Chapter 198. Poor Hospitality
Chapter 198. Poor Hospitality
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"This is Konoha?" Konan curiously looked at the village gate, bustling with people. "There are so many people! It looks so prosperous!"
"Well, Konoha is hosting a Mahjong tournament right now. Ninjas from all villages have come to participate," Uzumaki Kana said, looking at Konoha with mixed emotions.
Back when she was wandering, she had thought about escaping to Konoha.
Unfortunately—
During times of war, Konoha wouldn't easily accept ninjas from other villages. For example, Nagato's parents… were killed by Konoha's forces during the war.
So back then, Konoha wasn't the best option, and she had to keep searching for a place that would take her in.
In the end, at her most desperate moment, she met Yuto.
And now—
Kana seemed to remember something. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, her fair and gentle face carrying a warm smile. She murmured softly, "It's nice."
"Why isn't Brother Yuto here yet?" Konan pouted, looking annoyed. "He's so slow! Sister Kana came all this way with anticipation—shouldn't Brother Yuto hurry over immediately?"
At that moment, Hanzo of the Salamander, who had come along with them, spoke calmly from behind, "That Yuto of yours is an Uchiha! He's ridiculously rich. He probably already forgot about his poor relatives like you."
"Damn it! Brother Yuto isn't that kind of person!" Konan glared at Hanzo. "And if it weren't for you, we'd already be inside by now!"
After all, the Demi-God of the Ninja World had come to Konoha.
That meant their entry procedures were much stricter than usual. They needed the Hokage's personal approval before being allowed in.
"You old man, why did you even come here?"
"This old man… This old man just wanted to check on my dear little brother. What's wrong with that?"
"You are the leader of the Land of Rain! How can you have relatives in Konoha?!" Konan rolled her eyes, clearly not believing him. "Quit lying! I'm warning you—I'll be watching you closely!"
She didn't have any good feelings toward the Five Great Ninja Villages, especially after what happened to the Land of Rain. And as for Hanzo, who also started wars—she disliked him just as much.
Especially since Brother Yuto had told her… to keep an eye on him!
But just as she finished speaking—
Hanzo let out a disappointed sigh. The mask covering his face only revealed his eyes, which now held a trace of melancholy. Shaking his head, he spoke in a soft but nostalgic tone, "We used to write letters to each other and were always planning great things. But then one day… his worth was no longer the same, and he never contacted me again."
"What's the point of seeing someone who forgets you the moment they get rich?"
"Little girl, you don't understand!"
"…"
What do you mean, I don't understand?!
Brother Yuto is rich, sure!
But he'd never do something like that!
Konan glared at Hanzo, about to argue further—
Suddenly—
"Yuto-sama is here!" Kana's gentle voice rang out. Konan immediately forgot about Hanzo and eagerly looked up.
Seeing that familiar figure, she instantly waved excitedly. "Brother Yuto! Over here!"
…
"You little troublemaker, you didn't even say anything before coming today."
"Sister Kana said not to disturb Brother Yuto~" Konan stuck out her tongue playfully and blinked mischievously. Then, she turned and glared at Hanzo of the Salamander, grumbling angrily, "But I didn't expect this jerk to follow us! We almost couldn't get in!"
"Uchiha brat… as expected of an Uchiha," Hanzo ignored Konan's outburst and snorted coldly. "You can even bring in someone as dangerous as me! Aren't you afraid I'll cause trouble?"
"You're overthinking it. If you dare to cause trouble, your little salamander is probably getting turned into fish stew as we speak," Yuto replied casually, unfazed. He had already sent word ahead.
Soon enough, Minato would likely send people to keep an eye on things. And besides, in today's Konoha… one old salamander wasn't going to stir up much.
Ignoring Hanzo, Yuto lowered his gaze and sighed as he saw Kana holding Honoka tightly, eyes red with emotion. "What luck!"
Just earlier, he had run into a little Uzumaki girl, and now Kana had arrived.
Perhaps this was fate.
Even if he hadn't stepped in, once Kana found out, she probably would've saved this girl who had taken her place in life anyway.
"Kusagakure is awful!" Konan clenched her fists in anger as she looked at Honoka. "If I had been here earlier, I would've taught them a lesson!"
"It's fine now. They've already been arrested for theft. The amount they stole was huge—they won't be getting out anytime soon," Yuto reassured her, ruffling the thrifty little girl's hair before turning to Kana, who was still holding Honoka with teary eyes. "Let's go. We've been traveling for a while—why don't we head home and rest?"
But—
Where was Suzune?
Why wasn't she here?
She left without saying anything?
Did something happen to her?
Just then—
Kana gave a gentle smile, patting Honoka's head before standing up. Her bright eyes shimmered as if they held unshed tears. In a soft voice, she said, "Thank you."
Once again… she was troubling Yuto-sama.
"Haha, I've been wanting to deal with those Kusa ninja scumbags for a while now!" Yuto chuckled and shook his head. He glanced at Honoka, who was holding a chubby little Nine-Tails plush, then waved his hand. "Alright! Let's head home!"
With that, he led the three of them toward his house.
As for Hanzo… he still had to meet with Konoha's ninjas and see Minato first. After all, he was the leader of a country—there were still things he needed to do!
Therefore, he would come later, so just ignore him!
…
As they walked through the village, both Konan and Kana marveled at Konoha's prosperity.
There was no denying it—
As the largest ninja village, Konoha had its fair share of wealth and power.
Seeing Konan's wide eyes darting everywhere, filled with curiosity, Yuto grinned and waved his hand grandly. "I'll take you both sightseeing later! If you want anything, just mention my name! No need to hold back!"
However—
"I was just curious!" Konan stuck out her tongue again and raised her tiny fists. "Whatever Konoha has, Amegakure has too! What's the point in buying stuff? Wasting money is bad!"
What a thrifty and practical girl.
Before long, they arrived at their destination.
The moment they stood before the house, Konan, Kana, and Honoka all quieted down, looking at it with curiosity.
Especially Kana—her eyes sparkled as she took in the slightly more luxurious home compared to those in the Land of Rain. But that wasn't what truly caught her attention.
This was Yuto's home in Konoha.
[What would it be like inside? Was it big? Would cleaning it be difficult? What if children ran around and got hurt?]
The more she thought about it, the warmer her face felt. Her cheeks turned slightly red, and her eyes grew hazy.
"We're here!" Yuto announced. Then, noticing Kana staring blankly, he raised a brow. "What's wrong? Not feeling well?"
"…Just a little tired," Kana snapped out of it and gave an embarrassed smile. What am I even thinking?
"Really? Do you need a medical ninja?"
"No… no need! I just need a little rest."
"Alright then."
That made sense—she was a medical ninja herself.
Yuto casually opened the door, then turned back to the group. "Alright, everyone—"
Before he could finish—
"Are you here?" A gentle, soothing voice came from inside. "Apologies for the lack of hospitality. Please, come in!"
"???"
Yuto froze, whipping his head around.
Sure enough, there, kneeling in the entryway, was Suzune—wearing an apron.
So she had come back by herself?
Without saying a word to him?
But more importantly—
Why did her outfit look different?
And that warm, welcoming smile… plus what seemed to be carefully applied makeup on her delicate face…
[Suzune, my dear secretary, what exactly are you up to?]
At that moment—
A shiver ran down Yuto's spine. For some reason, he suddenly felt a chill creeping up his back.
Suddenly—
He thought that it was still early… so why not go out and eat ramen first and come back later?
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