"My intention?"
Yakushi Nono smiled softly. "I recognized you, wanted to confirm your identity, and chat with you."
Megumai nodded slightly. "Yes, it has been a while since we last saw each other."
"I thought I would never see you again in this lifetime," Yakushi Nono's eyes wandered. "Thankfully, a hero like you would not die easily."
"I am no hero," Megumai gave a self-deprecating laugh, her eyes slightly dimmed. "My mother died in front of me, and I was powerless."
Yakushi Nono sighed softly, comforting her, "In the Battle of Takamagahara, tens of thousands of Iwa and Kiri Shinobi surrounded us. Your father and mother died a heroic death. No one could have turned the tide."
"Megumai, you don't need to blame yourself. Surviving is the best way to honor your father and mother."
"I know," Megumai lightly nodded. "That's why, after realizing my lack of strength, I chose to withdraw from the world and live in seclusion."
"That's a good choice."
Yakushi Nono agreed with a nod, then sighed.
"If it weren't for the orphanage, I would have retired long ago, too."
Megumai scoffed, shaking her head. "Shimura Danzo would never allow a top spy like you to retire."
Yakushi Nono smiled wryly. "He promised me I could wash my hands of things once this mission is complete."
"You believe that guy?!" Megumai's eyebrows arched slightly, finding it a bit unbelievable.
"I have no choice but to believe him," Yakushi Nono slowly exhaled a breath.
"I'm not like you; I'm not unburdened and free to leave whenever I want. Danzo knows about the orphanage I invested in. I have to follow the rules."
"Being a spy and being controlled by someone is not a good sign."
Megumai paused, then added, "From a broader perspective, to support more war orphans, you should ignore that single orphanage. You absolutely cannot let Danzo have a weakness to exploit."
Yakushi Nono smiled bitterly and shook her head.
Seeing this, Megumai stopped trying to persuade her.
At the same time, Seiya suddenly waved his hands and feet, repeatedly calling out, "Mama!", "Mama!"
His voice was unmistakably excited.
Megumai had been keeping an eye on her son's movements and knew that he had just managed to complete a difficult block model and was bursting with a sense of achievement.
"Good job, Baby!"
Megumai stood up and walked to the crib, carefully admiring the block model. Then, she smiled, picked Seiya up, and kissed his tender cheeks twice. Seiya happily giggled.
This heartwarming scene, witnessed by Yakushi Nono, caused a smile to unconsciously appear on her lips.
After a moment, Megumai finished coaxing her son and returned to the desk, refilling Yakushi Nono's teacup.
"Even a top spy like you is setting foot in the Tetsu no Kuni. It seems this place is becoming increasingly unstable."
"It is," Yakushi Nono nodded slightly.
"Peace is merely a facade; war is hidden in the shadows. The major Shinobi villages have all chosen to engage in covert competition in the neutral country. However, I didn't deliberately sneak into the Tetsu no Kuni this time. I just returned from a mission in Kumogakure."
"Congratulations, you can wash your hands of things now."
Yakushi Nono gave a half-smile. "Megumai, aren't you going to ask what my mission was?"
Megumai's expression froze, then her smile slowly faded. She calmly said, "Is that classified information that I am allowed to ask?"
Yakushi Nono smiled and directly stated the mission content.
"I infiltrated Kumogakure, first to gather information related to the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails, and second, to find you!"
Megumai's eyes narrowed slightly. Her mind raced, and she said gravely, "For an accounting of the dead, they need to see the body. Konoha didn't find my corpse, so they are quite worried!"
Yakushi Nono corrected her precisely, "To be accurate, Danzo is suspicious."
She then briefly recounted the events.
The Battle of Takamagahara four years ago was exceptionally brutal.
Several elite Konoha combat squads were ambushed by the combined forces of Iwagakure and Kirigakure.
A few dozen Shinobi fought against nearly ten thousand enemy troops.
Blood flowed, staining the yellow earth.
During the cleanup, Konoha found the bodies of almost all the heroes, except for Uchiha Megumi and her mother.
Given that it was an ambush by tens of thousands of enemy Shinobi, no one believed the missing mother and daughter could have survived.
They assumed their bodies were mixed in with the scattered limbs that littered the battlefield.
However, Shimura Danzo remained cautious.
The Uchiha bloodline limit was incredibly valuable.
Shimura Danzo believed there was a slight possibility that the bodies of the Uchiha mother and daughter had been stolen by one of the other Shinobi villages!
Thus, whenever he dispatched a spy on an infiltration mission, he would instruct them to watch for any sign of a Sharingan appearing in another village.
...
Anyone who sees a person who was supposed to be dead suddenly appear alive will subconsciously wonder if the other person who died with them is also alive.
Yakushi Nono was no exception.
After briefly recounting the past, she asked with concern, "Megumai, how is your mother?"
Megumai shook her head, regretfully saying, "My mother was barely breathing when the battle ended. I was unable to save her, and she passed away."
"My condolences," Yakushi Nono said, her face expressing regret.
Megumai smiled it off.
"That's all in the past. Let's focus on the present. Nono, will you report my situation to Shimura Danzo?"
It was a sensitive matter, yet she asked so directly.
Yakushi Nono was momentarily stunned. Having been a spy for so long, she was used to deception and found the straightforwardness somewhat jarring.
"I will keep your secret."
Yakushi Nono solemnly promised. She glanced at Seiya in the crib and added, "If Danzo knew you were alive, he would surely try to capture you both and bring you back."
"The current village high command is not friendly to the Uchiha. After the sacrifice of Minato and his wife, the Third Hokage is back in power, and the Uchiha's situation is deteriorating daily." Yakushi Nono couldn't help but sigh when discussing the village politics.
Megumai raised an eyebrow, unsurprised.
"Prejudice is a mountain in people's hearts. The destruction of the Uchiha is only a matter of time. This is also why I left Konoha."
"Destruction?!" Yakushi Nono was startled, looking at Megumai in disbelief. "Are you that pessimistic?"
"Let time be the judge."
Megumai did not offer further explanation. She once wanted to change the Uchiha's future but lacked the strength.
Now that she had the strength, she had no intention of doing so. After all, with her mother gone, she had no remaining ties to the Uchiha clan.
Yakushi Nono also did not dwell on Megumai's absurd prophecy.
Instead, she warned, "The major Shinobi villages are using the Tetsu no Kuni as a new arena for their struggles. There will only be more Shinobi here in the future."
"The supermarket has a high turnover of customers. Be careful not to let anyone recognize your identity. If Iwa or Kiri find out you're not dead, they will surely send people to wipe you out."
"I understand."
Megumai nodded, her eyes flickering.
The situation is unpredictable, and the Tetsu no Kuni is no longer a safe haven.
A person of worth should not expose themselves to danger.
It is time to find another place to take her son.
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