Hearing Torifu say this, the tension in Mamiko's heart eased. If her old man actually went to the battlefield, she would worry herself sick.
"Ai ya, with your Uncle's disposition, he won't become a Kage level even if he lived two more lifetimes. Your saying that really puts my mind at ease."
The only Kage-level powerhouses in their Katō family were her son and daughter-in-law. But Mamiko didn't worry about them. For one, she knew her son and daughter-in-law were quite strong and ranked well in the village. Secondly, Torifu was there; if they encountered danger on the battlefield, Torifu certainly wouldn't stand by and do nothing.
Torifu smiled. "Don't worry, Auntie, nothing major is going to happen."
"You and Uncle just focus on living your lives well, you don't need to worry about anything else."
Mamiko nodded upon hearing this. "Alright, I'll go back and tell your Uncle. That old man of mine is still thinking about how to contribute and shine for the Konoha Village."
In fact, it wasn't just Uncle Katō who held these thoughts; many of the older ninjas in the Konoha Village shared this mindset. In their time, ninjas had to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the village, and the mission was the most important thing in a ninja's life. They would rather sacrifice themselves than let a mission fail.
Although Torifu had long since abolished this concept and saying, some remnants of it still lingered in these older ninjas. That's why people like Katō, who were already retired, still wanted to contribute to the village. They were even willing to go to the battlefield as cannon fodder to draw fire for the younger generation.
But Torifu couldn't let them do that.
After chatting with Mamiko for a bit longer, Torifu and his family walked toward the main street, activating the Concealment Jutsu as they went.
A few days had passed since the Spring Festival, and some villagers had already taken down the lanterns and couplets from their doorways. The Konoha Village was gradually exiting the festive atmosphere and returning to its normal state.
The sounds of construction—clanking and banging—could be heard intermittently on the main street as two factories were being built simultaneously. The noise was certainly present, but the villagers were tolerant. After all, these products were being made for their own use, and the noise wasn't particularly loud. It typically stopped around three or four in the afternoon, well before disrupting the villagers' normal rest time.
The family of three walked around, finding nothing particularly interesting to browse, and they didn't need anything for the house. The departure of three or four thousand ninjas did not significantly impact the Konoha Village; every street remained as lively as ever, and there were still a great many people.
Torifu even considered whether he should continue expanding the Konoha Village. Although it could still accommodate everyone for now, the village would surely become overcrowded in another five to ten years.
After some thought, he decided against it for the time being. This was a sensitive period, and a war could break out any day. He couldn't afford to be distracted by expansion matters right now. Handing the task to Anka wouldn't put Torifu entirely at ease either; the design of the village roads and the layout of the houses all had to be done by Torifu himself, otherwise, he would find the village uncomfortable to live in.
Torifu sometimes mused that the Kumotsuru Clan compound, which was originally a relatively remote area of the Konoha Village, had instantly become the central location after one expansion. If he were to expand the village a few more times, wouldn't property prices skyrocket?
Torifu made a small joke, and Naori chuckled. "If you sold the Kumotsuru Clan compound, how would you face the Kumotsuru Clan ancestors?"
The matter was brushed aside with a laugh, as it was only meant as a jest, and Torifu didn't pursue the topic.
As the trio walked, they found themselves arriving at the entrance to the Uchiha Clan compound.
"Oh, how did we end up walking here? I wasn't even looking where we were going."
Naori was also a little surprised, as if guided by muscle memory, she had led them right to her maiden home.
"Since we're here, let's go in and sit for a while."
Torifu hadn't seen his father-in-law in a while, so this was a good chance to go in, chat, and say hello.
"Grandpa, are we going to see Grandpa again? Is Sister Aihana home?" Akihara, whom Naori was holding, asked.
Naori could answer the first question, but whether Aihana was home was hard to say.
"Let's go inside and find out," Torifu said, leading the way in.
The guards at the entrance nodded and greeted them, not attempting to stop them in the slightest.
"Big Brother, Father, we're here," Torifu called out, and soon Uchiha Kagami walked out. "Well, hello, a rare sight indeed!"
Previously, Naori had always returned alone with their son, so he hadn't expected Torifu to come back with her today.
"Ha ha, not at all! I haven't seen Father in a long time, so I wanted to come and check on him," Torifu said.
Torifu and Kagami saw each other often due to their work, but Torifu's visits to the Uchiha Clan compound were infrequent. Coming once or twice a month would be considered a lot. Torifu himself liked to slack off and didn't even want to go to his own office, let alone go visiting people. That was completely out of the question.
"Alright, alright, I understand. Father is inside. Let's hurry in."
Hearing this, the three followed him. Naori, holding Akihara, asked with slight confusion, "Say, Big Brother, where is Big Sister?"
Kagami paused, then remembered. "Oh, right, my wife took our son back to her family's home for a visit. Similar to you, she'll only be back tonight."
Naori hadn't expected the timing to be so coincidental, but it didn't matter; she could see her next time.
Upon entering the house, they saw that Uchiha Teruya, who had eaten the Fruit of Life, looked extremely young. His current appearance made him look younger than Kagami, which made Kagami feel awkward every time he called him "Father."
"Oh, my little grandson!" Teruya bolted to Naori's side, scooped Akihara up, and gave him a good spin around the room.
Akihara wasn't afraid at all, but rather quite happy, asking his grandpa to go even faster. This was only possible because Teruya had become younger; otherwise, two spins would have scattered his old bones.
After spinning for a while, Teruya gradually stopped and placed Akihara on the ground.
"What made you two decide to visit? Torifu, shouldn't you be busy handling the affairs in the Rain Province? Did some problem arise?"
Facing his father-in-law's speculation, Torifu smiled and shook his head. "No, Father. Naori and I just specifically came to see you. You don't need to worry about the Rain Province; everything is stable right now."
"Alright." Hearing that there were no major issues in the Rain Province, Teruya felt much more relieved. The smile on his face became even brighter; clearly, Torifu and his family coming to see him today made him very happy.
"Don't just stand there, come in and sit down. I'll have the kitchen whip up a few dishes later, and we'll have a nice meal together." The Uchiha Clan compound was fully equipped with all amenities.