Chapter 16

After the First World War, the village bore witness to an influx of orphans, not just civilian ones, but also from the ninja clans. The addition of an insect girl to the family, however, didn't draw much attention. It was sufficient to explain to the neighbors that the child was a relative's, and the clan would cover it up.

Maki carefully dressed the insect girl in her usual robe and a new mask, concealing her true identity. The exception was when they happened to appear in front of the Hyuga clan with their Byakugan open, posing a unique challenge that required strategic avoidance.

The only notable drawback was the additional mouth to feed in the house, and as expected, the insect girl had an insatiable appetite. One person could eat Maki's portion meant for ten people.

"Mom, don't worry. Everything will be fine," Maki assured her mother, Yumei.

"I know, dear. But times are tough, and the small hotel isn't bringing in much," Yumei responded, conveying her silent worries.

Maki's mother, Yumei, didn't express her concerns overtly, but Maki could sense the worry. The income from running a small hotel in Konoha, a ninja village, was meager. The primary business in the village revolved around merchants hiring ninjas for various tasks, making it challenging for a small hotel to thrive.

In Maki's perspective, the hotel was destined for bankruptcy sooner or later. The lack of unique offerings, such as the unsellable Aburame Secret Grilled Worms, made the situation worse. Most travelers opted for hot spring hotels with additional attractions, making the competition fierce.

Supporting Maki wasn't an issue, but maintaining the household resembled raising a football team. After Mei depleted the food storage one night, Maki made the tough decision to ban her from eating at home. School became a place for Mei to forage for food in the forbidden forest.

During this process, Maki discovered Mei's fondness for honey. Indiscriminately killing beehives, her exoskeleton protected her from the bees. Maki had to forbid her from destroying the honeycombs to prevent the extinction of the bees, crucial for pollination and plant reproduction.

In class, Maki's focus waned as she kept an eye on Mei's activities, which was disheartening. Surprisingly, bug girls rarely preyed on living animals but scavenged killed prey. Unfortunately dogs in the wild became Mei's target, enduring multiple robberies.

If Maki couldn't stand it any longer, these dogs wouldn't have had a hot bite to eat today. Despite the challenges, Maki refrained from confining Mei at home, issuing new bans based on Mei's situation.

In Maki's eyes, Mei was quite cute.

"Kawaii~ What kind of bug is this?" a random girl inquired during the kunai throwing class at the Ninja School. Uchiha Jinmeiyo, standing nearby, asked the same question.

"Moth. You have great vision, worthy of being a Uchiha," Maki replied.

"It's a bug I've never seen before. It's unexpectedly cute," Jinmeiyo remarked.

"Want to eat?" Maki asked.

"No, thank you!" Jinmeiyo declined.

"You're welcome," Maki responded.

Jinmeiyo's curiosity piqued, and he inquired further, leading to a lighthearted conversation. Despite Jinmeiyo's initial dark expression, he acknowledged Maki's kindness.

"You look so cute, it would be too cruel to eat you. However, you are much kinder than I thought. You really won't know it until you try it," Jinmeiyo admitted.

"People always look at the surface. What do you imagine me to be like?" Maki questioned. Jinmeiyo thought for a moment, then turned his head and glanced at Maki, then turned back and ignored her.

"Is this so?" Jinmeiyo wondered.

"Do I need to imitate Tsunade?" Maki snorted with a smile and folded her arms as Tsunade did.

"Tsunade is almost mad at you," Jinmeiyo remarked. Maki chuckled, sharing snippets of her daily life with Tsunade as a roommate.

"That's great," Maki added.

A resounding "crack" echoed nearby as Tsunade gritted her teeth fiercely, glaring at Jinmeiyo.

"Wow, it's so scary. Can you give this kind of bug to me? I want to raise a puppy, but it's difficult to take care of a puppy. I'm afraid I can't take good care of it; it would be much easier if it were an insect," Jinmeiyo requested.

"It's okay to give it to you, but you can't feed it," Maki warned.

"Why?" Jinmeiyo inquired.

"The lifespan of this bug is only one day," Maki explained.

"That's it. It's too short," Jinmeiyo remarked.

"What are you living for?" Maki questioned.

Jinmeiyo's eyes lit up after hearing Maki's perspective.

"To put it simply, I came to this world to take a look at this beautiful world," Jinmeiyo shared.

"To put it cruelly, the moth itself is just a tool, and the genes are just to pass on their genes," Maki stated.

"This is really... A novel statement," Jinmeiyo acknowledged.

Jinmeiyo, being a blood successor ninja, was no stranger to the idea of genes. However, Maki's perspective offered a new and intriguing viewpoint.

"To put it into detail, it's very complicated. Want to hear it?" Maki offered.

"This kind of thing is too boring. Don't you have anything to talk about with girls?" Jinmeiyo teased.

"Sorry. I am not an ordinary girl, and I am not interested in the things ordinary girls like," Maki replied.

"Honestly, me too. They are all discussing who is handsome, but they always feel like they can't get a word in," Jinmeiyo admitted.

"Who is the most handsome?" Maki inquired.

"Orochimaru-kun from the next class," Jinmeiyo replied.

Maki teased further, asking about the ugliest.

"Of course it's you. Jiraiya-kun also has a handsome side," Maki remarked, laughing and feeling a bit exasperated. The banter continued as Maki walked back to the crowd.

Teacher Ogawa opened his mouth several times, hesitated, and then called the next one.

"Don't worry, shuriken is straightforward; I'll teach you," Jinmeiyo comforted Maki.

"No, I don't need shuriken skills at all," Maki asserted her stance on shuriken skills, deeming them unnecessary for her. The interaction with Jinmeiyo continued, leaving Maki contemplating the peculiarities of her daily life.

"Kawaii~" Under the mask, Maki couldn't help but curl her lips. This child indeed had some kind of peculiar charm or ailment.

The Ninja School days continued with their share of challenges, laughter, and unexpected friendships. Little did Maki know that these seemingly ordinary moments would shape her journey in ways she had yet to discover.

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