Chapter 23: Chapter XXII
Perhaps it was until the following morning that I heard a pounding on my door. Honestly, I would have preferred to spend the rest of the weekend sleeping or completing one of my projects. It was a rare occasion since I only managed to get around two hours of sleep per day, either through meditation or succumbing to exhaustion, often dozing off at my desk.
"Alright, I'll open it!" I called out.
I washed my face and discarded my old clothes, replacing them with a fresh shirt and pants. I fixed my disheveled hair and noticed Naruto still sleeping soundly. Good for him, I thought, as I made my way to the door.
Hopefully, it wasn't someone of great importance. What were the odds of the Hokage paying me a visit anyway? I glanced back at the sleeping blonde bundle of joy. Right.
"Good morning, Nobu-kun. Are you ready?"
It was Haguro. I remembered that we had plans for today—a discussion about our trading card business venture, which, hopefully, would alleviate my financial burdens as I delved into experimenting with more expensive materials and tools in the future.
"Well, sure," I replied. The curse hadn't taken effect yet, or perhaps it was simply too early for me to care. "Just let me take Naruto to Magoroku-ojii-san first."
"That's perfect, then," Haguro agreed with a nod.
I headed back inside, preparing my satchel while mentally going through the events of yesterday. My eyes wandered until they settled on the cabinet. I crouched down and inspected a wooden box tucked underneath it.
Those were the owl eggs I had purchased earlier. I wondered if they had hatched yet. The seal still held strong. Setting them aside for a moment, I reached further back into the cabinet until I came across another sealed box hidden in the corner. It was mostly a precautionary measure in case Naruto or Izuna stumbled upon it.
The box was too large to fit in my satchel, so I sealed it into storage scrolls. Honestly, I couldn't help but wonder why these weren't more widely distributed. They would revolutionize the transportation of goods. But then again, it would pose a security risk for a shinobi village if civilians could freely carry them.
What can I do? The law always restricts personal freedom in exchange for collective safety. Or so they say. Not my words.
Anyway, I stood up and secured a sling to carry Naruto. He only needed a diaper change and a sprinkle of baby powder to freshen up the little bundle of joy.
"Sorry for taking so long."
"It's alright," Haguro replied, understandingly nodding. "Let's go!"
.
Fueee...
I melted under the scorching sunlight, seeking refuge in a quaint tea shop tucked away on a corner of the main street. Honestly, strenuous manual labor is not my cup of tea. It requires too much coordination, and the intimidating faces of the bosses make it even harder to bear. It's a different experience compared to the gentle and accommodating Magoroku-ojii-san.
Is this what awaits me as a commissioned shinobi for the village? I couldn't help but recall the stern countenances of hard-asses like Ibiki Morino and Katou-sensei. Maybe it's time to quit. I just want to become an erotic writer and a trading card peddler before settling down with a wife and two children.
As long as Naruto is raised properly, I'm certain the world will be alright. Yes, I'm sure.
"Here," Haguro approached me, holding a stick of ice cream in her hand while indulging in another one herself.
"T-thanks..."
"So, how do you feel?" Haguro inquired.
"I don't want to go back there," I blurted out, deviating from the current topic.
The girl chuckled and her laughter gradually subsided into a softer tone. "Well, I must admit, they were rather intimidating. I thought the place would be more accommodating."
"Let's stick to seals," I pleaded. I couldn't bear the thought of returning to that sweatshop.
"As you wish," Haguro chuckled again, clearly amused by my reaction.
She led the way as we walked towards the Uchiha Compound. Well, I suppose there's nowhere safer and more secure than a compound guarded by the Uchiha clansmen.
... Yeah, it's the safest place, I swear. My mind didn't wander to the day of the massacre or anything like that. Nope, it definitely didn't. It's the safest place there is.
Sarcasm aside...
Hmm…
Was that even sarcasm?
"Here," Haguro waved at me as I lagged behind her.
It was her house. As we entered, my heart filled with trepidation at the thought of meeting her parents or one of her siblings. She had mentioned having a few older sisters roaming around.
Hieee...
"As much as I'd love to tease you, just relax," Haguro reassured me, leading the way. "My mother is probably at her shop, and there's only one of my sisters here, still fast asleep."
Still asleep?! What if she wakes up? I'll be dead.
No, no. I'll be devoured. Not by an onee-san. Not the busty onee-san. Never.
We ascended the stairs, and I watched every creak of my footsteps, fearing to awaken the sleeping dragon residing in this castle.
Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, sliding down as I gulped, trying to drown out a particular snore.
Let's ignore it. I quickened my pace to keep up with Haguro until we reached a specific room.
It must be her room, I assume? Well, it certainly didn't match my mental image of her.
There were dolls and clothes strewn about. I swear I didn't see any panties. My heart raced as the realization dawned upon me that I was in a girl's room. A genuinely girly room, not just a pretend one.
Haguro coughed softly, her cheeks tinged with pink. "Well, I hope you'll excuse the state of my room."
"N-no, it's alright. It looks cute, even adorable," I said hastily, trying to ease her embarrassment. Perhaps I spoke too quickly, as her cheeks flushed even deeper before she shoved me out of her room.
"Wait here for a moment!"
"Yes..."
She closed the door, and I heard some commotion behind it. I hoped she was alright. And for my own sake, I hoped it didn't awaken the sleeping dragon.
The corridor felt lonely, occasionally interrupted by the sound of rummaging inside Haguro's room and the snoring from the neighboring room.
After a while, the door creaked open, and Haguro's head peeked out through the gap. "Please come in..."
Anyway, I followed her instruction, not particularly fond of spending my time in the corridor.
I won't comment on the state of the room due to privacy concerns, but let's just say it was much tidier than before.
The windows were closed for a reason.
"So?" I stumbled over her words as we sat on her bed, unclasping a particular scroll before unsealing its contents.
It was the large box I had sealed earlier.
"What is this?" Haguro asked, examining the contents of the seals I had shown her.
"They're explosive seals. Take a look," I encouraged her.
"All of them?" she exclaimed in surprise.
I nodded, clarifying, "I made sure to separate any experimental seals into another box. The contents of this one are all explosives."
Her doubt was evident as she continued, "But... judging from the thickness, there are probably three or four thousand layers alone..."
I didn't understand her astonishment. I had simply been making explosive seals in my spare time as a way to practice my calligraphy. I had no idea that I could actually make a profit from them.
"I think there are around five thousand and three hundred twenty," I tried to recall from my mental notes.
"Five thousand!?" she stuttered, clearly taken aback.
"Yeah, roughly around that number. Is there something strange about it?" I asked, genuinely confused.
She looked at me as if I were a rare exotic animal. "Listen, Nobu-kun, an apprentice fuuinjutsu practitioner can usually only make about a hundred seals in a week, let alone five thousand of them!"
But I hadn't made those seals in the span of a single week. In fact, I had started making them around the same time we entered the academy. Wait, how much time had passed exactly? It was the only thing I hadn't kept track of. The term was almost over, so maybe around four months? I wasn't entirely sure.
Logically speaking, if an apprentice could make a hundred seals in a week, how many could they make in four months? Let's round it up to eighteen weeks for simplicity's sake. That would be around a thousand and eight hundred seals.
Sure, that sounded impressive, but I didn't think it was that extraordinary. I just had too much time on my hands at the academy. Anyone could do it.
Haguro seemed to have guessed my train of thought as she sighed and shrugged at me.
"So, how much can I get for them?" I asked, getting back to the main topic.
"It depends on the quality. I'll take this to my nee-chan, and she'll calculate the rest," she explained.
"Why your nee-san specifically?" I inquired, genuinely curious.
"Because she's a seal crafter," Haguro replied matter-of-factly.
"Ah, that makes sense," I nodded, acknowledging her logical argument.
"But won't this raise suspicions?" I raised a concern.
"I don't think anyone in the Uchiha clan will particularly care. We'll buy yours for a reasonable price in exchange for keeping it quiet," she assured me.
I hoped my next question wouldn't come across as insensitive, as it touched upon the condition of her clan. "Is it that severe?" I asked, keeping my tone discreet.
Haguro simply nodded, her expression grave. "I'm aware of most of what's going on, but only at a surface level. Let's just say we've been burdened with more trade restrictions and heavier taxes from the village."
"I see. That's truly unfortunate," I sympathized.
"It is," she chuckled bitterly. "Anyway, do you want to play a game before heading home?"
I absentmindedly nodded in response. My mind was elsewhere, but I made an effort to push those thoughts aside, not wanting to come across as rude to Haguro
In the end, I decided to trust Haguro and her family to determine the price of my seals. So far, I had found her to be trustworthy and genuine.
What the worst could happen, supplying the Uchiha with what essentially is a few thousand explosives dynamite, anyway?
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Stalkah
Stalkah I hope that didn't take too long. I'm not sorry. I was having too much fun writing a smut the past few days, no, not this fic.
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