Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 160 Hideyoshi's Family's Long-Awaited Ordinary Life

Hideyoshi's house was a secluded courtyard house on the edge of Yugakure Village, with blue tiles and white walls, and a lush old cherry tree in the yard.

"Come in, come in, don't be shy, make yourself at home."

Hideyoshi pushed open the courtyard gate and called out to the house in a boisterous manner, "Mieko, I'm back. This is a friend I just met."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle woman lifted the curtain and came out to greet him. She was wearing a simple kimono, her hair was simply tied back, and she had a gentle smile on her face.

"Welcome back." Her gaze fell on Aburame Shisei, and she gave a slight bow. "You must be Hideyoshi's friend? Please come in."

"I apologize for bothering you." Aburame Shisei nodded lightly.

Mieko smiled and welcomed them into the house, then looked at Yoshihide: "How did the mission go?"

"Everything's going smoothly, what could possibly go wrong?" Hideyoshi waved his hand, then suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, where's my son?"

"She just woke up and is playing inside," Mieko said, turning to Aburame Shisei. "Please have a seat, I'll go prepare dinner. It's rare to have guests, so you must try my cooking."

As she spoke, she tied on her apron and walked toward the kitchen.

Hideyoshi eagerly rushed into the inner room, and a moment later emerged carrying a chubby, white child. He proudly showed off to Aburame Shisei, "Come, come, let me formally introduce you. This is my son, Hidan!"

The one-year-old baby opened his big, round eyes and curiously looked at the unfamiliar visitor.

His hair was also pure white, softly lying on his head, and his features resembled Hideyoshi's; he was indeed a handsome boy.

Aburame Shisei sat in the guest seat, his gaze sweeping over the baby's face. This was the future serial killer Hidan, but he was quite cute as a child.

"Waaaaah—" the child suddenly started crying.

Hideyoshi immediately panicked: "Hey, hey, what's wrong? Is it hungry? No, didn't we just feed it? Did it pee?"

He leaned closer and sniffed, then said, "No, no, then why are you crying?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a stream of warm water splashed on his face.

Hideyoshi froze.

Aburame Shisei: "..."

The baby stopped crying and started giggling, seemingly quite pleased with his prank.

"Hidan—!" Hideyoshi wailed, his face still smeared with some kind of pale yellow liquid. "You brat!"

Mieko peeked out from the kitchen, saw this scene, and chuckled, covering her mouth: "Who checks diapers like that?"

Hideyoshi held his son tightly, looking pitiful, but dared not let go for fear of him wetting himself everywhere. "Quick, quick, where's the diaper?"

"In the closet." Mieko smiled and shrank back.

Hideyoshi, holding the child, began rummaging through the house: "Diapers, diapers, diapers...wait, I remember putting them here?"

Aburame Shisei watched this scene quietly.

The man frantically searching for diapers, the father complaining while carefully holding his son, and the sounds of chopping vegetables and the aroma of stewing soup coming from the kitchen...

There were no flaws, no disguises.

This is just an ordinary ninja family.

Aburame Zhicheng frowned slightly. Was he overthinking things, or was this family just too good at disguising themselves and hiding their true intentions?

But he clearly remembered that the Three-Star Scythe was the symbolic weapon of the Evil God Cult.

"Could you please carry me for a moment?"

Something soft was suddenly stuffed into his arms, interrupting his thoughts.

Aburame Shisei lowered his head and met Hidan's big, dark eyes.

When the baby was in his arms, he stopped crying and fussing. He just lay there quietly, reaching out a small hand to try to grab the green hair hanging down his chest.

Aburame Shisei was slightly taken aback.

He clearly sensed an extremely faint fluctuation emanating from the infant, the pure, primal aura of life, without impurities or malice.

The baby seemed to sense something from him as well.

Aburame Shicheng guessed that it was most likely the aura of his immortal arts. His wind immortal arts had the ability to sense all things in nature, so he naturally carried an inexplicable affinity.

Infants have the most acute senses; perhaps it is the feeling of being one with nature that makes them so quiet.

"Giggle giggle—"

Hidan grabbed a strand of hair and laughed happily.

Aburame Zhicheng looked down at the baby in her arms; his eyes were so clear and pure that there was not a trace of impurity.

It's been a very long time, so long that he had almost forgotten what it felt like.

In the insect hive of the Land of Snow, he is the master who controls everything; in the undercurrents of the ninja world, he is a strategist who plans every step carefully.

He was used to scheming, used to being suspicious, and used to looking at everyone with the most complicated perspective.

But we forget that the world also has a simple side; some approaches and invitations don't need a reason.

An ordinary father, a gentle mother, and a baby who has just learned to pee.

That's it.

The other person might not have been intentionally approaching him, but perhaps it was his appearance, or his natural aura, that made people lower their guard and feel that he was a friend they could make, which is why they invited him into their home without any reservations.

"Found it! Found it!"

Hideyoshi finally pulled out a diaper from deep inside the cabinet and ran over excitedly, but when he saw the scene in front of him, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His son, the usually unruly little devil, was now lying quietly in Aburame Shisei's arms, obediently playing with a strand of green hair, with a silly smile on his face.

"Huh?" Hideyoshi's eyes widened. "This kid usually cries when strangers hold him, how come he's so well-behaved in your arms?"

Aburame Shisei pulled himself out of his thoughts and said calmly, "Perhaps it's fate."

"What a coincidence, what a coincidence!" Hideyoshi smiled and came closer, reaching out to take his son. "Come here, let Dad change your diaper, don't get his clothes dirty..."

As soon as he picked up Hidan, the baby immediately pouted, looking unhappy.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's with that expression?!" Hideyoshi was both amused and exasperated, and took his son aside to change his diaper.

Aburame Shisei's eyes followed his movements.

Hideyoshi's diaper-changing technique was clumsy, clearly that of a novice father. He either stuck the diaper on crookedly or wrapped it too loosely.

Hidan twisted and turned in his father's hands, protesting his father's clumsiness.

Hideyoshi said while fiddling with it, "Don't move it, don't move it. Oops, it's crooked again..."

Mieko's voice came from the kitchen: "Do you need any help?"

"No need, no need, I can do it." Hideyoshi quickly waved his hand, and then there was another flurry of activity.

As Aburame Shisei watched this scene, a slight smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of his mouth.

That wasn't his usual smile, that distant and polite smile, but a truly relaxed, heartfelt smile.

He hadn't laughed like that in a very, very long time.