So the village was bound to be chaotic lately. Although such events hadn't occurred in the original story of Ino, Sharly had still warned him.
As for Naruto, with the Third Hokage watching, nothing significant could happen.
"Forget it, I'll walk you home," Sharly said, still a bit concerned. He considered the paths of both households; although it was a slight detour, it wasn't completely out of the way, and there was still enough time.
"Huh?!" Ino's eyes widened in surprise. She didn't understand why Sharly was worried about after-school events, as if there were some danger. But she didn't want to ask; this was a rare opportunity.
"I just… I apologize for earlier," Sharly thought, suddenly realizing something was off. Perhaps he was overthinking. After all, Ino's father was the head of Konoha's intelligence department—he couldn't be unaware of the situation, which meant it had been arranged by someone.
Looking at it this way, the situation became clear. The pigs (referring to the elite ninja guards, I assume) only followed the Hokage's orders. If the Third Hokage didn't act, they wouldn't either.
"No, no, don't be so abrupt. I agree!" Ino blushed and said quickly. Missing this opportunity would have been unbearable!
Sharly paused, glanced at Ino, and finally agreed.
Chapter 49 – News from Yamanaka Kuroichi
Ino felt something was off. Walking home together after school should have been a good way to strengthen their bond.
However, she realized Sharly simply wanted to escort her home—nothing more. He hadn't said a word along the way.
"Hmph, progress is good. We're reunited again." At that moment, Mrs. Yamanaka also came down the stairs, smiling at Ino.
"Yes, that's fine." Ino's face turned bright red, and she didn't share her doubts with her mother. Perhaps it was her first time, and Sharly didn't know what to say either.
Soon, Ino realized she had overthought things—Sharly did this every day; he simply walked her home.
This realization left Ino slightly disappointed. While their relationship could grow closer, it wasn't what she had imagined.
No, today they were walking home again, and Sharly hadn't said anything voluntarily.
However, Ino was surprised to see her father waiting, seemingly expecting both her and Sharly.
"Hello, uncle," Sharly greeted Yamanaka Kurogi proactively.
Kurogi nodded, his gaze lingering on Sharly with a complicated expression. Of course, he knew Sharly had been walking Ino home these past few days. Though they were young, their relationship had matured in his eyes—undeniably so.
At this, Kurogi couldn't help but sigh bitterly. His young daughter had been claimed by a scoundrel, which made him feel uneasy.
"Dad, why are you here today?" Ino asked curiously.
"I left work early today. I originally planned to pick you up, but I thought if Sharly had been walking you home lately, you might feel upset if I did. So I waited here instead," Kurogi said with a wry smile.
"Ah! Dad, what are you saying!" Ino's face turned crimson as she grabbed her father's hand and shook it.
Seeing her like that, Kurogi smiled too, though a tinge of bitterness remained.
After a while, he looked at Sharly. "I should thank you for walking Ino home. I've caused you some trouble these past days."
"You're welcome. Recently, fights and disturbances have been frequent in the village. I was worried Ino might get into trouble on her way home," Sharly explained. He wasn't lying. Even without knowing the details of the Uchiha clan, conflicts in the village had been escalating.
As for why he walked her home: first, he wasn't sure what their future might hold, but considering their age, it wasn't impossible. Second, even without certainty, in such an environment, he should escort her as a friend.
Suddenly, Ino's eyes lit up. That explained it! No wonder he had walked her home!
Although she hadn't intended to talk much during the walk, her earlier gloom was replaced by joy. Indeed, Sharly had been looking out for her all along.
"Yes, the village has been a bit chaotic lately," Kurogi said, looking at Sharly. "This child deliberately stirring up trouble… it's frustrating. But will the chaos affect the kids? Hopefully not. It should pass soon."
"Go home early. Stay quietly at home today," Kurogi said seriously, thinking that Sharly might one day become his son-in-law, so he needed to remind him.
"Oh, okay," Sharly replied, slightly puzzled but nodding. "I'll escort my mother home later and won't go out again."
"Yes," Kurogi nodded, glancing at Sharly. He remembered his own mother and thought her personality had been quite good. Looking at Sharly now, he felt a small sense of satisfaction.
"Then uncle, I'll go first. Ino, see you tomorrow," Sharly said and left.
"See you tomorrow!" Ino waved.
"What a good kid," Kurogi couldn't help but sigh, watching Sharly's back.
"Right? I've always thought this child is quite remarkable." At that moment, Mrs. Yamanaka came out of the house. She had overheard her husband's sigh and smiled.
"So, Ino, make sure to do your best. Don't let her slip away," Mrs. Yamanaka said, gently stroking Ino's hair.
"I-I don't know anything!" Ino blushed, wriggled free, and ran inside.
The Yamanakas exchanged a look and smiled.
Sharly walked along the road. He had only been concerned about Ino's safety, but in the end, he had gained concrete information.
Seeing Kurogi, he already had some guesses. The reminder confirmed it: the day he had been anxious about was today.
Sharly walked home. At the West Mountain side, it wasn't yet time to leave work, so he wasn't worried. After all, that was the Akyodo family's barbecue shop—no one dared to cause trouble there.
As for after-school matters, Sharly had been secretly following her these past days, worried she might face danger. Fortunately, nothing happened.
If today were the last day, he wouldn't follow secretly anymore; he would go straight to pick up West Mountain.
As for training today, he decided to rest. No need to remind Lee—Might Guy wouldn't let him get into trouble. Actually, Lee probably had his own role, but he wouldn't bother him.
"Shinai, be careful on the way. The village has been unsettled lately. I heard some staff at the neighboring shop were injured," Shinai's colleague said after work.
"Yes, thank you. I'll be careful," Shinai replied. Changing out of his grease-stained work clothes, he packed up to head home. He had planned to buy some food but decided against it, as there was enough at home for a while.
"Shinai! Your son is here to pick you up!" colleagues shouted. Shinai widened his eyes and ran outside.
Soon, he saw his son standing there, greeting the colleagues, then turning to him. The reluctant smile on his son's face hadn't faded. He approached and said:
"Mom, I'll walk you home," Sharly said.
"Why do you want to escort me today?" Shinai asked, a mix of joy, confusion, and slight concern on her face.
"The village hasn't been very safe recently, so I came to bring you home," Sharly replied truthfully.
Hearing this, Shinai's colleagues looked on enviously. They all wanted a talented and considerate child!
Still, Shinai sighed. "Mom, don't worry. Don't look at her like that. She was just a Genin before. Ordinary people wouldn't dare bully her. But Sharly… is it safe for you to come alone?"
"No, after all, I defeated Iruka-sensei," Sharly quietly revealed.
Shinai's eyes widened. Iruka… a Chunin, right? That meant her son could defeat a Chunin? She was stunned.
In a daze, she left her usual workplace, colleagues full of envy, yet her smile remained unchanged.
Chapter 50 – The Uchiha Clan Massacre
Night fell at Sharly's home.
Sharly gazed out the window, completely absorbed in thoughts about the Uchiha clan's impending downfall.
The Uchiha territory was far from the school, but Sasuke had surely returned home by now.
In other words, the turmoil within the Uchiha clan had already begun.
Though Sharly had once considered not interfering, he couldn't help thinking about whether he could seize a pair of Sharingan eyes. One set of magatama-shaped Sharingan would suffice for him.
While his goal wasn't to use eyes that didn't belong to him, the Sharingan was highly coveted in a world known as "the legend of the eyes."
As one of the three great Dojutsu, the Sharingan naturally attracted attention. Even if he didn't use them later, careful study would be beneficial.
However, there were obstacles: Zetsu at the front, and Obito behind. Even if he wanted to take advantage of the chaos, doing so with his current strength would be suicidal.
Even with the magatama, he couldn't remain unknown within the Uchiha clan. Secrets might lie beneath the surface, but not many.
Thus, finding an unknown Uchiha with Sharingan was nearly impossible.
Sharly slowly calmed his unrealistic thoughts with a sigh. He pondered for a long time, but who could resist the temptation of the Sharingan?
He also knew the Sharingan wasn't suited for him, which allowed him to regain calm quickly.
Even if he obtained it, he could only preserve it. His chakra couldn't use it, and unlike others in later generations, he couldn't transplant eyes directly. He needed a skilled medical expert to help implant them. A Sharingan that could channel chakra would suffice.
If preserving it, Sharly could prepare a solution, but where to store it? At home? Too risky if discovered.
Most importantly, his chakra wasn't enough to support the Sharingan, and his body wasn't of Uchiha caliber. The Sharingan couldn't close, and even if unused, it would continuously drain chakra.
There was no point in discussing hiding it; post-transplant, his chakra would definitely be insufficient. If insufficient, he could refer to Nagato using the Rinnegan.
Nagato's frail body was terrifying, yet as a member of the Uzumaki clan, he had abundant vitality. If it were him, relying only on the Sharingan would make him not just frail, but vulnerable to death.
Finding a trustworthy medical expert? Forget it. Sharly couldn't find one now. As for self-implantation… he didn't have the resolve yet.
Even if lucky enough to obtain a pair of Sharingan, he would need a reliable doctor and still consider chakra constraints.
Too many complications—better to sleep. No matter what, life mattered, so give up, he muttered quietly, abandoning unrealistic ideas.
He thought: the strongest opportunity would be to take a Sharingan from Danzo and maybe get some Hashirama cells…
From tonight onward, the world would have only a few remaining Uchiha, perhaps fewer than even that. It seemed the clan had already dispersed some members before the massacre.
"Tomorrow, Sasuke will be alone," Sharly murmured. Normally, he didn't overthink anime plots, but now, in the Naruto world, he had to consider many things.
Why would Sasuke be alone? Even if Konoha had only one Sasuke, it didn't mean the Uchiha clan had to die. Even Danzo shouldn't just use them as experimental subjects.
Wouldn't publicly raising one Sasuke while keeping others imprisoned for experiments be more advantageous? It would even align with Konoha's interests.
Did Itachi consider this? Did he want to prevent his clan from being experimented on and killed? But the Uchiha might curse anyone worrying about this. Or perhaps Obito? White Fang?
It was estimated that after tonight, the Third Hokage and Danzo might feel somewhat out of control…
But this didn't concern him. After the Uchiha clan's downfall, the village would eventually return to normal, and he could resume his previous life.
Escorting Ino would still take some time. It was best to wait until the village settled before acting. Stopping immediately would undermine his previous reasoning.
Although the Uchiha were gone, if Konoha's wealthy clans were wiped out overnight, instability would last for a while.
Even without the Uchiha security, safety could worsen temporarily. If he suddenly stopped sending updates, his prior reasoning would collapse.
If suspected of knowing about the Uchiha massacre—though unlikely—it would be a tragedy.
According to Shinai, he would resume secret protection until the village recovered from the genocide's aftermath.
Sharly thought, closed the window, calmed his thoughts about the Uchiha, and went to rest.
The next day, unsurprisingly, panic spread throughout the village. The ninja academy was in chaos, as many Uchiha still attended.
For instance, Sasuke Uchiha from their class was among them—but he didn't show up today.
Many girls who idolized Sasuke had no intention of studying and anxiously stared at his empty seat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
for 30 advanced chapter, visit my patreon
'patreon.com/fatimasoomro123'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"