Chapter 149: Farewell
Morning.
A ray of sunlight streamed through the window and fell across the living-room sofa.
"Haa~"
Woken by the dazzling sunlight, the orange cat yawned, smacked its lips, and sat up on the sofa.
Pat!
It jumped down and padded over to the table. Its eyes fell on the blue-haired little girl sitting there eating, as well as the "Mangekyō Sharingan" in her eye sockets. A distinctly human look of solemnity appeared on its face.
"Asuka, isn't forcibly changing this snake's diet a little cruel?"
"You can't put it that way."
Asuka poked his head out of the kitchen, his gaze landing on Ichikishimahime, who was happily devouring fried chicken at the table.
Seeing how enthusiastically she was eating, Asuka smiled.
"Back when Jiraiya lived on Mount Myōboku, the sages there even made him earthworms mixed with soy sauce. Jiraiya still ate them with great relish."
"As shinobi, we have to be willing to try all kinds of food. We can't be picky eaters."
"Mmm~"
The orange cat deeply agreed.
As a ninja cat, one shouldn't be picky.
This ninja cat really was like the legendary Sannin. It had tried all kinds of food.
After becoming a ninja cat, it had started out eating mice. Later, it learned to catch fish. And after entering Asuka's household, it began eating some of the finest canned food available in the shinobi world.
It never actively hunted for food anymore.
It simply waited for food to be delivered to it.
Like the open can sitting on the table right now.
"Burp~"
After only two bites, the cat heard a long burp from across the table.
It looked up and saw the Mangekyō Sharingan in Ichikishimahime's eyes gradually disappear. It greeted her casually.
"Little Snake, are you full?"
Ichikishimahime lowered her head and looked at the empty bowl before instinctively rubbing her stomach with both hands.
So round!
So full!
The next moment, she looked toward Asuka, who was busy in the kitchen.
Then she remembered how she had been teleported away every time she lost her temper before.
Her expression instantly darkened.
She silently ground her teeth.
What a nuisance!
The orange cat tilted its head as it watched the little snake grinding her teeth.
"Did something get stuck between your teeth?"
"Uh..."
Ichikishimahime froze.
She quickly rubbed her face and then turned toward the kitchen with a smile, adopting a negotiating tone.
"Asuka, listen to me, okay?"
Asuka poked his head out again, puzzled.
"Go ahead."
Ichikishimahime pointed at the empty bowls on the table and looked at him seriously.
"I don't like this disgusting rice noodles. I don't like this greasy fried chicken. I definitely don't like seafood-flavored instant noodles, either. And I don't like drinking cold milk."
Asuka shook the foam from his hands, placed the clean bowl in the cupboard, and sighed helplessly.
"You're such a picky eater."
Bang!
Ichikishimahime slammed one hand against the table.
"She's a snake! A snake! A snake!"
"Have you ever seen a snake eat fried chicken and drink milk?"
The moment she finished speaking, Asuka looked at her and asked,
"But the fried chicken tastes good, doesn't it?"
"Of course—"
Bang!
She swallowed the rest of her sentence, slammed both hands onto the table, stood up, and indignantly declared,
"This isn't about whether it tastes good! This is about the dignity of a snake!"
Her mouth was still filled with the taste of fried chicken.
Ichikishimahime felt absolutely no pride in being from Ryūchi Cave anymore.
Instead, she felt an enormous pressure.
Her inferiority complex had become so severe that she didn't even want to speak to anyone.
Asuka glanced at her completely flat figure and his breathing stopped for a moment.
She had already developed this inferiority complex to this extent, and only now did she realize she was inferior to others?
The atmosphere in Ryūchi Cave was perfectly harmonious. No one there would even mock her for this.
"???"
Seeing Asuka standing there motionless, staring at her with a strange expression, Ichikishimahime blinked.
Then she followed his gaze downward.
A long white dress.
Light-blue toenail polish.
Blue custom-made sandals.
She looked pretty good.
"You're completely flat!"
A gentle, adorable voice suddenly came from the other side of the table.
Bang!
With a burst of chakra, Ichikishimahime watched as the orange cat beside her suddenly transformed into a human.
"..."
The person before her looked clean and neat, with orange hair and yellow eyes. He stood about one and a half meters tall, had a large "spare tire" around his stomach, a pair of yellow cat ears on his head, and a tail swaying behind him.
Ichikishimahime stared at his transformed appearance in confusion.
"Why did you transform?"
"Ahem."
Feifei covered his mouth with his right fist and coughed lightly. Then he pointed toward his chest with his left hand, his expression unusually serious.
"Pride comes from one's figure."
"In other words, Asuka means you have nothing to be proud of."
Ichikishimahime froze.
Her gaze slowly dropped toward her little dress.
Her expression darkened instantly.
When she was in Ryūchi Cave, who could possibly compare her with this?
The next moment—
A wisp of white smoke suddenly filled the room.
"Why did you provoke her?"
Asuka wiped his hands, walked over to the table, and sighed.
"That's psychological trauma. You can't force it out of someone."
"That's right!"
The orange cat sat on the table and continued,
"Asuka, are you going to Danzo's house today?"
Hearing this, Asuka turned around and glanced at the white wall beside him.
The calendar hanging there clearly displayed the number 6.
"I'll go later."
"This time, once we enter, everyone except the clan head, who can occasionally come out to handle affairs, will have to remain inside for closed-door training."
"Is Fugaku going too?"
"Yes. Quite a few of the clan's jōnin are going this time."
"Then go. I'll take good care of the house."
Asuka opened the front door, swung his bag over his shoulder, and waved to the orange cat standing on the windowsill.
"Watch the house."
"Got it."
Watching him walk straight toward Ryoichi's house across the street, Feifei raised his head and followed his gaze.
"Those two old men are really strange."
The two elderly men were surrounded by a group of children.
The children called them "Grandpa." Although both old men wore expressions of obvious impatience, neither drove the children away. Instead, they allowed the little ones to crowd around them.
"Old man, let's go train together."
Asuka entered the courtyard and waved at the two elders.
Then he looked at Ryoichi, who was wearing ordinary clothes, and asked in surprise,
"You're not going?"
"Why should this old man leave?"
Ryoichi sat down in a chair. He took out a pile of snacks from beside him and slowly distributed them among the children.
His aged voice sounded leisurely.
"This old man is sixty years old this year. In the shinobi world, that's already considered advanced age."
"As long as the village remains standing, this old man doesn't need to personally go to the battlefield anymore."
Asuka looked at the vigorous old man.
Then his gaze shifted toward Uchiha Madara.
At that moment, Madara was reclining in a chair, listening to the children beside him discuss the latest issue of a manga.
One child excitedly waved his manga around.
"Grandpa, do you know? The Light Giant—Susanoo—can walk across the sea and even grow wings to fly through the sky! It fights evil Tailed Beasts every day to protect us!"
Madara's eyelid twitched.
Fighting Tailed Beasts alongside Susanoo every single day?
His eyes couldn't possibly have deteriorated to that extent.
"If this old man remembers correctly, isn't that just a ridiculous story?"
"But it's a manga."
The child nodded vigorously.
"Even so, it feels real!"
"..."
Madara stared expressionlessly at the child.
Then he poured an entire bucket of cold water over the group.
"Susanoo really does exist. But the claim that it fights Tailed Beasts every day is fiction. That's merely a story from the manga."
"Mmm!"
The child nodded enthusiastically.
"If Susanoo really exists, then do the people in the manga exist too?"
The child pointed toward the black-haired man in the manga.
Madara suddenly fell silent.
For a long time, he said nothing.
Eventually, he slowly nodded.
"He exists."
"Then... then who is he? What was his will?"
"I want to inherit his will, too. I want to fight the Tailed Beasts!"
The child began enthusiastically demonstrating various poses.
This time, Madara remained silent for even longer.
"Old man, I'm leaving!"
Only when Asuka waved at him did Madara finally return from his memories.
He looked toward Asuka.
"As for your eyes, this old man has found some clues."
Asuka's eyes immediately lit up.
He smiled.
"Old man, I'll bring you some dango when I get back."
"Heh."
Madara watched Asuka's departing figure and chuckled softly.
Then he looked at the energetic children around him.
Then at the black-haired man in the manga.
Izuna...
When Madara noticed the admiration in the children's eyes as they looked at the black-haired figure, his voice gradually lowered.
"His will, huh..."
He wanted the Uchiha clan to obtain peace.
And he wanted someone to inherit his strength and protect the Uchiha clan.