Chapter 96 - Tears

Chapter 96 - Tears

Summary of the previous chapter:

Max had been in Konoha for two weeks. Max and Mikoto had grown closer during this time, as Max had expressed his feelings for her and his intention to be more than just friends. Makoto and Max had been following the plan perfectly. Max informed Makoto that the Uchiha Clan needed to change their territory to a more secluded place where no one could spy on them, and Makoto agreed. Makoto submitted the mission report to Hiruzen, who showed his sadness over the loss to everyone, but Makoto didn't believe him. Makoto also informed the higher-ups that the Uchiha Clan would be moving away from the center of the village, and the higher-ups were happy about this news. Max made a deal with Makoto to rent his old territory for a shopping center, and Makoto agreed since he was short on money. Max stopped reminiscing as Mikoto knocked on the door. Max and Mikoto went to where Makoto was. Makoto told Max that he wanted him to marry his daughter. Max informed Makoto that he already had two wives, and Mikoto didn't take the news well, storming out of the room. Max assured Makoto that the deal still stood, and Max left the house, walking aimlessly.

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To be continued...

[November 2nd, 14 A.N.N.]

Boom!

As I walked slowly, a child fell in front of me, and I helped him up.

"Thank you... big brother... Goodbye!" - the child said in his childish voice and waved goodbye.

"..." I only nodded my head since the child was playing ninja with his friends, and they started to move away. I saw him for the last time and continued surveying the surroundings.

I was in the center of the village, walking without a destination and observing the people around me. No one bothered me as I was wearing the Uchiha Clan emblem, and the civilians held great respect for this Clan. Some ninjas even greeted me without causing any trouble.

"No matter how much they have cursed the Uchiha Clan... the higher-ups couldn't erase all the honor of the Uchiha." I thought as I walked.

After a while, as I continued walking, I caught a pleasant smell. I stopped and looked in the direction of the scent.

It was a food stall being run by a young man. He was standing at the entrance, trying to attract customers, but no one came to this place because it had a very humble appearance.

I approached the food stall and spoke, "Hello... Are you open?"

As soon as the young man heard my voice, he immediately perked up, stood up straight, and said cheerfully, "Hello, Uchiha-sama... Yes, I'm open... You won't regret trying my food; it's the best... My name is Teuchi."

"Just Ryu, there's no need for formalities..." I spoke calmly.

"Alright, Ryu-san, please come inside my restaurant," said Teuchi, happy to hear my words.

"Alright," I replied and followed him, entering the restaurant.

The interior of the restaurant was very humble, with a tranquil atmosphere and wooden finishes. The best part was that it was clean and well-maintained.

"Ryu-san, please have a seat," Teuchi said, starting to clean the table and chair. Once he finished, he gestured for me to sit.

"Very well... Give me your best dish," I spoke while sitting down and placing my order.

"Coming right up, Ryu-san!" Teuchi said joyfully and hurried to the kitchen, his voice echoing from there.

"Wife, we have our first customer... I'm going to prepare the best meal," Teuchi said excitedly, talking to his wife as he started cooking and conversing with her.

"Of course... In this time, Teuchi's wife is still alive. I think she died when Ayame was born... I'm not entirely sure," I thought as I waited for the food.

As I looked around, all the tables were empty, and I was the only customer in this place.

After a while, Teuchi brought a bowl of ramen and placed it on the table.

"Here you go, Ryu-san!" Teuchi said cheerfully.

"Thank you," I spoke and tasted the ramen. The first bite made the flavors melt in my mouth, and it had a delightful taste, regardless of its hot temperature.

"How is it, Ryu-san?" Teuchi asked, waiting for my response.

"It's very delicious... I'll have another bowl," I calmly spoke and continued eating.

"Wife, I told you, my food is excellent," Teuchi shouted happily towards the kitchen, and his wife came out.

"Yes, dear," Teuchi's wife said, looking at me, and then continued with a more reserved voice, "Hello Uchiha-san, my name is Aya... Thank you for coming to our restaurant."

"Hello, Aya-san... Just Ryu-san, and I'll order some more," I spoke calmly, as the meal had lifted my melancholic state.

Teuchi and Aya went to prepare more food and served me.

While eating, Teuchi engaged in conversation, keeping me entertained throughout the meal.

After eating ten bowls and chatting with them for several hours, the time had passed, and I ordered two more bowls to take away.

"Thank you for everything... You've brightened my day," I spoke calmly, handing them a significant amount of money, equivalent to the value of 100 bowls, which amounted to 100,000 Ryo.

"It's too much money..." Teuchi immediately tried to refuse.

"It's fine. Your company has cheered me up, and I'm very grateful," I spoke calmly, thinking, 'In this world, there are still good people.'

"Goodbye!" I said as I left the restaurant and started walking.

Teuchi and Aya simply watched me leave, holding the money they had earned. The two of them were happy, and their destiny was being changed by this small encounter.

...

As I walked, the streets remained filled with people, but I distanced myself from the city center. I didn't want to be around a crowd; I wanted to be alone.

After a while, when I felt sufficiently alone, I searched for a bench and created a Wood Clone, leaving it seated with closed eyes, pretending to be tired.

Once I created the Wood Clone, I activated my stealth technique and moved away from that place. I didn't want to be discovered, especially considering I was in Konoha.

I continued onward, feeling a bit melancholic, which reminded me of a very special place—the place where I first came to this world, but in a different time.

After some time, I stopped because I had reached the place and looked around.

The sun still illuminated the area, and it seemed as if nothing had changed.

As I stood there, memories of everything that had happened since the beginning flooded my mind.

After a while, I let out a long sigh.

At this moment, I started exploring the area, which was empty with no one around. Since the sunset was approaching, I wanted to appreciate it as it signaled the end of the day and the start of a new morning, reminding me to move forward without looking back.

I found a high vantage point, sat on a tree branch, and waited for the sunset while placing the two ramen bowls beside me.

After a long time, with only a little time left until sunset, I sensed someone approaching the area and looked in that direction.

When I saw that person, my first reaction was surprise, and I stared at her because I immediately recognized her.

Her face was red, tears silently streaming down her face. She tried to stop the tears with her hands, but they kept flowing. Her face bore the signs of some bruises, and her clothes were dirty. She was heading toward this place.

"And to think that I would encounter her in this place..." I thought as I watched the little girl cry, covering her eyes with her hand.

When the girl arrived, she leaned against the tree and curled up while continuing to cry silently. Her cries were quiet and filled with sadness; she didn't want anyone to see her in this state.

Waaah, waaah!

I continued observing the girl as she cried silently, and I thought, "I know I'm about to do something foolish, but... I don't want our first meeting to be like that of any other person."

In this moment, I touched the tree and sent a pulse of chakra, scanning the entire area, which appeared to be clear. Only she was present, and I thought, "It can't detect long distances, just in case she can detect me... I'm not sure if she has the ability to sense me, but I'm not willing to risk my life to find out."

After finishing my scan, I created a Wood Clone to keep a constant watch over the area. The clone immediately hid and continued using the chakra pulse technique.

I looked around for any potential spying devices but found nothing after a while, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Well, I'll do it," I thought as I deactivated my transformation ability and changed my clothes.

Once I finished checking myself, everything seemed fine, and I could only smile at the foolishness of what I was about to do. I thought, 'Well, if something happens... I can face the consequences. Konoha can't stop me if I want to escape this place...' and deactivated my stealth technique.

"You make quite a ruckus," I spoke with a tired tone while looking at the place where the sun was going to set.

When the girl heard my voice, she immediately reacted, wiping away her tears with her hands, stood up, and started looking for me.

As the girl found me, she seemed surprised for a moment, then filled with anger, and yelled, "Come down and say it to my face, dattebane!" pointing an accusatory finger at me.

"Risa risa risa," I started laughing at her behavior, as her mood changed rapidly.

"Don't mock me... if you're so brave, come down! Dattebane!" the girl roared, her face turning red with anger.

When I heard her words, I hesitated for a moment and then decided, "Very well, she asked for it."

I jumped down from the tree, landing behind her. The girl turned her body, attempting to kick me with her right leg.

With my left hand, I stopped her kick, and in the next instant, she turned her body in the air and kicked with her left leg. I simply moved her right leg, causing her to lose balance.

When I saw that the girl had no chance, I lowered my left hand, and she immediately tried to punch me, but I stopped her.

Once I stopped her, I gently pushed her against the tree, immobilizing her.

When she realized she had no way to escape, she glared at me with hatred and shouted, "Come on, what are you waiting for... mock me, tell me I'm ugly... like everyone else does... dattebane!" trying to hide her pain behind brave shouts.

"Ugly?" I asked with doubt, only now recalling her childhood when she was always treated poorly. The only one who treated her kindly won her heart, but that romance had been planned by the higher-ups without his knowledge.

"Yes, I'm ugly... everyone tells me that, dattebane!" the girl said, trying not to believe what she was hearing, refusing to trust my words.

"Little girl, you are not ugly... in my eyes, you are beautiful," I spoke calmly.

"But everyone tells me I'm ugly... you, you're lying... liar, I don't believe you! Dattebane!" the girl said, refusing to believe my words.

"You're not ugly... In my eyes, you are beautiful... especially your hair, I really like it," I spoke calmly, releasing her and stopping all her movements.

When she saw that she had no chance of escaping, she looked at me with hate and roared, "Fine, I've decided. You will be my husband, dattebane!"

"Before you make that decision, you should know that I already have two wives," I spoke calmly, trying to calm the girl down.

"I don't care... I've made my decision. You will be my husband, and I will be the main wife, dattebane!" she declared confidently.

When I heard her words, I could only smile at her boldness and spoke, "Very well, if you've made up your mind... but you have to grow up first. You're still very young."

"I'm not little... I'm already a grown-up, dattebane," the girl replied, full of hope as she looked at me.

"Phew... before you take your decision... I want you to know... I already have two wives," I spoke calmly, trying to reassure the girl.

"Uhmmm," the girl frowned, thinking for a moment, and after a while, she said, "I don't mind... I've already made my decision. You will be my husband, dattebane."

When I heard her words, I could only smile at her bravery and spoke, "Alright, if you've made your decision... but remember, you have to grow up first. You're still very young."

"Fine, it's a promise. When I grow up, I'll be your wife, dattebane," the girl said happily, as she had misunderstood my words.

"Uf... before you make your decision, let me tell you... I already have two wives," I spoke calmly, trying to reassure the girl.

"Alright, I don't mind. I've made my decision... you will be my husband, and I will be the main wife, dattebane," the girl said confidently.

When I heard her words, I couldn't help but smile at her courage, and I spoke, "Alright, if that's your decision... but you have to grow up first. You're still very young."

"Futura esposa, what's your name?" I asked, even though I already knew her name.

"I am Kushina Uzumaki, dattebane," said the girl proudly when she mentioned her surname.

"A pleasant name. My name is Max," I spoke calmly, and I thought, 'Well, I have to thank the higher-ups, as Kushina wants to be by my side... their entire plan has been stolen by me... hahaha.'

"..." Kushina was delighted to hear my name.

When I saw that Kushina had calmed down and had a smile on her face, I started wiping away her tears. She smiled in response to the gesture.

I crouched down and carried her princess-style. She didn't have time to react as I brought her up to the tree. Kushina looked confused once we reached the top.

"Something beautiful is about to happen soon... I came to this place just to witness this moment," I spoke calmly, gesturing for her to sit on the tree branch.

"Which scene?" Kushina asked, sounding uncertain.

"Soon enough... just wait and watch," I spoke, sitting on the tree branch, and Kushina sat beside me.

"Alright, dattebane!" Kushina said with anticipation, having accepted my invitation.

"Goodbye, future wife," I spoke, bidding farewell to Kushina, and she began hopping from tree to tree, gradually moving away from the area.

I watched her back as she left and thought, 'So, I am responsible for Kushina's disappearance, but I don't think she'll follow me... or maybe she will?'.

I continued sitting on the tree, with the Wood Clone still watching over the area. After a long time, I stood up and used the transformation ability.

Returning to my Ryu appearance, I deactivated the clone that was keeping watch and started making my way to the Uchiha Clan territory at a slow pace, gazing at the stars that reminded me of Mikoto.

After a while, I arrived at the Uchiha Clan territory and headed towards where I was staying.

'Phew... Living alone from now on,' I thought as I approached the house, and in that moment, I heard a loud crash.

Bang!

To be continued...