The little girl's eyes lit up for a moment, as if she had grabbed a straw to clutch at for dear life, but then she looked at Shisui with some hesitation, as if judging whether he was truly trustworthy.
Eventually, she timidly pointed in a direction.
"Over... over there, near the residential area below the Raikage Rock..."
"Alright, I'll walk you home."
Shisui nodded and took the initiative to walk over to the girl's side, but without getting too close, maintaining a polite distance.
"Let's go, don't be afraid, I know the way."
The little girl wiped her tears, slowly stood up, and followed closely by Shisui's side step by step.
With someone accompanying her, she was clearly much more at ease. Her crying stopped, though she would still occasionally shrink back from distant noises or swaying tree shadows.
To ease the atmosphere, and out of politeness, Shisui asked as they walked.
"What is your name?"
"Sa... Samui."
The little girl replied softly, her voice still carrying a slight nasal tone.
"Samui? That's a very pretty name."
Shisui said sincerely.
Names ending with 'i' seem to be particularly common in Hidden Cloud.
Perhaps infected by Shisui's calmness and friendliness, Samui gradually became less nervous, and even began to secretly size up the young boy beside her with black hair and dark eyes, who looked calmer and quieter than herself.
The journey wasn't very far, but the little girl had small steps and didn't walk fast.
Shisui patiently matched her pace, occasionally reminding her to watch out for pebbles underfoot.
Finally, they arrived at a neatly planned residential area mostly consisting of two- or three-story small buildings. In front of a house hanging wind chimes, Samui stopped.
"This is the place."
She whispered, then mustered up her courage, stepped forward, and knocked on the door.
The door opened quickly, and a kind-looking couple in their early thirties appeared at the entrance.
The man had blonde hair similar to Samui's, while the woman had dark brown hair.
Seeing their daughter, relief mixed with anxiety and concern instantly appeared on their faces.
"Samui! Where did you run off to? Coming back so late, you worried us to death!"
The mother squatted down and hugged her daughter.
"Daddy, Mommy, I'm sorry..."
Samui lowered her head.
"And this is...?"
The father noticed Shisui standing a few steps outside the door.
Samui hastily poked her head out from her mother's embrace, pointed at Shisui, and said.
"This big brother brought me back! I was scared walking alone on the road and didn't dare to move, so big brother helped me!"
Hearing this, the couple immediately looked at Shisui, their eyes filled with gratitude.
The man walked out quickly and expressed his sincere thanks.
"Thank you so much, little friend! We are Samui's parents. Please come in and sit for a while, thanks to you! You haven't had dinner yet, right? You must stay and eat with us!"
The woman also nodded repeatedly.
"That's right, thank you so much for the trouble. Come on in, don't stand outside."
Shisui felt a bit embarrassed by this enthusiasm; he took half a step back and bowed politely.
"Uncle and Auntie, please don't be polite, it was just on the way. My name is Uchiha Shisui. My older brother is still waiting for me at home for dinner, so I won't intrude."
Hearing "Uchiha", the couple seemed to understand something, and a hint of realization and respect flashed in their eyes.
Seeing that Shisui's mind was made up to leave, they didn't force him to stay.
"Then... thank you so much, Shisui."
Samui's father said solemnly.
"You're welcome to come play anytime in the future. Samui, quickly thank big brother."
Samui walked out from behind her mother, raised her little face, looked at Shisui with her large blue eyes, and said very earnestly.
"Thank you, big brother."
Shisui smiled at her and waved his hand.
"You're welcome. Next time it gets dark, go home earlier, or be with adults. Uncle, Auntie, Samui, goodbye."
With that, he bowed slightly once more, turned around, and walked away quickly, his figure soon disappearing into the thickening twilight.
Led by her mother's hand, Samui walked into the house, but couldn't help turning back to glance in the direction Shisui had left.
That big brother who appeared in the frightening dusk and quietly, reliably escorted her home left a deep impression on her.
...
Inside Shaoyu's large mansion, warm lights had already been lit.
The enticing aroma unique to Sukiyaki, a blend of sweet soy sauce and meaty fat, wafted from the direction of the dining room.
Shisui pushed open the front door, carrying a light sweat from training and the evening chill, and neatly took off his shoes at the entryway, placing them properly.
"I'm back, older brother."
His voice carried the clear brightness unique to a youth.
"Yeah, go wash your hands and get ready to eat."
Shaoyu was sitting by the low table, holding an internal intelligence briefing from Hidden Cloud, responding without raising his head.
His posture was relaxed, showing a bit of casual domesticity.
Dinner started soon.
Mrs. Keiko brought the bubbling, steaming pot of Sukiyaki to the table, arranged several dishes of fresh side dishes and dipping sauces, and then quietly retreated to the partition next to the kitchen, leaving the two brothers to dine.
Unless there were guests or special instructions, Keiko did not need to stand by in attendance.
The top-grade lightning beef with well-marbled fat and lean meat in the pot quickly changed color in the boiling soup stock, and the vegetables absorbed the sweet and savory juices.
Although Shisui was young, his appetite grew day by day along with his training volume, and he ate with great relish.
Shaoyu, on the other hand, ate leisurely, more often observing his younger brother or pondering the information on the briefing.
For a moment, there was only the slight clinking of tableware and the subtle sound of food cooking in the dining room.
After a moment, Shaoyu spoke casually, breaking the silence.
"Recently in the village, aside from training and clan matters, have you made any new acquaintances?"
He asked casually.
After all, as Shisui was growing older and showing extraordinary talent, it was also necessary for him to appropriately contact other peers or factions within the village and understand Hidden Cloud's ecosystem.
Shisui was just picking up a slice of piping hot beef; upon hearing this, his movement paused for a moment. He rolled the meat slice in the raw egg liquid, put it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed it, before answering earnestly.
"Yeah, I met one today."
"Oh?" Shaoyu raised an eyebrow.
"Boy or girl?"
As soon as the question was asked, the air suddenly fell quiet for a moment.
Shisui didn't answer immediately.
He lowered his head, unconsciously poking the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks, the tips of his ears seemingly flushing with a slight, almost imperceptible redness.
In the dining room, only the continuous bubbling sound of the Sukiyaki pot remained.
One second, two seconds...
Shaoyu waited for a moment and didn't hear his younger brother's reply, whereupon he somewhat surprisedly completely shifted his gaze away from the briefing and truly looked at Shisui.
He saw his younger brother lowering his head slightly, thick eyelashes veiling his gaze, but those slightly awkward little movements and silence conveyed an unusual signal.
In Shaoyu's pupils, which were always calm in analysis and insightful into human hearts, a rare trace of surprise flickered past.
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808