Chapter 247 – The Mermaid-Rescue Experience
"It's fine. Go handle your work—we're just buying a few things and won't be long."
Fugaku waved dismissively, sending Uchiha Shimei off.
Shimei bowed deeply and left at once. His admiration for Fugaku bordered on reverence; whatever Fugaku said, he followed without hesitation. Even his own father, Uchiha Sihu—the Hokage Advisor—didn't hold as much sway in his heart.
Once Shimei was gone, Fugaku turned to his wife.
"Alright, Mikoto. What do you want to buy first?"
Mikoto thought for a moment, then her eyes brightened as she noticed a sign near the stairway.
"Husband, let's check out the second floor. There's a children's playground up there—there should be toy shops too."
"No problem. Wherever you want to go, we go."
Fugaku nodded, following her up the stairs.
Escalators weren't yet available in the shinobi world, so Akihabara still relied on ordinary staircases. It looked slightly less impressive, but Orochimaru's research team had assured Fugaku that working escalators would be ready by the end of the month—they simply needed time to forge a few precise parts.
The couple explored the second floor first, then moved to the third. After picking up a few specialty foods upstairs, they returned to the toy stores and bought everything Mikoto liked.
The purchases were immediately sealed into storage scrolls—no bags, no hassle. Perfectly convenient… well, at least for ninja who could use chakra.
Mikoto then pulled Fugaku down to the first floor, where she browsed multiple children's clothing shops, carefully selecting outfits in every size.
"This way," she said, "no child at the orphanage has to wear something that doesn't fit."
Fugaku admired her thoughtfulness—but even with storage scrolls, following her around was exhausting.
Not physically, but mentally.
Endlessly browsing shops was a true endurance challenge.
Still, he persevered until Mikoto finally finished.
The couple had entered Akihabara empty-handed, and fifty minutes later, walked out just as empty-handed—storage scrolls doing all the heavy lifting.
Since Konoha lacked things like parking garages, the two simply exited through the main entrance and headed toward the orphanage.
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The Orphanage Garden
The orphanage lay in a quiet corner of the village. By the time they arrived, it was already past 5:40—just as Mikoto had estimated.
At the small garden in front, Itachi was waiting with Naruto and Sasuke.
"Auntie! Uncle! You're finally here! We've been waiting forever!"
Naruto called out, spotting them immediately. He ran straight over, eyes shining.
Mikoto laughed, taking his small hand.
"Alright, Naruto, let's go. We're eating at Nonō-Auntie's house tonight. There'll be all kinds of delicious food."
Naruto's mouth watered instantly.
Sasuke didn't take his mother's other hand—he had already hopped onto Itachi's back and was clinging to him like a happy koala. Itachi, ever indulgent, adjusted his grip and carried him easily.
Sasuke beamed, while Naruto practically vibrated with anticipation at Mikoto's mention of food.
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On the Way to Nonō's House
"Brother," Sasuke asked from Itachi's back, "do you know this Nonō-Auntie Mom mentioned?"
He remembered Mikoto mentioning that Nonō had once been Itachi's teammate during missions outside the village. Those were the days when Itachi sometimes didn't come home, leaving Sasuke lonely—and annoyed by how often Naruto showed up.
Itachi nodded.
"Yes. My first mission outside the village was with Yakushi Nonō—to the Hidden Mist Village. That's when we brought Kisame back."
Sasuke perked up immediately.
"So Kisame-Brother wasn't originally from Konoha? He was a Mist shinobi?"
Naruto, who had been thinking only of food, spun around at the mention.
"Itachi-aniki! Shark-Aniki is from the Hidden Mist Village?!"
Itachi smiled calmly.
"Yes. Don't you think Kisame looks like a merman?"
Both boys exchanged a look and nodded vigorously.
With Kisame's shark-like skin, gills, and the massive sword on his back, it made perfect sense. He had even shown them Samehada and explained—very selectively—its origins. The kids only knew that Samehada had once lived near the Three-Tails, absorbing chakra until it evolved into a sentient blade.
Kisame conveniently left out the part where the Mist Village weaponized it.
So neither Naruto nor Sasuke had realized Kisame was originally a Mist shinobi until now.
Naruto's eyes lit up again.
"Is the Hidden Mist Village fun?"
He remembered hearing during their last trip—when they toured the Land of Hot Springs—that the Land of Water lay across the sea. But Uncle didn't take them that far; after the hot springs, they had just gone home. Ever since then, Naruto had been curious.
Before Itachi could answer, Sasuke crossed his arms.
"Idiot. Ni-san went there for a mission, not to play. How would he know if it's fun?"
Naruto pouted.
"How do you know Itachi-aniki didn't play a little…"
Itachi chuckled softly.
"The Hidden Mist Village is the shinobi village of the Land of Water. The country is made up of many islands surrounded entirely by the sea."
The two boys listened with wide eyes, hanging on every word.
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