Chapter 49

An hour later, Shiro arrived at Ruri's room.

Ruri was holding a scroll, carefully studying its contents. Shiro glanced at it briefly and saw that it contained information related to fire-based ninjutsu.

"What is it?"

Ruri's gaze shifted from the scroll, and she looked up at Shiro.

"Ah, well... I need to go to the pharmacy to buy some herbs; the ones in the lab aren't enough."

Shiro scratched his head, his expression as usual, showing no signs of abnormality.

"Got it. Remember to bring me some natto when you come back."

"Natto?"

Shiro nodded, indicating that he understood, and then left the room.

Once outside, he let out a sigh of relief, glad to have gotten through it.

Bringing Ayane here to collect her body data was a risky and difficult task, with a high probability of being discovered.

This was the heartland of the Uchiha clan, and even with the Byakugan, it was impossible to infiltrate easily.

Otherwise, the Uchiha clan wouldn't have such a significant reputation in the ninja world.

Therefore, it would be better to collect Ayane's body data outside.

Shiro had already chosen a location: his old home.

With the scroll containing the sealing device, Shiro went to buy some natto to prevent forgetting it when he returned.

Next, he headed to the Hyuga clan's territory to find Ayane.

Infiltrating the Hyuga clan to find Ayane was impossible. Not only because of the Byakugan, but also because the Hyuga clan's territory was near the center of the village, which was completely different from the Uchiha clan's environment. The village's defense forces were also the strongest there.

Despite both being bloodline clans, the Hyuga clan could live near the village's core, while the Uchiha clan had to live in a more peripheral area.

Interestingly, the Uchiha clan had the authority of the police force, which should have made it easier to mobilize the police force from the village's center.

This approach was full of contradictions and did not make much logical sense.

Living in the Uchiha clan's territory for years, Shiro did not fully understand the core secrets of the Uchiha clan. Ruri had not explained them to him, but he knew that the relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village's upper echelons was only superficially calm, with actual relations being very tense and mutually suspicious.

With this in mind, he arrived at the Hyuga clan's territory. It had to be said that the Hyuga clan's ninjas were more focused on refinement compared to the Uchiha clan's ninjas. They appeared gentle and spoke calmly, though they had the pride of a noble family, they did not have an overbearing demeanor.

Of course, this was from an outsider's perspective. If viewed from the Hyuga clan's own perspective, it might not always be the case.

After all, the Caged Bird Seal, even if it was said to protect the Byakugan, was a difficult explanation to justify.

If it was to protect the Byakugan, it could simply be designed to destroy the Byakugan when a branch family member died.

However, the Caged Bird Seal also had a curse ability, causing immense pain to branch family members who disobeyed the main family.

Using the protection of the Byakugan as an excuse was hard to believe. Adding the curse ability to the Caged Bird Seal, in Shiro's view, was an unnecessary and redundant action.

If it only sealed the Byakugan when necessary, it could be considered a measure to protect the Byakugan, and the branch family members might not have such deep resentment towards the main family.

"Shiro-kun, why did you come here? Is there a new assignment from Sensei Sokumori?"

Ayane was wearing a clean white outfit, with her long black hair neatly draped behind her. Seeing Shiro come to find her, a hint of confusion appeared on her face.

"It's not that. I need to buy some herbs to make some medicine for future missions. However, I'm a bit busy, so I need your help."

"I see." Ayane touched her chin with her finger, thought for a moment, and then smiled innocently. "Alright, but we should hurry. I need to be back before dinner."

"Enough."

Next, Shiro took Ayane to the Konoha pharmacy to buy various herbs with different medicinal effects.

Speaking of which, most of Konoha's pharmacies were run by the Nara clan, who were skilled in raising deer. Deer antlers were extremely valuable medicinal materials, so the Nara clan's pharmacies offered antlers of various qualities, which was a major feature.

Even merchants from other regions would travel long distances to purchase the Nara clan's deer antlers, indicating the high quality of the Nara clan's antlers. The fair prices and the Nara clan's reputation for not taking advantage of their customers made many pharmacists prefer to do business with them.

The Nara clan, along with the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans, formed the "Ino-Shika-Chou" alliance. These three clans, all with secret techniques, had a significant reputation in Konoha.

Furthermore, the position of Konoha's upper-level squad leader was always held by a Nara clan ninja, supported by the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans, which elevated the status of the Ino-Shika-Chou alliance in Konoha. Since the First Hokage's rule, they had never been excluded from the center of power and were trusted by successive Hokages.

In comparison, the Uchiha clan's position in Konoha was quite awkward.

They were one of the two major clans that founded Konoha, but currently had no significant influence in the village, not even as much as the Hyuga clan, let alone the three clans deeply trusted by the Hokage.

Leaving the pharmacy, it was already around three in the afternoon.

After all this, it was time to do the real work.

Shiro's old home was quite far from the center of Konoha, and with his rare visits over the years, it had long been neglected.

"Shiro-kun, are we secretly meeting here?"

After entering the room, Ayane placed her hands behind her back, slightly tilting her body, and a faint smile appeared on her clean face.

"We are doing serious work now."

"I'm thinking, if Ruri finds out about this, how will Shiro-kun handle it? Being secretly with another girl could be so stimulating that it might cause the Sharingan to evolve into a three-tomoe form."

"The Sharingan doesn't just evolve so easily. You're overthinking it."

"That's not necessarily true. After all, Ruri is a genius of the Uchiha clan, and intense emotional fluctuations are indeed the best catalyst for the evolution of the Sharingan."

"You know I'm risking my life to be here. So, let's focus on the task at hand. Now, take off your clothes."

"Clothes... take off? All of them? Shiro-kun, this is for my future husband..."

Ayane tightly hugged her chest, her face turning red with embarrassment, and she bit her lip, looking very uncomfortable.

"What are you thinking? We've done this many times before. It's not just about taking off your coat. Even if you take everything off, I will maintain my professional integrity as a doctor."

Shiro answered Ayane seriously.

"So, you mean it's fine if I take everything off for the examination?"

Ayane's fingers were already unzipping her top, her chest becoming exposed, and a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes.

"No need. Let's finish quickly; I'm in a hurry."

"Really, this was a good opportunity."

"Do you really only have twelve years of experience?"

"Didn't you know girls can mature early? In our clan, there's a fourteen-year-old girl who, because she's not a ninja, is only useful for giving birth to new members. She's already pregnant and will be a mother this year."

Shiro sighed. In this era of frequent wars, population was indeed a significant issue.

However, Shiro knew that the success rate of childbirth in this world was very high, thanks to the widespread use of chakra and various advanced medical ninjutsu.

In the Konoha Hospital's records, only a few women had issues during childbirth, but their lives were saved in time.

The issue of early childbirth needed to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.

But Shiro still did not support it, not because of physical reasons, but because of personal values.

Whether it was going to war early or having children early, it could lead to various hidden dangers and deviations in one's future values.

In this era of war, where basic human rights were not clearly defined, such thoughts were just wishful thinking. The authorities could say whatever they wanted.

Whether they hadn't thought about it, or thought about it but didn't act, or thought about it but didn't want to sacrifice their own interests, it was irrelevant to Shiro.

He was a medical ninja, and his job was to be a doctor.

Shiro opened the scroll, started forming seals, and released the instruments for the body examination.

It had to be said that sealing scrolls were very practical. As long as it wasn't a living thing, it could be stored inside, though they were a bit expensive.

Ayane lay quietly on the cold operating table, no longer teasing Shiro, and waited for his analysis results.

This was a matter concerning the Caged Bird Seal, and she knew the gravity of the situation.

The examination didn't take long, only about ten minutes.

Ayane got off the operating table and asked, "Is that it?"

"Yes, I have a solution for the Caged Bird Seal, but the specific methods and steps will be discussed when we have our next mission. For now, we need to live under Konoha's protection. During this time, I will also look for a suitable base, and we will live there afterward."

"Have you found one?"

"Land of Demons and Land of Iron."

Shiro mentioned these two countries, and Ayane was slightly taken aback.

"The Land of Demons and the Land of Iron are permanent neutral countries in the ninja world. The ongoing wars have not affected them much. Plus, their remote locations make them less likely to be targeted by major powers. The rich lands of the Land of Fire are the root cause of the ninja wars."

"If that's the case, these two countries are indeed suitable for living. When will we leave Konoha?"

"During the next ninja war."

"The next ninja war? Won't that take too long?"

The first and second ninja wars were separated by more than ten years, and whether the third ninja war would even happen was uncertain.

"Don't worry. After this ninja war ends, the next one won't take too long to come. It will still be centered around the rich lands of the Land of Fire. That will be the best time for us to leave Konoha. They will be too busy with the war to deal with us, the missing-nin."

Shiro's prediction was based on facts.

The diplomatic approach of seeking peace through compromise meant that the other four major ninja villages would not fear Konoha's strength but would be more likely to be jealous and aggressive.

During the Third Hokage's rule, while Konoha's external wars were mostly victories, they were often defensive.

Whether it was the Rain Country War or the recent Sand Hidden Village invasion, they were all defensive.

Even if they won, they gained no benefits.

The enemies' defeat did not require compensation; they only gained a reputation, with no actual benefits.

What appeared to be victory was, in Shiro's view, just living off the legacy of the first two Hokages.

Ayane looked at Shiro, somewhat understanding but not fully. She wanted to believe his prediction, but as the leading village among the five major ninja villages, Konoha's military strength was always the strongest. After this ninja war, the next one, if it came, would be many years later. How could it not take too long?

Shiro smiled and looked out the window at the peaceful scene, saying:

"Peace through struggle is possible, but peace through compromise is impossible. As the strongest military force, Konoha's soft and weak foreign policy will only result in being surrounded by enemies. The more they seek peace, the more they will be forced into war."

"But in the past..."

Shiro knew what Ayane wanted to add. Having studied Konoha's history, he understood the First Hokage's actions and interrupted:

"The Will of Fire is only suitable for the First Hokage. The idea of seeking peace through compromise is not suitable for later generations. After his death, no one wanted to share his naive dream. The two ninja wars are proof of this and the basis for my prediction."

"Is the First Hokage the root of the problem?"

Ayane had never heard such a perspective before.

"In a sense, yes. Even if Konoha is destroyed one day, they might not understand why. Admiration is the emotion farthest from understanding. Excessive admiration can easily lead to ignoring the essence of things."

The root of Konoha's current unfavorable situation, if not entirely the Third Hokage's fault, was because the seeds of chaos were planted during the First Hokage's time.

The Third Hokage was just cleaning up the mess left by the First Hokage.

Therefore, the Third Ninja War was inevitable, and the short interval between the Second and Third Ninja Wars was also inevitable.

Leaving Konoha during that time would be the safest.

With Konoha surrounded by enemies, they would be too busy with the war to focus on hunting down missing-nin.

"Is that so? I've always admired such a Shiro-kun. But, I also want to understand all of you. So... when we are alone, please be gentle with me."

Ayane's face showed a pure and innocent smile, with a hint of blush.

Shiro was slightly taken aback, not knowing what to say.

'Be gentle with me'... so, what level of gentleness did Ayane expect from him?

This summer was really hot and made people feel restless.