Chapter 69: 67: Rich Country and Strong Army
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At two o'clock in the afternoon.
According to the agreement, Shiraishi went to meet Ayane.
The so-called 'old place' referred to Shiraishi's original home, which was only cleaned a few times a year.
"You're very punctual, Shiraishi-kun," Ayane said with a smile as she saw Shiraishi arriving on time at the entrance downstairs of the apartment building.
"Isn't this the two o'clock meeting you mentioned?" Shiraishi asked.
"That's correct."
"Then why did you ask me to come out? I don't recall any important observation tasks assigned to you lately. Did something happen?"
Ayane could deceive Ruri with reason of observation missions, but not Shiraishi.
Shiraishi knew best whether he had given Ayane an important observation task.
Although Ayane had been assigned many observation tasks before, it was because the experiment was in its infancy, requiring genuine observations without prior knowledge.
Now that the research was on the right track, ordinary experiments didn't require the Byakugan. Shiraishi believed Ayane had another reason to contact him.
"Can't I call you out without a reason?"
"It's not that. It just caught me off guard," Shiraishi admitted.
"I happen to be quite free today, so I thought of inviting you to go shopping together."
"Both of us?"
Shiraishi protested. Just yesterday afternoon, he went shopping with Ruri, and now they were planning another shopping trip today.
"If you both need to go shopping, why not go together and save time?" he suggested.
"What?" Ayane looked at Shiraishi suspiciously.
"Never mind. I'm just complaining."
"If it's bothering you, Shiraishi-kun, you can skip it. After all, work is important," Ayane offered understandingly.
"No, work has been relatively smooth lately. I'm not too busy. I'm fine here."
Shiraishi sighed helplessly. He didn't want to go back to work now; it would be too sad. Plus, there were temporary assistants in the lab, and as long as they followed the experimental steps, mistakes were unlikely.
"Really? That's good to hear."
"But do you need to buy anything?"
"Yeah, recently I've been feeling a tightness in my chest. It's as if my clothes could suddenly rip apart," Ayane confessed, casually tugging at her collar.
"Don't say things like that suddenly. I might take it seriously."
Each of their remarks worried him. He sighed helplessly.
"Then do you want to thoroughly check it out now, Doctor Shiraishi?"
Ayane lightly stroked the bangs on her forehead, the smile on her face was pure and charming. When she said this, she didn't seem to realize how powerful her words were for a boy.
To some extent, Shiraishi thinks that Ayane is more dangerous than Ruri.
When he first met Ayane, she was a cute girl with a pure heart and the same appearance. But since that incident, although the other party still looks pure and harmless on the outside, the inner essence...is already rotten.
If he had known this earlier, he should have educated her in another way. It is too late to regret now
"I don't want that," Shiraishi replied, his heart racing for a moment. He shifted his gaze away from Ayane and adjusted his breathing. He knew he'd be in trouble if he took her words lightly. Like him, she was good at disguising and deceiving.
It is completely different from the traditional ninja character of the Hyuga clan.
Seeing Shiraishi's refusal, Ayane just smiled and didn't say anything.
Next, Shiraishi followed Ayane's footsteps and wandered around Konoha Village.
For Shiraishi, accompanying Ayane around Konoha Village was a relaxing walk, although he had no idea why women are so keen on shopping for no reason...
But from the physiological and psychological aspects of men and women, there are very big differences between the two, so let's just take this as a meaningful behavior.
The weather at the end of August is always so muggy. Although the hottest hour of the day had passed, the afternoon sun was still very dazzling.
The Land of Fire is a country with relatively distinct seasons, and Konoha, which was situated in this country, is naturally the same.
Because it was during the war, there were not many working ninjas that could be seen on the streets of konoha.
In addition to ninjas like Shiraishi and the others who temporarily stay in the village for special reasons, there are still some who really need to stay in the village to protect the safety of the village.
From Shiraishi's point of view, Konoha's prosperity is actually very low, but compared to the general environment of the ninja world, internal peace is already a blessing.
Ayane's shopping list mostly consisted of decorations that Shiraishi found uninteresting. He watched her from the side as she carefully picked items.
With skin as white as snow and straight black hair glistening in the sun, Ayane was a lovely sight even in his peripheral vision.
As Shiraishi gazed around, he spotted a gray and white cat resting lazily on a nearby wall. The cat seemed to have just woken up from a nap, lazily licking its paw.
He paused for a moment, and Ayane's voice came from behind him: "What's catching your attention?"
Shiraishi turned his head and replied.
"Ah, I was looking at the cat."
"Cat?"
Ayane followed Shiraishi's line of sight, but there was nothing on the opposite wall, and no cat was in sight.
"It's gone," he noted, bringing the conversation to a close.
"Really, what's so appealing about cats?" Ayane's tone sounded dissatisfied.
"What? Do you dislike cats?" Shiraishi inquired.
"I can't say I hate them, but I prefer dogs. If I were to keep a pet, a dog would be a better choice," Shiraishi nodded in agreement. He, too, leaned toward the idea of having a dog.
The Inuzuka clan operated a ninja shop in the village, offering ninja dogs that were much pricier and more luxurious than ordinary pets. As a result, few ninjas bought and adopted them.
Ninja dogs sound intriguing, Shiraishi thought. Their keen sense of smell could be quite advantageous when needed.
"Because dog meat is delicious, but cat meat tastes bad," Ayane added with a note of research in her voice.
Shiraishi promptly abandoned his notion of owning a ninja dog. He had a feeling that if he bought one, it would end up as Ayane's meal.
"Where to next?" Shiraishi asked.
"I want to buy some new clothes. It seems like I need new ones every month. They're getting too tight. Even on my last mission, I felt my chest tightening," Ayane explained with a wry smile, patting her already prominent chest.
Shiraishi was left speechless.
He had no choice but to accompany Ayane in her quest to find new clothes. As they walked, Shiraishi had an inkling that something was off. This route... they had been on it with Ruri yesterday.
Indeed, the clothing store he visited with Ruri was right in front of him. However, instead of being greeted by Fujimura-sensei, a woman he didn't recognize welcomed him.
She was petite with shoulder-length brown hair, a pleasant figure, and an attractive face.
Shiraishi remembered Fujimura mentioning that this was his girlfriend's shop. Could this woman be Fujimura's girlfriend?
After a quick glance, Shiraishi didn't think much about it.
"Welcome, take your time, both of you," the female shopkeeper greeted them warmly.
"Alright, thank you," Ayane responded, and she began perusing the clothes in the store.
"By the way, Shiraishi-kun, which color underwear do you think suits me better?" Ayane suddenly asked.
"Why are you asking me such things? Choose the color you like," Shiraishi chimed in.
"Then, white or black?" Ayane pondered, halting her search and appearing genuinely deep in thought.
"I already said, buy what you prefer. My opinion isn't necessary," Shiraishi replied.
"In that case, Shiraishi-kun prefers other colors, like pink or white? Or maybe a brighter purple?" Ayane inquired playfully.
"How do you know I'm giving an opinion?" Shiraishi retorted, looking at Ayane in disbelief.
Blushing, Ayane explained, "But us girls often choose clothing based on others' preferences."
Her smile took on a suggestive edge.
"Then white," Shiraishi offered his input straightforwardly.
"That settles it, white it is," Ayane confirmed. She requested the female shopkeeper to retrieve the set of underwear she favored and packaged it in an elegant bag.
As Shiraishi gazed outside, he noticed the cat was absent this time.
A moment later, he felt a tap on his shoulder—Ayane was beside him.
"Shiraishi-kun, are you daydreaming again?"
"I was observing the cat."
"What about my suggestion earlier?"
Shiraishi looked at Ayane quizzically.
"Suggestion? What suggestion?"
He must have missed something while focusing on the cat. He looked genuinely puzzled.
"The clothes I wore for the New Year last year were a bit snug. I wanted you to help me pick out some new styles."
New Year? Another kimono?
Shiraishi sighed internally.
Similar to the Uchiha, the Hyuga Clan also held traditional values. Each New Year, women donned formal kimonos, symbolizing continuity and new beginnings while participating in the annual clan celebration.
"Just choose whatever you like," Shiraishi advised.
"But it's an important event each year. I can't just select something randomly. However, I did find something I liked, so that's settled."
Looking in the direction Ayane pointed, Shiraishi saw a white base material with a pink cherry blossom pattern painted on it. At first glance, he felt it would suit Ayane well.
Shiraishi nodded and agreed, "It's quite nice. Let's take this one."
Even if it meant his own demise, he wouldn't voice any objections about buying such clothes for girls.
"Does Shiraishi-kun also like this one? Then it's settled," Ayane beamed, eager to ask the shopkeeper to retrieve the kimono. However, she suddenly clutched her stomach, her expression turning distressed.
"What's wrong?"
"I had too much to eat at lunch, and now my stomach hurts a bit. I'm sorry, could i ask Shiraishi-kun to wait here for a while? I'll be back soon."
Shiraishi agreed without much thought.
However, after half an hour passed without Ayane's return, Shiraishi grew concerned. The female shopkeeper had already packed the kimono Ayane selected, along with the underwear, ready for payment. But why did the shopkeeper's expression seem increasingly odd?
Did they fear not receiving payment?
As Shiraishi wondered why Ayane hadn't come back yet, a passerby entered, handed him a note, and explained, "A young girl asked me to deliver this to you."
The passerby departed after delivering the message.
Shiraishi felt a pang of foreboding.
Opening the note, Shiraishi read the message:
"Sorry, Shiraishi-kun, a clan member suddenly needed me back. I have to leave. Could you advance the money for the clothes? I'll repay you later. If possible, please give me the clothes during the New Year. I'll wear them again so Shiraishi-kun can see."
...I've been fooled?
That was Shiraishi's initial thought.
When did Ayane's cunning become so difficult for him to perceive?
Perhaps she should never have been disciplined that way to begin with.
And now there's a predicament.
Under the impatient gaze of the female shopkeeper, Shiraishi reluctantly handed over the money for the two pieces of clothing. The shopkeeper's expression brightened, "Please visit us again, and you'll receive a 10% discount."
Shiraishi carried the bag containing the clothes, feeling their weight.
It's not that he didn't understand Ayane or Ruri's intentions.
Girls of their age were already entering the realm of first love, and it was natural for them to be concerned about things boys might overlook.
Emotions were pure and straightforward at this stage.
However, Shiraishi felt that matters of the heart shouldn't be rushed, but should unfold naturally. They also shouldn't be taken lightly, with consideration given to both beginnings and endings.
Present good impressions may not necessarily indicate love; they might signify other emotions.
This perspective might come across as a touch arrogant, but Shiraishi believed love was like this—unique in everyone's eyes yet fundamentally a common narrative replayed.
In his view, he remained an ordinary person, even though grappling with such matters was rather embarrassing. He sighed inwardly.
Before his struggles with such matters, he was indeed quite embarrassed. No matter how he looked at it, he wasn't just a typical twelve-year-old.
He's a matured soul, he had his own plans, and he possessed a deep comprehension of life.
Yet these values might not align with Ruri's or Ayane's futures. He didn't want to disappoint those who treated him kindly.
More importantly, he was too young currently... Certain things were out of his reach.
Following conventions applied only to certain things.
Cherished feelings were among those things that shouldn't be toyed with or trampled upon.
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