The next day, right around lunchtime, I was woken up by a pretty energetic knock at the door.
I wasn't expecting visitors this early, I opened up and found Naruko grinning from ear to ear.
"Akira-san, how's it going?"
"Naruko?" I asked, trying to stifle a yawn. "Shouldn't you be at the academy?"
"Huh? It's Sunday, we've got the day off," she announced, looking very pleased with herself.
"Really? I haven't exactly been keeping track of the days. Want to come in?"
"Yeah!" For some reason, She threw her fists up in excitement as she said it.
I think Naruko had started to see me as a kind of friend - she was so chatty while I put the kettle on.
What does a young girl talk about? The academy, funny stories, her pranks, and all the other "idiots" in her life.
"...But I almost beat Sasuke-chan!"
"Wait - Sasuke's a girl?" I nearly spat out my tea.
"Yep. Weird name, right? It'd suit a boy way better."
"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black..."
"You two aren't friends?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around this new reality.
"Friends? Are you kidding? She's a total diva! Ignores everyone and acts like she owns the place..."
"Maybe she's just lonely, or shy about making friends," I shrugged.
"Pfft, she doesn't need friends - that's what she told me, anyway. And besides..." She kept going, and wow, she could really talk for hours. I guess Naruto was just the same in the original.
"By the way, you promised me a present," she suddenly said, changing her tone.
"Oh, right... Well, it won't be ready for at least a week."
"Really? Yay! What is it?"
"That's a secret. You'll find out when the time comes."
"Come on, at least give me a hint! I won't be able to sleep," she started stomping around the kitchen.
"You're a shinobi - learn some patience. You'll need it."
"Ugh, dattebayo," she agreed.
"Better don't stress over it.. Just focus on your studies - didn't you say you've got midterms in a month?"
"Ugh, don't remind me," she groaned, waving me off.
"What's wrong? Bad grades?"
"Well... I don't really get the material," she admitted. "But that doesn't mean I'm stupid! It's just... I don't get good explanations, or rather, Iruka-sensei doesn't explain things well."
"What's so hard about it? History, geography, math, geometry, Japanese, calligraphy... those are all pretty basic subjects."
"No way, math is impossible. And why do I even need it in a fight?"
"In a fight? I don't know, but when you're buying groceries, if you don't know basic math, you'll never know if you got short-changed."
"So what? They don't sell me anything anyway..."
"What do you mean?" I was confused - she wasn't a total orphan anymore.
"Well... the shopkeepers don't like me. Sometimes they call me names. It's not my fault I've got these weird whiskers on my cheeks."
"Weird? I think they look pretty cute."
"Really?" she asked, a mix of disbelief and surprise on her face.
"Swear to God," I said, raising my hand. "And Kushina-san doesn't..."
"Hit them? Haha, every time, but it still hurts." Yeah, Naruto went through way worse in the original. I'm still amazed he never lost faith in people.
"Don't worry, people are stupid. One day, they'll realize you're kind, Naruko. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." I couldn't help but ruffle her hair.
"Mmm," Naruko blushed, soaking up the unfamiliar but welcome affection. "Alright! Big brother Akira, I've got to go train. I need to get stronger and surpass everyone so I can become Hokage. See you!" She jumped up and ran out, trying to hide the tears starting to well up in her eyes.
For Naruko, it was one thing to hear that from her mom - every mom tells her daughter nice things, and she knew that. But hearing it from someone else made her heart feel warm in a way she hadn't expected.
At that moment, in her own apartment, Kushina wiped a sealing tag off the wall with a chakra-charged finger and brushed away a tear with her other hand.
"Thank you, Akira. You're a good person."
****
After lunch, I realized I had nothing to do. Sure, I could go train somewhere, but first I wanted to finish the whole restaurant thing. Plus, Danzo was watching - I was sure of it. Best not to attract attention for now. I figured the fact that a new neighbor had moved in next to the jinchuriki was already common knowledge, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone from Root was tailing me. So, I did what I do best - killed time.
That lasted until Tuesday, to be exact. Someone slipped a letter under my door, inviting me to dinner at one of the Akimichi clan's restaurants to discuss a business proposal about buying property.
For the meeting, I put on my best clothes - a dark red kimono I'd sworn never to wear for casual walks because it drew way too much attention from the locals.
I arrived at the restaurant five minutes early, and wasn't hard to spot the blond guy keeping an eye on me.
"You must be Ryuumaru-san," I said, bowing my head respectfully. He returned the gesture and invited me to sit.
Business here, I realized, was handled after the meal, over a cup of tea. So, putting my curiosity aside, I ate and made small talk about the weather and my impressions of the village.
Half an hour later, the teacups were set aside.
"Well, Akira-san, I'll get straight to the point. We're ready to sell you the land you were interested in."
"So it's a matter of price."
"Exactly. Look over this contract, and if you're satisfied with the price the clan set, all the paperwork can be finalized tomorrow."
I skimmed the contract - just a standard land sale agreement, no fine print, and the price was fair. I pulled out my pen and signed both copies, one for Yamanaka and one for me.
"Well then, it was a pleasure meeting you," he said, leaving first. I sat a bit longer, ordered another cup of tea, and left after a while.
Thanks, Ino. I doubt I'd have gotten that land so easily under normal circumstances.
I wandered home, weaving through the streets and getting to know the area, when I realized something was off.
Two shady-looking guys were standing at the end of the alley. When I glanced back, I saw another one, bigger than the rest.
Maybe it was just a coincidence, but I decided to stay alert.
As I got closer to the two thugs, I could tell from their faces that trouble was brewing. And let's be real - I don't think they pulled out those knives to sell them to me.
"Well, aren't we lucky today, Imura? Look at this rich guy - never seen a day of trouble in his life, makes you sick..."
"Yeah, Royko, we're busting our asses at two jobs, and these guys... pfft." The other guy spat on the ground.
"Gentlemen, I take it you're in a tough spot financially, so you've decided to collect money from the locals?"
"Heh, I like smart people," came a deep voice from behind. "If you value your health, hand over all your money - now."
These three were just your average drunks, working odd jobs here and there. In all their time in Konoha, they'd figured out exactly what they could get away with and where. They only pulled this kind of stunt once a week, tops - any more and they'd attract too much attention. They mostly targeted people who looked rich but could be easily intimidated, and they'd spotted me leaving the Akimichi clan's fancy restaurant. I didn't look like a fighter, or a merchant from another town, so they figured I was just some spoiled kid with rich parents.
"If you ask me, there are plenty of more honest ways to make a living - and a lot less risky, too."
"We didn't ask you. Now hand over your money, or we'll leave you with a few extra holes and broken bones."
"Hmm," I pretended to think.
These three were pros - their targets usually either called for help or froze in fear. Sometimes people tried to fight back, but that ended fast once the knives came out.
"Here you go, gentlemen. Nothing's worth more than your life." I pulled a fat wallet from my inner pocket and tossed it to the guy in front. "There's twenty thousand ryo in there."
While the three of them stood there, stunned, trying to figure out how much fun they could have with that kind of cash, I slipped past and disappeared into another alley.
Why didn't I just take them out right there? Simple - I chickened out. Sure, I'd done some boxing in my past life, but fighting a guy with a knife is a whole different story, especially when you're outnumbered. If it had just been one or two guys, and they weren't bigger than me, maybe I'd have risked it - if they didn't have knives. But they did, and there were three of them. I value my life, so my pride can take a little hit.
Are shinobi really that much stronger than regular people? Try fighting a thug when your only boxing experience is from YouTube videos - you'll see reality is nothing like what you imagine. I had no idea how to use chakra properly, it wasn't second nature yet. If I closed my eyes and tried to focus chakra in my limbs, I'd end up with a few extra holes in me before I even finished.
So, after a quick analysis, I decided to act like any regular villager - whine a little and hand over my money. Luckily, I never carried large sums when I left home, and today's meeting didn't require immediate payment - that would only happen when the property documents were handed over.
After wandering for another forty minutes, I finally reached the two-story building with the sign: "Konoha Military Police" and the Uchiha fan symbol.
The station was on Uchiha clan territory, and to my surprise, they let me in without a word as soon as I said I was just going to the station. [ image ]

I'd never been inside a police station before, but I had a general idea of what to expect. This was a little different. There was a reception desk with a young guy behind it, a big hall with a few couches, and a couple of coffee tables. Honestly, it looked more like a place to get car insurance than to detain criminals.
"Hello, are you looking for someone?" the guy asked, standing up with a polite smile.
"Good evening. Not anyone in particular. I'd like to file a report - I was robbed and threatened with murder."
"What? Uh... alright, I'll take you to the supervisor."
Apparently, the officer was surprised too. Turns out, people here didn't usually file reports - if something happened, they'd just flag down the nearest cop, who'd settle things with his fists and the Will of Fire. That's what the officer explained, though in slightly different words.
"So, you don't take written reports for crimes?"
"Hmph, well, we do, but this is a first for me."
"I see... do you have any paper?" He found some A4 sheets, and with the pen he handed me, I started drafting a report, which I thought looked pretty good.
I wrote down who I was, where I lived, where the crime happened (I remembered the house numbers), the time, descriptions of the guys (by name), what they threatened me with, how much they took, and signed at the end.
The officer, who'd been watching me with interest the whole time, took the paper and started reading.
"With all due respect, Akira-san, it'll be tough to find them quickly. Usually, people just go straight to the nearest officer."
"I can also sketch their faces." Judging by his face, he didn't think that would help much, but he gave me some paper anyway.
Half an hour later, I handed back the sketches, and the officer stared in shock at the clear likenesses.
"Well, I think it won't be too hard to find my recent troublemakers now," I said, satisfied. I didn't have a Sharingan, but ten to thirty seconds was plenty to memorize someone's main features.
"Konoha Police will do everything we can," the officer said, bowing slightly and walking me to the door.
He immediately called over two other officers, gave them orders to handle the case, and handed out copies of the sketches.
And what was he supposed to do with this report? Just file it with the rest of the paperwork? Reading it over again, he couldn't help but think how much easier things would be if people always came in with neat, written statements like this, instead of waving their arms and shouting in the street.
Maybe he should bring it up with the chief - and the chief of the station was the clan head...
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Thank you so much for the power stones! I really appreciate the support!