The two were very unfamiliar with the roads and were shaken off after only a few turns. Naori was extremely frustrated by this; although the money wasn't much, having it stolen right from her hands made her feel deeply embarrassed.
After being shaken off, Torifū and Naori didn't pursue further. It was just a stolen wallet, not a big deal. However, making a big fuss and drawing too much attention would be unfavorable, as their main objective in being there was to gather intelligence and information.
"That child was very agile, perhaps trained, but he was also overly thin, likely due to prolonged malnutrition." Torifū roughly analyzed the basic situation based on the child's retreating figure.
Naori agreed, saying, "I didn't expect robbery to be so blatant in the Land of Lightning's capital." They hadn't encountered anything like this when they visited the Land of Fire's capital. It seemed like the Land of Lightning's capital was giving them a harsh welcome.
"From the expressions of the people around, that child is likely a repeat offender." Torifū also noticed that when Naori's wallet was snatched, some onlookers showed a hint of schadenfreude, while others expressed expressions like 'here we go again' or 'I knew it.' Clearly, people here were often robbed, but why wasn't anyone catching him?
Naori waved her hand dismissively: "Forget it, forget it. There wasn't much money left anyway." Then she added, "He looked to be only five or six years old. Perhaps he has his reasons for doing this. We'll just consider it a good deed, as long as he doesn't try to rob me again." Torifū chuckled at her words. Naori was always so kind-hearted, even able to laugh off something like a robbery. But he hoped that child truly wouldn't come a second time, otherwise, things wouldn't be so amicable.
In pursuit of the child, Torifū and Naori had run into a secluded street with almost no one around. Not knowing the way, the two could only try to retrace their steps from memory. Thankfully, their memory was good, and after only one wrong turn, they successfully returned to the main street. Their goal of eating on the street had been achieved. It had to be said, the food in the Land of Lightning was quite good. Perhaps it was because it was their first time trying it, making it seem more exotic.
On their way back to the inn, the two encountered some more snack stalls. After buying a few snacks, Naori's mood also improved. The bad mood from having her wallet snatched had completely vanished.
"These things in the Land of Lightning aren't bad, just not as good as Akimichi's barbecue." Naori's mouth was full, but she spoke quite clearly. Seeing Naori like this, Torifū couldn't help but poke her cheek with his finger. The result was Naori staring blankly at Torifū: "Why did you poke my face?" She then poked him back with her own hand: "I'll definitely not lose out!"
Torifū let out a chuckle. Naori, thinking he was mocking her, feigned anger and said, "Torifū, what do you mean?" Torifū waved his hand, catching his breath: "Nothing, nothing. I just thought you were quite cute just now."
"Okay, so you weren't mocking me," Naori pouted, understanding this: "I've always been cute, you know. Grandpa always tells me that." Torifū immediately agreed, and the two playfully made their way back to the inn.
What they didn't notice was a small boy, about five or six years old, secretly watching them from a hidden corner. He wore tattered, muddy clothes and was very thin, but his eyes held an unexpectedly firm gaze, not typical for his age. After seeing Torifū and Naori enter the inn, the boy seemed to hesitate for a moment, then quietly left.
The next morning, Torifū woke up first. Sleeping on a crystal bed was somewhat uncomfortable, as it was quite hard. He planned to ask the owner if there were any other empty rooms later, which would be more convenient for both him and Naori and allow them to sleep better. After all, staying at an inn didn't cost much.
Torifū carefully pushed open the room door, trying not to wake Naori, but something at the doorstep caught his attention. "Isn't this Naori's wallet? How did it get here?" Torifū mumbled to himself. Naori's wallet had been snatched last night, but today it was returned. What kind of play was this?
Torifū picked up the wallet and opened it. Indeed, all the money inside was gone. The wallet only contained a small note. Torifū didn't open it on his own but walked to the bed and woke Naori.
"Naori, wake up, your wallet's back." Naori, groggily awakened by Torifū, instantly perked up upon hearing her wallet had returned.
"Where is it?!"
"Here."
Torifū handed the wallet to Naori.
"Ah, I can't believe it's back! This is my favorite wallet; Grandpa gave it to me for my fifth birthday." Torifū realized the depth of Naori's feelings for the wallet only after she said this. It must have been a long internal struggle for Naori to act so nonchalant yesterday.
"There should be a note left by that person inside. Since it's your item, I didn't open it myself." Naori smiled after hearing this: "Torifū, you're too formal! We're not just good friends; we're fellow disciples! Don't be like that next time!" Torifū smiled and agreed with Naori, then urged her to open it. Torifū was also curious about what the note would say.
Naori opened the note and read it carefully, her expression immediately turning serious. Torifū, seeing this, quickly looked at the note's contents. It read: "You're an Uchiha, aren't you? Thanks for the money."
At this, Torifū's expression also grew solemn. They had been in the Land of Lightning for less than three days, and their identities had already been exposed. But how could that child have known Naori was from the Uchiha clan?
"Torifū, what should we do?"
Naori didn't appear panicked; instead, she calmly asked for Torifū's opinion. After all, in such a critical moment, the more flustered one became, the more likely they were to expose weaknesses. Moreover, the two had been partners for a long time, and their coordination was excellent. This was merely a slightly more challenging mission.
"The fact that he put the note in the wallet and brought it back means he doesn't intend to loudly proclaim it yet. For now, we'll wait and see what his next move is." Naori folded the note, put it back in the wallet, and then put the wallet away: "Then we'll continue as normal, but we need to be more cautious and wary of our surroundings."