Chapter 71: A Voice and a Concern
Upon returning to the Hidden Cloud, Dana immediately disbanded the "Ashen Bandits." They had been with him on the edge of a knife for over a year. It was time for a well-deserved rest.
Considering the duration and difficulty of their service, each member's record would be updated with five S-rank missions, with the corresponding payment from the Mission Assignment Desk. The "Special Strategy Division" would also provide a substantial bonus. From the looks of joy on their faces, everyone was satisfied.
"Dismissed," Dana said. "Go home to your families. If you don't have a family, that's not my problem. Just don't forget the confidentiality agreement."
"OSU!" they roared in unison, then disappeared into the streets.
Dana went to the "Special Strategy Division" headquarters and sent someone to receive the supply convoy at the village gate.
He then took a familiar path, leading Maki Minabe back to the Yotsuki compound.
Looking at the prosperous village, in stark contrast to the brutal and chaotic battlefields, he felt that the hard work of the past year had been worth it.
The pastry shop he used to frequent had done so well that it had expanded into the storefront next door. It was still as popular as ever, with a long queue outside. The sight brought back memories.
In the queue, two familiar red heads stood out. It was Hiroto and Kayo Uzumaki.
Hiroto had been in the advanced ninja school for a year now and had earned a handsome scholarship with his excellent grades. His sister, Kayo, was just as talented and was preparing to enroll as well.
The advanced ninja school, which catered to the top students of the Academy and promising graduates under the age of twenty, had become quite popular in the village. Having a child in the advanced school was a sign of great talent, a mark of a young genius, and a source of great pride. With two such outstanding children, the Uzumaki family could now hold their heads a little higher in the village.
Kayo, who was waiting in line, suddenly took a sharp breath.
"That smell! It's Onii-chan Dana!"
Hiroto looked at his sister, who had suddenly gone crazy, with a bewildered expression.
A hand clapped him on the shoulder.
"Long time no see, Hiroto, Kayo," Dana said.
Hiroto jumped, then, recognizing him, threw his arms around him.
"Dana! When did you get back?!"
"Just got to the village. And the first thing I see is you two."
"You've been gone for a year! What kind of mission were you on?"
"Something like that. And you? How's the advanced ninja school?"
Hiroto puffed out his chest. "I'm number one," he said proudly. "Even in the advanced school, I'm still number one."
The scholarship for first place was three times that of second. How else could he and his sister afford the best pastries in the village?
But while Dana and Hiroto were getting along famously, Maki and Kayo were not.
"Oh," Kayo said, her arms crossed, feigning nonchalance, "are you a friend of Onii-chan Dana's? If you're not busy, you can go now. He's going to be talking with us for a while."
"I am Young Master Dana's personal handmaiden," Maki said with a sweet smile. "Hello, little sister."
Kayo was thunderstruck.
"Little... sister?!" (⊙x⊙;)
"Oh, my apologies," Maki said, her smile never wavering. "Are we the same age? I'm so sorry. I saw your height and assumed I was a few years older. My mistake."
Looking at Dana and Maki, who were both taller than their peers and actually looked quite good together, Kayo's defenses crumbled. (〃＞目＜)
"What are you talking about?! I'm not short! And you, aren't you lying about your age? You're probably an old lady by now!"
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Such a ridiculous thing would never happen in the Yotsuki clan."
"What do you mean, our Yotsuki clan?! You're just a handmaiden!"
Maki's smile remained fixed. "Oh, how rude of me," she said, enunciating each word. "But I am not a handmaiden. I am a personal handmaiden."
While the two girls were trading barbs, Dana and Hiroto had already made plans to meet up another day. With his keen senses, he had, of course, noticed the little spat between them and found it a bit amusing. He was also surprised to see this side of Maki.
Dana bought a box of pastries as a gift for his mother and leisurely walked back to the Yotsuki compound. He found her in the middle of arranging flowers.
"I'm home, Mother!"
"Greetings, my lady," Maki said with a bow.
Satomi put down her scissors. "Maki-chan wrote to me," she said happily, "but I didn't expect you so soon. Come, let me see you!"
Dana was now almost as tall as she was. And after a year of being battered by the wind and rain in the Land of Rain, he had lost his childishness. He looked almost like a stranger to her.
"You've changed so much," she said. "You look like a real ninja. And you too, Maki-chan. You're growing more beautiful every day."
She shot a playful glance at Dana. He just pretended not to understand and smiled. "Is Arashi in the village? I haven't seen him in almost two years."
"He came back last week. He's probably at the Raikage's tower. Have you seen your father yet?"
"Not yet," he said, waving his hand. "I don't want to go back to work the moment I get back."
As they were chatting, a servant arrived. "Young Master Dana," he said, "Lord Nakazawa invites you to dinner."
The Yotsuki clan's rules were different from most. They emphasized a single line of command. There was a clan head, but no council of elders. This had its pros and cons. But some of the older members of the clan still held a certain prestige and could participate in clan decisions. Nakazawa Yotsuki was one of them. He was the Third Raikage's uncle, and had watched Dana grow up. Dana called him "Seventh Grand-uncle."
He looked at his mother. "Go on," she said. "You're back now. We'll have plenty of time to eat together."
He nodded and bid her farewell.
A servant led him to Nakazawa's private courtyard. The white-bearded old man greeted him with a warm smile and gestured for him to sit.
"You've gotten so tall!"
"I'm barely at the Yotsuki average," Dana said modestly. He had been short for his age before.
They chatted for a while. Seeing that Dana wasn't asking any questions, Nakazawa finally shook his head and smiled. "I can't treat you like a child anymore, can I? Aren't you going to ask why I invited you here?"
"If Seventh Grand-uncle wants to tell me," Dana said with a smile, "he will."
Nakazawa stretched his old back. "I didn't want to bother you the moment you got back," he said. "But some people wanted some reassurance. I'm sure you can understand an old man's position. So I just called you over."
Dana didn't say anything, just listened.
"You're a smart boy," Nakazawa continued. "Much smarter than us old-timers. My thinking is the same as the other elders. The Yotsuki clan is a ninja clan. It was, it is, and it will be. But the clan isn't just made up of old fossils like us. The young people need to have a voice too. So, I decided to be that voice. And to keep those rascals in line. Dana, a lot of people want to hear your opinion. After all, the 'blacksmith's shop' project was your idea, and it's because of you that it has been so successful."
Dana put down his chopsticks. "Seventh Grand-uncle," he said with a sigh, "I understand everyone's feelings. But this isn't about what the clan thinks. It's about the village."
Just then, the Third Raikage, A, walked into the courtyard. He took off his Kage hat and sat down.
"Dana is right," he said. "I'm not forcing them to take missions because I don't want them to have a stable life. It's because of what the rest of the village will think."