On the other side of the street, Sasuke noticed Seimei joining the line at the food stall but didn't think much of it. He turned his attention elsewhere.
At his young age, Sasuke couldn't yet grasp what his father meant by calling Seimei a "once-in-a-generation genius of the Uchiha clan." To him, Seimei was just a well-known ninja who sparked some curiosity, nothing more.
Soon, Naruto and his crew grabbed their skewers of dango and left, chattering loudly as they went. Interestingly, Naruto didn't even notice Seimei—the same "kind big brother" he'd once mentioned.
Seimei let out a small sigh of relief. It wasn't that he had any issue with Naruto; he'd simply grown used to solitude and wasn't a fan of loud, boisterous company. Knowing Naruto's personality, if the kid spotted him, he'd undoubtedly come bounding over to say hi, kicking off a whirlwind of noise.
Seimei wasn't about that.
His gaze subtly flicked to a shadowed corner of the street. There, barely noticeable, stood a figure in a black robe and mask—a member of the Anbu.
No question about it: they were there to protect Naruto. The village was buzzing with festival energy today, but that same liveliness could give enemies an opening. As the Hokage's son, Naruto being kidnapped would be a disaster, so heightened security was a given.
Anyone who interacted with Naruto would likely catch the Anbu's attention. Seimei had no interest in drawing that kind of scrutiny, so steering clear of Naruto suited him just fine.
Still, he couldn't help but think, Are the Anbu getting this sloppy these days?
With a glance from the corner of his eye, he took in the figure's silver-white hair. Even without sensing their chakra or using his Byakugan, Seimei could guess who it was.
Who else but Kakashi Hatake?
He'd misjudged, though. With tens of thousands of ninjas in the Hidden Leaf, not even locals could know everyone, let alone outsiders. Ninjas were trained to conceal their identities, so while Kakashi's name was famous, few actually knew him by sight or that he served in the Anbu.
Seimei only recognized him thanks to memories from his past life. Most others wouldn't.
Still, if the timeline hadn't shifted too drastically, Kakashi would probably leave the Anbu soon. And when that happened, the students assigned to him as a jonin sensei were in for a rough ride. If Seimei's memory was correct, Kakashi's survival exercise had a 100% failure rate before Team 7 came along.
Would Kakashi be as harsh this time, given his teacher hadn't died in this timeline? Seimei figured he probably would. Kakashi's obsession with teamwork and thinking outside the box stemmed from the losses of his father, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara. If he became a jonin sensei, he'd likely stick to those same standards.
"Hey, Seimei, same as usual?" a voice broke through his wandering thoughts.
Snapping back to reality, Seimei looked at the stall owner, who'd taken a moment from his busy work to ask. With a quick smile, Seimei replied, "Thanks, uncle. Yeah, same as always."
"Alright, give me a sec," the owner said, deftly grabbing skewers of dango and tossing them into the pot to cook.
Seimei watched the man's practiced movements, in no rush to hurry him along.
About three minutes later, his dango was ready. He paid, thanked the owner, and stepped away from the stall, munching on the skewers as he headed toward the next one.
Tonight's "Food Street" was a feast for the senses. Beyond the usual vendors and shopkeepers, merchants from far-off places had set up stalls, offering a mix of delicious eats and fun trinkets.
Seimei didn't hold back. If it was food, he tried it. For two or three hours, he roamed the street, his mouth never idle. With his enhanced physique, he could handle the sheer volume of food—something an ordinary person could only dream of.
Once he'd eaten his fill, he made his way to the Leaf's Bathhouse, soaking in the hot springs for over an hour before heading home.
The moment he stepped inside, he went straight to his bedroom and crashed.
The night passed quietly.
---
The next morning, Seimei rose early to attend a routine Uchiha clan meeting for high-ranking members.
During the meeting, Fugaku Uchiha reviewed the clan's progress over the past year before diving into discussions about next year's plans with the elders. Watching them argue heatedly over minor benefits, Seimei felt nothing but boredom.
In a world where personal power reigned supreme, what was the point of chasing wealth or influence? If he wanted, he could take out everyone in the room single-handedly. What good were riches or authority then?
He zoned out for most of the meeting, barely participating. If it weren't for the fact that everyone present had at least awakened their three-tomoe Sharingan—and showing up as a shadow clone might seem disrespectful—he'd have ditched long ago.
Three hours later, the meeting finally wrapped up.
Seimei didn't waste a second. He left a shadow clone behind, slipped out of the village, and headed for the nearest town.
His plan was to travel south to the capital of the Land of Fire, the most vibrant city in the ninja world, bursting with festival spirit and an abundance of gourmet food. He'd linger there briefly before exploring other regions, soaking in their unique cultures and scenic views.
During this trip, he wouldn't stick to his usual routine of maximizing chakra recovery and storage every ten days. Instead, he'd let himself fully relax, using only enough chakra for basic physical activity. This was about shedding the fatigue that had built up over months of relentless training.
With a light step, he set off toward his first destination.
It didn't take long to reach the town closest to the Hidden Leaf. Being so near the village, it was a hub for merchants traveling to and from Konoha, making even this small town surprisingly lively.
Seimei spent a few hours there, sampling local dishes before moving on.
Following his plan, he spent the next two weeks crisscrossing the ninja world, visiting big and small nations alike, tasting their cuisines. When he finally returned to the Hidden Leaf, he felt deeply satisfied.
His body and mind were more relaxed than ever, and even the strain of his overpowering mental strength on his physique had eased slightly. The trip had worked wonders.
The only downside? He'd gone over his planned timeline. He'd meant to take a week off, but it had stretched into over two.
Still, Seimei just shook his head and let it go. The ninja world was relatively peaceful for now, and he had plenty of time. A little extra relaxation wouldn't hurt.
Now, it was time to get back to serious training.