Summer had ended, but the true summer had just begun.
I still remember when I was a child on summer vacation, because my parents were busy with business and the school was closed, Miki had to be sent to live with relatives in the countryside.
Back then, the sky was blue and the water was clear. During the day, we would swim in the stream, catch fish, shrimp, crabs, cicada nymphs, and longhorn beetles. We'd return in the afternoon, and in the evening, a pocketful of fireflies felt like we had caught the entire summer.
Now, although it was still the same summer, Miki no longer had the same feelings as before.
"Why is it so hot?"
She glanced at the sun when she went out; the early morning sun was terribly scorching. The day ahead would undoubtedly be difficult to endure.
"I wish I had an air conditioner."
For Miki now, the true summer was lying in an air-conditioned room under a quilt, playing video games.
Not having to worry about work, spending a carefree day that was all her own.
"Why are you here?" Miki asked, feeling a bit weak.
Under her clothes, there was a low buzzing sound.
"Can't I be here?" Chiri said with a smile, "Because the true summer has begun! Do you want something to eat?"
"You just think you have too much money and are itching to spend it, don't you?" Miki said, "I don't have time to play with you today."
"Oh~" Chiri sounded a little disappointed, then asked curiously, "What's that sound on you?"
"Physical cooling," Miki said. "The insect nest's temperature is high, and the insects, fearing death, can only desperately flap their wings."
Chiri looked puzzled but impressed, saying, "Oh, where are we going next?"
"To the Senju Clan's territory," Miki said.
"What's fun about the clan territory? It's all adults with sour faces," Chiri said.
"That's Uchiha, not Senju."
"Eh, aren't they the same?"
"Hmm, basically, everyone named Senju is a simpleton." Based on Miki's usual observations, that's how it was.
"What about Uchiha?" Chiri asked.
"Uchiha, huh..." Miki opened her mouth but didn't continue.
"What are they like?"
"What are they like?"
Seeing Miki didn't answer, Chiri pressed on.
"Quite annoying."
"Really?" Chiri asked, "What about me?"
"You are especially annoying," Miki said.
It was a rare holiday, and Miki wanted some peace and quiet, but it seemed impossible now.
This made Miki recall the past.
She was her older cousin's little tail, and behind her, she also had a little tail following.
Happy laughter seemed to faintly echo in her ears, like a summer from yesterday.
"Eh!" Chiri said with a cheerful smile, "That's not true!"
Miki walked ahead, and Chiri followed behind, her joyful, innocent laughter lingering in Miki's ears.
Involuntarily, Miki turned her head and glanced at Chiri.
I became her childhood.
She always felt a big 'danger' sign carved on her forehead.
After all, it was Uchiha.
Miki thought of this and couldn't help but laugh.
Mangekyo, she probably wouldn't be able to awaken it.
That's good too.
The two walked together.
The Senju Clan's territory was vast, with large houses and high walls, making it appear particularly grand.
But it was very desolate.
There were few people moving around in the clan territory, mostly some especially idle-looking old people.
Most young people lived in the bustling Village.
It must be said that an important reason was that land was plentiful and not valuable.
Houses were also particularly cheap.
A Shinobi could settle down in Konoha after two years of missions.
On the eight-horse-wide road, people walking in it seemed very small.
At the deep end, one could see people approaching from afar.
It was a strong man dressed in a plain white kimono. Although he was basically entering old age in the Shinobi category.
But his appearance already seemed to be entering his twilight years.
Not the state of his skin, but his temperament.
He looked to be about the same age as the First Hokage and the Second Hokage, and should be from the same era as those two.
Speaking of which, Miki had met the First Hokage and the Second Hokage a few times.
Although they had also seen Miki, they certainly had no impression of her.
At that time, Miki hadn't yet controlled insects, nor had she worn a mask.
Hashirama would wander around the Village with Tsunade all day. Sometimes Miki would run into them while running errands, and sometimes at the entrance of a casino.
As for the Second Hokage, he was elusive, but during wartime, Miki had seen him preside over memorial services a few times from afar.
Once was for Hashirama.
She had also attended one for the Second Hokage himself.
She hadn't seen the Byakugan man in front of her, but she could intuitively feel that he was very strong.
Even without relying on the senses of her insects, Miki could perceive this.
He wasn't wearing a Konoha forehead protector, and there was no Cage Bird Curse on his forehead, but there were other marks on his face.
Fire Release burns, sword cuts, and other scars covered his entire face, to the point where one of his Byakugan was blind, making his appearance excessively fierce.
He was from the Main Family. Miki had also met the Hyuga Main Family head, a very fair-skinned young man.
Compared to the man in front of her, the visual comparison alone showed the difference in strength.
This was a Hyuga who had rolled out of piles of dead bodies since childhood in the Warring States Period.
After the establishment of Konoha, there were no more stories of the Hyuga Main Family going to the battlefield.
Interestingly, as a Main Family member, he had no guards with him.
Even in the Village, this would be absolutely impossible.
The two met face to face.
The man actively stopped in front of Miki and Chiri.
"Mushi-Hime."
His voice was very gentle; if one didn't look at his face, he would seem like a kind person.
Called by name, Miki naturally stopped and looked at the Hyuga Main Family man.
"I'll be relying on you to take good care of Hitomi from now on."
"Hmm?" Miki questioned.
"Ha, don't worry about it. Hitomi is a very kind child, and you don't need to deliberately take care of her."
Saying this, the man looked at Chiri, his gaze falling on Chiri's family crest.
Uchiha appearing in the Senju Clan territory.
After Madara's defection, this was truly a rare occurrence.
Were these two clever little ones truly ignorant or feigning ignorance?
However, it had nothing to do with him anyway.
Although in the eyes of someone from the Warring States Period, a six-year-old child could cut off an enemy's head on the battlefield.
One could not underestimate them at all!
But he was a man who was going to die.
There was only one thing he needed to worry about.
The man smiled casually and said, "Little girl, your name is Chiri, right? Yesterday's exam was wonderful. Hitomi's loss was not unjust."
Chiri smiled politely.
"If possible, don't lose to Hitomi."
The man said, not as a command, but as a request.
"I'll do my best," Chiri nodded and said, "Hitomi is very strong."
"That she is." The Hyuga man smiled. "Unlike her brother, that child is like me."
"Sorry, old people always ramble on with strange things. I won't bother you anymore."
Saying this, the man walked away.
"Strange person," Chiri said.
"What's strange?" Miki asked.
"I feel like he should be a very cruel person," Chiri said. "Like those old people in the clan, getting close to them makes you feel chilly, but he also feels very gentle."
"Is that so?" Miki said, "Let's go. Here, speak less, observe and listen more, and be well-behaved."
"Mm-hm." Chiri nodded.
Chiri was truly ignorant, while Miki was feigning ignorance.
Taking advantage of her identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, the First Hokage's wife, and the Senju Clan Head's personal disciple, taking a small advantage isn't too much, right?
Bringing Chiri to listen in, given her cuteness, no one would say much, right?
As long as Uzumaki Mito had no objections.
Then there was no problem.
After thinking about it, I still added a bonus chapter.
There's really not much in reserve, only enough for four days.
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