Chapter 31
Konoha's Central Streets – A Bustling Afternoon
The central streets of Konoha were always filled with life. Even under the blazing midday sun, the enthusiasm of the villagers remained unshaken. People moved about, their faces lit with smiles as they browsed through various stalls, purchasing whatever caught their interest.
High up in the branches of a sturdy tree, a black cat of different sizes lounged lazily, basking in the sunlight. The air was thick with a relaxed atmosphere, as if the entire town had been infected by the feline's carefree nature.
But for Zixu and his teammates, this leisurely life was something entirely foreign.
Panting under the shade of the tree, they stood gazing upward at the small black cat perched comfortably on a thick branch. Next to them, an elderly woman wearing a straw hat had an expression of pure distress, her eyes locked onto the cat as if her world would collapse if it didn't come down.
"Master Ninja, please, you must save Xiao Hei! He's still so young, yet he's climbed up such a high tree—it's far too dangerous! What if something happens to him?" The old woman clutched Yamato's sleeve, shaking it desperately as her voice grew increasingly frantic.
Yamato blinked, his head spinning slightly from her unceasing tugging.
"I... I don't think the little black cat is in any danger," said Aburame Hatsuizumi, his usually energetic demeanor noticeably subdued. He exhaled tiredly and muttered, "Just look at him—he's sleeping peacefully. Cats aren't that fragile. He'll get hungry soon enough and come down on his own..."
The old woman's expression darkened instantly, as if someone had personally insulted her ancestors.
Her grip on Yamato's sleeve tightened, and she began to wail dramatically—her emotions shifting faster than a shinobi in the middle of a high-speed battle.
"Xiao Hei is my son! How could you ninjas be so cruel?!" she sobbed, her voice rising in pitch. "Would you throw a child onto a tree seven or eight meters high and just wait for them to climb down?! Ninjas are all liars—you take the commission but don't do the work!"