to get back everything he had sold, those merchants inflated the prices of his common items to the sky.

If it weren't for his identity as a ninja...

"Tobio-kun, how is your research going?"

Yoshino's voice brought Tobio back to his thoughts. He pointed at the calendar on the wall with resignation and said:

"Ma'am, it's only been a day."

"Really? I thought more time had passed. Well, then keep working hard."

"Understood."

Saying this, Tobio bid farewell and left the Nara shop.

When he received the herbs, he secretly investigated and now had a rough idea of Shikamaru's birth date.

September.

With the speed of children's development in the world of Naruto, probably by February of next year, with a simple candy he could befriend Shikamaru.

Or maybe not.

Thinking about Tsunade, who grew in a year, Tobio advanced the time a bit.

With Shikamaru's brain, he could recognize people a few months after birth and make friends in three months.

Night.

Nara Territory.

Tobio, dressed in black, skillfully slipped past the patrol ninjas and reached Ryoko Nara's room.

"Who is it?"

Before she finished speaking, Ryoko saw Tobio without a mask and quickly grabbed his arm urgently.

"You finally came."

"Don't rush."

Tobio calmed her down and, seeing her anxiety, continued:

"The last time I came, the Nara patrol saw me, and the lady of the clan suspects we have a relationship."

"Oh."

Hearing this, Ryoko was surprised. Now she understood why Yoshino had come to her house and asked if she had a man in her life.

It was cruel that they suspected her just after her husband's death.

At that moment, furious, she chased Yoshino out of her house with a broom.

Now she understood everything.

After looking carefully at Tobio, as if she had made an important decision, she said seriously:

"Just cure my son, I don't care what they say about me."

"But I do care."

Tobio followed her to the first floor. He didn't want Danzo to know he was close to members of the Root, nor did he want to be known as someone who met with widows in the middle of the night. Besides, this widow had a son and wasn't very attractive.

Truth be told, not everyone can be like Boss Cao, who treated others' children as his own.

One needs vision to achieve great things, and Tobio felt that his vision only allowed him to be a village leader.

Looking at the moonlight coming through the window, he thought about Kaguya Otsutsuki who lived on the moon. Although she had children, they had all died except for one who was helping Madara.

Who knows if the descendants of Fugaku Uchiha with a Hyuga woman would have ancestral traits?

Determined, Tobio thought of proposing it at the next clan meeting.

After finishing the treatment, to avoid their shadows reflecting in the window, they sat by the wall.

"Actually, it's not that difficult. You just have to be honest with Yoshino."

Looking at the moon, Ryoko seemed relieved. After seeing her son's condition improve, she thought that with seven or eight more treatments, he would be as good as new.

She looked at Tobio with gratitude and said with relief:

"Yoshino is very understanding. When she knows you come to treat my son, she won't say anything."

"Now you call her understanding, but a moment ago you were cursing her."

"Besides, the main problem is Danzo."

Tobio looked at Ryoko.

If Danzo were stupid, there would be no need to worry. But he was evil, not stupid, and had many dirty tricks.

If he suspected that Tobio and Ryoko had something, he wouldn't hesitate to act.

"So, what will we do?"

Tobio stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes, saying:

"Actually, I think a marriage alliance between the Uchiha clan and the Nara clan wouldn't be bad. After all, in the Uchiha clan, people don't think much."

"So?"

Ryoko looked at him confused, not understanding what he meant.

Was he thinking of marrying her?

Although it wasn't bad, it was very sudden.

Then Tobio looked in the direction of the clan territory, as if he could see through the obstacles, and said:

"For the bright future of the clan, we have to sacrifice the leader."

Ryoko blinked, and her face turned into an expression of horror. She covered her mouth with her hands, looking at Tobio in disbelief.

Was he thinking of killing the clan leader to cover up his little problem?

Was it necessary to go that far?

"Don't think nonsense."

Tobio, seeing her horrified expression, stretched and said with annoyance:

"I'm going to put the responsibility on the clan leader. I didn't say there was only one possible spouse. I, part of the divorced group of the Uchiha, help the leader find a partner. I'm the best member of the clan."

"Then, when Danzo asks about your son's health, say it's my engagement gift for the clan leader and that you're just sacrificing yourself for your son. A perfect plan."

Ryoko breathed a sigh of relief. She thought the Uchiha leader was going to die, but it seemed like a good idea.

She could say it was Tobio who harassed her to marry Fugaku, but she was just pretending so her son could get better. Then, when her son was well, she could reject him.

But...

Ryoko looked at Tobio worriedly and said doubtfully:

"Won't the leader kill you?"

"Kill me?"

Tobio raised an eyebrow, pointing at himself and then at the clan territory, saying:

"Unless he wants to go blind and use the Susanoo, it's not clear who would win. Besides, there are many radicals in the clan. If he doesn't do anything, why would he hit me? In the last clan meeting, a radical wanted to kill the elders of Konoha."

Haha...

Ryoko looked at Tobio in disbelief. She knew there were mental problems in the Uchiha clan, but she didn't expect them to be so extreme.

They wanted to kill the elders of Konoha...

Compared to that, Tobio seemed normal.

Thinking that Yoshino had sent Tobio to investigate her, her face darkened as she looked at the center of the clan territory, murmuring:

"Damn Yoshino, did you send him to investigate me?"

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