Chapter 248 — Orphanage
The Hidden Mist Village sits on one of the many remote islands scattered across the Land of Water. Nestled deep within the mountains and shrouded almost year-round in thick fog, the village remains naturally isolated from the outside world.
"There are actually a lot of beautiful places on the island," Itachi explained, his tone gentle as always. "But because of the mist, you can only see them at certain times."
"Whoa—so there really are mermaids!?"
Naruto's eyes widened in awe as he listened.
Itachi nodded lightly, the corners of his mouth lifting into a soft smile.
Sasuke frowned at Naruto. "Can you stop interrupting? Let Ni-san finish his story."
Naruto ignored him completely and leaned forward eagerly.
"Then what happened? After you and Yakushi Nonou-auntie rescued the mermaid from the pirates—what happened next, Itachi-aniki?"
Itachi chuckled quietly.
"We drove off the pirates and saved her. She was young and truly beautiful—very much like the mermaids described in old legends. Luckily, we arrived in time. She hadn't been harmed."
"Was the mermaid a boy or a girl?"
Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
Sasuke sighed. "Are you stupid? Ni-san just said she was beautiful. Obviously she was a girl."
Naruto puffed up immediately. "Of course I knew that! I was just testing you!"
Sasuke gave him a look of pure disbelief but didn't bother responding.
Crossing his arms, Naruto nodded sagely to himself. "Yes, yes… You passed the test, Sasuke. You're not an idiot after all."
Sasuke's mouth twitched. He let it go.
Resting his head against Itachi's shoulder, Sasuke asked, "Ni-san, what happened to the mermaid afterward? Did you let her go?"
"We did," Itachi said.
"She was fortunate to meet you," Sasuke murmured admiringly. "Otherwise she would've been in real danger."
Naruto opened his mouth to ask another question—but Itachi spoke first.
"We're here. Remember to greet people properly."
Naruto immediately perked up and ran to Mikoto's side, peeking eagerly past her.
After hearing so much about her, he was curious to finally see this "Yakushi Nonou-auntie."
As soon as they stepped through the orphanage gate, the scene was bustling. Several large pots simmered in the yard, and long tables were set up. Over a dozen children were helping with preparation—washing vegetables, chopping ingredients, stirring pots. Not a single one was idle.
Naruto scanned the area until his eyes landed on a woman with long, flowing hair. She seemed close to Mikoto's age—beautiful, though not quite as breathtaking as Mikoto in his heart.
If judged by Naruto, Mikoto-auntie was obviously the most beautiful woman in the entire world.
"Hello, Nonou. We're here," Mikoto greeted warmly.
Yakushi Nonou looked up, pleasantly surprised. She quickly handed the spatula to a girl nearby and hurried over, face filled with joy.
"Hokage-sama, everyone—welcome! Welcome to our humble orphanage!"
Then, a little embarrassed, she added, "The food isn't ready yet… please sit for now. It'll be done soon."
Nonou led Fugaku, Mikoto, and the others inside. The children paused in their work, sneaking curious glances. Being orphans, they were far more observant than other kids their age.
The moment they recognized Fugaku, their eyes filled with respect.
When they saw Mikoto beside him, their eyes brightened even further.
It's that gentle big sister from yesterday!
Mikoto caught their looks and smiled warmly. She pulled out a storage scroll and began taking things out one after another.
In moments, toys, snacks, and clothes formed a small pile on the ground.
"Kabuto," she called gently when she spotted the well-behaved white-haired boy from the day before. "Can you help distribute these?"
Kabuto hesitated and glanced at Nonou first. He wouldn't act without her approval. She had always taught them not to accept things casually.
Nonou sighed helplessly at the pile.
"Mikoto, really… coming for dinner and still bringing so many things. This is far too much."
"It's nothing," Mikoto insisted. "Just some clothes, snacks, and toys. Let the children help distribute them."
But after a moment, she realized all the children were busy cooking.
"Actually, I'll put them in a room first. You can distribute them later when things calm down."
Nonou didn't argue further. "Kabuto has a storage scroll too. Let him handle it."
With permission granted, Kabuto put down his cleaver and hurried inside. He returned with a storage scroll identical to Mikoto's.
Storage scrolls weren't uncommon—any normal ninja household usually had several. And Kabuto, who had once been a spy, owning one was hardly strange.
Mikoto simply smiled and followed Fugaku inside after Nonou.
Naruto stayed behind, staring at the pile of gifts with wide eyes.
He was determined to see what Mikoto-auntie had bought.
Itachi, carrying Sasuke on his back, walked past him.
"Let's go," Sasuke reminded. "Naruto."
"Mm!" Naruto nodded—but didn't move an inch.
Instead, he watched Kabuto, who was taller than him, swiftly seal the mountain of items into the storage scroll with practiced ease.
Naruto couldn't help feeling envious.
This was the first time he truly understood how convenient storage scrolls were.
Suddenly, he remembered something from their last trip—the impossibly large number of items they'd carried. At the time, he'd thought they'd been stuffed into the carriage by Ryoichi-uncle.
Now he finally realized:
So that's what a storage scroll is…
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