Chapter 77: Public and Private Matters (Part 2)
"Uncle Shikaku, let's start with personal matters!"
Seeing Shikaku with a face like he was interrogating a criminal, Koshino couldn't help but smile wryly.
He thought to himself that Uncle Shikaku was indeed here to give him a hard time.
Moreover, from Shikaku's tone, it seemed he intended to "interrogate" Koshino from both professional and personal angles.
Feeling a bit troubled, Koshino decided to first listen to Shikaku's "lessons" on personal matters.
Why start with personal matters? Simply because Koshino felt he handled professional matters quite well, with almost no issues, leaving Shikaku little room for criticism!
When Shikaku heard Koshino choose personal matters, his stern expression faltered a bit.
Especially when his gaze once again fell on Koshino's shoulder, Shikaku couldn't help but let out a deep sigh and said earnestly,
"Koshino, you've performed excellently. Even Minato has been praising you. Without you, the rear of our Konoha Village would have been in chaos.
An entire medical unit could have perished in the Mist Ninja's encirclement. As a ninja of Konoha Village, I truly feel proud of you."
"But Koshino, you must understand."
"You're not just a ninja of Konoha Village; you're also the future of our Nara Clan!"
"Most importantly,"
"Koshino, you're my dear nephew!"
As he spoke, Koshino clearly saw Shikaku's eyes moisten, prompting Koshino to lower his head silently, full of remorse, "Uncle Shikaku, I know I was wrong."
"Koshino, I'm not asking you to admit fault, but to recognize your situation."
Hearing Koshino's apology, Shikaku shook his head and sighed, "Koshino, even a few months from now, you'll only be five years old. At just five, you've achieved so much, making you the future of Konoha."
"Why harbor a competitive mindset? When we old folks are no longer around, there will be things you must do, even if you don't want to, because it's your responsibility as a Konoha ninja.
But for now, I hope you'll think more carefully when handling matters. If something were to happen to you, how could I face your father?"
"Of course, there are things I didn't handle well either."
"Like placing you in the rear medical unit, thinking it would keep you away from the battlefield and avoid injury, was a mistake."
"Koshino, if you truly want to gain experience, I'll select some appropriately challenging missions for you in the future!"
"This mission really scared me!"
Undoubtedly, the original Nara Shikaku was an open-minded father, though Nara Shikamaru was somewhat disappointing in the early stages.
However, at this moment, in the exchange between Koshino and Shikaku, listening to Shikaku's words filled with endless concern, Koshino truly didn't know what to say.
All he could do was lower his head and silently respond to Shikaku's words, which was probably all Koshino could do.
Moreover, the more he understood Shikaku's heartfelt concerns, the stronger Koshino's desire to protect the Nara Clan became.
Sometimes, protecting something isn't about being forced; it's about someone genuinely wanting to protect it from the heart, making them willing to do so.
Just like Koshino, Shikaku never explicitly asked Koshino to protect the Nara Clan, he simply cared for him quietly.
In such circumstances, doesn't Koshino take pride in being a member of the Nara Clan and, for the sake of his Uncle Shikaku, willingly protect the Nara Clan?
After Shikaku finished discussing personal matters, both his and Koshino's eyes were red.
But when it came time to discuss "official business," Koshino saw Shikaku wipe his eyes fiercely, then widen them as he questioned Koshino:
"Alright, Koshino, personal matters are over!"
"Let's talk about official business now!"
"Koshino, do you realize your mistake?"
"Huh?"
Suddenly hearing Shikaku's questioning, Koshino was stunned.
There were no mistakes in personal matters? Then what could possibly be wrong with handling official business? Koshino was truly confused!
However, as if he had known all along that Koshino wouldn't recognize his mistake, Shikaku gave a cold smile.
Without giving Koshino any time to react, Shikaku slapped Koshino on the head and scolded angrily,
"Taking the Third Hokage's son on such a dangerous mission without permission, Koshino, haven't you realized your mistake yet?"
"This time you were lucky, Asuma returned safely. But if something had happened to Asuma, how would you expect us, the Nara Clan, to deal with you?"
"Koshino, as I've said before, you need to think more carefully when handling certain matters!"
"Now look, Asuma has run off again. If the Third Hokage blames us, it's not just you, even our Nara Clan will be in trouble!"
"I can forgive you this time, but Minato might not be so lenient!"
"It seems your merit from this risky mission will be lost because of a small mistake!"
"But there's one thing you must remember, Koshino!"
"Don't blame anyone, and certainly don't hold a grudge against Asuma. That won't do you any good, understand?"
Listening to Shikaku's lecture, what else could Koshino say but "understood"? And even though Shikaku asked Koshino not to hold a grudge against Asuma, is that something a person can really do?
Come on!
Sarutobi Asuma causes trouble and has the Third Hokage to back him up, so nothing happens to him.
I work hard on a mission, and in the end, because of one person, I don't even get basic credit. What is that?
Is it corruption? The more Koshino thought about it, the angrier he became.
If Sarutobi Asuma were right beside Koshino, even a beating would be getting off lightly.
As for Shikaku, how could he not understand Koshino's frustration?
But there was no choice. As a member of the Hokage's guardian clan, Koshino had to face unfair treatment in certain situations.
Especially with Sarutobi Asuma's identity being somewhat delicate, it made Shikaku uncomfortable to reprimand Koshino.
It was just that due to certain factors, Shikaku had to come and reprimand Koshino to show some people and prevent Koshino from encountering trouble in the future.
Just as Shikaku finished "reprimanding" about the official matters and both he and Koshino were silent in the hospital room, a familiar laugh echoed through the room.
Hearing that laugh, Shikaku secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that his earlier reprimand of Koshino was indeed not in vain.
As for Koshino, upon hearing that familiar laugh, he first glanced suspiciously at Shikaku beside him, then focused all his attention on what the newcomer was saying!
"How can there be no reward for completing a mission for our village?"
"Shikaku, scaring kids isn't a good thing!"