"Well done. Tonight, Nii-san will treat you to a meal out. Pick whatever you want to eat."
Amado thought for a moment. "Then let's call Naori-nee, and we can all go to the BBQ restaurant!"
Torifu didn't even need to think; he knew this would be the outcome. Ever since Torifu first introduced Amado to Naori, she had dragged him off for a barbecue. As a result, Amado, just like Naori, fell madly in love with the place and would run off to eat barbecue whenever he had the chance. Torifu didn't stop him. The pocket money he gave Amado each month was fixed; he could spend it however he liked, but once it was gone, Amado had to obediently come home for meals.
"Alright, I'll tell her. You go wash up quickly. You're so filthy; people will wonder what happened if they see you like this."
Amado scratched his head; his singed hair had turned brittle and was flaking off. "Okay, I'll go then!" he said, and then dashed off in a flash.
Torifu shook his head, then turned to leave. After such a commotion, he no longer had the mind to enjoy the scenery or tea. Since he had just promised to call Naori for dinner tonight, he might as well go find her. He would also make a trip to the craftsmen. Over the past year, the house had constantly exploded, much to the delight of the craftsmen. Each repair required a large sum, and the architectural style of the Kumotsuru Clan compound was different from other clan grounds. The intricate design consumed more manpower and resources, so Torifu always paid extra.
After informing Snowflake, Torifu left the compound. As soon as he stepped out, he met Auntie Kato. She was walking towards Torifu's house, a worried expression on her face. She unexpectedly met Torifu just as he was leaving. She quickened her pace.
"How are you, Torifu? You and Amado aren't hurt, are you?"
Torifu smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry, Auntie Kato, we're both fine."
Even after Torifu's reassurance, Mamiko remained uneasy. She circled Torifu, inspecting him, and only after confirming he was truly unharmed did she relax. "You two are so careless! How many times has the house exploded this year?" Mamiko's words were primarily out of concern for Torifu and Amado's safety. She wasn't entirely sure of Torifu's strength, but she simply felt it was too dangerous for children so young to constantly tinker with explosive things.
"Auntie Kato, we're really fine. There's no need to worry."
Mamiko sighed. "Next time, you absolutely must be careful."
Torifu felt a warmth in his heart from her concern. He smiled and said, "I know, there won't be a next time." At this, Mamiko's furrowed brows relaxed.
"How are Dan and Kon doing? Kon must be starting school soon, right?"
Mamiko heard this and seemed unsure whether to be happy or worried. "You know Dan, that child. The teachers say he's very talented; he learns ninjutsu as soon as he tries." Torifu nodded. In his original world, he could only say that Kato Dan had a bit of a protagonist's aura early on; he was definitely a genius shinobi of Konoha. It was just a pity that fate was cruel, taking him too soon. He hadn't expected Kato Dan's talent to remain outstanding in this world.
Mamiko continued, "But Kon's talent is just average. His uncle also saw that Kon doesn't have much shinobi aptitude, so he wanted him to live a normal life." Torifu nodded again. That was good too. Although this was the shinobi world, not everyone could become a shinobi. Many people had little or no talent, and most of them would live ordinary lives. But living an ordinary life in Konoha Village wasn't bad. While in the original world, they might unknowingly be taken by Danzo and Orochimaru for experiments, that wouldn't happen in this world, especially with Torifu in Konoha.
"Sigh, but Kon stubbornly insists on becoming a shinobi. His uncle and I tried to persuade him for a long time, but he wouldn't listen. In the end, we had no choice but to send him to the Ninja Academy." Torifu then understood that this was why Auntie Kato was worried.
"Don't worry, Auntie Kato. If Kon can't keep up with the progress at school, you can send him here, and I'll teach him."
Mamiko's worries lessened somewhat after hearing this, but they didn't completely disappear. "If it truly doesn't work out, then I can only trouble you. I hope the child himself will also work hard."
Just as Torifu and Mamiko were chatting by the gate, a team of people with white headbands, carrying toolboxes, arrived at Torifu's doorstep. Torifu looked closely. Weren't these the craftsmen? And their apprentices.
"Hehe," the head craftsman said, "I heard your house exploded again, so I brought my apprentices. You probably need me, right?"
Torifu couldn't help but smile wryly. He hadn't even gone to find them, and they had just shown up after hearing the explosion. "Of course, of course, I was just about to head out to find you."
The craftsman gave a thumbs-up. "Don't worry, young Torifu, we'll restore it for you, no problem!"
Seeing the craftsmen's high spirits, Torifu cheered them on.
Mamiko had only come because she was worried about Torifu and Amado's safety. Since everything was fine now, she prepared to head home. Before leaving, she repeatedly warned Torifu not to engage in such dangerous activities again. Torifu also promised Mamiko there wouldn't be a next time. After all, Amado had already formulated the explosives, so he likely wouldn't conduct such high-risk experiments again. However, he said this to Mamiko with a smile; otherwise, if the craftsmen knew this large order might be their last, it would surely dampen their enthusiasm. After all, they had become quite accustomed to building Torifu's house, and now some newly constructed houses in the village even bore some resemblance to the Kumotsuru family's style.
With Amado and Snowflake at home, there shouldn't be any issues. Most of the craftsmen were ordinary people, while Amado had already studied ninjutsu for three years, and Snowflake had learned ninjutsu a year ago. So Torifu felt quite at ease leaving the house to them. Besides, all his valuables were stored in his ring, with almost nothing left outside except some clothes in the warehouse.
Torifu hadn't even left the compound yet, and one of his two objectives had already been achieved. So, he immediately headed towards the Uchiha clan compound. The Uchiha compound was still some distance from the Kumotsuru clan compound. Along the way, Torifu continued to greet villagers warmly. Occasionally, he would stop and chat with a few acquaintances. The pace of the entire village was perfectly to Torifu's comfort, neither rushed nor slow.
He walked and chatted like this, and it took about an hour for Torifu to reach the Uchiha clan compound. This was quite slow, but there was no helping it; he couldn't ignore the villagers' enthusiasm. Sometimes, Torifu couldn't quite understand it: after all these years, hadn't the villagers' enthusiasm waned at all?