Chapter Ten: The Transfer of the Shop

Though called a village, Hidden Leaf was in truth a bustling place. Walking through the lively streets after buying groceries, Haruto Higashino could feel the pulse of its prosperity. The avenues teemed with pedestrians: children chased one another, laughter echoing; young girls strolled in groups of twos and threes; boys and girls, fumbling with newfound feelings, were bold yet shy; couples walked with their children, not particularly noisy but radiating a gentle warmth; elders ambled at their own pace, as if surveying the place they’d called home for so many years. Up on the rooftops, ninja darted by, but no one paid them any mind—it was all utterly familiar.

On either side of the street, shops of all varieties lined up: florists, snack stalls, ninja tool shops, and more. Each seemed to be doing well, with a steady stream of customers coming and going.

Except, of course, for the Higashino family’s odd-jobs shop.

When Haruto returned, he found Naruto sitting at the counter, engrossed in a comic book. Aside from him, the shop was as quiet and deserted as always—not a single customer in sight.

Sensing movement, Naruto looked up from his book. “Big Brother Haruto, you’re back!”

“Yes,” Haruto replied coolly, setting his groceries on the counter.

“So, any business today?” he asked.

“None. Not a single customer,” Naruto answered, putting down his comic and sounding a touch dejected.

“That’s normal. We never have any customers.”

“If there’s never any business, how do you make money, Big Brother?”

“I don’t.”

“Then how do you support yourself?”

“Rental income,” Haruto replied flatly, picking up the groceries again and heading upstairs.

“Wow! I wish I had a place I could rent out!” Naruto’s voice floated up from behind. At that, a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile passed over Haruto’s usually indifferent face before it vanished.

Upstairs, Haruto put the groceries away in the refrigerator, then took a shower. He changed into fresh clothes and tossed his old ones into the washing machine. As he poured in the detergent, he heard some noise from downstairs.

Soon enough, Naruto’s voice rang out, “Big Brother Haruto! Big Brother Haruto!”

He quickened his pace, started the washing machine, and made his way downstairs.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, and then noticed that aside from Naruto, there were now a middle-aged man and a young woman in the shop.

A surge of recollection rose from the recesses of Haruto’s mind—he knew them both.

The man was Kohta Maruichi, tenant of Haruto’s other property, who ran a snack shop.

The girl was Ayano Natsukawa, a childhood friend who had lived not far from Haruto’s home. Both her parents were ninja, and Ayano herself had shown a gift for the profession. Once she was old enough, she’d attended the academy, and after graduation, was always away on missions. It had been a very long time since Haruto had last seen her.

So what brought them here together now? A snack shop owner and a ninja—two people with no apparent connection—what business did they have with him?

“Haruto!” Kohta greeted him.

“...It’s been a while, Big Brother Haruto,” the girl said, her voice tinged with hesitation.

“Yes, it has,” Haruto replied evenly. “So, what brings you both here together?”

Kohta explained, “Well, as you know, I’m not originally from Hidden Leaf—I just run my shop here. Lately, I’ve been thinking of returning home. It just so happens that Miss Natsukawa is looking for a suitable shopfront to open her own business, so I’m planning to transfer my shop over to her.”

Haruto glanced at Ayano and realized that not a trace of a ninja remained about her.

“Ayano, weren’t you a ninja? Why do you suddenly want to open a shop?”

“I’ve... retired.” At the recollection of something painful, Ayano’s mood dimmed.

Haruto didn’t press further. “Do you know what kind of shop you want to open?”

“I’m planning to keep it a snack shop.”

“I see.” Haruto nodded. “I have no objections. As long as you two are in agreement, that’s fine.”

“We’ve already worked out most of the details,” Kohta said, producing a contract from his bag. “We just need your signature, if you don’t mind.”

Haruto read the contract carefully. Finding nothing amiss, he took the pen from the counter and signed his name.

“All done,” he said, handing it back.

“Thank you, Haruto,” Kohta said, visibly relieved. He turned to Ayano. “Miss Natsukawa, I’ll leave the shop in your hands.”

“I’ll take good care of it,” she promised.

“Let’s head back now. I’ll go over a few things you’ll need to know.”

“Alright.”

Both glanced at Haruto.

“We’ll take our leave, then.”

“Mm.”

With the conversation concluded, Kohta and Ayano headed for the door. Before leaving, Ayano looked back at Haruto several times, as if comparing the man before her now with the boy she remembered.

Something about him seemed different.

After they left, Naruto piped up, “Big Brother Haruto, who was that lady?”

“An old acquaintance.”

“...”

“She used to be a ninja, didn’t she?”

“Yes. She was a rather skilled one, I think.”

“But she’s not a ninja anymore?”

“That’s right.”

“Why? Isn’t being a ninja good?”

“How would I know? I’ve never been a ninja.”

Naruto laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, that’s true!”

After a few more moments, another thought occurred to him. “Big Brother Haruto, are you going out again later?”

“Probably not.”

“So we’ll just stay here and watch the shop?”

“That’s right. Why? Bored?”

“A little,” Naruto admitted. Though he’d been reading the comics Haruto had bought, he wasn’t literate yet, so he couldn’t really understand them.

“How about we go out to play after we eat?” Haruto, truth be told, was also feeling a bit bored.

“Really? Great!” Naruto replied at once. “Where should we go?”

“...I don’t know... On second thought, never mind, let’s not go out.”

“What? Why?”

“I’m too lazy to think about where to go.”

Naruto was dumbfounded by such an answer. “I can think of someplace for you, Big Brother Haruto!”

“Alright, go ahead. Where should we go?”