[ Land of Fire, Keiichi City, Daimyo's Palace ]

In front of the gates leading to the palace of the Land of Fire's ruler, a huge crowd had gathered. At first glance, it might have looked like chaos, but in reality, no one was pushing or shoving. Everyone kept a respectful distance, and no one tried to get closer to the gates. Everyone in that crowd knew their place, and in this apparent mess of people, you could actually see a certain order.
And it's no wonder - everyone here was someone important. Just look at the people closest to the gates. These were the most famous figures in the Land of Fire after the Daimyo - the Semyo, the Daimyo's vassals. Each of them ruled one of the country's provinces, and on their own lands, they were gods and lords to everyone living there. Each one radiated an aura of power, wealth, and elegance. Even the fattest of the Semyo had his own unique charm. Only one person stood out among them - the Hokage.
Even though the Hokage only held the title of Semyo temporarily, and technically only ruled one village, none of the Semyo would dare disrespect him. Even the Daimyo himself - lord of all the land - couldn't afford to be too rude to his chief shinobi general.
The Hokage's clothes were simple compared to the flashy fabrics of the Semyo, which were adorned with gold and other precious metals. But as a man who'd survived three wars and was the most experienced shinobi in his village, everyone present could feel the Hokage's majestic, razor-sharp aura. Everyone knew that if the Hokage ever lost his mind, few here would survive, even with samurai nearby. And yet… even among the Semyo, there were a few bold enough to tease the Hokage:
"Old man, I thought you'd show up in a wheelchair this year. How's your heart holding up?" asked a young woman who couldn't have been more than twenty-five. [ image ]

"Mezumi-chan, thanks for your concern, but I think I'll outlive even your father. By the way, how's his health?" the Hokage replied indifferently. You could tell he'd rather not be here at all.
"His life is slowly fading, but he can still smile and play shogi… but let's change the subject, old man. Tell me, what's new in Konoha?" She waved her hand elegantly, ending her question.
Mezumi was the only child of the Daimyo's third son. After her father's sudden illness, she began actively managing the Kenami prefecture, just south of the capital's prefecture, Tobakuken. She'd always stood out for her beauty - people wrote songs about it - and her intelligence, praised by many famous teachers. But as it turned out, her gentle exterior was deceiving.
All the Baishin (feudal lords below the Semyo) were brought to heel within six months of her taking charge. Every year, the Daimyo praised her for the rapid economic growth of Obako, the main city of her prefecture. Of course, it still couldn't compare to Tanzaku, but at least Obako was no longer at the bottom of the list of developed cities.
Still, what made people truly admire her wasn't her mind or her skills as a ruler, but her beauty - worthy of representing the Land of Fire. Every year, major rulers from neighboring countries sent her lavish gifts, hoping to win her hand in marriage.
Unfortunately for them, the decision was entirely hers. Her father cherished her so much he wouldn't give her away against her will, and her grandfather, who'd had to marry off his only daughter during the war to keep the peace, didn't want the same fate for one of his favorite granddaughters.
"As always, Mezumi-chan, peace and quiet," the Hokage replied. Given his status and age, he could speak to her that way.
"Hmph, I knew I wouldn't get anything interesting out of you. Now, where's Grandpa's cousin…?" Mezumi scanned the crowd and suddenly smiled.
"Uncle Torio!" Waving, she started making her way through the crowd. Of course, no one dared block her path - everyone stepped aside respectfully, bowing their heads. Several attendants followed close behind, keeping a careful eye on everyone she passed.
"Oh, there you are. Uncle Torio, how are you?" Mezumi liked to play the sweet, kind girl, but her "uncle" knew her true nature.
"Oh, Mezumi-chan, I was hoping you'd leave me alone this year," he sighed, handing a book back to Homuri, who straightened up for a second and bowed again.
"Hehe, how could I? You look so pleased standing here, I couldn't just walk by. How's Auntie? The kids? The Hokage treating you well?" she asked, pressing her hands together.
"Everyone's fine, thanks for asking. Has your father's condition changed?" Torio asked with gentle concern.
"Alas…" For a few minutes, they chatted about family, and finally, Mezumi started asking the questions she'd really come for.
Even the smallest bit of information could be useful for her prefecture. For example, a couple of years ago, she learned from Torio that Konoha was planning to update the uniforms for ANBU, so she immediately sent dozens of letters to the Hokage with samples of the best fabrics from her lands. She managed to convince him, and became the supplier for the new uniforms, which were later used by jonin and chunin as well.
"Hmmm, the gold shipments from Suna have dropped, but that's not really useful for you… hmm, I don't know, Homuri, remind me what's been going on lately." What Torio valued most in his assistant was his memory - it had never failed him.
Homuri raised his head and thoughtfully stroked his chin.
"The Nara clan recently developed pills that increase chakra reserves. The effect is temporary, but after using them, a person is bedridden for several days. No one outside the clan knows the formula, but it definitely uses Limpin and Onero herbs. Also, they've started promoting new long-distance communication devices based on radio waves. This will improve coordination between team members, but as far as I know, the range is pretty limited. What else… Oh, Konoha is about to open the world's first art center."
"Art… center?" Mezumi had no idea what that was, so she started grilling him for details.
Homuri had no choice but to explain everything.
"I see, sounds interesting. You say it'll open in two months? Uncle, I'll definitely come visit."
"Oh, and my friend proposed a reform for shinobi retirement - brilliant idea, if you ask me."
Mezumi started asking about every little detail, and finally nodded in satisfaction.
"Very clever, I'd never have thought of that myself… And this friend of yours, sounds like an interesting person. What's his name?" She started wondering if she could lure him to her prefecture.
"Zoldyck Akira," Torio answered for Homuri.
"Oh, Uncle, I thought your memory was starting to fail in your old age, but you even remember the name of an ordinary person. I'm impressed." She fluttered her eyelashes in mock surprise.
"Ahem, actually, I have a very good memory - but it's selective, and only for important things." He straightened his shoulders and lifted his nose.
"Alright, I'll pretend to believe you. So… what were you reading so intently?"
Taking the book back from Homuri, he started to summarize the plot, but before he got halfway through, the book vanished from his hands.
"Enough, don't spoil it - I'm intrigued, I want to read it myself." She took the book as if it belonged to her and ignored Torio's annoyed look.
"Sorry to interrupt, but my friend wrote that book too," Homuri said. His logic was simple: he and Akira were on good terms, and if by some miracle the big feudal lords wanted to get close to him, he'd benefit too.
"Really?" She raised an eyebrow and opened the book. "So he's a writer? That explains the unusual ideas."
"Oh, Akira is quite the celebrity in our village. Wherever he goes, people notice him." The real reason was his looks, but Homuri honestly believed what he was saying. "He's also a bit of an artist, and lives off his restaurant."
Mezumi wanted to know more about the restaurant, but suddenly the bells rang.
"Well, Uncle, it was nice seeing you. Thanks for the book - I'm off."
After a lavish lunch and the first round of gift-giving and congratulations from the closest relatives, the other feudal lords began arriving in the palace's main hall.
From her seat at the table, Mezumi watched the whole ceremony, and didn't miss her grandfather's delight at seeing his own portrait in such an unusual style.
"Z.A." - only the first letters of the artist's name and surname were used as a signature, so the Daimyo asked out of curiosity who had painted it.
Mezumi's eyes lit up when she heard the now-familiar name.
"Very good… Nekorin," she said to her personal attendant, who always accompanied and protected her.
"Yes, my lady?" The attendant leaned in.
"Find out everything you can about this… Akira. See if he can be persuaded to come work for us."
****
"Achoo." He couldn't hold back a sneeze as he threw the shuriken, and missed.
"Oh, so close! Want to try again?" the man behind the counter asked, unable to hide his happy grin.
"Ah, damn it… fine." For the fifteenth time, he pulled out fifty ryo and slapped it on the table, taking another shuriken with dulled edges.
The first two throws always hit the target dead center. But popping the third balloon was impossible, all because of the fan that sent the balloon bouncing unpredictably. The last throw was all about timing and luck.
"Now!" At the sound of the pop, he started jumping like a happy kid.
"Haha, well done! I'm impressed - you can pick any prize you want." The man waved at the plush toys.
"Here, take this - it's for you." I handed her a yellow plush bunny.
"For me? Why?" Itachi looked away.
"If it weren't for your tips about throwing, I'd have been tossing shuriken there for days. I had fun, and you get a little thank-you gift for your help. Fair's fair." I held out the bunny to her.
"But… thank you." She took it, but not knowing what to do with it, just hugged it to her side with one arm. It was huge - not exactly convenient to carry around, but hey, that's what storage scrolls are for, right?
Those five days in Tanzaku flew by. I didn't think I'd get all my business done so quickly. Saiko surprised me - the very next day, she found me at the hotel and immediately took me to see the perfect spot for the restaurant. And it really was perfect - five minutes from the center, right on the main street, and no demolition needed, since the place for sale was a café that couldn't keep up with rent and competition. According to Saiko, the story was a bit shady, but the fact remained - it was ideal for me. All it needed was some renovation and a little work on the interior and facade.
Unlike my restaurant, this building was single-story, but the total area was the same, so I had no complaints. The only downside: no room for an outdoor Code Playground, but nothing stopped me from setting up a kids' area inside, with soft mats and toys. If I tried, I could probably fit a slide in there, maybe even a rope for climbing or swinging. Saiko promised three, maybe four weeks to get it all done, and in that time she'd also find staff and a manager for the branch. I couldn't come to Tanzaku every week, so I'd have to check this person's trustworthiness very carefully - maybe even hire a team in Konoha to investigate my future manager.
Besides meetings with the architect and construction crew, I made sure to have a little fun too.
What was Tanzaku famous for? Well… as far as sights go, there was an old temple on the edge of town, and in the center, a castle in the old style - or rather, a reconstruction, since the original was damaged in the First Shinobi World War. But that kind of tourism didn't interest me much. The restaurants and cafés, though, with dishes from all over the world… those I couldn't miss. The Wind Country restaurants were especially interesting - their food was a lot like Mexican cuisine.
I didn't skip the gambling joints, either. I'd never played those kinds of games before - in my country, it was hard to find places like that unless you went online. So, I was about as good a gambler as Tsunade… or maybe my isekai luck just didn't work for such lowly things. But my ten thousand ryo losses were easily won back by Itachi at the slot machines.
She'd never played before either, but after some coaxing, she agreed to spend her five hundred ryo. You could win by getting the right combinations on the reels, which spun at crazy speed, so it was more about luck than reflexes. But Itachi… she's something else. I'd even say she's a little weird. Have you ever seen someone use Sharingan to fry an egg? I couldn't have imagined it, but Itachi managed to surprise me.
Sometimes I think in the anime, he started losing his eyesight not because of the Mangekyo, but from overusing the regular Sharingan. She didn't hesitate to use her special eyes at the slot machines, at least until security noticed and kicked us out.
I didn't say anything about her bad habit of using her magic eyes for everything, even when it wasn't needed. But on the fourth night, when I woke up to pee and went to the kitchen for some water, my heart nearly stopped when I saw a pair of blood-red eyes in the darkness. When I turned on the light, I saw it was just Itachi having a midnight snack.
That's when I finally said my piece, explaining what seemed obvious to me:
"Itachi, I'm not the one to teach you how to use your dōjutsu, but eyes aren't muscles - they don't get stronger with overuse. In fact, overusing them can make your vision worse, and it might not recover. I'd understand if using them a lot made them stronger, but that's not the case, right?"
I don't know if my words had any effect, but after that, she tried to use them less around me. Only when someone on the street tried to talk to me did I catch a glimpse of her eyes flashing for a second.
As much as I wanted to stay in Tanzaku longer - I really did feel more relaxed here than in Konoha - it was time to head back. I had no more reasons to stay, so the next day, we took a cart toward the village. The driver wasn't going all the way to Konoha - he planned to turn off the main road to a small village where he lived. But from there, it was only about thirteen hours to the Hidden Leaf. That evening, just like at the start of our journey, we decided to camp in the forest one last time. By lunchtime the next day, we'd be at the village gates.
Of course, I was out of sausages - and even if I hadn't been, they'd have spoiled by now. But we bought some chicken fillet from a merchant heading to a nearby village, plus some veggies. So tonight, we had a little meat and some grilled vegetables - potatoes and eggplants, mostly.
"Tyav-tyavk." I heard a familiar yipping from behind the trees.
"Oh, our old friends have sniffed us out," I said to Itachi with a smile. She turned her head toward the sound, and a few seconds later, a white snout appeared. She recognized us, but didn't hurry over.
"Come on, I'll feed you a little, but don't get greedy with your buddy like last time - we don't have much food." I waved my hand, calling the fox over.
Hearing a yip in response, I couldn't help but laugh, but when I saw the little fox limping toward us, my good mood vanished.
Yeah, the little fox looked rough, and not just because he was struggling to walk on three legs. Some patches of fur were missing, claw marks visible, and there was even blood on the back of his legs.
"Here, eat up, don't be shy. Where's your friend?" I asked, not expecting an answer, but as the fox started eating, he whimpered softly.
"I see…" I sighed. No matter how peaceful this forest looked, nature's laws still ruled here - only the strongest or smartest survive. The red fox always seemed more cautious to me than this one. Who knows what really happened to them.
"Itachi, can you patch him up?" I asked. She looked surprised for a second, but then quickly nodded and pulled out some bandages.
"Come on, don't be scared - this lovely lady's going to help you." The fox was more afraid of Itachi than me, but as long as I kept petting him, he didn't try to run.
A few minutes later, a stick was splinted to his front leg, and the fox started testing it out, yipping happily. He even got brave enough to approach Itachi and lick her hand a couple of times.
"There you go. Be more careful in the future - the forest is dangerous, and people are even worse. Don't go near them if you can help it. Your fur is worth a lot to some folks."
"Tyav-tyavk." The fox bared his teeth and playfully nipped my finger.
"Haha, yeah, I get it - you can take care of yourself. Smart little fox. Now you've eaten, you can go home or stay by the fire."
The fox looked thoughtfully at the forest and the fire, then wagged his tail a few times and settled down next to me. [ image ]

****
"Pretty girl, are you sure you want to come with us?" I asked the fox, who'd made herself comfortable in my arms.
"Tyav-tyavk." She stretched her head up and licked my cheek.
Man… I never thought the first thing I'd see when I woke up would be this little fox, curled up next to me in the tent. As Itachi told me, it was a female - not that it really mattered when I was trying to decide what to do about her following us everywhere.
What's the saying? "You become responsible, forever, for what you've tamed." But I didn't tame her! And since when do wild animals act like house pets?
"You said you didn't even have a cat - why not a fox?" Itachi asked me then.
Honestly, considering how smart this little vixen was, I didn't really mind taking her in. Still, it felt a little weird - a cat? Sure. A dog? Maybe. But a fox? In the end, after a bit of thought, I just shrugged and decided to bring her along. Aika - that's what I decided to name her - seemed totally on board.
And that's how we made it back to Konoha by lunchtime. I hope Itachi enjoyed her time with me - I, for one, had plenty to do with shadow clones and my business, plus I'd found myself a new companion at home. All in all, this "trip" did me a world of good.
***
[ Keishi (Keiichi) ]

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