Morning sunlight stretched across Konoha's eastern gate as the Sand delegation prepared to depart.
Tobika adjusted the pack on his shoulders and glanced at the crowd gathered to send off the travelers. It always amazed him how lively and warm the villagers stayed, no matter how many wars they lived through.
Just… none of that warmth was for him.He belonged to the Suna delegation today. Konoha still carried scars from the Sand.
A second escort group was also leaving for the battlefield. Tobika's eyes lingered on Uchiha Itachi among them. At the same time, he felt multiple sets of eyes lingering on him.
Uzuki Yugao waved above the crowd."Sensei! Safe travels!"
Tobika gave her a lazy wave. Iruka also popped through the mass of villagers; his vest was smeared with footprints.
Tobika swallowed a sigh. Someone trampled this unlucky brat again.
Hyūga Hana stood stiffly beside them, wanting to wave but too shy to actually do it. Yugao grabbed her arm and flailed it around.
"Don't look like someone stole your dango! Sensei is leaving!"
Tobika couldn't help smiling at the three of them, raising his hand in return.
Then his gaze drifted to the crowd again—and locked onto Uchiha Mikoto.
Their eyes met.
Her cheeks were pale.Her under-eyes were black.Her lips moved silently.
With a Sharingan's clarity, Tobika could read her perfectly.
He internally froze.
At the same moment, Yakura stepped beside him, following his line of sight. She spotted the pregnant woman staring in their direction.
Yakura frowned. "You're married?"
"No," Tobika said flatly. "Still single."
"Then why is that pregnant woman staring at you? She looks like she's… wishing you a safe return?"
Tobika closed his eyes.
She's wishing I never come back.
He exhaled, then spoke with a strange, melancholy calm.
"When I first saw her appear in front of me with a swollen belly, I genuinely felt like making her miscarry. Over time, though, the shock faded. The kid messed up all my plans for the future, but whatever. Extra population for the clan. I give some money each month and call it responsibility."
He paused.
"She's on her second pregnancy now. I'm… complicated about it. That's all."
Yakura blinked.Then her expression twisted into absolute disgust.
In her head, she swiftly assembled the outline of a scandalous novel:
A man abandons a woman he impregnated.Tries to force her to abort.Fails.Pays hush money.She raises the child alone.
Her fists clenched.
Trash.
Before Tobika could react, Yakura blurred forward and appeared beside Mikoto.She looped an arm around Mikoto's shoulder and whispered:
"You want him gone forever? I can help."
Mikoto stared at her, utterly confused.
Then she looked at Tobika, still greeting his students. She sighed softly.
"Whether as a villager, as a clanswoman, or as a person… I still hope he returns safely."
Yakura narrowed her eyes. "You're… very kind. If it were me, I would've turned that irresponsible man into a mummy."
Mikoto's smile went rigid.Slow. Painful.
"Yakura… I think you misunderstand something."
"Misunderstand?" Yakura said, patting her shoulder. "Whatever. As a fellow woman, I hope you can be happy."
She shoved some money into Mikoto's hands and vanished again.
Mikoto's face darkened into pure shadow.
When did I become 'abandoned'!?
On the road to the Land of Wind
Yakura marched beside Tobika, murderous aura leaking.
"Money."
Tobika gave her a long, tired stare. "You stuffed cash into the clan head's wife's hands without blinking. For a moment I thought you were giving her child-support. Turns out you misunderstood everything I said."
Yakura ignored him. "A clansman seeing his clan matriarch pregnant should feel joy. Excitement. Not… dread. Do you know what your reaction looks like?"
Tobika exhaled. "You wouldn't understand. The moment the clan head's wife got pregnant, the gears of fate started turning. Faster and faster. And the Uchiha clan… won't survive that momentum."
Yakura waved him off. "If you don't want to pay child support, just say so. No need for dramatic excuses."
Then she held out her hand again.
"Anyway. Suna is poor. The place you'll stay in will be cold, cracked, and probably full of scorpions. But if you pay, I can arrange something tolerable."
Tobika squinted. "Is this how you treat Konoha's diplomatic envoy?"
Yakura's smile sharpened like a kunai blade.
"The last diplomats from other nations often died from 'accidents.'The desert is cold at night. Very easy to freeze to death.Old buildings cave in.Water gets poisoned."
Halfway through her threat, she felt something heavy drop into her palm.
A thick wad of bills.
She blinked.
"…That was fast."
She tucked it away with a swift, practiced motion.With her new budget, the village could afford a few more orphans' meals.
She stole a glance at Tobika.
For days, she'd watched him.Carefully.Suspiciously.
But somewhere along the line, her view shifted.
Maybe it was talking.Maybe it was shared danger.Maybe it was realizing he wasn't the demon she assumed.
Or maybe—
She thought of Suna's shrinking funds, the daimyo slashing their budget again.
Maybe she just really needed the money.
She tightened her grip on her wallet and nodded stiffly.
This is for the village. Nothing more.