Kaoru stood at the stern of the boat, the sea winds cutting across his face, making his long, dark blue hair sway with restless energy.
'I can't believe she visited Takimura and didn't wait for me…' He shook his head, regret twisting faintly beneath the surface of his thoughts.
Just before he had left the village to head toward the Uchiha, Maki had informed him, almost offhandedly, that Mizuki had returned. She hadn't stayed though. She had apologized, left a letter for him, and said she would be back as soon as she could. That was it.
Kaoru had felt disappointed, more than he'd expected to. A little angry, too. He told himself it was enough just to know she was alive and well, and that her master had likely insisted they leave without delay, but that did nothing to dull the irritation.
That was why he hadn't hesitated when this mission was offered and had departed immediately. It wasn't just an escape from the village, it was a welcome distraction from the silence Mizuki had left behind. And more than that, the matter was serious; serious enough that even Maki and Akura hadn't attempted to delay him or persuade him to rest longer.
'This time, I have to complete the mission properly. Even if my attack on the Konoha shinobi wasn't what caused the rupture, it doesn't matter. I'm the heir of the Takime clan. My actions carry weight. Much more than any ordinary shinobi.'
No one had openly criticized him. Not Maki. Not Akura. Not even Luna. His rank, reputation, and recent accomplishments were too significant to be overshadowed by a single failure, however big it might've been. But he had still felt it. The shift and the glances. The pause in Maki's voice when she explained the mission to him, no longer filled with the unshakable confidence she once had. She trusted him, but not without question. The precedent of the failure had already been set.
And Kaoru hated that.
He couldn't blame anyone but himself. He had acted without verifying the information. Trusted a story he should have questioned. Tried to be a hero. And because of that, he had exposed a weakness that others couldn't unsee.
'Whatever. The past is the past. I can't do anything about water that's already been spilled… though if it actually were water, I could've handled it just fine.' He exhaled through his nose, a bitter chuckle forming in his mind at the irony. 'What I need now is a plan. I said I'm confident my 'friend' will help me, but that doesn't mean I actually believe it.'
Kaoru's entire strategy regarding the Uchiha hinged on a single assumption that Itachi was the same person he remembered from the Naruto series. A quiet, peace-loving prodigy who despised unnecessary conflict and would have sabotaged his own clan's plans if it meant avoiding another war. That was the Itachi Kaoru believed in.
Or wanted to believe in.
But even now, Kaoru couldn't be sure.
'I'm basing everything on a fictional version of him. The truth is, I don't know how far this world has already diverged. I don't know how much of the old Itachi is still in him. I can't even be sure that when he came to me, when he asked me to help prevent Uchiha rebellion that would have resulted with a war with Konoha, that he was speaking from conviction. Maybe it wasn't about peace. Maybe he just knew the Uchiha would've lost.'
That single doubt had crawled deeper with each passing thought.
Still, Kaoru had no better option. He needed to speak with Itachi, test the waters, see where his loyalty truly lay. If Itachi still valued peace, they could work together and uncover the truth behind the manipulation between Konoha and Takimura. But if not, Kaoru wouldn't say a word. He'd infiltrate the Uchiha on his own and gather whatever information he could from the inside.
'If it comes to that… I'll contact Sensei and ask for backup.'
He was confident that he could escape even from Fugaku if it truly came to a confrontation. But he preferred not to rely on that. A safety net was always better than blind optimism.
<<<>>>
'Huh… not even two months, and I'm already back.' Kaoru chuckled inwardly as the edge of the Uchiha settlement came into view. Or rather, the beginnings of what looked like an entirely new village.
'I don't think they've named it yet. At least, I don't recall Maki or anyone in Takimura ever mentioning one… not that it matters. Should I enter the village as Kaoru or follow my plan?'
He shifted slightly, settling beside the merchant he had hired for the final stretch of the journey; someone who could smuggle him in quietly.
The Uchiha didn't strictly forbid outsiders from entering. With the settlement still under construction, trade was welcome. More people meant more coin. But anyone unfamiliar who passed through their gates would be monitored by patrols who used Sharingan. And once those eyes locked onto someone, escaping their notice became difficult.
'No. Entering as Kaoru gains me nothing. I'll attract attention the moment I'm recognized. Mikoto and Fugaku would be cautious, perhaps even hostile if the Uchiha really are involved in what happened between Takimura and Konoha. I wouldn't be surprised if they made it difficult for me to meet Itachi.'
He leaned back, brushing the dust and dried grime from the cart bed, a thin layer of caked dirt and travel stain, then looked at his filthy palm with a sigh. Without hesitation, he wiped it across his clothes, smearing it onto his sleeves and across one cheek.
'This should do. I look like someone who loaded half of this cargo himself. Now I just need to suppress my chakra completely and control every motion. Merchant apprentice, not head of the Takime clan. Laborer, not shinobi.'
Kaoru adjusted the straw hat on his head, then formed a small, dark blue disk of water in front of his face, freezing its surface. The improvised mirror reflected his features perfectly, allowing him to double-check the color lenses - his eyes were now a warm brown, a few shades lighter than his dyed dark hair.
The merchant beside him kept glancing Kaoru's way. He had heard the rumors, of course, what Kaoru Takime could do with water. But hearing it was one thing. Watching him form reflective ice out of nowhere like it was second nature… that was something else entirely.
Still, he was more than willing to help. He was a Takimura resident and one of its many merchants, after all. And Kaoru had handed him a pouch heavier than most nobles gave for monthly contracts.
'I'd have done it for ten thousand Ryo,' the merchant mused, 'but Lord Kaoru paid me fifty thousand and said he'd double it if I handled things well.'
Despite the quiet tension, the man was in a good mood. There was no better motivator than gold. And nothing soothed the tensed nerves than jiggle of the heavy pouch.
"Lord Kaoru… when we enter, please don't respond to the Uchiha guards," the merchant whispered again, glancing around nervously. "They can be… rude, especially for someone of your status. But please, just ignore it; on't react."
Kaoru turned his head slowly, his gaze landing on the merchant. The man flinched.
"I'm sorry!" he added quickly, lowering his voice even more. "I know I've said it three times already, but… the Lord would know best, of course…"
"Don't worry," Kaoru replied, offering him a smile. "I know you're just being careful."
Then, after a slight pause, he added quietly, "Even if they insult me… I wont say a thing, I'll even act scared."
The words came with a warmthless composure that made the merchant far more uneasy than reassured. Kaoru's tone wasn't indignant, it was too cold. Too casual.
'I just hope he doesn't speak,' the merchant thought nervously. 'No merchant apprentice talks like that.'
Two guards stepped forward, halting the cart near the main entrance. Both had the classic Uchiha look - dark hair, sharp features, eyes that held neither warmth nor welcome. But more than their appearance, it was the way they carried themselves that gave them away. That quiet, superior aura all Uchiha seemed to radiate. As if the world and its people were just slightly beneath them.
"Hey, Mimo. You're back earlier than expected," said the one on the left, grinning as he approached. He was missing an index finger, but that didn't dull the smugness on his face. "What've you brought this time? Same as before?"
"Haha, Lord Yoshiro, your noble self and your friends drank my liquor so fast I figured I'd better restock before someone else sells you something better and you forget all about poor old Mimo," the merchant laughed, leaning back as he reached for a smaller jug from the back. He popped the lid and held it out with both hands. "This one's for you and your companion. Free of charge, of course. Taste it, see for yourself that the quality hasn't changed."
Yoshiro chuckled, clearly pleased with the offering. He grabbed the jug and took a deep, exaggerated sniff, licking his lips in appreciation.
"Hah! Mimo, you're the slickest merchant that ever rolled into Tsukuyogakure. Eh? How do you like the name of our great village?"
Kaoru didn't react, but his thoughts soured the moment he heard it.
'Tsukuyogakure… huh. The Village Hidden in the Moonlight? Dramatic and exaggerated. Just like Uchiha.'
Mimo didn't skip a beat.
"Splendid name! Truly magnificent! befitting the great Uchiha!" the merchant declared, loud and earnest. So loud, in fact, that Kaoru began to suspect he actually meant it. "No wonder you came up with such a glorious name! Excellent taste in liquor and an even better sense for naming!"
Kaoru fought the urge to bury his face in his hands. 'This guy could sell ice to a Yuki clan elder… I get it now. That's why it's called the art of selling; not a technique or method. Uncle Mimo could make a killing as a cult leader if the merchant gig ever fell through…'
Yoshiro seemed to thrive on the flattery, chuckling as he swirled the jug lazily in one hand, his nose practically buried inside it.
The other guard, though, wasn't laughing.
While Yoshiro indulged himself, the second Uchiha approached the cart, inspecting each jug one by one with meticulous attention. His movements were slow, eyes sharp.
"Mimo. Who's the kid?" he asked flatly.
"The kid? Ah, he's my apprentice," Mimo replied smoothly. "You see, I'm not getting any younger. And with you noble Lords enjoying my liquor so much, I figured it was time to increase production. Can't do that alone."
He gave a long, theatrical sigh and stared off to the side with a pained expression, as though reminiscing over personal tragedy. "My own son's useless, sadly. You've seen him, right, Lord Yoshiro? Eleven years old and won't even help me press the grapes. Imagine that."
Yoshiro finally looked up, his brow raised. "Don't be too hard on him, Mimo. He's a kid. He'll grow out of it."
"You're kind to say so, Lord Yoshiro," Mimo replied with a bow. "You've given this old man a hope…"
But his gaze never left the second guard, who had stopped moving entirely and was now staring at Kaoru with scrutiny. Suspicion lingered in his eyes, he wasn't smiling.
"If you're really his apprentice," the guard said suddenly, voice calm but probing, "then tell me how the liquor's made."
Mimo froze.
For a full second, he didn't breathe.
He had explained the pricing. He had listed the contents of each jug. But in all the excitement of earning 100 000 Ryo, he had never once told Kaoru how the liquor was actually produced.
And now he realized how foolish that was.
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