Chapter 18 - Chapter 18: I Never Knew You Were That Kind of Shisui

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An entire afternoon of channeling chakra had left Heshu running on fumes.

"Heshu… you should go rest."

The wounded ninja lying before him lifted a heavy eyelid. His bone-deep gash was now slowly knitting together. His gaze landed on Heshu's pale face, and a deep sense of gratitude filled his eyes.

As the man's wound visibly closed, Heshu wiped the sweat from his forehead, feigning nonchalance. "It's fine. I can keep going."

"No, you're exhausted!"

Heshu was about to shake his head again when a hand landed gently on his hair.

"You can't keep this up."

Yūgao's eyes filled with concern. She wiped the sweat from Heshu's brow, then firmly scooped him into her arms. "You need to rest."

The faint, pleasant scent from Yūgao enveloped him, and his cheeks flushed.

Mmm…

Being carried by a beautiful woman is true bliss.

What's the point of conquering the world? This is the pinnacle of life!

Seeing Heshu being forcibly taken for a rest, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. In just one afternoon, every medic-nin on duty had witnessed this child's sheer stubbornness. Even when his chakra was nearly spent and his face ghostly white, he refused to back down.

How could anyone not be moved by such a kind, adorable, and tenacious kid?

Yūgao carried him back to Takenouchi's hospital room. Takenouchi had already heard about his 'daughter's' activities from Yūgao. Yūgao saw the complex emotions flicker in Takenouchi's eyes. She tactfully excused herself, closing the door behind her.

"Heshu…" Takenouchi's confusion had finally cleared. How could his serious wounds from yesterday be mostly healed today? It was because Heshu had been secretly treating him.

He beckoned Heshu closer. The boy approached, and a large, gentle hand settled on his head.

"Heshu… Uncle isn't angry that you kept this from me." Takenouchi truly was a kind man; his gentle heart belied his rugged exterior. "I'm just worried… you're still too young. Being exposed to the darker side of the shinobi world too early… it could affect you poorly."

He sighed, his gaze drifting from Heshu to the blue sky outside the window. Pure white clouds drifted across an endless azure expanse. Beneath this same serene sky, far from the peace of Konoha, lay a different world—one stained with blood and littered with corpses. A cruel world Takenouchi wished Heshu would never have to enter.

Heshu shook his head. Takenouchi's thoughts were like those of most parents, wanting to shield their children from all storms, to preserve a perfectly beautiful world for them.

But that was impossible.

"Uncle, I'm destined to be a shinobi. My dream is to become a ninja like the Hokage. I won't be that fragile."

Heshu's words only deepened Takenouchi's complicated feelings. When he'd adopted Heshu, he never imagined the boy would possess such remarkable ninja talent. Everything was veering sharply away from his expectations.

"Ah, forget it." Takenouchi tried to smile reassuringly, but it came out strained and bitter. "I believe in you." Believe you have the strength to face the trials ahead.

A knock sounded at the door. Shisui's voice followed. "Heshu, are you in there?"

Takenouchi smiled. "Go open the door. Your good friend is here." Heshu wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but Takenouchi seemed to emphasize the words "good friend."

Heshu ran to open it. Outside stood Shisui, and behind him—another figure.

Uchiha Juri stood there awkwardly, deliberately avoiding Heshu's gaze. His ears were bright red.

"Shisui, Juri's here too?" Heshu was surprised Juri would seek him out voluntarily. What's up with this kid? He shot a questioning look at Shisui.

Shisui glanced back at the fidgeting Juri, amused. "Shuri shays he wantsh to shreat you to dinner." (Juri says he wants to treat you to dinner.)

"Dinner?" Heshu was puzzled. Why the sudden invitation?

"Ahem." Juri's eyes darted around the room. "It's about… yesterday. I'm treating you! To clear the debt!"

Heshu nodded in sudden understanding. So it was about yesterday.

"You! Don't get the wrong idea!" Juri blurted out immediately, seeing Heshu's nod. "I don't have any 'thoughts' about you! I just hate owing people!"

He missed the way Shisui's eyes narrowed slightly at his frantic clarification.

"?" Heshu was utterly lost. He hadn't said anything about Juri having 'thoughts.'

"Heshu, let me go over today's lessonsh with you firsht." (Heshu, let me go over today's lessons with you first.) Shisui's smile didn't waver as he stepped beside Heshu.

That reminder jolted Heshu's memory to the most important matter. He grabbed Shisui's wrist with sudden gravity.

Shisui blinked, looking down at where Heshu held him. The tips of his ears turned pink.

"Shisui, I have a way to make your tooth grow back!" Heshu declared, pulling Shisui to sit on a small sofa. He placed a gentle hand on Shisui's cheek.

The soft touch made Shisui's ears burn crimson. A moment later, an itchy sensation emanated from his gumline. Shisui couldn't help but poke his tongue at the spot. A tiny tooth bud emerged, gradually growing until it was fully restored.

"Heshu, you're amazing," Shisui said, the words flowing clearly without a hint of a lisp.

"All fixed!" Heshu sighed in relief. He'd have felt forever guilty to all of Shisui's fans otherwise.

"Good. Now, let's review today's material."

"Okay!"

Heshu nodded. Shisui pulled textbooks from his satchel. Two small heads bent together, seemingly having forgotten something.

Juri, still ignored in the doorway, clenched his fists. Damn you, Uchiha Shisui and Tsukimi Heshu!

Takenouchi observed the rather pitiful-looking boy at the door and silently averted his gaze. He saw nothing.

An hour later.

Heshu looked up, surprised to find Uchiha Juri still there, sitting rigidly at the far end of the small sofa. Dark eyes seemed to shoot sparks.

"Uh," Heshu started, about to ask why Juri was still here, but thought better of it. That seemed rude. He tried a different tack. "Was there… something else you needed?"

System:That's not much better.

Heshu:Isn't it? I was being polite.

"I! AM! TREATING! YOU! TO! DINNER!" Juri ground out, each word squeezed through gritted teeth.

Oh!

Heshu mentally slapped his forehead. He'd completely forgotten!

"What are we eating?" If it was ramen, he'd pass. He'd just had it last night. He wanted something different today. He studied Juri's face.

Under Heshu's scrutiny, Juri squirmed again. "Ahem. Barbecue."

Heshu shot up from the sofa. "Deal!"

Barbecue! In Konoha's culinary scene, barbecue was notoriously expensive. With the war on, prices had skyrocketed. Were they eating meat? No! They were eating pure money!

Seeing Heshu's instant, energetic reaction, Shisui looked momentarily stunned. So Heshu really likes barbecue… he noted mentally.

And so, three little sprouts set off for the barbecue joint. Heshu had felt a twinge about abandoning his 'filial' persona, but after Takenouchi repeatedly promised to order his own meal, Heshu left with a clear conscience.

Ten minutes later, they stopped in front of a lavishly decorated barbecue restaurant.

"This is the place!" Juri announced, standing proudly at the entrance. His father brought him here often. The taste was top-notch.

Heshu blinked. If he remembered correctly, this place was the crown jewel of Konoha's barbecue scene. And the prices? Also crown-jewel level.

"Let's go!" Heshu marched in with a triumphant air. Today, he would eat until he was stuffed!

"Ten orders of pork belly, twenty orders of beef, ten orders of lamb…" Three minutes later, Heshu handed the menu back to a wide-eyed server. "That's all for now, thank you!"

Juri gritted his molars. That was… a lot. Could Tsukimi Heshu even finish all that?

Shisui, witnessing this, gave a knowing smile.

"Heshu, was that medical ninjutsu you used earlier?" Shisui asked, looking at Heshu's soft, pale hands. He was still a bit amazed. In his understanding, only Chunin-level ninja typically mastered medical techniques. He never expected Heshu to be this capable.

Heshu neatly arranged meat on the grill. "Yeah. I met Lady Tsunade at the hospital."

He left it at that. Both Shisui and Juri naturally assumed Tsunade had taught him.

"Heshu is truly impressive," Shisui praised, then paused. With newfound determination, he declared, "I'll work hard too! Next time we spar, I won't lose!"

He clenched his fists, radiating confidence and courage.

Heshu's hand, busy bathing a dear piece of meat in sauce, paused. A flicker of pity crossed his face before he replaced it with encouragement. "I believe in you, Shisui! But I won't be standing still either!"

No… you're not beating this cheater, Shisui-kun.

Juri, who had been silent, put down his chopsticks. He stood up, oddly formal and awkward, and walked over to stand before Heshu.

Heshu froze. Juri's demeanor gave him the strange impression they were about to have a showdown right there in the barbecue restaurant.

"I'm sorry!" Juri's straight spine suddenly bent into a deep bow. "Heshu!"

Heshu blinked, then looked at Shisui, whose jaw had dropped slightly in a failed attempt to stay composed.

Uchiha Juri… apologizing on his own? Had some kind soul transmigrated into this body?

"W-why are you apologizing?" Heshu asked, deftly snagging a perfectly cooked piece of meat for his bowl first.

His mind raced through transmigrator checklists.

Unnamed Uchiha clan member? Check.

Decent but not top-tier strength? Check.

Acquainted with a canon character, Uchiha Shisui? Check.

"Because I… judged you before I knew you. I called you… an… and I tried to… have you taught a lesson…" Juri's speech was halting, fragmented. To an uninformed Shisui, it might sound cryptic, but Heshu understood perfectly. He was apologizing for calling him an orphan and for the attempted ambush.

Heshu stroked his chin and suddenly threw out a line that made zero sense to Shisui. "Odd changes to even, constant remains?"

"What?" Juri looked utterly bewildered.

"Nothing." Heshu felt a strange pang of disappointment. A part of him had hoped for a fellow traveler from home. Two transmigrators teaming up, their systems merging… unifying the shinobi world wouldn't be a dream!

"I'm not the type to hold a grudge, Juri. Don't worry, I never really took what happened before to heart." Heshu waved a hand dismissively, his eyes free of blame. He didn't even hold a grudge against Madara Uchiha. A minor character like Uchiha Juri? He genuinely couldn't be bothered.

Juri pressed his lips together. He'd once looked down on Heshu immensely. Just an orphan, riding on pretty looks to gain everyone's favor.

But then…

He realized this person wasn't what he'd imagined. Tsukimi Heshu was relentless. Genuinely kind. Forgiving and generous. More and more virtues seemed to shine from him.

He realized he'd been wrong.

As an Uchiha, he was no coward who couldn't admit his mistakes!

Perhaps because he'd already made a fool of himself in front of Heshu multiple times, Juri seemed to loosen up halfway through the meal, edging toward… uninhibited territory.

"Do you guys like manga?" Juri asked, his cheeks faintly flushed.

Heshu double-checked. Juri had only drunk orange juice.

"Shisui, do you read it?" Heshu dodged the question. Could he say no? In his past life, he'd consumed thousands. Could he say yes? In this life, he hadn't touched any. He tossed the question to Shisui.

Shisui fell silent, then shook his head.

He'd never actively sought it out, but once, at his uncle's house, he'd found a hidden manga inside a black box. Thinking it was a standard action series, he'd opened it—only to be greeted by two stark-naked figures. It had left an indelible scar on young Shisui's psyche.

Juri's eyes widened in shock. He stared at Shisui as if questioning his very manhood. "I can understand Heshu not reading any, but you haven't either?"

He didn't buy it. He shot a glance at Heshu. Was Shisui just putting on a mature, responsible front for Heshu's benefit? Highly likely.

Juri sneered inwardly at Shisui's cunning, then turned to Heshu. "Heshu, I have a whole collection of premium manga at home. Want to come see?"

Shisui's head snapped toward Juri. Did he know what he was saying? Inviting Heshu to his house to look at… that stuff!

For Heshu, a true otaku at heart who hadn't read manga in ages, the offer was incredibly tempting.

"Sure," Heshu nodded. He'd just read one volume! He swore!

Shisui fixed Juri with a reproachful stare. "How could you show Heshu that kind of stuff!" His expression was deadly serious, full of disapproval.

"Huh?" Juri raised an eyebrow. "Show what? My collection is all classics like Plum Shadow, White Sleeve, Rain of Fireworks, and Crimson Maples Times Over. What's wrong with that?"

Those were all currently popular, beautifully drawn romance manga, pure and poetic.

Shisui's mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Heshu caught on immediately. As a veteran manga connoisseur in his past life, with countless 'plot' scenes under his belt, he quickly grasped what Shisui meant by "that kind of stuff."

His gaze turned profoundly meaningful as it landed on Shisui.

Well, well, well…

So you're the kind of Shisui who sneaks a peek at 'special' manga, huh?

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