Konoha: Who's the good guy?

A simple question brought a bright smile to the little wooden man's face.

I stood up from the corner of the rock pillar, facing the sunlight.

The little girl's genuine smile was so pure and beautiful.

It was only then that Yamanaka Kei truly saw that Yukito's hair was not golden like his, but a color closer to light beige.

It doesn't have the dazzling shine of gold, but it appears softer and warmer.

"Yugito's hair is so pretty."

Shan Zhongjing gave a heartfelt compliment.

"Th-thank you!"

Yukito's face flushed slightly, and she seemed a little overwhelmed by the sudden praise.

In the years she has been a Jinchūriki, she has experienced very little kindness.

Even though some people were kind to her when they didn't know her identity, once they learned who she was, they showed a deeper disgust and fear than others.

Two simple fried eggs, plus a small portion of steak, a specialty of the Land of Thunder, and a small portion of corn noodles and bread toast.

Order a glass of sweet and sour juice to go.

In less than ten minutes, Yamanaka Kei prepared a delicious breakfast that amazed Yukito.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the little girl eat.

After sensing that the two ANBU ninjas outside the house had slightly different auras than yesterday, he did not rush to do anything.

Instead, she took a glass of juice, sipped it slowly, and asked Yukito about her daily life.

Perhaps it's because the Eight-Tails frequently goes berserk, while the Two-Tails is easier to manage, or perhaps in the minds of the Cloud Village's higher-ups, the Eight-Tails' power far surpasses that of the Two-Tails.

In short, Yukito was clearly not as valued as Kirabi in the village.

The two received completely different educations.

Since becoming a Jinchūriki, Killer Bee has been training with the son of the Third Raikage, A, who will become the Fourth Raikage.

Yugito, on the other hand, entered the Ninja Academy step by step.

Occasionally, the Anbu would send over scrolls containing information about the training and improvement methods of Jinchuriki.

Yamanaka Kei could probably guess what the Third Rai was thinking.

The other party probably felt that Yukito, being a girl, needed the companionship of her peers.

The children's so-called exclusion and isolation are simply because Yugito is not strong enough; children always admire the strong.

To sum it up in one sentence.

The third-generation Rai is somewhat meticulous, but not much so.

The idea of ​​prioritizing power applies to most people in Kumogakure.

But the kids at the ninja academy who haven't yet experienced the cruelty of the ninja world don't think about all that.

Ineffective companionship will only exacerbate Yuki's loneliness and anxiety.

"Thank you for the meal!"

After finishing breakfast, Yugito's little face was filled with a happy smile, and she obediently put her hands together in a gesture of respect.

"Chess? Cards? Or do you have a better suggestion?"

Shan Zhongjing casually picked up the tableware from the table and threw it into the kitchen sink.

That kid Musaye grabbed some bread and disappeared early this morning; washing dishes is perfect for him!

The ninja world has always been this cruel.

If you lack strength, others will sleep with you, beat your children, and spend your money!

"I'm not very good at it."

Yugito awkwardly tapped her fingers.

She had never played these games before, only seen them a few times from afar when her classmates played them, and she only had a vague understanding of the rules.

"It's okay, I'll teach you. Hmm... let's try them all and see what you like."

Yamanaka Kei smiled, easing Yukito's embarrassment.

From a small box under the table, he took out shogi, reversi, sugoroku, karuta, and playing cards.

The little girl listened with great interest to the instructions on how to play each game.

Just like Fu, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki of the future Takigakure.

After listening to the rules briefly, the little girl chose Sugoroku, which was more fun and wouldn't be boring even if only two people played.

This is a game similar to Monopoly, where you roll dice to determine the number and then move your pieces on a board.

Various situations can occur on the chessboard, and whoever reaches the end first wins.

Although Yugito's luck doesn't seem to be very good.

There are always some strange and unexpected situations that arise, such as needing the player to bark like a puppy, spin around ten times to the left and ten times to the right with their eyes closed, cry and then laugh three times in five seconds each time, or walk like a lady while balancing a book on their head...

But every time, she smiled very happily.

The small room was constantly filled with her silvery laughter.

Such an experience was too precious for her, and always felt like a dream, almost unreal.

The two secret agents outside were somewhat stunned by what they saw.

Cheerful, lively, and carefree, with a touch of adorable naiveté.

Is this Jinchūriki still the same Yugito Nii they know, the one who always held her head high at the Ninja Academy, cold and arrogant?

Lunch was once again prepared by the mountain scenery.

After a quick meal, the two played several different games, and Yugito didn't feel bored at all.

It wasn't until nearly 8 p.m., after having dinner, that the ANBU member in charge of surveillance couldn't help but knock on the door to remind Yugito to go home early, as he had to go to the Ninja Academy the next day.

The young girl bid farewell and left, turning back every few steps.

Yamanaka Kei leaned against the railing, looking at the Anbu members who hadn't left beside him, sighed helplessly, and spoke first.

"Do you need me to go to the secret service to assist with the questioning?"

"No one doubts you. Lord Raikage is pleased to see someone accept a Jinchuriki."

The ANBU always operates on a two-shift system, and the ANBU member in front of Yamanaka Kei has now been replaced by the same squad leader from last night.

"That?"

"I heard you want your son to retire?"

"Life is about acknowledging your parents' ordinariness, acknowledging your own ordinariness, and then acknowledging your children's ordinariness... Lately... well, I'm just afraid he'll die on the battlefield."

He can spout nonsense about the scenery in the mountains without batting an eye.

The ANBU squad leader followed his gaze, looking at the houses standing among the clouds and the brightly lit Cloud Village.

Hearing the sighs in their words, I suddenly felt a sense of empathy.

He nodded slightly and vanished in an instant.

"...Let's die before we go, otherwise it'll be too much of a rip-off."

As Yamanaka Kei watched the other person's departing figure, he understood even more why spies couldn't stay in the field for too long.

When two lives meet, new feelings are bound to develop.

Although he couldn't sense goodwill or malice, he could guess that the fact that he hadn't been taken to the secret service for questioning meant that someone had given him assurances.

Even though he knew very well that being merciful to the enemy was being cruel to himself.

Can......

Whether for Yugito or for something else, dying seems to be the best option?

Ta-da!

With hurried footsteps, Musay ran to his front door like a gust of wind.

He glanced at his father, who was staring blankly at the sky, then kicked off his shoes and rushed into the living room, filling a water bottle while loudly asking questions.

"Dad! What's for dinner tonight?"

"See for yourself in the kitchen."

"Dad, am I not your biological child anymore? Just a bowl of leftovers?"

"My child, there's something I've never told you. I'm actually your stepfather. That year, when the snow was falling heavily, you were lying in the snow, barely alive..."

"No wonder I got beaten six times in three days! You old man... Ouch~ I was wrong, I was wrong! Dad, I was wrong!"

Bang bang bang~ bang bang bang~

After receiving a heavy dose of paternal care, Musay obediently ate a bowl of leftovers.

"Dad, I went to ask this morning. I can fill out the retirement application myself. I also told my teammates that I might retire to raise pigs, but they advised me to raise cattle instead."

"...Okay, let's raise them together."

Upon hearing this, Yamanaka Kei looked at Musai with a strange expression.

These days, there aren't many honest kids like this!

"How many cows and pigs could we buy with our money? It seems renting a space also costs money. Do we have that much money?"

"Are you really willing to give up being a ninja?"

"...Dad, my teammate saw you buy flowers this morning, calla lilies, are they for commemorating the dead?"

"Good."

"What?"

"Once the application is submitted tomorrow, we'll go and rent land and buy cattle for you."

"Dad, you still haven't told us how much money we have. If it's just one or two cows, the two of us won't be able to survive."

"I won't let you starve."