Chapter 211: Whoever Loses Becomes the Errand Boy
Not long after Fugaku left the village, Kisame Hoshigaki made his way into the Uchiha Clan compound. By now, he was so familiar with the place that he could have walked the path to the Clan Head's residence with his eyes closed.
Ever since Uchiha Mikoto and Itachi had invited him over a month ago, Kisame had visited several times and was no longer treated as an outsider.
He knocked politely.
From inside came a soft, familiar voice.
"Who is it? Coming."
The door opened to reveal Mikoto, dressed casually yet still carrying her gentle, dignified air.
Kisame immediately lowered his head respectfully. "Madam."
Mikoto smiled. "Ah, Kisame. Are you here to see Itachi?"
She stepped aside and gestured warmly. "Come in. Itachi's in his room — I'll go call him down."
But Kisame quickly shook his head. "No, Madam. I'm here on Hokage-sama's behalf. He asked me to deliver a message."
"Oh?" Mikoto's expression softened with curiosity. "What message?"
Kisame relayed Fugaku's words exactly as instructed — not missing a single phrase.
After listening, Mikoto nodded calmly. "He'll be away for a few days? I understand."
She wasn't particularly surprised. Her husband was now Hokage; it was natural for him to have countless duties beyond the village. She accepted it without hesitation and motioned toward the living room.
"You've come all this way — don't rush off. Have some tea first."
Kisame hesitated for a moment, about to politely decline, when another voice came from the hall.
"Kisame? Come in."
Itachi had heard the knock and come downstairs, arriving just as Kisame finished speaking.
With a small smile, Kisame nodded and stepped inside.
Itachi led him to the living room, and Mikoto soon brought out freshly brewed tea. The atmosphere was warm and quiet — just like a normal family afternoon.
Kisame didn't stay long; after chatting for about twenty minutes, he excused himself and left.
As he stepped outside, he saw Naruto and Sasuke returning from school, both looking a little confused.
"Strange," Naruto muttered, "Uncle didn't come pick us up today."
Then he noticed Kisame walking past. His face immediately lit up.
"Shark Big Brother!"
Kisame grinned widely at the boy's enthusiasm. He and Naruto had always gotten along well.
"Naruto! Done with school already?"
"Yeah! But Uncle didn't come home with us," Naruto said, pouting slightly.
Sasuke, more composed, greeted politely, "Good afternoon, Kisame Big Brother."
Kisame nodded in return. "Hokage-sama had something important to take care of today, so he couldn't pick you up. He'll be away for a bit."
Both boys nodded in understanding.
"Where did Uncle go?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Yeah, Father too," Sasuke added.
Kisame leaned closer, lowering his voice mysteriously. "I'll tell you, but you can't tell anyone else, alright?"
Naruto puffed his chest with confidence. "You can trust me! I won't tell anyone!"
Sasuke nodded solemnly beside him.
Kisame smiled. "Hokage-sama went to the Land of Rice Fields. He'll probably be gone for a few days."
"Land of Rice Fields? What's he doing there?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
"To find Orochimaru," Kisame replied simply.
"Orochimaru?" Naruto repeated blankly, the name unfamiliar to him.
Sasuke's eyes flickered. Unlike Naruto, he knew the name well. Orochimaru — one of the legendary Sannin, once a disciple of the Third Hokage and even a candidate for the Hokage's position, until his defection from Konoha.
Sasuke sighed. "Naruto, have you already forgotten? Last time we hid in the secret room because of Orochimaru, remember?"
"Huh? We did?" Naruto scratched his head, utterly lost.
Kisame chuckled. "Alright, you two, that's enough chatter. Go home — Madam's already making dinner."
Though Mikoto and Itachi had invited him to stay, Kisame politely declined after some thought.
"Goodbye, Shark Big Brother!" Naruto waved energetically.
"Goodbye, Kisame Big Brother," Sasuke said with a small bow.
Naruto walked backward for several steps, still waving, until Kisame's tall figure disappeared down the street. Then he turned to Sasuke with a grin.
"Hey, Sasuke! Wanna bet how many days until Uncle comes back?"
Sasuke gave him a flat look. "No."
Naruto grinned mischievously. "C'mon! The loser has to be the other's errand boy for a week!"
That got Sasuke's attention. He turned slightly. "Three days."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked. "What did you say?"
"I said three days," Sasuke repeated calmly.
"Oh!" Naruto's eyes lit up. "Then I'll say one day!"
Sasuke sighed, clearly imagining Naruto carrying his books and running errands for him soon.
"You're going to lose," Sasuke said flatly.
He already knew the Land of Rice Fields bordered the northern part of the Land of Fire — a round trip for a normal person would take nearly a week. But Fugaku was not an ordinary man. Three days seemed reasonable.
Naruto, however, didn't even seem to know where the Land of Rice Fields was.
"Hmph! You'll see! Uncle will come back super fast — you'll be the one running errands!" Naruto said, making a goofy face.
Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked faster toward home.
Naruto thought Sasuke was getting nervous and laughed even harder, jogging after him.
When they finally reached home, Sasuke kicked off his shoes and called out,
"Kaa-san! Father won't be home tonight — he has something to do!"
From the kitchen came Mikoto's gentle reply,
"Yes, I know, dear."
Sasuke blinked, realizing Kisame must have already told her.
He changed his shoes, glanced around, and asked, "Kaa-san, where's Ni-san?"
"Probably upstairs in his room," Mikoto replied without turning.
Sasuke nodded, then darted upstairs like a flash.
Naruto, who had just stepped in, saw him disappear to the second floor and immediately followed, itching with curiosity.
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End of Chapter 211
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