Smoke curled through the Hokage's office like a little cloud. If that was not an immortal realm, what was it? Maybe a spirit vein lay under the building. (Who knows.)
Hiko had no idea his teacher had already gone to report on him. Whether the Third would put him on the priority list remained unknown.
"Broken again..."
He yanked kunai from the targets and frowned at the cracks. Training like this burned money.
His regimen kept ramping up. School was off today, perfect for practice, yet his gear gave out.
Looks like early graduation is a must.
He tossed the ruined kunai aside and splashed his face in the stream. Cold water felt good.
Today was meant for kunai and shuriken. With half the kunai ruined and shuriken rarely worth retrieving, he had to call it.
Sulking would not fix anything. Better to plan.
"Fine. I will hit the clan shrine and pick two suitable jutsu."
Basics mattered. Ninjutsu mattered even more. If a shinobi kept failing to cast a jutsu, that was tragedy. Taking forever to learn one was even worse.
He packed up and headed for the Uchiha district.
Crowds flowed along Konoha's streets. Hiko watched and felt the village's strength.
Population mattered. The Land of Fire was rich and dense. Among the Five Great Villages, Konoha was the strongest and most prosperous.
Clans were many, but clan ninja were a minority. The village stood on the backs of civilian shinobi. Clans were beams. The base was the crowd.
Fewer people meant fewer ninja. Look at poor Sunagakure. Harsh land, thin population, and the smallest force among the five.
For the first time since crossing over, Hiko let himself stroll, observing as one of them.
Even after war, Konoha recovered fast. Even the militarized Hidden Stone could not match that.
"Two skewers, please."
He paid, ate, and walked. The jutsu he wanted was already in mind. Just grab the scrolls and go.
"Huh..."
His hand stalled mid-bite. In the crowd he spotted a tiny girl with twin pigtails, a bulging pouch on her back. She slunk along like a thief, eyes darting.
Guilty conscience.
A certain princess was up to no good again. Was that pouch full of cash? The Senju really were loaded.
The sneaky girl was Tsunade. Hiko barely held in a laugh.
"Ahem."
He closed in, put on a deeper voice, and rumbled, "Gambling again."
"..."
Tsunade froze. The money pouch slipped from her hands and hit the street. Hiko's eyes flashed. So many colorful bills.
Princess money, all right. The source looked questionable. One glance at her guilty face said enough.
"Uchi..."
She had just filched cash from home and was heading for a gambling den. She thought a clan elder had caught her. Heart in her throat, she lifted her head and saw Hiko.
You jerk. You scared me half to death.
She puffed up, ready to scold him, then swallowed the words.
This was a busy street. If she made a scene, she would be confessing. If a Senju found her, she would be dragged home by the ear.
Hiko smiled, chewing his skewer, the picture of please continue. Tsunade ground her teeth, scooped up the pouch, and hugged it tight.
Too many people knew her face. If they saw that much cash, the rumor would spread in minutes.
"What do you want?" she hissed, forcing her temper down.
Hiko pointed with the bamboo stick toward the gambling house and grinned.
"That way is a casino, Princess Tsunade. Planning to help mop the floors? Or grab... mmmph."
"Shh!"
Flustered, she clapped a hand over his mouth and pressed close, cheeks pink with guilt. Getting caught gambling was one thing. Getting caught stealing to gamble would ruin her.
"Ptoo, ptoo, ptoo!"
Hiko peeled her hand away and scowled.
"What is that smell. Did you not wash your hands?"
For someone slightly fussy, this was a critical hit. His appetite vanished.
Uh oh. He is actually mad.
It was the first time she had seen him black-faced.
Not my fault. Those geezers hide money everywhere. I had to search, and there was dust.
"But..."
Hiko stood there with a skewer in one hand and a storm over his head. Tsunade's chest fluttered. If he snitched, the money was nothing. The shame would be everything.
"Huff..."
He wiped his mouth and sighed.
"My little auntie, could you at least wash your hands first? Does gambling erase hygiene now? And that money is lifted, right?"
"Impossible!"
She puffed up again, still not noticing she was half-hanging on him. "I am Tsunade. I would never do that. Hmph."
"Oh, really?" Hiko's smile tilted. The look alone made her stomach drop. "Then..."
"Do not!"
Panic flared. She slapped a hand over his mouth again. If he shouted here, a dozen people would turn their heads. A Senju could appear any second.
"Ptoo, ptoo, ptoo!"
Strike two. The same dusty smell. Hiko gagged.
"Enough. Back up. Farther."
He surrendered, hands raised.
"I did not see anything. Continue. Gamble if you want. Swipe if you want. I saw nothing."
The hand on his mouth had felt like a sock that had not seen water in weeks. He tossed the half-eaten skewer in a bin and started home. Whatever she did next was not his problem.
"Uh..."
He did not explode. He pushed her away with a grimace and left. That threw her.
But his words kept echoing in her head.
What if he tells.
She could not let him. Gambling could wait.
"Uchiha Hiko, stop!"
She grabbed the pouch and sprinted after him.