Under the eaves and the warm sunlight, the old man was feeling sleepy. Suddenly, Uchiha Tonan’s gentle voice came from the room. “Grandpa, were you a ninja in the past?”
The old man opened his eyes, shook his head, making his mind clearer, and subconsciously said, “Have you heard of the Sango clan?”
Just as he said that he recalled something. Looking at the plants in his yard, he became a little absentminded, and said with a desolate look, “You wouldn’t have heard of it, because I’m the only one left. The Sango clan was a distinguished samurai family in ancient times. Later, when ninja flourished, the Sango also changed into a ninja clan.”
“But during the Warring States Period, all the clan members died, leaving behind just two or three descendants. When Shodaime Hokage established Konoha, only I was left in the entire clan. Not long after that, the First Great Ninja War broke out, and our clan also entered the battlefield. That war not only took my legs but also my son and my wife.”
Old people don’t stop speaking once they start. When the old man did stop, he realized he had said too much. However, Tonan didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he even curiously asked from the room, “Back then, you must’ve been very strong.”
The old man’s eyebrows rose, and he replied proudly, “Of course! Back then, I used to be an Anbu squad leader. I led my squad to complete many S-ranked missions. It’s a pity…”
The old man patted his paralyzed legs lightly. “Wars are cruel…”
In the room, Tonan finished putting the last piece of junk into the cupboard. With the sunlight spilling in from the window behind him, it was hard to see his expression. Tonan slowly got up, picked up a handkerchief, and walked towards the lavatory.
Since the junk material was already cleaned up, he just needed to wipe off the dust. But when Tonan opened the door, the scene in front made him frown. The place was full of filth and the toilet looked like it had been clogged for the longest time.
An unpleasant odor filled the air, which when inhaled was irritating to the eyes. Tonan could now guess why this old man issued a ninja mission to come and clean up this place even though he hated to spend.
At this moment, the old man pushed the wheelchair and came behind him. He coughed lightly and said with a guilty conscience, “Cough, cough, young fellow, giving up a mission will leave a negative mark on your record.”
Tonan turned around, narrowed his eyes as he looked at the old man, and said with a smile, “Do you have a toilet plunger in your home?”
“No.” The old man shook his head. Tonan nodded and said with a bow, “Please wait for a moment.”
After speaking, he walked away from the courtyard. Not long after, he returned with a tool under the old man’s nervous gaze. He immersed himself in cleaning, ignoring the filth around him.
The old man looked at Tonan, who was working hard without complaint, feeling a hint of apology. After Tonan finished cleaning the restroom, he got up and began to wipe the furniture.
During the entire process, he remained focused. Even when cleaning the little things, he took out a small brush and carefully cleaned it. The old man could swear he had never seen anyone do housework this diligently. It was simply art.
By noon, Tonan had already wiped the floor thrice. After spraying air fresheners everywhere, he came up to the old man, looking respectful, put his hands on the knees, and bowed, “I’ve finished cleaning up. You can please check.”
The old man saw that Tonan’s originally spotless white shirt was now wrinkled and discolored. He felt guiltier in his heart. “You… you did very well.”
Tonan smiled, handed over the mission sheet and a pen to the old man, and said, “In that case, please do sign the mission sheet.”
The old man happily signed it and hesitated for a while. He then took out the 2000 Ryo he had taken from Kakashi, feeling a hint of heartache. He put the money along with the mission sheet in Tonan’s hand, and said, “This is your tip. You can now leave.”
“Grandpa, you are so kind. I thank you on behalf of Kakashi.”
With a bright smile on his face, Tonan left the courtyard and went to the Hokage Residence to report the mission’s completion.
After he left, the old man pushed the wheelchair to the bedroom and took out a photo from the bedside cabinet. In the photo, there was a happy family of three. The old man extended his trembling hand and gently caressed it.
“If Imaru hadn’t died, I would’ve great-grandchildren by now, and they would be as cute as that kid.”
The old man sighed, placed the photo back into the bedside cabinet, turned around, and went to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator, but there were just a few rice balls left, which were leftovers from the morning.
Since his family passed away, he had become even more unsociable and eccentric. Moreover, he was widely known as a miser, and the neighbors didn’t associate with him much. The old man took out two rice balls from the refrigerator, and held them in his hands, preparing to eat them after they thawed.
“I have to go out again in the afternoon,” he sighed and reclined on the wheelchair. No one knew what he was thinking.
Coo coo
At this moment, most of the villagers had returned home for lunch. It was quiet outside, except for a few sporadic chirps. The old man’s eyes slowly closed while leaning on the wheelchair, and he fell asleep.
Time slowly passed by.
Knock, knock, knock…
After an unknown period of time, he could hear someone knocking at his door. The old man blinked a few times before he finally woke up. He shouted, “Who’s it?”
Knock, knock, knock…
The knock persisted, but no one answered him. The old man frowned, pushed his wheelchair, and grabbed the door handle. Just at that moment, the knock stopped abruptly.
The old man frowned even more and slowly turned the door handle, then ferociously pushed the door. The moment it opened, warm sunlight spilled in.
He saw Tonan holding ingredients in both hands. Tonan smiled brightly and said, “Earlier, when I was cleaning, I saw you didn’t have much to eat in the refrigerator. I guessed it’s inconvenient for you to go grocery shopping, so I brought some over for you.”
The old man was stunned for a moment. When he collected himself, he shook his head and said, “Thank you, young fellow, but I don’t need these things. The problem is my legs. It’s very difficult to cook even if I want to. So, I eat rice balls usually. If I want to eat meat, I just wrap the rice balls with some bacon.”
Tonan looked at the old man’s legs and gently said, “Since I’ve bought them, it would be a waste if you don’t eat them. How about I cook for you? In any case, I’m also the only one left in my family. Let’s just eat together. I’ll also have some company that way.”
The old man’s expression changed a little. It was obvious he was moved. He replied, “Do as you wish.”
Tonan smiled, walked in, took the rice balls from the old man’s hands, and threw them into the trashcan. “These rice balls aren’t nutritious. Don’t eat them.”
He then made his way to the kitchen, tied an apron around his waist, and started cooking.
Light a fire, pour oil.
tac, tac, tac…
The rhythmic sounds of vegetable chopping could be heard.
