บท 176: Chapter 32
"Ha, I don't need such 'happiness' anyway!" I waved off, nodding to the guards at the village gate. "Even if Sensei wants to rope me in, it's only because the Hyuga want to snatch a very promising shinobi from the Nara, not just out of love for me. Or do you think all those giggly girls at the academy hung around me solely because of my irresistible looks, and not because they were hunting for a cozy spot next to the 'genius' or their clan's advantage? They couldn't care less about me."
My partner's wide eyes clearly showed he hadn't considered my problem from this angle before, attributing his classmates' behavior to mere foolishness and admiration. We walked in silence for a while longer, weaving through the crowd, and Ishi's face showed the intense work of his thoughts.
"So, for the most part, clan shinobi prioritize their clan's interests first and then their own feelings?"
"Exactly, this mostly applies to the great clans like Hyuga, Uchiha, and Senju, but it's similar for strong shinobi or children from ruling clan families. I'm supposed to marry not for love, but on the clan head's directive, and they're already looking for a suitable bride for me to strengthen the Nara's position in the village's political arena."
"Yeah, I used to dream of being born into a clan, but now it doesn't seem like such a good idea," sighed the boy.
"That's life, there are quirks everywhere, and even being an orphan has its positives, though not too many," I shrugged. "Get used to it, that's how it was, is, and will be."
"Well, thanks for sharing insights about clans, I had no idea about these details," my partner gratefully nodded. "If I have questions, can I ask you?"
"No problem, as long as it's not about clan secrets, I'll definitely answer. Anyway, you'll have to delve into all this sooner or later."
After enlightening the boy a bit more about typical clan intricacies, I bid him farewell and hurried into the shop, using the rooftops for entry.
"Hey, Ma, how's it going?"
There were no customers in the shop, just Saya bored behind the counter.
"Boring, hardly any buyers," she perked up upon seeing me. "How was your day?"
"Same as usual, except this time I managed to handle all three of them simultaneously in the training spar," I smirked, unbuttoning my collar and pulling down my mask around my neck.
"So, your raiton techniques came in handy," she smiled back.
"Exactly," slipping behind the counter, I kissed Saya on the cheek. "You can go relax or do something else, I'll cover for you."
"Okay, I'll go prepare lunch and call you when it's done."
"Deal."
Watching Ma leave, I adjusted my disguise and settled onto a stool, leaning on the counter and patiently waiting for customers.
Since Ma and I spend more than half the day here, we had to equip it not only as a seal storage but also for living, as going to the clan quarter for lunch was too much hassle.
The next few hours passed without much activity—several jounin and a couple of chuunin dropped by for kibakufudamis—so I was about to close up shop when the jingling bell on the door stopped me.
"Shikaku? What are you doing here?" I was surprised.
Usually, my cousin just comes by for a few seals, not dragging himself here. According to him, it's too much trouble.
"Just stopped by for the usual sets," he sighed. "Throw me sixteen pieces."
"Are you going to war with that horde of seals?" I raised an eyebrow in surprise.
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