The Shopkeeper of Konoha

To which Aoto replied, "Sure," Asuma then beckoned him to the balcony.

"Terrace? Why? You can pay me right here and now while I bring the summoning scroll." Aoto gave his most convincing confused expression.

Kakashi came and asked in a relaxed tone, "Well, we want to talk to you a bit before we settle the deal. Is that fine?" Aoto looked at both of them before closing the window. He then asked the three people inside to wait while he went and talked with them.

"Is it safe?" Arya looked a little concerned as well as John. This was a very weird world for them and thus everything here was quite foreign and thus very dangerous in their standards.

"It will be fine." Aoto assured them and climbed up the staircases to get to the terrace. The patio was open and spacious, with just a single water tank of average size. Aoto came up and looked around. Kakashi and Asuma suddenly emerged next to him, surprising him. His pupils could not keep up with the speed of the action.

"Here, I came with the scroll." Aoto showed them the scroll that the system had provided to give them the contracts. They would only need to put their blood print of their fingers on one column and the palickos they have taken would be then contracted by the two.

Both Asuma and Kakashi nodded and pulled money out of their respective pouches. Ken didn't check the total because the computer said it was correct.

"You don't want to count?" Asuma asked.

"I trust you two. And if you really want to scam me, I won't be able to do anything about it." Aoto said as a matter of fact. These remarks took them by surprise. They hadn't considered looking at it this way before.

Asuma said in a loud voice, "How can you say that? There is a proper law and order here, and if anybody breaks it, he or she would be jailed."

Without raising his voice, Aoto said, "Asuma-san. We both know that it is only possible in Konoha. If I had a very powerful beast summoning scroll with me, everything in my place would have been taken away, and I would have had to cough up the secrets since I don't have the power to defend myself." Kakashi and Asuma felt their bodies tense up at those remarks.

"Oh! How are you so sure that Konoha will come after you if you had a powerful scroll of summoning beasts?" A deep voice came from behind startling Aoto a bit. He turned around to see a man wearing a red and white robe walking towards him with a smoking pipe in his hand.

Any sane individual who caught a glimpse of the peace in this old man's eyes would feel safe in his company. Despite the wrinkles in his forehead, he walked in a very straight motion that didn't seem to sway in the least.

This was Hiruzen Sarutobi. The 3rd Hokage of Konoha.

"Hokage-sama!" Aoto said as he bent his knees to show proper respect to him. As Hiruzen approached, he grabbed him by the shoulders.

"You don't have to show such respect in front of me. Every citizen in this village are like my children." Hiruzen said. Anyone would have melted by his calm and soothing words but Aoto knew that even though Hiruzen had said, he didn't feel the same for some people. That some people being the Uchihas.

Though he didn't have that much hatred for the Uchiha like Danzo or his advisors, he still didn't like them.

"Thank you Hokage-sama." Aoto said as he got up on his feet.

"Now tell me, why do you feel that Konoha will take your belongings if you bring out more powerful beasts?" Hiruzen asked again.

"Umm.. Ano.. Etooo..." Aoto fumbled upon his words.

"You can speak your mind Aoto-kun. Speak to me like you would speak with your friends. I promise that I will not punish you or scold you." Hiruzen said again while using a very smiling tone.

"Well you see Hokage-sama, if I had a very powerful beast with me I would surely be either have to under supervision always or locked up." Aoto said.

"Oh why are so sure of that?" Hiruzen asked.

"Umm.. I have only heard the rumors Hokage-sama." Aoto replied.

"And what does the rumors say?" Hiruzen asked.

"Well.. I only heard whispers. They say that a Uchiha controlled the Kyuubi and due to that I see all the people talking about Uchihas in a very bad way. My parents died in the last attack but that doesn't mean I will use bad words and accuse the whole clan of being bad. In that sense if had something like the Kyuubi, doesn't that mean I will be ostracized the same way, the Uchihas are right now?" Aoto asked.

The three people who heard Aoto's remarks were all a little taken aback by what they heard. They didn't expect such words coming from a general citizen who didn't even go to ninja school.

Asuma went into a scolding mode, saying, "Kid, don't speak about things you don't know about."

"Asuma.. No.. I promised this kid not to scold for his words, why are you in the middle?" Hirzuen said.

"But he.." Asuma said.

"He is right. If Aoto-kun did have Kyuubi with him he would have been looked in a very different way. He didn't say anything wrong." Hirzuen said. Kakashi and Asuma were not the only ones taken aback by these remarks. It even took Aoto by surprise.

Kakashi and Asuma were surprised because the things he talked about were top level secrets and the general public didn't have any idea what went on in the deep shadows. Aoto, on the other hand, was caught off guard because he hadn't anticipated such candor from Hiruzen.

Aoto knelt once more and apologized, "I am sorry Hokage-sama, I have crossed the line with my words."

Hiruzen bowed his head in apology to Aoto, saying, "No, Aoto-kun. I must be the one to ask for forgiveness because the Konoha could not protect your parents and a genius intellect like you has gone neglected."