The next day, after finishing his physical training, Ayato went out to buy sunglasses.
"It does feel a bit strange," he thought, noticing an odd sensation in his eyes.
His left eye's vision kept improving, but the difference between it and his right eye caused double vision. Meanwhile, continuously channeling Yin chakra into his right eye caused persistent pain, and the constant headaches were far from pleasant.
"No wonder the Uchiha are so moody. Who could stay cheerful with this kind of discomfort?"
After browsing around, he bought a pair of sunglasses that could be tied around his head. Wearing them gave him a refreshed look.
The sunglasses slightly limited his field of vision and might affect his combat ability, but hiding his eyes was worth it. He didn't need to fight anyone for now.
If anyone discovered the secrets he was hiding, being dissected would be the least of his worries—more likely, he'd be studied in every unimaginable way.
Without a mirror, he had no idea how his new look came across.
"Ayato."
Recognizing Shikamaru's voice, Ayato turned and saw the Nara team.
"Why're you wearing sunglasses?" Shikamaru asked, pausing as he took in Ayato's new appearance. He'd recognized Ayato from behind.
"What do you think of the new style?" Ayato asked with a grin.
"Not bad," Shikamaru replied with a small smile, not pressing the issue further.
"Why didn't you get assigned to a team? You're pretty strong."
The four of them walked together, chatting casually. Choji wandered off on his own, munching on potato chips, uninterested in the conversation.
Ino kept stealing glances at Ayato. He didn't know what she was thinking, but he noticed her subtle actions.
Thanks to the Yang chakra boosting his left eye, his field of vision had widened significantly. It wasn't yet at the Byakugan's one-kilometer range, but he could now see what people nearby were doing without turning his head.
"Nah, it's fine. I don't really want to do missions anyway," Ayato said.
"You can't become a chunin without completing enough missions," Shikamaru pointed out.
"So? What's so great about being a chunin?"
"Uh… you get to do harder missions."
"I don't want to do missions."
"You need mission points to exchange for jutsu," Shikamaru said. He wasn't surprised by Ayato's attitude, but deep down, he envied him. Shikamaru hated hassle, and Ayato's carefree lifestyle seemed ideal.
"You got your jutsu from mission points?" Ayato asked with a smirk.
"It's different. I'm a Nara. We have clan techniques passed down."
"I'm a Senju," Ayato shot back, pouting.
"I've never seen you use anything beyond the Three Basic Techniques."
"When Lady Tsunade comes back, I'll have everything I need," Ayato said defiantly.
Shikamaru fell silent. As a Nara, he knew some insider info—Tsunade had no intention of returning. Waiting for her was less practical than earning jutsu through missions, but Ayato clearly wasn't interested. Shikamaru didn't push it.
"Your jutsu skills are just bad. Admit it," Ino interjected from the side.
In her mind, she celebrated finally getting a chance to take Ayato down a peg. He always teased Sasuke, so his weak jutsu skills were karmic justice.
"What's that, little miss? You've been sneaking glances at me, and now you're trying to get my attention. Got a crush on me or what?" Ayato teased.
"Shut up! Don't talk nonsense! My heart belongs to Sasuke!" Ino shouted, then turned and ran off.
Shikamaru slapped his forehead. Leading this team was exhausting. Ino was still a lovesick fangirl, Choji was a reliable fighter but hadn't matured mentally and only cared about food, and Shikamaru had no real authority over them—just coaxing them along.
Choji barely noticed what happened, glancing at Ino's retreating figure without care and continuing to eat his chips. In his mind, women were trouble—running off without a word.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio was a traditional team, long tied to the Hokage's lineage. Being Asuma's students had one perk: they rarely got dangerous missions. The downside was obvious—Asuma, knowing the Nara clan's intelligence, dumped all team management on Shikamaru. He only showed up to guide training or for missions outside the village, spending the rest of his time dating. Shikamaru was stuck in a tough spot.
"Why'd you tease her again? I finally got her to stop obsessing over Sasuke and focus on missions," Shikamaru said, recognizing Ayato's joking tone. After all, Ayato had never shown interest in girls since their academy days.
"She'll be fine, right? The Yamanaka have a strong sense of duty. She wouldn't ditch missions to stalk Sasuke… would she?" Ayato asked, curious. The anime never showed these little details.
"Not that bad, but she brings up Sasuke every other sentence, and it's annoying. Though, Sasuke is pretty impressive."
"She'll grow out of it."
"Hopefully."
"You guys already started missions?"
"Yeah, we finished a D-rank today."
"That was quick."
"D-ranks aren't hard or dangerous. Everyone's probably moving at the same pace."
They reached a fork in the road.
"I'm heading home," Ayato said. "Where are you guys off to?"
"Home too. My dad wants a report on our first mission. What a drag. Being a ninja means no time to relax. You've got it easy," Shikamaru said.
"Everything has its pros and cons. See ya," Ayato replied with a smile, turning toward his street.
Running into Shikamaru was pure chance. Normally, Shikamaru was quiet, but today he'd talked a lot—clearly frustrated by his team and needing to vent. None of this concerned Ayato, though. These were things the main cast had to deal with.
As long as he didn't disrupt the main storyline, he'd survive until the end.
Walking down his street, he thought, "The anime never said exactly when Pain attacks, just that it's around the time Naruto trains in Sage Mode. I was too busy enjoying the action to note the timeline. Looks like I'll need to travel for a bit when the time comes. Before that, I should sell this street. If it gets destroyed, no one's compensating me."
With his mind made up, he decided to start drafting a sale listing when he got home. Though the destruction of the Leaf was still a ways off, selling property took time. No need to rush or discount it.
As he reached his doorstep, he saw a masked figure waiting at his door.
"Ayato?"
"Yeah, who are you?" Ayato asked, nodding.
The Anbu showing up made no sense. He'd kept a low profile for years, only showing skill in taijutsu during exams. His other skills were barely passing, and his shuriken skills were awful.
"Why didn't you go on a mission today?"