章節 24: For the Clan's Future
"Madam."
"Hmm?"
"I want to…"
"What do you want?"
"I want you."
Nara Yoshino was momentarily stunned. Looking at Asuka's serious expression, she seemed to understand something. After hesitating for a moment, she refused.
"No, if Shikaku finds out about this, he will kill me."
"If you don't say anything, and I don't say anything, he won't know."
"There are no walls in this world that don't leak."
"Just fulfill my request, please."
Asuka clasped his hands together, looking earnestly at the Madam of the Nara Clan.
"No."
Seeing her shake her head again, Asuka took a step back, his face showing a resolute expression as if he had made a very important decision. He gritted his teeth and said.
"Three times. Just three times."
"Three times?"
Nara Yoshino rested her chin on her hand, secretly observing Asuka's strong physique. She sighed and shook her head, then held up five fingers and bargained.
"Three times is a bit too few. Five times. If you agree, I'll do it."
"Alright then."
After thinking for a moment, Asuka nodded, agreeing to her terms.
"Here you go!"
Nara Yoshino took a large package from the counter and handed it to Asuka. She then looked at him with curiosity.
The Nara Clan has traditionally raised deer for Konoha. Deer antlers are a valuable medicinal material, and their achievements in medicine are unmatched. Most of Konoha's medicinal materials and products are provided by them.
Ordinary people and ninjas usually choose their store for buying medicinal materials and products. Today, she had just arrived at the store and saw Asuka fiercely bargaining with the clerk. She then pushed the clerk aside and personally discussed the prices of the medicines with him.
"Asuka-kun, what do you need these basic medicinal materials for? Is someone from the Uchiha Clan planning to become a medical ninja?"
"No!"
Asuka carried the medicinal materials behind him and grimaced.
"This morning, I took on a new apprentice who wants to learn medicine. She just graduated from Ninja Academy, and her wallet is cleaner than your face, Madam."
"Wow!"
Yoshino's mouth dropped open in surprise as she looked at Asuka exaggeratedly,. She then gave him a thumbs-up and praised him.
"Asuka-kun, you really know how to talk."
"Since you think I'm so good at talking, how about three medical check-ups?"
"No way, we agreed on five. After all, you got these medicinal materials at a two-thirds discount. What's the difference from getting them for free?"
"Heh~"
Asuka's mouth twitched. If it weren't for the greedy merchants in Konoha, he'd never have bargained for anything. When he originally planned to defect, he sold everything he could, used all his savings to buy some weapons from Old Cat lady, and then when he decided not to defect and went back to reclaim those weapons, the old man slashed them with a dragon-slaying sword, causing his assets to shrink by a third.
When he went to redeem the things he had sold, those greedy merchants turned his ordinary kitchen knife into a Thunder Sword and jacked up the price of his sharpening stone to a disaster-level amount.
If it weren't for the constraints of his ninja identity...
"Asuka-kun, how is your investigation going?"
Yoshino's voice pulled Asuka out of his memories. He pointed to the calendar on the wall and said helplessly, "Madam, it's only been one day."
"Is that so? I thought it had been much longer. Since it's only been a day, you need to work harder."
"Got it."
Asuka waved his hand and left the Nara family's pharmacy.
When he took those medicinal materials, he had quietly investigated a bit. He now had a rough estimate of Shikamaru's birth date.
September.
Given how quickly children mature in the world of Naruto, he figured that by February next year, he could befriend Shikamaru with just a lollipop.
No, that's not right.
Thinking about Tsunade's growth over the year as described by Shizune, Asuka advanced the timeline a bit more. With Shikamaru's prodigious brain, he might recognize people within a month of birth, read within two months, and make friends by three months.
Night.
Nara Clan grounds.
Asuka, dressed in black, skillfully avoided the patrolling ninjas and arrived at Nara Ryouko's room.
"Who's there?"
Asuka, After removing his mask, was quickly pulled inside by Ryouko as she stood up. Her tone was anxious.
"You've finally come."
"No rush."
After calming her down, Asuka looked at her worried expression and continued.
"The last time I came, I was spotted by the patrolling Nara clan members outside. Then your Clan Head's wife suspected that you and I were involved."
"Oh~"
Upon hearing this, Ryouko's face also showed a look of realization. She had wondered why Yoshino had been so inquisitive about whether she had a man the last time she visited.
It's really too much, her husband just passed away, and now they suspect her of seeing another man.
She was so angry at the time that she chased the Clan Head's wife out with a broom.
So that's where the issue lies.
She glanced at Asuka with her narrow eyes and, as if making a serious decision, said earnestly.
"As long as you cure my son, I don't care about the rumors or the truth. I don't care."
"I do care."
With that, Asuka followed her out of the room and down to the first floor.
He didn't want Danzo to know he was intentionally getting close to the Root members, nor did he want to be labeled as someone who "meets widows at midnight," especially since this widow had a son and wasn't particularly attractive.
Honestly, not everyone can treat someone else's child as their own.
To achieve great things, one needs vision. He felt that in this life, his vision might only make him a village head.
Asuka, looking at the moonlight streaming through the window, thought of Kaguya Otsutsuki living on the moon. Although she had a son, he died, and the only one still alive was helping Uchiha Madara significantly.
Asuka wondered whether Uchiha Fugaku's offspring with a Hyuga woman would exhibit any recessive traits.
Having identified a potential issue, Asuka decided to bring it up at the next clan meeting.
After today's treatment, to avoid their shadows falling on the window again, Asuka and Ryouko sat directly against the wall.
"Actually, it's not that difficult. Just be honest with Yoshino."
Ryouko looked out at the moon, her face showing rare relief. She had noticed that her son's condition had indeed improved, and after about seven or eight more treatments, he should be able to move like a normal person.
Feeling grateful, she looked at Asuka and said with a relaxed tone, "Yoshino is very understanding. Once she knows you're here to treat her nephew, she definitely won't say anything."
"Now you're calling her 'sister-in-law'?. Just a moment ago, you were badmouthing her and spreading rumors.
Also, the main issue here is your 'sama.'
Asuka gave Ryouko a sidelong glance.
If Danzo were an idiot, he wouldn't have to worry so much.
The key is that old man is just evil, not dumb, and he has a lot of evil plans.
If he suspects any issues between Ryouko and me, he's bound to trace it back and thoroughly clean up "Root."
"What should we do then?"
Hearing this, Asuka stood up, dusted off his clothes, and said, "Actually, I think a marriage alliance between the Uchiha Clan and the Nara Clan wouldn't be bad. After all, the Uchiha clan members don't use their brains, which is a serious flaw."
"So??"
Ryouko looked at Asuka with confusion, not quite understanding what he was saying. Could it be that he really wants to marry her?
Although it's not impossible and she isn't unwilling, it's just... too sudden.
At this moment, Asuka turned to face the direction of the clan grounds, his gaze seemingly able to see through obstacles, staring intently at a certain house, and said, "For the bright future of the clan, it's better to sacrifice the Clan Head."
Nara Ryouko blinked, and her face shifted from confusion to fear. She covered her mouth with both hands, staring at Asuka in disbelief.
Is this guy planning to kill the Clan Head?? To settle our little issue?
There's no need to go that far, is there?
"Don't overthink it."
Seeing her terrified expression, Asuka stretched lazily and said irritably, "I'm planning to push this matter onto the Clan Head. I never said the marriage partner could only be one.
I, from the Uchiha divorce faction, am actively helping the Clan Head find a suitable partner. He wouldn't be able to find such a considerate clan member even with a lantern.
When Danzo asks why your son's condition has improved, just say it's my sincere gesture of helping the Clan Head propose. You can appear to be compromising on the surface while maintaining your purity and chastity in private, saying you don't want to marry anyone for the rest of your life.
It's the perfect solution."
Hearing this, Nara Ryouko sighed with relief. She had truly thought the Uchiha Clan Head was going to die, but it turns out it's not the case.
It seems like the plan might work.
She could also claim that it was the Uchiha clan member who insisted on her marrying Fugaku, while she maintained a vague attitude for the sake of her son. After her son's condition improved, she could then turn her back on him.
But…
Ryouko looked at Asuka with some concern and hesitated before speaking.
"W-will the Clan Head really not hit you?"
Hit me??
Asuka raised an eyebrow, pointed to his own nose, and then towards the direction of the clan, saying calmly, "Unless he really goes blind and goes off the rails, it's not certain who would hit whom. Besides, there are so many radicals in the clan, and he hasn't said anything about them. Why would he hit me? Last time at the clan meeting, a certain radical even wanted to kill those Konoha Elders who had a bad attitude towards the Uchiha."
Heh~ Heh~
Ryouko looked at Asuka speechlessly. She knew there were many mentally unstable people in the Uchiha clan, but she hadn't expected them to be this extreme.
She even wanted to kill the Konoha Elders.
Looking at it this way, this person in front of her seemed like one of the rare normal people in the Uchiha clan.
Realizing that this person was sent by Nara Yoshino to investigate her, her face darkened immediately. She turned back to look at the center of the clan land, muttering angrily.
"Damn Yoshino, you actually sent someone to investigate me."
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