Chapter Nine: How Quickly Time Flies

Arriving at the Hokage building, Shisui Uchiha was soon summoned by the Third Hokage.

“Shisui, you’re here,” the Third Hokage said, sitting at his desk. When Shisui entered, he set aside the documents in his hands and greeted him with a gentle, kindly smile.

Such a smile eased Shisui’s heart, if only a little.

“Lord Third,” Shisui replied, and after exchanging pleasantries, he began to discuss business.

“Recently, the voices of discontent within the clan have been growing louder…”

As the rift between the Uchiha and the village deepened, both sides kept a vigilant eye on each other, eager to learn of the other’s movements at the first sign of change. It was only natural that spies would be placed on both sides.

Shisui Uchiha was just such a spy—indeed, a double agent—tasked with reporting the Third’s side to the clan and the clan’s side to the Third.

Yet to call him a double agent was perhaps less accurate than to call him a bridge for communication. But if those on either bank refused to communicate, then no matter how beautifully or sturdily the bridge was built, it could serve little purpose.

As Shisui continued his report, the smile faded from the Third Hokage’s face.

“Ah, this is becoming increasingly thorny…” he sighed.

“Shisui, continue your surveillance. Should anything else happen, report to me immediately.”

“Yes!” Shisui answered, but couldn’t help asking, “Lord Third, isn’t there something more we can do?”

“This is not an easy situation to resolve… Shisui, give me some time. Let me think it over carefully.” Was it truly difficult, or simply unwilling to act? Perhaps only the Third Hokage knew for certain.

“…Understood,” Shisui replied, somewhat helpless, the unease in his heart growing.

Having finished his report, Shisui was about to take his leave, when suddenly the figure of Yu Higashino came to mind for reasons he could not explain.

“Lord Third, do you know of someone in the village named Yu Higashino?”

“Yu Higashino?”

Previously, the Third Hokage had not known the name. But since Yu Higashino’s encounter with Naruto yesterday, his file had quickly landed on the Third’s desk.

Male, fourteen years old, proprietor of Higashino’s Everything Shop, an ordinary person unable to refine chakra, parents killed in the Nine-Tails incident, great-grandfather fought alongside the First Hokage—a villager with impeccable lineage, loyal and true to the village.

The background was flawless, and since he wasn’t even a ninja, the Third Hokage soon dismissed him from further concern.

Yet now, hearing his name from Shisui’s lips, he was somewhat surprised.

“I know of him. Is something the matter?”

“I happened to meet him at the training grounds the other day. We sparred, and I became curious about him.”

A one-sided defeat could hardly be called a spar, so the Third Hokage didn’t think much of it, assuming Shisui’s interest was piqued by Higashino’s family’s traditional swordsmanship.

“Their family’s sword technique is indeed impressive. Higashino’s great-grandfather served under the First Hokage, and I’ve met them a few times. Sadly, none of them seem to have any talent for ninjutsu.”

“I see.”

Shisui had brought up Yu Higashino with the Third Hokage because he harbored some suspicion, worried that Higashino might pose a problem. Now, having heard the Third’s answer, the last trace of doubt in his heart vanished.

The Third Hokage had made it clear: he knew of Yu Higashino, knew he was not a ninja, and knew he possessed a “formidable” sword technique.

Since the Third was aware of all this, there was nothing left to worry about. As for how Higashino could spar with him, a jonin, for so long despite being a mere civilian, perhaps, as the Third said, their family’s swordsmanship was simply special.

Evidently, Shisui hadn’t realized that the Third’s “formidable” referred to how impressive the swordsmanship was for an ordinary person, quite different from what he himself imagined.

“Is there anything else, Lord Third? If not, I’ll head out to my assignment.”

“No, you’re free to go.”

Receiving the Third’s reply, Shisui slowly stepped out, then vanished from the spot with a Body Flicker Technique.

Everything that had just transpired in the Hokage building was, of course, unknown to Yu Higashino. Nor did he particularly care; after all, if he truly went all out to grind his [Swordsmanship] skill, raising it to level 6—practically invincible in this world—it would only take a few days.

So whatever happened, he could always run first, hide somewhere for a few days, level up his swordsmanship, then return in force.

Yu Higashino’s carefree attitude was simply because achieving invincibility was so easy for him.

At that moment, Yu Higashino was buying groceries.

This morning, while boiling noodles, Yu Higashino noticed the fridge was running low on vegetables, so he planned to pick up some on his way home.

The market was not far from his house, and the vendor was someone he knew. Yet Yu Higashino was puzzled, for the vendor kept looking at him with a hesitant, conflicted expression.

Not until Yu had finished picking his vegetables and handed them over to be weighed did the vendor finally speak up.

“Young Higashino, is it true you let that demon fox work at your shop?”

Yu Higashino frowned, then nodded. “Yes.”

“But… that’s the Nine-Tails, you know. It killed so many people. Your parents were…”

Yu interrupted him. “It’s true my parents were killed by the demon fox, but he isn’t the demon fox. He’s just an ordinary child. No—he’s not ordinary. He has no parents, no one to care for him. He’s a rather pitiable child.”

The vendor was stunned, his expression somehow becoming difficult to read.

He, too, was a victim of the Nine-Tails disaster—not directly, but his son had been crushed by a collapsing house.

So whenever he saw Naruto, his face was always grim, his gaze venomous.

He knew Naruto wasn’t the demon fox, but… he hated.

He would not abandon his hatred simply because of Yu Higashino’s words. Yet, in that brief moment, he suddenly wondered: if there was truly an afterlife, would his son be lonely and miserable there, with no one to care for him?

“Five hundred ryo in total,” the vendor said, collecting himself as he handed over the weighed vegetables.

“Thank you.” Yu Higashino accepted the goods, paid, and responded politely, then headed home, groceries in hand.

The vendor stared blankly at Yu Higashino’s retreating figure, feeling that Yu had somehow changed, though he could not quite say how.

“How quickly time passes,” he muttered, lost in thought. Then, coming back to himself, he greeted the next customer with a cheerful smile.