They had just left home not long ago, and had already encountered so many elders on the way...
Itachi held Sasuke and Naruko's hands, still walking slowly on the road. This part of the Land of Whirlpools was still very small. Basically, everyone was either neighbors or fellow villagers. He heard from Dad that the vast majority of the people in the Land of Whirlpools were not natives, but came from other countries where they could not survive. In the end, they gradually all became citizens of the Land of Whirlpools.
And under the protection of Dad, Grandpa, Uncles, and the others together, the people of the Land of Whirlpools gradually ate their fill and wore new clothes.
He had also learned about that period of history in history class at the academy...
At that time, the Land of Whirlpools was really very poor. It was pretty good if everyone could get something to eat, let alone be full. Also, at that time, the population of the Land of Whirlpools was still very small, not as large as it is now. Most people lived in old, worn-out wooden houses. Every year, people died from hunger or cold.
But...
No one cared, or rather, in those times, death was normal. No one could guarantee whether they would still be alive the next day. Whether ordinary people or ninja, everyone was already prepared to accept death.
Sadness is always what most easily touches people's hearts. So, after reading about that history, his heart also felt sorrow. He also felt happy about the current life, felt confident, and...
A heavy responsibility!
Especially when walking on the street, and those people called out to him with smiles, from the bottom of their hearts.
He knew all this was because of Dad. It was Dad and the others who protected the entire Land of Whirlpools, allowing everyone here to live stable and happy lives, to eat their fill, stay warm, and be spared the ravages of war.
But...
In the future, he would also work hard to protect this country!
"Brother, where are we going?" Sasuke, with his bright red hair, looked up at Itachi, holding up the bag with the chicken leg in his left hand, and said, "The chicken legs are already cold!"
"Cold, cold!" The red-haired Naruko nodded her cute little head and said, "Mom said we can't eat cold food."
"Is that so?" Itachi, hearing this, furrowed his cute little brows, glanced towards the distant home where fireworks were still being set off, and murmured, "It seems there's still plenty of time."
The Land of Whirlpools was not big. Or rather, if you didn't include the divided continent, the Land of Whirlpools was only about the size of a small island. It was divided into two cities, one of which was the new city created by land reclamation. So, basically, after walking around a couple of times, everyone became very familiar with each other.
Looking at the not-too-distant [Land of Whirlpools First Hospital], he thought for a moment and said, "Then let's go see Aunt Kyoko and Aunt Nono!"
"Okay, okay!" Naruko, upon hearing this, happily nodded her little head and said, "Aunt Kyoko and Aunt Nono really like me."
'They always give me candy.'
Seeing that both Sasuke and Naruko agreed, Itachi showed a smile and said, "Then let's head that way!"
He remembered that the births of the three siblings were all assisted by Aunt Kyoko and Aunt Nono. Sometimes, they were also looked after by Aunt Nono and the others. So...
They were like mothers.
...
"Kabuto, don't you want to go out and play?" Nono took off her glasses, stretched, looked at the child with short silver hair and glasses beside her holding a book, and said with a smile, "The weather is very nice today!" She looked towards the window in the direction where fireworks were still being set off, showed a faint smile, but with a trace of bitterness, then turned back and blinked, "And there are fireworks too!"
This child was adopted by her from the orphanage. At that time, she went to the orphanage to check the children's health and saw this silver-haired child sitting alone on the steps, not playing with others. Curious, she went up and asked, only to find out...
It was because he was nearsighted and couldn't see clearly, so no other children were willing to play with him.
It seemed to be a genetic disease, present from birth. So, when he was very young, he was abandoned by his parents outside. Finally, he was found by a Uzu-nin on a mission and brought back.
However, later, after she gave him new glasses, he still didn't play with others, always quietly reading books on the side. When she saw he was reading introductory books for medical ninja, she became curious and went up to ask him, explaining parts he didn't understand. Gradually, the two became familiar.
"Not going out to play really doesn't seem like a child!"
"Wild Naiyu Mama is the one who acts like a child." Kabuto, hearing Nono's words, looked up, glanced at the glasses carefully placed on the table, and said with a calm expression, "Are those glasses very important to Mama?"
If he remembered correctly, during the last vision test, Wild Naiyu Mama should have changed her glasses long ago, but she didn't.
Although she could still see clearly with these glasses, it would be a bit strenuous.
"Why haven't you changed them?"
"Why not change them~" Nono was stunned for a moment, picked up the glasses on the table, a nostalgic smile on her face, squinted her eyes, hummed lightly, and said, "Because they are very important."
After all, this was the first gift he gave her...
"Given by someone you like?" Kabuto adjusted his glasses and said, "Wild Naiyu Mama is smiling so sweetly, it must be like that."
"Haha~" Nono, hearing Kabuto's words, laughed loudly and said, "You're such a little adult, still so young, how would you know what liking means?"
"Of course I know." Kabuto took off his own glasses, looked at them, still expressionless, and said, "Because I really like them too."
Nono was stunned for a moment, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, a trace of emotion in her eyes, and said, "Yes. Because I really like them."
But...
'What can be done about it?'
"And I also know who Wild Naiyu Mama likes." Kabuto put his glasses back on, showed a confident smile, and said, "That is..."
"Knock, knock~"
Before he could finish speaking, a knocking sound came directly from the door...
"Aunt Nono, can we come in?"
A soft, cute little girl's voice came through.
"It's Naruko! Come in!" Nono, hearing the knock, snapped back to reality, glanced at Kabuto who had lowered his head to read again, shook her head helplessly, stood up, and said, "The door isn't locked!"
"Creak~"
The three little redheads walked in through the door...
"Aunt Nono!" x3.
"What brings you three here?" Nono asked with a kind smile on her face, "Where is your Dad?"
"We came to see Aunt Nono." Naruko directly pounced over, cutely holding up the chicken leg in her hand, and said, "Eat~"
"Roasted chicken!" Nono was stunned for a moment, held Naruko, pinched her nose, and said, "Auntie won't eat, Naruko eat it yourself~"
Grandpa Madara really is...
She shook her head with a smile, watched Itachi walking towards Kabuto to give him a roasted chicken leg, and asked, "Itachi, you're graduating this year too, right?"
"Yes." Itachi gave his chicken leg to Kabuto, turned to look at Aunt Nono, and said, "Because of Dad and Mom's request, I need to stay for another year."
Otherwise, he would have graduated long ago.
As for Kabuto, he also knew this was the child adopted by Aunt Nono. So, he was also like an older brother to Kabuto, and must give him a chicken leg.
"Really remarkable!" Nono smiled and nodded, saying, "Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Medical Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Ninjutsu... I heard you learned everything in just two years, and got perfect scores in every subject. You will definitely become a remarkable ninja in the future."
"No, Dad is the most remarkable." Itachi smiled and shook his head, saying, "Dad knows everything. I heard the current academy subjects were all created by Dad."
"Jun, huh?" Hearing Itachi's words, Nono was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses, squinted her eyes, with a mysterious and emotional smile, and said, "Yes, he really is very powerful..."
Back then, he was the one who tricked her into coming to this Land of Whirlpools...