Shuji is a ninja.
Itachi is also a ninja.
"Uchiha… Itachi?"
Shuji looked at the boy before him, dressed in a dark-blue short-sleeve shirt and shorts… "boy" didn't feel right; he was more a child.
At eight years old, his round cheeks still carried babyish plumpness, but his jet-black eyes were like a deep pool—showing none of the liveliness or innocence expected of a child.
"Yes, Senior Shuji." The child answered quietly.
Though he had occupied this body for half a month and mastered all the necessary skills, Shuji—only fourteen but already a veteran ninja—had accepted fighting for years. Yet he wasn't mentally prepared to lead a child into combat. Even if this child was Uchiha Itachi.
He showed no surprise, merely produced the mission scroll. Just as he was about to explain the assignment, a sweet fragrance drifted to his nose.
It was nine in the morning. A few sparrows hopped along the eaves, chirping crisply. Fresh air lifted the spirits; the sunlight was warm.
Shuji followed the scent to a wagashi shop—a sweets store. The diligent shopkeeper had opened early and was making mochi dumplings.
"Uchiha—cough—I'll just call you Itachi." Shuji's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
"All right, Senior." Itachi responded softly.
"Want something to eat?"
Itachi finally looked up, surprise flickering in his eyes as he followed Shuji's gaze. Sweets… dumplings…
"About the dumplings… Senior Shuji, the mission—"
"Mochi just made is the best. And breakfast this morning barely filled me… It's early; eating more won't hurt…"
A senior chunin led the mission; once he decided, Itachi wouldn't oppose.
So he followed Shuji into the shop. They sat down; Shuji ordered four skewers of three-color mochi dumplings and two cups of tea to wash down the sweetness.
The three-color dumplings rested on a pale-green saucer, emitting warm, sweet fragrance. The glistening rice dumplings—pink cherry-blossom flavor, green matcha, and white plain—lined up neatly, sprinkled with sugar crystals that sparkled invitingly in the sunlight.
Shuji rinsed his mouth with tea and set down his cup, only to find two skewers of dumplings gone.
He blinked, convinced he had not imagined it, then looked at Itachi—whose pale cheeks were slightly puffed, sugar dusting at the corner of his mouth. Normally impassive eyes narrowed slightly, reflecting the smug satisfaction of a cat that snagged a fish.
"Boss, two more skewers, please." Shuji couldn't help smiling as he pushed the remaining dumplings toward Itachi.
Itachi's cheeks flushed faintly, but his slender fingers reached out without hesitation. Sunlight through the window cast mottled patterns across the wooden table between them.
Dumplings sweet and chewy.
Another sip of tea—perfect.
Shuji exhaled happily.
Itachi set down his cup with contentment.
Shuji unrolled the mission scroll. "This task is to eliminate bandits. No portraits exist—only that they originally raided the border of the River Country. When pursued there, they crossed into the Fire Country."
"The Daimyō's mansion received word. When soldiers were dispatched, they fled to the Rain Country."
"Just as neither side planned further action, the bandits reappeared on the River Country border, so the River Country entrusted the mission to our village."
"Intelligence transferred from the River Country indicates no ninja among them."
"Yet they evaded every pursuit with sharp instincts, without any losses."
"Their numbers total fifteen to twenty."
"Because no ninja combat is expected, this is a C-rank mission. Considering their numbers, the reward is fifty thousand ryō."
After summarizing the mission, Shuji pushed the scroll to Itachi so he could read it too.
"Though it's a temporary pairing, I should introduce my abilities. I specialize in ninjutsu—both range and power. You won't need to worry about combat on this mission."
The original Shuji had served on a border patrol team and, during a previous mission, encountered a large Cloud Village force. Two teammates died; he was gravely wounded but escaped with intelligence and was sent back to Konoha for treatment. Waking up, he was no longer the original Shuji but this new occupant.
He neither worried about body-snatching nor awakening memories. He simply retained the fourteen years of Shuji's memories plus over twenty years of life in another world. After recovering for half a month, he sought a mission to rehabilitate and re-engage with this world.
Since the mission targeted ordinary humans, the challenge was tracking, not combat. Originally he planned to go alone, but the village assigned him a teammate.
"Senior, don't worry about me." Itachi introduced himself earnestly. "I can use ninja tools, understand some genjutsu, and know basic fire techniques. If you judge that I impede the mission, you can dismiss me anytime."
His father had said this child was an outstanding ninja.
"Although it's a C-rank mission, pairing a chunin with a genin implies my father thinks I rank among the top chunin, without glaring weaknesses."
Hearing such "mature" words, Shuji's eyebrows rose slightly.
"In that case, you must follow my orders completely on this mission. Understood?"
"Yes, Senior." Itachi nodded.
"Also, regarding the reward—"
"Senior, please don't worry about my share. It's an honor to learn under you." Itachi was humble, though for the Uchiha clan this sum was trivial.
That conflicted with Shuji's principle.
He tapped the table lightly, voice calm but firm: "Since we're on this mission together, don't say that. We'll divide the reward sixty-forty. As chunin and team leader, I take an extra ten percent—but your share will be entirely yours. Agreed?"
"Yes, Senior." Itachi replied softly.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild