Uchiha Aozora had originally expected to see a delighted smile on the little boy's face.
Instead, the boy casually knocked over the pinwheel, shot him a sideways glance, and said,"Do you think I'm a three-year-old kid or something?"
Aozora didn't argue with a child and replied calmly,"Then what are you?"
"I'm already four!" the boy declared."In one more year, I'll be able to attend the Ninja Academy!"
He planted his hands on his hips, stood on his tiptoes, and lifted his chin as high as he could.
Watching the boy desperately try to appear mature, Aozora found it both amusing and enlightening—his approach had clearly been wrong.
Children in the ninja world matured early. At four or five, they were already learning ninjutsu; some even went to the battlefield at six or seven.
Thinking about the lollipops, pinwheels, balloons, and other things he had bought in advance, Aozora suddenly felt a bit foolish.
Before he could dwell on it, the boy asked,"You're ninjas, right?"
"That's right."
"Then show me a couple of ninjutsu!"
"—"
The three of them fell silent.
"So you can't do it, huh?" the boy scoffed."And you call yourselves ninjas? Just a bunch of rookies!"
"..."
Ever since the elegant woman left the house, the boy had completely changed.The well-behaved young master had turned into a little demon king—sharp-tongued, mischievous, and full of troublesome ideas.
One moment he wanted to go outside for fresh air, the next he insisted on playing ninja games, and then he demanded to visit the Ninja Academy in advance.
If the trio failed to satisfy him even slightly, he threatened to tell his mother that they had mistreated him and have her leave a negative evaluation.
At first, the three humored him. Eventually, Inuzuka Aya reached her limit and gave him a solid beating.
Only then did he calm down.
And after that beating, he began clinging to Aya, calling her "Boss Lady" nonstop and obeying her every word.
With Aya becoming the kid's undisputed leader, the second mission was completed with ease.
After turning in the mission, Aburame Shibi announced that Team Three would have two days off to recuperate.
Uchiha Aozora held the newly received 1,500 ryō in his hand, yet he wasn't happy at all.
Because during the second mission, he hadn't gained a single golden droplet.
On the way home, Aozora carefully pondered the problem of the droplets.
"Where exactly did it go wrong?"
"Was it because the kid didn't express gratitude?"
"Or does taking care of a child not count as a good deed?"
"Or was my role too insignificant this time?"
Questions surfaced one after another, but without any reference points, they remained mere speculation.
Just as he was deep in thought, a commotion ahead interrupted him.
"What's going on? Why is everyone blocked here?"
"Looks like a carriage overturned and blocked the intersection."
"How did it overturn?"
"There was an old woman standing in the middle of the road. The driver couldn't control the horse, so it flipped."
"And the old woman is still standing there—no matter what, she won't move."
"Enough talking, the Uchiha are here. Let's see how they handle it."
"How else? They'll probably just drag her away."
Aozora hadn't intended to join the crowd, but he vaguely caught the word "Uchiha."
After a moment's thought, he squeezed his way in.
"Excuse me—coming through."
Relying on his agile build, Uchiha Aozora quickly entered the inner circle.
Before him was a four-way intersection. An elderly woman stood right in the center, with an overturned carriage nearby.
Two black-haired ninjas wearing flak jackets were separately negotiating with the old woman and the carriage owner.
Before long, the carriage owner shook his head, sighed, and allowed one of the ninjas to help right the carriage.
The carriage issue was resolved—but the elderly woman's problem remained.
Around them, many vehicles had come to a standstill.
Aozora immediately recognized the flak jackets—they were ninjas from the Konoha Police Force.
As complaints grew louder, Aozora stepped forward, hoping to understand the situation better.
One of the black-haired ninjas stopped him coldly."Police Force business. No civilians allowed."
Seeing his unapproachable demeanor, Aozora fully understood why the Uchiha were unpopular in Konoha.
It was already Konoha Year 49—the Hokage himself promoted "service with a smile"—yet the Uchiha were still using their original operating standards.
He wasn't angry and simply said,"I'm Uchiha Aozora. I'd like to ask if there's anything I can help with."
Upon hearing that he was clan, the man's attitude changed instantly.
His voice softened noticeably as he patted Aozora on the shoulder."Oh, one of our own."
He then explained helplessly,"This granny won't listen. No matter what we say, she refuses to leave."
Aozora nodded and moved closer, listening to how the other Uchiha ninja was persuading her.
"Granny, this is an intersection. You can't stand here."
"If you keep this up, I'll take you to Konoha Prison."
"..."
The negotiating ninja kept emphasizing the importance of the intersection, even threatening her at times.
But the old woman remained unmoved, staring blankly into the distance.
Aozora had a suspicion. Turning to the Uchiha beside him, he said,"Can I try? I have an idea."
"Oh? You've got an idea, Aozora? That's good. I'll tell Sōsuke."
He walked over, whispered a few words to the negotiating ninja, and pointed at Aozora.
The man glanced back. Aozora offered him a gentle smile.
After a moment of consideration, the man approached with a cold expression."You're Aozora?"
Aozora nodded quickly.
"Yūichi says you have a plan. If you do, try it. Even if it fails, it's fine."
Aozora looked at him in surprise—cold exterior, warm heart.
He walked up to the elderly woman and asked softly,"What are you doing here, ma'am?"
She didn't turn around."I'm waiting for someone."
"Who are you waiting for?"
"My son," she replied."He went to school. I'm waiting for him to come home for lunch."
Aozora's eyes lit up."Waiting for your son? Which school does he attend?"
"Oh, him?" she said proudly."He goes to the Ninja Academy. He's already in his third year—almost graduating!"
As she spoke of her son, her wrinkles seemed to glow with happiness.
A woman in her sixties or seventies—how could she have a son in the third year of the Ninja Academy?
Aozora pondered for a moment. If his guess was correct, the elderly woman was likely suffering from memory loss.
Such a condition wasn't common in the ninja world—few people lived to old age—so it was normal that the other Uchiha hadn't recognized it.
Once his suspicion was confirmed, Aozora decided to gently coax her into going home.
He observed her clothing—clean and tidy. While he couldn't tell the fabric quality, it was clear she was well cared for.
His initial judgment was that she had family support and was likely fairly well-off, not needing to work.
With his limited experience, that was all he could determine. To help her return home, he needed more information.
"Your son is amazing," Aozora praised first, making her smile brightly."Where do you live? He might already be home—school's been out for quite a while now."
"Oh—young man, you're right," she said slowly."Ken might already be home."
"I should go home."