Chapter 27: Chiyo is Thinking About 20 Years From Now
"Yo, brat. How does it feel to be the star of the show on your first day, being fawned over by two cute girls?"
The moment he walked in the door, Hiiro Rinko saw Chiyo with one leg hooked over the back of the sofa, the other folded under her, her upper body hanging halfway off the couch. She was 'draped' over the sofa like a total degenerate.
Seeing this, it was hard for anyone to imagine that this woman was one of Sunagakure's greatest masters.
This is how an image shatters.
Seeing Rinko return, Chiyo casually tossed the file she was reading onto the coffee table, kipped up, and flopped onto the sofa on her stomach, giving him a teasing look.
Although she had a lot of work to deal with today and hadn't stayed at the Academy after dropping Rinko off, she had asked her brother early on to have someone keep an eye on the situation.
Having witnessed Rinko's skills at their first meeting, Chiyo was not at all surprised that he could "dominate the competition."
He sent a classmate to the infirmary? So what, they weren't badly hurt. To show such restraint at this age… this child will definitely be a great man.
But what was this about the two top girls in the class revolving around him?
How come she couldn't see what was so charming about this brat?
"Troublesome."
Rinko's answer was short and sharp.
Recalling this afternoon's experience, his face wrinkled in annoyance.
It was true that he was the one who started the small talk, just to prevent the brief lunch break from passing in awkward silence. But after that, the entire situation had galloped off in a direction he had never anticipated.
The atmosphere between Pakura and Karura became extremely "subtle," and then they began to compete for his attention in various ways, mostly by taking pot-shots at each other.
Rinko was genuinely baffled and exhausted by it.
I don't get it, but I'm baffled.
"You ever think, maybe, just maybe, those two little girls like you?"
Clearly enjoying the drama, Chiyo's grin was so wide she looked like a cat.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible."
Rinko, who was bending over to rummage through his satchel, replied with absolute certainty. His voice was a bit muffled from his position.
Truthfully, while the whole thing looked like they were fighting over him, in reality, it wouldn't have made a difference if he had been any other person, or even any other thing.
It was natural for children to be curious about unique and novel things. And as a student at the Shinobi Academy, Rinko had a full stack of buffs.
His performance was outstanding in both theory and combat. Not to mention, Pakura was the one who had been effortlessly defeated by him. It was perfectly normal that he would attract their attention.
But that was all.
Even if they mistook that curiosity for "interest," without mutual, dedicated cultivation, this one-sided spark was just a flower doomed to wither.
"Forget a day, we've only known each other for maybe eight hours. How can there be so much 'love at first sight' in the world?"
"I don't think 'like' is such a cheap emotion, and I certainly don't think I have that level of charm."
That is what Hiiro Rinko believed.
"Hmph hmph… Is that so?"
Chiyo didn't argue. She just huffed twice, then truly did 'slide' off the armrest like a cat, sprawling lazily on her back again.
Rinko's analysis of the children's psychology was objective, professional, and thorough. Even Chiyo couldn't find any fault in it.
But Chiyo felt he was overlooking one problem.
Even if they were first-years at the Academy, they were still shinobi-in-training. Forget the "civilian" students, but the ones who had been taught by their elders, while perhaps seeming a bit childish to him, were already quite mature for their age.
Whether they understood "love, hate, and vengeance" was debatable, but they could definitely tell whether or's not they "liked" someone.
And the cultural customs of the Land of Wind… haha.
Your top priority right now should be thinking of names for your future children.
But... Pakura and Karura, huh...
Chiyo, who vaguely recognized those names, was already planning to investigate their family lines.
As Sunagakure's most important 'strategic asset,' if Hiiro Rinko was to produce an heir, the priority would, of course, be given to women with excellent abilities, talent, or bloodlines.
If only Rinko could read minds, he would certainly be lamenting how learning too much jutsu makes you lose your humanity.
He was only six years old, and this Old Hag was already thinking about how to 'stud' him out. Even if she wanted to "use everything to its fullest potential," wasn't this a little too soon?
Truly, this world is mad.
"By the way, where's Nii-san?"
"Out on a mission. And how come you call Yūsa 'Nii-san' so easily, but you call me 'Old Hag'?!"
In response, Rinko—who was putting his things away—simply raised one hand behind his back toward Chiyo and, with a silent 'Bling!'... flicked his middle finger.
"Hey, you little brat!"
Chiyo was furious. She slammed her hand on the armrest, about to sit up and teach this punk some respect for his elders.
"Just stay put, Old Hag. What's in the kitchen?"
Hearing this, Chiyo, who had been grumbling, lay back down. "There's some marinated lamb left, I think. The onions and tomatoes are fresh… Oh, right, and someone dropped off some cactus fruit today."
Clearly, Chiyo had no intention of making dinner herself. She was waiting for the six-year-old Rinko to do it.
This was blatant child exploitation, but the latter had no complaints.
It wasn't because he felt forced or grateful. It was simply because he refused to eat Chiyo's cooking.
Although she was famous in the Shinobi World for inheriting and mastering the Ten Puppets Collection of Chikamatsu, her skills in poison and pharmacology were also top-tier.
Perhaps it was because she dealt with chemicals so often that her cooking ability... let's just say her food was probably very "medicinal."
It was the kind of food that was a disaster for all three senses—color, smell, and taste. The kind you felt would cure you if you were sick, but that no healthy person would ever touch.
At least "medicinal cuisine" still has the "cuisine" part. Chiyo's food was just pure "medicine."
Yūsa, you really suffered, growing up eating this stuff.
It was hard to say if Chiyo "forgot" to pack Rinko a bento today because she was self-aware, had simply forgotten, or was just in a prankish mood.
In any case, Rinko had no problem assuming the absolute worst of his nominal adoptive mother.
You know, it's Chiyo we're talking about.
Rinko clicked his tongue and walked into the kitchen with an expression of grim determination.