Chapter 62
To prepare for the upcoming Third Exam, my brother went to train alone.
With nothing to do, Izumi-jie jie decided to bond with her lover's younger sister.
So, the two girls left the residence and headed outside.
Shopping is an eternal topic for girls.
Under the boundless clear sky,
the two arrived at the bustling Shopping Street.
The dazzling array of goods and the massive flow of people made it the liveliest place.
"Sako, I heard Itachi say... you often help Mikoto-san carry things, is that true?"
"Yes, of course! I always try to lighten Mom's burden as much as possible!"
The two walked and chatted.
Uchiha Izumi's incredibly gentle demeanor quickly earned Sako's approval.
Sako believed... if a sister-in-law had a perfect appearance, it would definitely be Izumi-jie jie's.
Just then, a large crowd seemed to have gathered ahead, as if something had happened.
In this most prosperous and lively area, it would be abnormal if nothing happened daily.
"It's him again! What's he done this time?"
"It seems like he's helping an old lady cross the road."
"Eh?! Really? I thought that demon... would only cause trouble!"
The people's discussions were accompanied by a sudden halt, as if certain words couldn't be spoken.
"What's going on?"
Izumi-jie jie and Sako's curiosity was piqued, so they began to peer into the situation.
Soon, they learned the whole story... "The old lady was walking just fine, and you just went over and helped her cross the road."
"I, I thought the old lady was stopped there because she wanted help~."
"The old lady was just tired and stopped to rest. By your logic, everyone who stops in place wants to cross the road, then?"
"Ugh..."
Although the person involved tried to act calm,
the beads of sweat on his forehead and his constant glancing around still exposed his inner anxiety.
"I remember that child is..."
Izumi-jie jie began to recall.
The young man being criticized in the center of the crowd had choppy golden hair, giving a first impression of being a bit silly.
The situation was simple: an old lady who had stopped to rest was "made" to cross the road, which drew criticism from the villagers.
"Ha... it's exactly the kind of thing this guy would do..."
Sako let out a helpless sigh.
Uzumaki Naruto, that idiot, wasn't just silly-looking; he often did silly things.
But helping an old person cross the road or something, that proved his nature wasn't bad.
However, the next second, Sako's expression immediately changed as she remembered her brother's instructions.
"Izumi-jie jie~, let's go quickly, this kind of thing isn't worth bothering with."
"Eh? But... alright."
Uchiha Izumi still wanted to get involved and calm the argument. Seeing Sako's insistence, she could only leave with her, albeit hesitantly.
However, as soon as Sako took a step, she felt a faint gaze fixed on her.
"Did Uzumaki Naruto spot me?"
Sako thought, feeling a little guilty, and immediately quickened her pace... Twenty minutes later... "Izumi-jie jie, do you feel... like someone is following us...?"
Sako said to Uchiha Izumi beside her, displeased.
"No, I don't think so," Izumi-jie jie looked left and right, then chuckled.
"That guy!"
Sako stopped walking.
Not far behind them, a certain blond immediately stopped as well and began to pretend to look at the scenery.
"He's pretending to look around, but he's always secretly watching us... When we meet his gaze, he pretends not to have seen us... And wherever we go, he follows... When we stop to buy things, he also pretends to buy things..."
"Hmm..."
Izumi-jie jie's gaze fell on two patrolling Uchiha Police Force Ninja.
The two clan members noticed Izumi-jie jie's gaze and turned their heads to nod slightly.
Izumi-jie jie also nodded in return.
In broad daylight, any petty theft could not escape the eyes of the Police Force personnel, who were stationed in pairs throughout Konoha's main streets.
That is to say, if there was any malicious intent, that young man would have been caught long ago.
"Perhaps it's because Sako, you're too cute."
Izumi-jie jie smiled, her tone containing a hint of flattery. It sounded like she didn't really support Sako causing trouble for that young man.
Sako, feeling incredibly annoyed, was torn between her brother's instructions and her own unease.
In this conflicting situation, Sako could only vent her inner displeasure on Naruto.
"This way!"
Sako, with a cold smile, pointed to a shop by the roadside.
Izumi-jie jie's breathing slowed slightly, and she immediately understood Sako's intention.
So, the two girls quickly walked into the nearby "Ladies' Lingerie Store."
And Naruto, who was following behind, also stopped pretending to look at the scenery.
Soon, Naruto, with his hands in his pockets, entered the store as if no one else was around.
A few seconds later, the shop erupted with the sharp screams of ladies... Chapter 5. I Have a Special Way to Approach Sako
Naruto's sudden entry proved the feasibility of Sako's plan.
"See! He was following us!"
Sako pointed at Naruto, who was disheveled from the ladies throwing things at him.
One after another, ladies' intimate apparel became the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Naruto lay amidst the scattered items, looking utterly bewildered.
"Ha..."
Izumi-jie jie, sweating like beans, suddenly didn't know how to explain it either.
Naruto, besieged by the ladies, slowly got up from the ground, then was subjected to a barrage of criticism.
"You perverted brat, why are you here!"
"I came to shop, and I just came in to see if there were any suitable items..."
Naruto removed the items from his body and tossed them aside.
His feigned composure was indeed a bit amusing.
"This is a women's clothing store!" the fuming shop owner shouted.
You're a boy!
"Can't male customers come in to buy things?"
Naruto frowned.
"This is gender discrimination, and how dare you assume my, Uzumaki Naruto's, gender..."
However, this sharp rebuttal, which would be effective in certain culturally specific countries, failed in the Hokage world.
"Stop spouting nonsense that nobody understands!"
Naruto was once again submerged by projectiles, and finally, he was thrown out entirely, landing on the street... On the outskirts of Konoha.
Candidates from various countries who passed the second round would participate in the Chunin Exams' Third Exam in two days.
At the lodging house where the Hidden Mist Ninjawere staying, everyone was already restless.
"Juzo, when exactly are we going to act?!"
Following Juzo's instructions, they had disguised themselves as lazy candidates, "barely" passing the first two rounds of selection.
To make it more realistic, several companions were even eliminated.
If things continued this way, they probably wouldn't have a chance to act even after the Chunin Exams concluded.
"Soon..."
Biwa Jūzō, sitting in the corner, was calm and composed.
This rogue Ninja, whose allegiance was now unknown, was an object to be eliminated in everyone's eyes.
Once this mission was completed, his kubikiribōchōwould change hands!
"We'll act after the Third Exam..."
Juzo stated the specific time of action.
This made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
Seizing confidential documents.
Taking advantage of the large number of foreign visitors coming to watch the Third Exam, and relying on the mist created by the Hidden Mist Ninja's Good at Hidden Mist Technique, it could be easily accomplished.
Once they obtained the documents and escaped Konoha, they would hand them over to the Hidden Mist cipher squad waiting outside for the handover.
Then, they would rally everyone's strength and kill Juzo!
"Hmph... hmph..."
Humming, Juzo hugged the broken blade of his kubikiribōchō, seemingly oblivious to the malice hidden in everyone's eyes.
To him, the struggles with his former Villagecolleagues were minor.
The key was how to abduct Uchiha Fugaku's daughter.
Fortunately, that White Zetsu guy had already completed the reconnaissance in advance.
He just needed to follow its guidance when the time came... At noon, Uchiha Izumi bid farewell to Sako.
Sako, who was not in a good mood and worried about being scolded by her father if she went back, did not choose to go home.
The source of her depression was the conflicting demands of her brother's instructions and the promise she had made.
From childhood, she had always received her brother's kindness.