Itachi had business and left. Should he find another companion? Anko was nowhere to be found now...
Forget it. He'd wander around himself. After working so hard, occasionally emptying his mind was fine.
Konoha Village wasn't small, but there weren't many places worth visiting. There weren't any interesting entertainment facilities now either...
"Hey! Shuji."
A somewhat playful voice called from behind.
Shuji looked toward the voice. A youth wearing a ninja cap, unruly bangs covering his right eye.
Beside him was a spiky-haired boy of similar age, and one... mm... white eyes... Hyūga clan.
Images from memory quickly flipped through. The people matched up.
Kamizuki Izumo, Hagane Kotetsu, and Hyūga Tokuma. Shuji's ninja academy classmates.
Shuji stopped and walked toward the three.
"You bastard!" Kamizuki Izumo strode over and slapped Shuji's back hard. "Heard you became a special jōnin? Even completed S-rank missions? Meeting face to face and you still have that 'who are you' expression!"
"Ah, just thinking about things."
In his memory, his relationship with these few was neither good nor bad. But after three years of war, there weren't many classmates left alive to meet. No wonder they came on so strong.
Unlike Shuji's squad at the Cloud border, Kamizuki Izumo, Hagane Kotetsu, and Hyūga Tokuma seemed to have been on the Iwa Village direction.
Just a year after Cloud Village stationed troops at the border, Iwa Village also tore up their alliance and repeatedly harassed Konoha's borders. Fortunately, Suna Village was still Konoha's ally at this time. With Suna's assistance, Konoha's defensive pressure in the west wasn't particularly great.
"What about Kaito and Shōta? Why don't I see..." Spiky-haired Hagane Kotetsu got halfway through before Hyūga Tokuma beside him jabbed him hard with an elbow.
These were the names of Shuji's two squadmates.
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Kamizuki Izumo immediately laughed awkwardly and changed the subject stiffly. "Cough! Well... Shuji, where are you going?"
"Looking for somewhere to eat."
"What a coincidence! We were just going too. Together? Ichiraku Ramen?"
Ramen... Shuji was more inclined toward better food to reward himself, but seeing the three's embarrassment and trace of guilt from their slip, he nodded. "Good."
Ichiraku Ramen was as lively as ever, rich bone broth aroma mixed with customers' chatter.
For shinobi income, the prices here were very affordable—cheap, delicious, and filling. A good place.
The four sat at the counter. Hagane Kotetsu immediately called to Uncle Teuchi. "Boss, add char siu for him! My treat, celebrating his promotion to special jōnin!"
Kamizuki Izumo propped his chin looking at the menu. "I'll treat tempura shrimp."
Hyūga Tokuma was brief. "Add squid."
Shuji looked at them and raised an eyebrow. "Just this much?"
Hagane Kotetsu immediately rose to the challenge. "Uncle! Super-size his noodles!"
"Add one!"
"Add one!"
After several bowls of noodles, the earlier awkwardness had long been washed away by hot soup and jokes. The topic naturally turned to the village's current biggest focus—the Cloud delegation.
"If we can really negotiate successfully," Hagane Kotetsu slurped noodles, mumbling, "we can focus on dealing with those Iwa bastards in the west. With allied help, peace... shouldn't be far, right?"
"Mm, but there are actually people in the village dissatisfied with this." Kamizuki Izumo picked at the few remaining noodles with his chopsticks. "After all, they clearly started the war, yet the village still organized everyone to welcome those people."
"Can't be helped, for peace..." Hagane Kotetsu's voice was low, eyes glancing toward Shuji.
Shuji silently drank his soup.
"That day, I won't go with you guys." Hyūga Tokuma said.
"Such a big event, Tokuma, you won't go see?" Hagane Kotetsu was surprised.
The Hyūga youth nodded and explained.
"The main house young lady's third birthday. The clan has important matters to handle, so everyone will return to the compound. Already reported to Hokage-sama."
"Birthday? It hasn't been such a big production for this before, has it?"
Tokuma just shook his head, saying nothing.
For the Hyūga clan, the main house young lady turning three was not an ordinary day.
Ichiraku's seating was limited now. After finishing noodles, the group became street wanderers with three more added.
"Should we... go inside and look..." Hagane Kotetsu stood at a shop entrance, face full of longing.
Shuji looked down at the sign by the door—"Kuraku"
"This is an izakaya." He said. "Karaoke-style izakaya that doesn't serve..."
"Shut up! Of course I know that!" Hagane Kotetsu grabbed Shuji's shoulder. "Just looking for somewhere to sit."
"Cough cough, Kotetsu has a point." Kamizuki Izumo nodded.
"Besides, with Special Jōnin-sama leading, it should be fine, right!"
No matter how much you poke me, it's useless. Just because I can cut people down doesn't mean I'm old enough to drink.
If Granny Momoka found out, there'd be trouble...
Shuji lifted his foot to leave. Hagane Kotetsu used force, Kamizuki Izumo pulled.
Such strength. Shuji was startled. But still step by step, he moved his body with difficulty.
"You guys, what are you doing here!"
A steady yet somewhat stern scolding voice startled Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu into releasing their grip.
A man walked up to the group.
"This isn't a place for people your age yet. Izumo, Kotetsu, I..." The man saw someone who probably shouldn't be here. "Shuji?"
"Uncle Hayami." Shuji greeted.
"You've reached the age to be interested in izakaya too. But this place isn't suitable." Hayami Shigeru put away his stern expression. "If you want to look around, let's change places."
"...Um, Uncle Hayami, Shuji is the same age as us. Isn't saying that a bit hurtful?" Hagane Kotetsu's face twitched.
Kamizuki Izumo nodded repeatedly.
Hayami Shigeru coldly glanced at the two, finally looking at Hyūga Tokuma. "Tokuma-kun is also interested?"
"No, I'll pass." Hyūga Tokuma immediately refused.
Hayami Shigeru snorted. "Since you want to see, follow me." His gaze fell on Shuji. "Shuji, come along."
With that, he led the way. Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo made faces at Hyūga Tokuma and fierce expressions at Shuji before following Hayami Shigeru.
The four turned left and right, arriving at an old-style izakaya with some history. The sign read "Yama no Ya."
"So... this kind."
"Kotetsu, we should go back."
"Get in!" Hayami Shigeru shouted, pulling back the curtain.
Inside wasn't as old as it looked from outside. The counter had seats, other tables had some customers. Seeing Hayami Shigeru arrive, they greeted him and joked about bringing kids to drink, threatening to report him to Administration later.
Hayami didn't mind and walked straight to the counter, telling the owner, "Give these two boys milk." He pointed at Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo. "Find them a corner to sit."
The two were dejectedly assigned to a small corner table.
Hayami Shigeru and Shuji sat at the counter.
"Just water is fine for me." Shuji told the owner.
The brief relaxation time seemed to be over.
"Izumo and Kotetsu, also?" He asked quietly.
Hayami Shigeru nodded slightly. "The Kamizuki and Hagane families followed Hashirama-sama's orders, feeling that since it was disbanded, they shouldn't return. That would violate that lord's will."
No wonder there were no memories of those two having that level of identity. But thinking back, in the original work Tsunade used these two when she first returned to the village. Not surprising.
"About the gear losses you submitted." Hayami Shigeru sipped his drink and got to business.
"Since eliminating the Dark Erosion Group was official village business, it can be reimbursed."
"But there are issues with the mission report."
"I handled it for you. Next time pay attention—this kind of loss should be listed separately in the mission report's material loss column, not mixed in the mission process description. Administration only checks format, not content. Easy to get stuck."
"Thank you, Uncle Hayami."
Hayami Shigeru waved his hand, looking at Shuji. "Just small matters. If we don't help each other, when problems come later, there really won't be any solutions."
"Granny Momoka is getting old after all. She doesn't understand the village is different from before. Before there were just that many people, now there are more and more. We can't manage without unity."
"Look at the Uchiha. Losers from the Warring States period, yet they ended up above us, precisely because they can maintain unity."
"Well, I won't say more. Those two boys can't stand it much longer."
He stood and patted Shuji's shoulder. "I'll leave the rest to you... Oh right, this shop's owner is also one of us, so if you really want to drink something, it's fine."
Shuji watched Hayami Shigeru walk toward the corner to rescue the two youths spending their days like years, his gaze falling on the clear white water before him.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild