Sora woke up early in the morning. Funny how quickly habits changed when you didn't have access to a cellphone or a computer.
He glanced toward the corner, expecting to see Itachi, but the spot was empty.
After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he wandered into the kitchen for breakfast.
"Good morning, kaa-san. Where's Itachi?" Sora asked.
"He's in the backyard training. Do you want to join him after eating?"
"Naa, I'm good," replied a still groggy Sora.
"Wonderful. I needed someone to buy groceries. Do you mind?" Mikoto asked with a bright smile.
Caught off guard, Sora answered, "No, I don—"
"You don't mind? Oh, wonderful! Here's the list and the money…"
'The bastard set me up. Wonderful,' Sora thought, realizing how conveniently Itachi's training aligned with his mother's "chores."
"Kaa-san, why do I have to go while Itachi is playing outside?"
"Because you're free, it's late, and Itachi has been training, not playing," Mikoto replied calmly.
"But it's eight in the morning, woman. I need my beauty sleep if I want to grow taller," Sora complained to an unimpressed Mikoto.
'Shit,' he thought.
"Sorry, mom. I'll go!" he said quickly, relieved when her expression softened.
_ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _
"Shit."
'She is my mother now, but I can't confuse her with mi mami.They are not the same.'
It hadn't even been that long since he arrived. Thankfully, kids grew faster in this world, otherwise the "baby years" would've driven him insane.
"Hello, Grandma Shu!" he greeted the old woman, more out of habit than true interest.
"Oh my, hello Sora! Off to buy groceries?" she asked, eager to chat.
"Yes, Grandma! See ya later!" Sora said quickly, painfully aware that a five-minute conversation could become a disaster for his schedule.
"Tch, this kid," Grandma Shu muttered as he ran off.
Years of customer service had been both a blessing and a curse.
He continued toward the edge of the compound. The guards nodded at him as he passed.
'My clan is serious as hell…'
For someone used to warmth, hugs, kisses and casual interactions, this constant stiffness still felt strange.
_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _
Konoha Village – Market
The market felt emptier than usual. There were many villagers, but the caravans were gone.
Options were few, prices high, and bartering — or outright stealing — had become the rhythm of daily life.
Above, shinobi leapt from roof to roof. His mother had taught him that rooftop movement was strictly forbidden during peaceful times.
'War, eh…'
The word still tasted bitter.
Mercenaries, child soldiers — this world glorified things he had once considered monstrous.
"I need fruits and vegetables," he reminded himself, dragging his mind away from dark thoughts.
He approached a produce stall overflowing with fresh goods.
"Mister, how much is a kilo of radish?" he asked cheerfully.
"That'll be 2000 ryō, kid," said the shopkeeper — a seasoned scammer of children.
"Mister… I don't have that much money." Sora attempted a pathetic expression.
It had no effect.
"If you don't have money, get out of here, runt," the man snapped, flashing a knife.
He was used to scaring off poor kids.
Before Sora could respond, a new voice cut in.
"Do we have a problem?" a stranger asked.
Sora turned. An Uchiha officer stood behind him.
'Uchiha Police.'
The shopkeeper instantly paled.
"N-No sir! No problem! This young man already paid, and I was just about to give him his things!" he stammered, pleading more to Sora than to the officer.
Sora understood and simply nodded.
The officer, clearly uninterested, let the scene slide and walked away.
Sora received a bag full of produce, far more than he had asked for.
Once the officer was gone, Sora returned to the stall and paid exactly what he owed. Not a coin more, not a coin less.
"Sorry you had to deal with that," Sora said with a small bow.
The shopkeeper blinked, then chuckled.
"No harm done, kid. Sorry for the knife, I've been dealing with ruffians lately. If I don't scare them, they steal everything. Here."
He tossed Sora an apple, the universal gesture of a shopkeeper trying to make it up to a child.
Sora accepted it and continued toward the Uchiha compound.
__ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
On the way back, he passed a playground, just in time to hear the most horrifying human squeal.
He sprinted toward the sound.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!"
A kid lay on the ground while four others, boys and girls, surrounded him.
They all looked at Sora like he was the weird one.
The squealing kid blinked at him. "We were playing."
"Playing WHAT?!" Sora demanded, scanning the group for signs of bullying.
"T&I," the kid answered proudly.
"What is T&I?" Sora asked, already regretting the question.
"Torture and Interrogate the enemy ninja," one of the girls said matter-of-factly.
Sora stared.
Then recomposed himself.
'Fucking ninja world. Fuck.'
The kid on the ground stood up.
"Do you wanna play with us? We usually play with Ren, but Ren's dad is dead so he couldn't come today."
Sora flinched at the casual cruelty born from normality.
"No thanks. Kaa-san sent me to buy groceries."
The kids froze. Then bolted like their parents were hunting them.
'Torture and interrogation… What kind of twisted kids play that?'
Even after everything, Sora still struggled with the cultural absurdity of his new "home."
__ _ __ _ _ _ _
Root Headquarters
In a dimly lit chamber covered in seals, a man sat reading scrolls.
"Report," Danzō ordered.
"Mission successful. We retrieved one Byakugan, but the Mist hunter escaped with the other. He used his companions as delaying tactics. Orders?"
"Stop chasing. Dismissed."
His goal had been achieved: prevent a potential Uchiha–Hyūga alliance.
The Byakugan was a bonus, useful, but not essential.
The true victory was the seed of distrust he'd planted between the clans.
Could an Uchiha use a Byakugan?
He could twist that rumor into a knife sharp enough to wound them both.
And so he waited.
'Set the trap beneath the beneath… Wise words, teacher. Wise words, wise words indeed'