Chapter 129: The Unlucky Fugaku
The next morning.
When Sarutobi Nanaka opened the door, she found Asuka already packed and waiting for her in the courtyard.
"What happened to your face?"
She frowned as she looked at Asuka's bruised and swollen face, then at the pile of souvenirs from the Land of Rain beside him.
"Did you get into a fight with a Rain ninja?"
"Nothing serious. I just bumped into something."
Asuka rubbed the bruises on his face and casually came up with an excuse.
What a fickle woman. You were the one who wanted to buy it.
I tried to stop you.
I even tried twice, but I still couldn't shake your determination to buy her that gift.
You're really too innocent.
Thinking of the excessively innocent Pakura, Asuka decided that once he returned, he would draw some "educational material" for her.
After standing in the courtyard for a while, Nanaka saw that he had no intention of saying anything more. She stretched lazily and said,
"Jiraiya-sama has taken over the matter concerning Orochimaru. He's pursuing him now and has already left the Land of Rain. We also received orders from the village yesterday, so we can head back."
"Alright!"
Half an hour later, on a certain hillside.
Pakura stood atop the hill wearing an Akatsuki robe and a straw hat, watching Asuka and his four-person team in the distance.
He's leaving?
Hearing Konan's cold voice beside her, Pakura remembered the gift she had given him yesterday. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she silently nodded.
Rustle! Rustle!
As the rain grew heavier, Asuka's figure gradually disappeared into the mist.
Only after he had completely vanished did Pakura hesitate before asking,
"Konan, you haven't opened yesterday's gift yet, have you?"
Open it?
Recalling what she had found inside the gift box yesterday, Konan took a deep breath and secretly glanced at Pakura.
Seeing the hope in her eyes, Konan hesitated.
If Pakura discovered what kind of gift she had actually given her, she would definitely be terribly embarrassed and go back to argue with the shopkeeper.
And then…
Pakura had no idea how long she would blame herself for it.
With that thought, Konan turned toward Pakura with a smile and said gratefully,
"Pakura, thank you for the gift. It fits perfectly, and it looks very nice."
???
Seeing Pakura staring at her blankly, Konan tugged on her arm and changed the subject.
"Let's go rescue Orochimaru."
"No. Do you really think the gift is nice and fits well?"
"Very nice."
"Really?"
"Do you think I'm lying?"
Konoha — Uchiha Clan District
The rising sun bathed the old man in warm light, dispelling the chill from his body.
The Great Elder walked leisurely through the clan's streets with his hands clasped behind his back, facing the morning sun as he watched the bustling clan district.
He couldn't help but sigh.
"Ah~"
"The earth slowly awakens. A ray of morning light breaks the silence of night. A passionate heart beats, praying for peace to descend. We walk forward hand in hand. The future is boundless, though filled with thorns and hidden dangers…"
Hearing the Great Elder's bizarre singing, Uchiha Madara turned toward Ryōichi and asked coldly,
"What is that brat singing about?"
Ryōichi smacked his lips awkwardly before explaining,
"Asuka used to sing that song. The old fool thought it sounded pretty good, so he hums a few lines whenever he's bored."
"Boring."
Madara cast an annoyed glance at the Great Elder.
His sharp gaze immediately caught the old man's attention.
Sigh.
Today really wasn't a good day to leave the house.
The Great Elder noticed Uchiha Madara looking at him as though he were an idiot.
After hesitating for a moment, he walked over, every step trembling slightly.
A minute later, when he reached Madara, he secretly observed him before turning his gaze toward Ryōichi and forcing himself to look calm.
"This old fool is merely lamenting how hard-won peace is."
"Heh."
Madara gave a cold laugh and turned his head away.
At this point, he didn't have much goodwill toward anyone in the clan.
They lacked talent.
They lacked strength.
And they were terrible at politics.
"Cough, cough."
The Great Elder's body stiffened.
He pinched his trembling thigh, secretly winked at Ryōichi, and mouthed a question through his chattering teeth.
How is he?
Ryōichi nodded silently with a faint smile.
"His physical condition is pretty good. He can probably live another two or three months."
???
The Great Elder's eyes widened.
He clutched his chest and clearly felt his burning heart stop for a moment.
Three months ago, you said he could live another two or three months.
Three months later, you're still saying he can live another two or three months?
So Uchiha Madara simply can't die, can he?
"Sigh."
Seeing the Great Elder's horrified expression, Ryōichi shook his head regretfully.
That old fool never lies.
My cousin had just died, and then he was brought back to life.
Crash!
Crash!
The sound of plates smashing suddenly shattered the awkward atmosphere.
Following the noise, Ryōichi looked toward the large residence on their right.
"This is the clan head's residence, isn't it?"
The Great Elder nodded and sighed.
"Unfortunately, the clan head's household hasn't been very peaceful lately."
Ryōichi stroked his beard and began chatting idly.
"Why's that?"
"Ahem."
The Great Elder cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind his back. He deliberately raised his voice slightly so as not to disturb Uchiha Madara, though Madara could still clearly hear him.
"Orochimaru defected, didn't he?"
"Because of Orochimaru's defection, Fugaku was dragged into the mess as well. You know what the villagers' attitude toward our clan was like to begin with."
"Before Orochimaru defected, he frequently invited Fugaku to dinner. Naturally, that made Fugaku somewhat suspicious."
Ryōichi nodded.
Hearing the arguing coming from inside, he asked in confusion,
"But what does that have to do with them arguing?"
The Great Elder glanced toward the residence and thought to himself,
It could very well be postpartum depression.
Not long ago, Fugaku had often gotten drunk while drinking with Orochimaru.
Recently, Fugaku had been forced to explain Orochimaru's situation to the village's higher-ups. He had even had to explain himself to Danzō several times.
The pressure had left him physically and mentally exhausted, leaving him almost no time to take care of Mikoto and the child.
Mikoto had always been an extremely understanding woman.
Perhaps it was simply bad luck.
She had also just given birth, and all the dissatisfaction she had accumulated finally erupted.
"That really is unfortunate."
Thinking about everything Mikoto had been through recently, Ryōichi couldn't help sighing.
This is all Orochimaru's fault.
If he hadn't come to assassinate someone in the middle of the night, none of this would have happened.
Now that everything is finally settling down…
Bang!
Before Ryōichi could finish thinking, the door to Fugaku's house suddenly opened from the inside.
When Fugaku emerged, everyone except Uchiha Madara stepped forward to greet him.
"Clan Head!"
"Mm."
Fugaku gave a cold grunt.
His gaze swept over the impossibly aged Uchiha Madara before he turned around and glanced back at his own house.
Then he walked straight out of the clan district.
What an exhausting day.
Getting into an argument at home first thing in the morning.
Watching the clan head leave angrily, the Great Elder and Ryōichi stood side by side and sighed.
"Sanrō, I think we can't refuse to support Asuka either."
"Ryōichi, watch what you're saying."
Before he could finish, the corner of the Great Elder's eye suddenly caught sight of Uchiha Mikoto appearing in the courtyard.
He immediately changed his tone and shook his head.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Old fool, are you looking for a fight?"
"Come on."
Seeing the Great Elder suddenly become so aggressive, Ryōichi instinctively turned his head toward Fugaku's residence.
The open doorway gave everyone on the street a clear view of the courtyard.
Uchiha Mikoto stood there with a broom in one hand and a dustpan in the other, staring expressionlessly at the two of them.
"Mm."
Ryōichi glared at the Great Elder before walking away without hesitation.