"Teacher, we're running out of time!"
"Even if we're running out of time, we still have to eat, right?"
Asuka glanced at Teuchi, who was busy at work, and then he pressed his three students into their chairs one by one, saying casually.
"Eat up, three bowls each, teacher's treat.
Now that you've become ninjas, there's a harsh reality I need to tell you.
And that is, you have to treat every meal you eat now as if it's your last.
Because you never know which will come first, tomorrow or an accident."
Saying this, he secretly pointed to the Senju Clan's compound, lowering his voice.
"You all know that I was born in Konoha year 33, and Senju Nawaki died in Konoha year 37. I was already old enough to remember when he died.
Tsk tsk.
I heard from the ninja who collected the body that when the last sprout of the Senju family died, there was nothing in his stomach, and he went to the Pure Land hungry like that.
Who knows if there's even food in that Pure Land..."
Bang! Before he could finish speaking, Asuka felt a heavy blow to his head. He rubbed the rapidly swelling bump on his head, gritting his teeth as he looked behind him, and said angrily.
"Who hit me!"
"I did!"
Hearing the other party admit it so confidently, Asuka's gaze slowly moved from bottom to top.
Slender, fair legs, a slightly undulating abdomen, red hair cascading down to her waist, and veins popping out on her forehead... Why did she come here? Watching Kushina sit directly next to him, clearly intending to eat ramen, Asuka twitched the corner of his mouth, his expression instantly becoming serious.
"Teuchi-san, one bowl of super deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen."
After saying that, he saw that Kushina was actually followed by the Uchiha Clan head's wife. Pinching the somewhat empty wallet in his pocket, Asuka once again turned his gaze to the price list, his tone somewhat hesitant.
"Uchiha Mikoto-sama, do you have any food restrictions?"
Mikoto smiled slightly, she exchanged a glance with Kushina, instantly understanding the expression in the other's eyes, and said softly.
"I don't have any restrictions when it's free."
"Heh~"
Seeing the two of them acting like they were taking advantage of him, Asuka sneered inwardly, then ordered a bowl of deluxe ramen for the Uchiha Clan head's wife as well.
They're already married, yet they're ditching their husbands to come here and eat ramen.
Tsk! Poor Fugaku, you might as well get a divorce.
Looking at their teacher's mischievous smile, Iruka and the others exchanged glances, then huddled together, discussing in low voices.
"What's wrong with the teacher?"
"Not too sure, it looks like the teacher is thinking about something bad."
"I heard some talk a while ago that the teacher's relationship with their clan isn't very harmonious."
With this question in mind, after the three finished their ramen and watched the two leave, they all turned their heads to look at their teacher, curiously.
"Teacher, you guys???"
Lowering his head and looking at the gossipy expressions on the three faces, Asuka shook his head left and right, glanced around, and then lowered his voice.
"It's nothing, the Fourth Hokage's wife lived in the Senju Clan for a while back then. She knew Nawaki and is also a bit related.
Anyway, that unlucky kid Nawaki, he didn't have enough to eat before he died... Even if his sister Tsunade stands in front of me, her younger brother still died without enough to eat.
So, as ninjas, you have to treat every meal as your last, don't waste food, and don't let me see you with empty stomachs."
Afterward, he looked in the direction where the two pregnant women disappeared, Asuka crossed his arms and hugged them in front of his chest, and sighed softly.
"Seeing those two's bellies getting bigger and bigger, it's really uncomfortable.
Every day when I sleep, I dream of Kushina sitting on me, and then manipulating the Nine-Tailed Beast in her belly to slap me.
Uchiha Mikoto too... If I don't get one of her and Fugaku sterilized, I'll feel a little irritable.
In case there's some butterfly effect and Uchiha Mikoto's belly gets big again after giving birth to Sasuke, then the Uchiha Clan might as well ascend to heaven on the spot."
Iruka and the others looked up at Asuka, watching the struggle flashing across their teacher's face from time to time, as well as the mumbling in his mouth. The three curiously glanced at each other and asked.
"Teacher, what are you talking about?"
"Heh~"
Asuka rolled his eyes at the three, then he turned his gaze to Hyuga Hanahana and said.
"Hanahana, sterilization?
Teacher knows you yearn for freedom. You know the situation of your Hyuga family better than I do. Are you willing for your next generation to live with a curse like you?"
Idiot!
Seeing Hyuga Hanahana actually standing here tangled up, Asuka flicked a few fingers on the guy's head and said unhappily.
"You're such an idiot, I just said it casually, and you actually thought about it.
Don't worry, you won't have a next generation, idiots can't find boyfriends."
Saying that, he took out a scroll from his pocket and stuffed it into the three's arms, his expression serious.
"The mission begins.
Next, as your guiding teacher and temporary captain, you must obey my orders."
Seeing their teacher's attitude suddenly become serious, the three also put away the gossipy expressions on their faces and said seriously.
"Yes!"
"Very good.
Iruka, Hyuga Hanahana, as intelligence gathering personnel, you must completely collect the family information of those who lost their pet cats, and focus on marking the families with only elderly people.
Uzuki Yugao, you come with me to get cat... cough... to find cats."
"Understood!"
Watching Iruka and Hyuga Hanahana's departing figure, Asuka led Uzuki Yugao out of the village.
"Teacher!"
Seeing the road becoming increasingly remote and the surroundings increasingly desolate, Uzuki Yugao swallowed lightly and asked.
"Teacher, those lost pets shouldn't be outside the village, right?"
"No, those guys are definitely still in the village."
"Then we..."
Uzuki Yugao sniffled, looking at her teacher walking ahead, the scene at the ramen shop suddenly flashed back in her mind.
The teacher is taking me out of the village, could it be that he wants to... "Don't think nonsense!"
Asuka waved at Yugao, who had stopped behind him, pouring cold water on her, and said casually.
"Don't be so nervous, your teacher has no intention of preying on young girls.
I'm taking you out of the village to see Cat Granny, she lives outside the village."
"Ah?"
Uzuki Yugao's body trembled, she looked at the sky somewhat awkwardly, and muttered.
"Teacher, can you read minds?"
"No, but the way you're protecting your chest betrays you. Isn't that the classic reaction to a pervert? Besides me, who else is around?"
"That's true!"
Uzuki Yugao scratched her head and trotted to catch up with Asuka, telling herself she was overthinking it.
When the two arrived at Cat Granny's place, Uzuki Yugao's eyes turned into stars as she looked at the cats everywhere.
"So many cats... so many breeds, their fur is so shiny. Oh, this one is a bit ugly but cute... Granny!"
Asuka ignored the cats around him that wanted to get close, he waved at Cat Granny sitting above, and smiled.
"Granny, I'm here!"
"Oh?"
Cat Granny opened her eyes a slit, she looked down at the familiar figure below, the wrinkles on her face instantly deepened, and her voice was old.
"Little Asuka, are you here to take care of this old woman's business again?"
"Heh, don't even think about it, I'm here for something else this time."
Hearing that this sucker wasn't looking for her to do business, half of the smile on Cat Granny's face instantly disappeared, she put her pipe on the table, and said slowly.
"Speak, what do you want from this old woman?"
"I'm here to get some cats."
???
Uzuki Yugao held two kittens in her arms, she tilted her head, looking at her teacher with a question mark on her face.
Didn't I hear wrong?
Entering cats?? How do kittens enter??
Cat Granny didn't react to this. She reached out and picked up a notebook from the table, skillfully flipping through a few pages, and muttered.
"This is really rare. I didn't expect your village to let you take on D-rank missions again? It's been so many years. I thought you would never be able to carry out D-rank missions again."
"Yeah, I also thought I was done with D-rank missions, but who would have thought I'd become a teacher recently, so I might as well take them to grind some D-rank missions."
"How many are you planning to send this time?"
"Let's start with 20 today. Not many cats have been lost in the village these past few days."
20? Cat Granny looked at the notebook for a while, then whispered a few words to the kitten next to her.
Meow~ The cat nodded. After glancing at Asuka, it turned and ran outside.
Before long, in Uzuki Yugao's shocked gaze, hundreds of kittens of various colors and sizes appeared from the aisle they had just come through.
Asuka then put on his cat ears, scanned the group of kittens, and said.
"If you follow Cat Granny, you can only eat your fill, but you won't eat well.
Next, I have a way for you to eat your fill and eat well, which is to go to the homes of those villagers in Konoha who have lost their cats, and freeload."
"You should know what it means to be full every meal, so I won't say much more.
Come a few that don't scratch, that like to act cute and clingy, preferably ones that like to stay by people's sides, and sleep with them in bed all the time.
If you're a ninja cat, it's okay for you to go eat, but don't run away after staying for two months. You have to be able to stay in people's homes for a long time."
"Oh, right!"
Asuka suddenly slapped his forehead, picked up a fat cat from the ground, and said with disgust.
"Forget about this kind of fat one, it doesn't look like it can fight.
You have to guarantee that when the original cats come back, you can beat those cats away, and finally point out a clear path for those cats, and let them come to Cat Granny here."
"Teacher!"
Uzuki Yugao was stunned for a while, then quickly tugged at Asuka's clothes, anxiously saying.
"We can't carry out the mission like this."
"What's wrong with it."
Asuka threw the fat cat in his hand to the side, patted Yugao's shoulder, and comforted her.
"Who told those pet cats to run away on their own? They're all grown cats, they have to pay the price for their actions.
There's no such good thing in the world.
If you're tired of staying at home, go out for a few days, have some fun, and still expect to have a warm harbor to return to? You'll understand if you compare cats to people."
Saying that, he took off the cat ears on his head and put them on Uzuki Yugao's head, and continued.
"It's like if you and your husband, your husband goes out to find other women to freeload and sleep with, and when he's tired of playing, he still wants to come back to your house, would you be happy?"
"Since we can't keep the hearts of those little cats, we can just replace them. Anyway, we've given those cats a clear path, they won't starve."
Hearing this, Uzuki Yugao's gaze fell on the surrounding cats.
She discovered that since putting on these cat ears, she could actually understand the cats' language.
It turned out they really were like humans, thinking, joking, even telling the kind of jokes only adults would tell... Pointing a finger at the black cat telling the joke, Uzuki Yugao bit her lip, her face flushed as she looked at Asuka and directly reported the cat's behavior.
How could the cats here be so improper?
"Teacher!"
Taking off the cat ears and returning them to Asuka, Uzuki Yugao picked up a tabby cat, looking somewhat worried.
"These cats and the missing cats, their colors are a bit different, aren't they?
Won't we be found out?"
"Don't worry, your teacher knows a hair salon, they're very skilled."
Hair salon?? Uzuki Yugao lowered her head, looking at the group of kittens gathered around her feet, a complicated look in her eyes.
She... now seemed to vaguely understand how her teacher had completed those thousands of D-rank missions.
Although this was a bit like cheating, it felt really good.
Yeah, why should those cats who went out to play wild, still be able to return to their original families after their efforts??
It was like, an ordinary family, where the "woman" got tired of staying at home and decided to run away, going out to the world to freeload food, freeload a bed, and then they, this group of Genin who received the mission, would go to great lengths to find the "woman", catch her, and forcefully stuff her back into her original family.
They thought they had done a good thing with their time and effort... but they didn't expect that this was actually a terrible thing to do.
Since the kittens wanted freedom, then give them freedom.
Just find a new cat.
How simple.
After brainwashing herself, Uzuki Yugao looked at Asuka with a hint of reverence in her eyes.
No wonder he could be a teacher, while she was just a student.
The teacher's way of thinking was different from normal people.
In the dim cave, Danzo unwrapped the bandages on his forehead, and his tightly closed right eye slowly opened.
Looking at the red eyeball in his right eye socket in the mirror, and the three black tomoe within the eyeball, Danzo was silent for a moment, then turned to look at the Root ninjas kneeling below.
The rate at which his right eye's vision was deteriorating had exceeded his expectations. If he couldn't find a replacement before going completely blind, then he would truly become blind.
It was a pity that during the war, although there were casualties among the Jonin of the Uchiha Clan, their corpses never fell into his hands.
Danzo narrowed his eyes and looked at the people below, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Report on the movements of the Uchiha Clan."
"Yes!"
With that, a Root ninja stepped forward and knelt on the ground, reporting.
"Most of the Uchiha Clan's Jonin have been active within the village, showing no signs of leaving.
Three Chunin have left the village to carry out B-rank missions, and seven Genin have left the village to carry out C-rank missions.
Uchiha Asuka left the village this morning to carry out a D-rank mission."
Uchiha Asuka. Danzo muttered a few times in his heart, then he looked down at the kneeling ninja and asked.
"What about those two wastes who were looking for trouble last time?"
"They are recuperating at home."
"Take someone skilled in interrogation to visit them, and also tell them to put the matter of Uchiha Asuka aside for now. Once they have recovered from their injuries, have them come to see me."
"Yes!"
After the ninja disappeared from the spot, Danzo reached behind his head and continued to wrap the bandages.
Jonin are also divided into tiers. Under the same circumstances, the Jonin of the Uchiha Clan have a very large advantage compared to other ninja clans.
Defeating an Uchiha Jonin is not difficult; numbers can do the trick.
But wanting to kill an Uchiha Clan Jonin raises the difficulty by a level.
Especially assassinating those guys with their own medical ninjutsu; the difficulty is not ordinary... Danzo shook his head, his gaze falling on the Uchiha Clan compound.
He only wanted to test how far that guy's strength had reached last time, but he didn't test anything and wasted a lot of medical expenses for nothing.
It was even more uncomfortable than inviting Hiruzen to dinner.
Achoo!
Asuka wrinkled his nose. He glanced at the kittens hanging on Uzuki Yugao's body, then looked up at the dense forest ahead, muttering to himself.
"It feels like someone is cursing me.
Tonight, I'll pay a visit to that "Root" ninja's home and discuss the matter of enemies with him.
Tomorrow, I have to explain the Will of Fire to those kids in the clan."
The day after tomorrow, I have to take them on a mission.
The day after that, I have to go to a temporary clan meeting.
"So busy."
Uzuki Yugao, listening to her teacher's muttering, picked up the kitten that was on her head, looked up at her teacher, and asked in confusion.
"Teacher, what are you muttering about?"
"It's nothing, I just think I've figured out why I don't have a girlfriend."
"What's the reason?"
"Too full of a schedule, too few holidays, no time for romance, and no suitable target."
"Doesn't teacher have someone you like?"
Hearing this, Asuka paused, stared at Yugao for a while, and then, looking at the dodging eyes of this guy, he said speechlessly.
"The person I like doesn't exist in this world."
"Ah?"
Uzuki Yugao blinked her eyes and asked in surprise.
"Why?"
"Sigh."
Asuka sighed, and then counted on his fingers.
"I like Tsunade's figure, Kushina's hair, Uchiha Mikoto's gentleness, Inuzuka Tsume's wildness, Yuhi Kurenai's red eyes, actually white eyes are also okay.
Plus the Nara family's intelligence, the Akimichi family's appetite, the Yamanaka family's tricks..."
"Wait!"
Uzuki Yugao interrupted her teacher's rambling, she stared at Asuka with strange eyes, slowly took a small step back, and said in an uncertain tone.
"Teacher, why do you only like a part of everyone? That's a perverted idea, right?"
"You don't understand, it's because I haven't found such a perfect woman that I'm still single.
Do you know Kakashi?"
Saying that, Asuka reached out and pointed to Konoha, he had accidentally revealed a little too much just now, so he had to divert the trouble.
"Do you know why Kakashi doesn't have a girlfriend yet?"
"Why?"
Uzuki Yugao's curiosity was successfully aroused, she was very interested in the gossip of the village genius.
That's Kakashi, who became a Jonin at the age of 12.
Although he covers half of his face with a mask, it can't hide his handsome appearance, his white hair looks like people want to rua it, and his high strength makes people feel very safe, okay.
Asuka took out a tissue, bent down and wiped the saliva flowing from Uzuki Yugao's mouth, and said mysteriously.
"A few days ago, I saw Kakashi pulling on Might Guy's pants, saying that for such a mighty man, he didn't expect that 'down there' was like an 'acorn.'
You didn't see it then, but Kakashi had a look of regret on his face after seeing the acorn.
I now have reason to suspect that Kakashi wants to do something with Might Guy."
"Shut up!"
Uzuki Yugao reached out and tugged hard at her hair, her eyes instantly becoming a little manic.
She had just been fantasizing about ruffling Kakashi's hair a bit, why bring up something like this?
She looked at Asuka with some frustration, gritting her teeth as she said,
"You've ruined the image of Kakashi-senpai in my heart."
"What's the big deal!"
Asuka stood up, reached out and picked his nose, saying with a casual look.
"The Third Hokage you admire in your heart still peeks at widows bathing every day.
That Jiraiya isn't a good person either; he often stands on top of toads on the wall, peeking into bathhouses.
Oh, some time ago, when Jiraiya returned to the village, he also announced in a high-profile manner that the material in his mind, after years of accumulation, was about to overflow.
In a while, the Make-Out Series will be released.
When the time comes, your teacher will grab a copy for you and secretly deliver it to your house, you..."
Bang! Before he could finish speaking, Asuka felt a gust of wind coming towards him. He looked at Yugao's face full of baleful aura, and then looked at the cat flying in the sky, and quickly advised,
"Don't throw the cat, it's not good to hand in the mission if too much fur falls out."
"I don't care, I feel a little empty inside."
"This is a manifestation of a lack of love and a lack of the Will of Fire. Let me make it up to you."
"No!"
After saying that, she grabbed the cat lying on top of her head and continued to throw it at Asuka.
If Yugao knew the word "Dao Heart," she would understand that her Dao Heart had collapsed after her teacher's teachings.
Meow~ Meow~ When Iruka saw Uchiha Asuka again, he looked at the cat hair on his teacher's body, as well as the small cats with incomplete fur following his teacher.
After hesitating in place for a while, he pointed to one of the balding cats and said with some hesitation.
"Teacher, are you so violent when catching cats?"
"Sigh!"
Asuka shook his head dejectedly. He secretly glanced at Uzuki Yugao's flushed face, reached out to Iruka, and said,
"How's the information gathering going?"
"It's all here!"
Taking the notebook handed over by the other party, Asuka glanced at the information recorded on it, and then said to Hyuga Hanahana.
"Hanahana, now is the time to test your perception abilities.
Treat our actions as a secret mission. Pay attention to anyone who glances at us too much or secretly follows us, and tell me secretly."
"Okay!"
Hyuga Hanahana responded calmly, then immediately activated her Byakugan, vigilantly observing her surroundings.
Although she didn't know the purpose of her teacher's actions, she was sure that what he said was right.
Besides, her teacher caught cats so quickly; he had caught more than twenty in just half a day.
He truly deserved to be called a D-rank mission maniac.
"..."
When the four of them arrived at a small dyeing workshop with the cats, Hyuga Hanahana began to doubt her judgment.
After hearing her teacher use the information they had painstakingly gathered to tell the owner to dye the cats different colors, Hyuga Hanahana glanced at Asuka, then tugged at his sleeve, saying expressionlessly.
"Teacher, this is deception."
???
Asuka looked at Hyuga Hanahana with a puzzled expression, then shook the kitten in his hand and said.
"Iruka, let me use you as an example.
If you get married in the future, and your wife suddenly goes missing one day, you'd be worried to death, and you'd issue a mission to find her. But then you find out that your wife was just bored at home and went out to enjoy the world for a few days... At this time, someone puts a new wife in front of you. The new wife is good at acting cute and is clingy. Most importantly, she doesn't run around, and she's considerate. If she has something to eat, she treats you like a god. She won't abandon you unless you abandon her. She doesn't mind that you're broke, and she doesn't mind that your family is ruined. She can live for three days on a can of food.
Such a wife, given to you... do you want her? Put your hand on your heart and tell me, do you want her?"
Hearing this, Iruka blinked and began to think seriously in his mind.
If it's as the teacher says... it seems... it seems... Seeing a struggle in Iruka's eyes, Hyuga Hanahana clenched her fist and hammered him on the head.
Dong! After looking at Iruka, who was squatting on the ground holding his head, she crossed her arms and stared at Asuka with a sneer, continuing.
"Teacher, you're equivocating! Cats and people are different..."
"Is that so?"
Asuka took out cat ears from his pocket and put them on Hyuga Hanahana's head. Then he picked out a "green tea" cat from the kittens, put it close to her ear, and whispered.
"Convince her, and I'll give you ten cans of food."
Ten cans?
After receiving Asuka's confirmation, the cat's eyes instantly brightened. It beckoned to Hyuga Hanahana, led her to a deserted corner, and began to tell her about its parents who were sick in bed... If it couldn't move a child who had just left the Ninja Academy with its miserable cat life, it might as well just be a stray.
"Why is my cat so fat?"
"Oh, when we caught it, we fed it a few pounds of cat food, and it became like this."
"Where did the hair on top of my Little Black's head go?"
"Your Little Black fought with stray cats outside and bravely repelled the attacks of several stray cats."
"Why has Little White suddenly become so clingy?"
"It wandered outside for a few days, understood the hardships of the outside world, and learned the warmth of family. This is a good thing."
"Hmph!"
Hyuga Hanahana snorted coldly, constantly observing the expressions on the faces of the surrounding pedestrians with her Byakugan, while looking at her teacher with disdain.
So eloquent.
Clearly, the cat isn't even the same cat, yet he can still make it sound so reasonable.
These people who raise kittens are really something, not even able to recognize their own cats.
"Uchiha Asuka-sensei!"
Iruka, holding the cat in his arms, jogged a few steps to catch up with Asuka, holding up the cat in his hand, he asked doubtfully.
"Can we really learn anything this way?"
"Yes!" Asuka nodded affirmatively, he turned to look at the three students, the playful expression on his face instantly disappearing, he said seriously.
"The D-rank cat-catching mission tests your observation skills, intelligence gathering skills, practical skills, and teamwork skills.
You and Hyuga Hanahana did a great job with the intelligence gathering.
As for..."
At this moment, Uzuki Yugao suddenly raised her head and looked at Asuka, interrupting him and continuing.
"In order to prevent others from discovering that we are faking it, we must be vigilant at all times, everyone must be on high alert, constantly observing the expressions on the faces of the surrounding villagers, to prevent them from noticing our abnormality and reporting us to the Hokage.
This is the same as performing a mission outside the village... a single mistake can easily lead to disaster.
And the teacher just increased the difficulty of our mission a little. Originally, the cat-catching mission only required observing the cat, but we need to observe the passing pedestrians."
"Then what about practical skills and teamwork skills?"
Listening to Iruka's idiotic remarks, Asuka rubbed his head, feeling a headache.
"D-rank mission, what practical skills do you need... Next time, the teacher will take you to pick up trash, that requires practical skills... As for teamwork, weren't we four acting suspiciously just now? Isn't that teamwork?
Look how well we cooperate.
Hyuga Hanahana stands in the distance as a lookout, Iruka, you and Uzuki Yugao stand on the street, constantly paying attention to the strange gazes of the surrounding people.
The teacher personally returns the cat to its owner.
A seamless cooperation. When I did this alone before, I had to make a Shadow Clone, so troublesome."
After speaking, Asuka looked at the dark faces of the three students, his face instantly filled with the word "helpless."
Other teachers only do D-rank missions in a rigid manner, but I've brought you all to make something special out of it.
Searching all over Konoha, where can you find a teacher as good as me.
As expected, taking care of students is a troublesome thing.
No, that's not right.
Taking care of students who don't know how to adapt is a troublesome thing.
Is this the excellent teacher and his idiot students? Tss! Uchiha Asuka sucked in a cold breath. Just now, when he was distracted, he suddenly had a feeling... as if someone was watching him, and watching him with malice. After secretly searching around, Uchiha Asuka's eyes suddenly fell on Hyuga Hanahana, and he asked suspiciously.
"Did you secretly use your Byakugan to look at me just now?"
Swish! Hyuga Hanahana's face instantly turned red, and she quickly shook her head, repeatedly saying no.
She had indeed looked, but she hadn't looked just now.
"Such powerful sensory abilities."
A man with short hair, an orange mask with black stripes covering one eye, and a long black hooded robe stood before the Konoha Village Memorial Stone, recalling the scene from within the village earlier, and chuckled silently.
If he had been any slower just now, he might have been discovered by that person.
Uchiha, he thought, recalling the various moments within the clan, he shook his head, his eyes becoming hollow.
The clan had taken good care of him in the past. Although only his grandmother was his family, he never lacked food, drink, or ninjutsu. Even that strange person from the clan had once been very enthusiastic about teaching him medical ninjutsu. But, which Uchiha learns medical ninjutsu?
However, if he had really learned medical ninjutsu, Rin... No!
Uchiha Obito shook his head, shaking the "what if" options directly out of his mind, then kicked the flowers in front of the tombstone aside, looking at the tombstone with a cold expression.
An Uchiha without me is meaningless to me, and a Konoha without Rin is meaningless to me.
"Nine-Tailed Beast, Kushina..."
Uchiha Obito's gaze fell on Minato Namikaze's house, his hollow eyes gradually regaining their light.
According to someone, the seal on the Nine-Tailed Beast Jinchuriki weakens a lot during childbirth.
And this might be one of his few opportunities. If he missed this opportunity, he would have to wait for Kushina and Minato Namikaze to have a second child.
Thinking of Rin, who died without ever experiencing love, and then thinking of Kushina, who would have a second child in the future, Obito kicked the fruit on the stone tablet into the ditch again, angrily thinking.
"Why a second child?"
Achoo!
Kushina rubbed her nose, her gaze falling on the Hokage office building, a sweet smile on her face.
It must be Minato not working seriously and secretly thinking about her.
Seeing the infatuated smile on Kushina's face, Uchiha Asuka, who was passing by, couldn't help but quicken his pace.
How annoying, I run into this guy everywhere.
He didn't have any special thoughts about the Nine-Tailed Beast or the upcoming Nine-Tailed Beast night.
Although the power of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan was strong, it was still not enough to control a nuclear weapon like the Nine-Tailed Beast, unless it evolved into Mangekyo, and even then, he would have to risk going blind to possibly seize control from Obito.
Sigh! It seems Konoha is going to have more orphans. Maybe I'll donate some money when I have the chance.
Thinking of this, Uchiha Asuka glanced at Kushina out of the corner of his eye, thinking to himself.
Kushina's childbirth time should be a top secret in Konoha. He would find an opportunity to give her a check-up in the future, roughly estimate the date of delivery, and make some preparations.
Uchiha Asuka had no intention of informing Minato Namikaze or the Konoha higher-ups.
He couldn't even explain the source of his knowledge about the Nine-Tailed Beast, let alone explain that "someone is relying on the Nine-Tailed Beast" to attack the village.
Informing them of these things would not only not bring any rewards, but afterwards, those old fogeys in the Konoha higher-ups would definitely put some kind of label on him, then secretly dig a few big pits and kick him down.
Eek! After shivering, Uchiha Asuka turned and walked towards a certain house in the village.
Although he didn't recognize the identities of the two attackers at the Valley of the End a few days ago, he secretly placed some marks on them and had already learned where they lived.
Because of the war, one of them lost her husband, and the other lost his wife, but entering a widow's house during the day was too conspicuous... After observing his surroundings and seeing that no one was paying much attention to him, Uchiha Asuka used a Body Flicker Technique, stepping on the windowsill, and entered one of their homes.
"Who!"
The person inside the room heard the noise coming from the window. He suddenly sat up in bed, looking at the window with a vigilant expression.
"It's me!"
Uchiha Asuka waved at the ninja with the swollen cheeks, then took out an apple from his pocket and threw it to the man, saying.
"I grabbed it from a merchant from another village on the way here. Don't mind that it's not much. After all, going to a fruit store to buy fruit before coming here would be too conspicuous."
"What are you doing here?"
The ninja didn't look at the apple rolling back and forth on his bed. He stared at Uchiha Asuka with his eyes fixed, frowning.
"You regret it and suddenly want to interrogate me? I won't tell you any information."
"No."
Uchiha Asuka shook his head, then stood up and walked around the room, looking at the somewhat simple room. He turned his head to look at the "Root" ninja sitting on the bed, the smile on his face gradually disappearing.
"Ota, actually, I'm not an ordinary Uchiha."
?? Just as Ota was feeling a little confused, he saw Uchiha Asuka take out a notebook with a gloomy expression and slam it on his chest, continuing.
"See who I am?"
He blinked his eyes and subconsciously picked up the notebook to take a look. Konoha Jonin Uchiha Asuka.
And above the name were a few large black characters.
Assassination Tactics Special Force.
"."
Damn it! This is Anbu.
Although the information of Anbu members is confidential, they need to prove their identity when performing certain tasks.
This notebook is one of the methods to prove it. Facing the shocked Ota, Uchiha Asuka revealed his cards.
"I am an investigator from the Assassination Tactics Special Force. I'm here to find you today to investigate some information about your Root.
Now, we have sufficient reason to believe that Konoha has a powerful military force that is not under the command of the Fourth Hokage.
I'm here for this matter. We need to know some information about Root.
Of course, for this, the Fourth Hokage has also approved a large budget to reward those who provide information.
Now, do you know what to do?"
The frightened Ota nodded quickly, but then he stuck out his tongue, pointed to the seal on his tongue, and said with a distressed face.
"I am a person who has been cursed with a seal. I can't tell any of Lord Danzo's secrets. You can't get anything out of me even if you interrogate me."
Heh~ Uchiha Asuka's mouth twitched. He wasn't interested in Danzo's secrets at all.
After all, he had transmigrated with his memories, so he naturally knew all of Danzo's secrets.
He just wanted to know what kind of underwear Danzo wore every day.
If I could grasp that old fellow's movements, that would be even better.
Thinking of this, Asuka tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his face gloomy.
"I don't need to inquire about your leader's information, nor do I need any information about your organization.
Tell me the information about the female ninja who attacked me with you that day."
After speaking, he also took out a stack of banknotes from his pocket and placed them on the table.
Threats can only get temporary information, and who knows when these guys will provide false information.
It's still necessary to rely on care... Seeing that he wasn't inquiring about Danzo-sama's information, but specifically inquiring about his companion, Ota glanced at Asuka strangely.
However, thinking of that "companion" who slapped him crazily, his cheeks ached, and a little anger arose in his heart.
That stinky widow, she slapped really hard.
Isn't it just her personal information?
Sold.
If it were an enemy ninja village that wanted to buy information about his companion, then under the pressure of defecting from the village, he would really be a little afraid to speak, after all, those who can be selected by Danzo as subordinates still have the determination to die.
But since the other party was from the Assassination Tactics Special Force, his psychological pressure was much less.
Is Anbu looking at Root's intelligence called reconnaissance? That's called inspection.
Although Root and Anbu are not subordinate to each other, in some senses, Root is a branch of Anbu, which is the legendary parent-child department.
What's wrong with a subsidiary department reporting information to the parent department? Our two departments are father and son.
Besides, there's money to be made... After figuring it out, Ota revealed all the information about his companion without hesitation, including not only ninjutsu and strength, but also clothing preferences and even the time of her period.
After leaving Ota's house, Asuka walked down the streets of Konoha, looking at the surrounding pedestrians with a face full of emotion.
He didn't expect that female ninja to have such a special identity.
Nara family... Thinking of the information Ota had just told him, Asuka curled his lips. In the past, when he bought information, although he used money, he had to resort to coercion and inducement, and even use the Sharingan.
But now that he has the identity of an Anbu, getting some information has become much easier.
While Minato Namikaze is still alive, he should quickly use his Anbu identity to do more things, lest the Third Hokage take over in the future and dismiss him from the Anbu.
Creak!
As soon as he pushed open the door, Asuka saw a fat Orange Cat lying on his bed.
Hanging his ninja tool bag on the wall, he greeted the Orange Cat.
"Yo, Fatty is back, did you deliver the letter?"
"Hmph!"
The Orange Cat raised its eyelids and glanced at Asuka, then closed its eyes again, making a girlish voice from its throat.
"Delivered it. That old woman Tsunade almost hammered me into a cat pancake with one punch, but when I handed over 100,000 Ryo, she asked Shizune to write a reply."
"What else did that guy say?"
"She said that Jiraiya wrote 328 letters to pursue her back then, with a total of more than 2 million words, and only then did she feel a little moved.
One letter from you doesn't show anything, write 500 letters first.
Oh, right, remember to put money in the letters, otherwise that old woman's fist will land on this lady."
Speaking of this, the Orange Cat turned over, looked up at the ceiling, and showed a human-like helplessness on its face, saying.
"Asuka, I feel like you're doing something useless.
500 letters, each with 100,000 Ryo, that's 50 million.
How many cans of cat food can you buy for this cat with 50 million? When the time comes, I'll learn a Transformation Technique and relieve your loneliness."
"You don't understand!"
Hearing this, the Orange Cat suddenly stood up from the bed, it walked quickly to the top of Asuka's head, grinding its claws on the other party's hair, and said angrily.
"Then tell me, what is the purpose of you doing this? Don't use that excuse from last time to deceive this cat."
"Sigh!"
Asuka sighed, he raised his eyelids slightly, looked at the Orange Cat who was about to poop on his head, and explained.
"Outsiders know that the Senju and Uchiha Clans have been hostile for nearly a thousand years. When they suddenly hear that the Uchiha Clan leader wants to marry the Senju Clan leader, their first reaction will definitely be that this is fake news.
And when they find out that there are actually many Uchiha Clan members who support this proposal, they will have to seriously consider this matter.
After all, many times, the will of the clan members can affect the clan leader.
Regardless of whether this letter comes from the clan leader or not, as long as outsiders think that this letter comes from the Uchiha Clan, that's enough, because it represents the will of some people within the Uchiha Clan.
Whether it's the Hawks, the Doves, or the centrists, I don't like any of them.
So I plan to be a bit extreme and start a Divorce Faction. The faction's purpose is to instigate the Clan Head's divorce, seek to marry the Senju Clan Head, and then merge the two clans into one, aiming for the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Hokage positions.
This is not only to express my thoughts within the clan but also to show certain people in Konoha, after all, easing the conflict between the two clans is also a manifestation of the Will of Fire.
And whether Tsunade of the Senju Clan or Uchiha Fugaku agrees or not, it doesn't matter.
What matters is that I did this, and those who see my actions and agree with my ideas will stand behind me and become my supporters.
Also, love letters can't stop in the future, this represents my firm will.
At worst, I'll take on missions to earn money to support Tsunade. If I were the Great Elder of the Uchiha Clan now, I would sign this letter with my name."
"So..."
Although it didn't understand what Asuka was saying, looking at the serious expression on his face, it still showed a look of realization.
"You don't really want to persuade Uchiha Fugaku to divorce?"
"No, this is real. I not only want to persuade him to divorce, but I also want to give him a vasectomy."
"Then challenge the Great Elder and write it in your own name."
"I won't write it. Tsunade is a bit old, I want to find someone younger."
"She looks pretty tender to me."
"You saw it?"
"Not only did I see it, but I also slept on her chest when she was gambling. Haven't you seen it?"
"..."
The night was thick.
Asuka, dressed in a set of black clothes, pushed open the door and jumped onto the roof, then identified the location of the Nara clan grounds, and disappeared directly from the Uchiha clan grounds with a few Body Flicker Techniques.
In the pathological Uchiha Clan, it is difficult to gain supporters if your ideas are not extreme.
Especially those conservative old men, who propose things like "guarantee two, strive for three, aim for four," which only wastes the expectations of the clan members.
In that case, why not try my own ideas? Konoha has been established for 51 years, the older generation is getting fewer and fewer, and the new generation has lived with the Senju Clan for 51 years, and there is no hatred in their hearts.
Am I writing a love letter to Tsunade?
No.
That's an attitude.
Chirp! A sudden braking sound came, Asuka squatted on the roof, closed his eyes and sensed the location of the Nara ninja.
Is it there?
After a moment, Asuka opened his eyes, looked at the darkened house in the distance, and muttered to himself.
"This is the first time I've broken into a widow's house at night..."
Since he didn't hide his movements much, as soon as he pushed open the door and entered the room, he felt a stinging pain in his neck.
"Who are you?"
His gaze slightly lowered, Uchiha Asuka slowly raised his hands in surrender after glancing at the Kunai pressed against his neck, and said.
"It's me, the Uchiha you attacked last time."
"You..."
Before she could finish speaking, she only felt a pain in her wrist, and then the Kunai in her hand fell to the floor, making a clattering sound.
"Nara Ryoko, don't casually hold a Kunai to someone's neck, it's very dangerous."
Uchiha Asuka rubbed his neck, then kicked the Kunai on the ground to the side, and walked to the table in the dark, ready to light the candle.
"Don't light it!"
Nara Ryoko recognized the other party by the moonlight. She quickly stopped him from lighting the lamp, then stood opposite him, staring straight at Uchiha Asuka, and frowned.
"You come to my house in the middle of the night without a word, and blame me for holding a Kunai to your neck?"
"Don't joke around, if I hadn't deliberately made a noise before coming in, how could you have discovered me?"
Saying that, Uchiha Asuka sat down on the chair carelessly, looked at Nara Ryoko's somewhat unsightly face, and continued.
"Don't think too much, the reason why I came in the middle of the night is because coming to a widow's house during the day has a bad influence."
Hearing this, Nara Ryoko glared at Uchiha Asuka and retorted.
"Does coming in the middle of the night make it any better??"
Uchiha Asuka shrugged and said casually,
"No one sees it in the middle of the night."
"What exactly do you want to do?"
"Come over to chat with you."
"I have nothing to chat with you about, don't expect to get anything out of me."
"..."
Just as the two were arguing in a low voice in the room, a member of the Nara Clan passed by Nara Ryoko's yard. She glanced at Ryoko's darkened room, then looked up at the moon above her head that was about to be covered by dark clouds, and sighed in her heart.
Ever since Ichiki left, I wonder if Ryoko will be afraid living alone.
If I have the opportunity, I'll come over and accompany her...????? Looking at the black shadow that suddenly appeared in Ryoko's room, this person rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
Am I seeing things?? Why are there two shadows in Ryoko's house?? Could it be that she misses her husband so much that she is manipulating shadows to conjure up her dead husband?
The night, thick with rumors that were far-fetched, was like the work of a skilled painter, coating everything with a mysterious color. The pure white moonlight was like a touch of white paint, assisting that skilled hand, painting the scene unfolding in the room onto the window in real-time for outsiders to admire. Thus, the pitch-black night produced an exciting charm.
Ah~ Standing outside the courtyard, a Nara clansman watched the scene unfolding in the room. She exclaimed in her heart, quickly covering her mouth with her hands, and then hid herself in the bushes, secretly observing Nara Ryoko's second-floor room.
I didn't expect that the clan's secret Shadow Imitation Technique could be used like this.
Watching the female black shadow sitting on the male shadow's lap, the Nara clansman in the bushes subconsciously licked her dry lips, her throat slightly parched.
How stimulating.
At this moment.
Nara Ryoko sat on the chair, took a deep look at Uchiha Asuka opposite her, and said in a low voice.
"Logically speaking, my information is highly confidential. It's not surprising that you could find out my name and address, but where did you get so much detailed information from?"
"Oh, someone sold you out."
Bang! Upon hearing this, a feeling of betrayal instantly surged into Nara Ryoko's mind. She slammed the table and stood up, instantly appearing in front of Asuka, grabbing his collar with both hands, and said through gritted teeth.
"Who is it?"
Seeing that this guy's nose was almost touching her face, Asuka leaned back and said without thinking.
"Ota."
"Hmph!"
After hearing Ota's name, Nara Ryoko snorted coldly. She had vaguely guessed it in her heart just now, but when she really knew that her teammate had sold her out, she still felt a little uncomfortable.
That bastard can sell my information now, will he sell me to the enemy when we go to the battlefield?
"Actually, you don't need to be so angry. If you sell me Ota's information, won't you be even?"
"Don't even think about it."
Seeing that she refused him, Asuka unhurriedly took out a scroll from his pants pocket, played with it in his hand for a while, and then said.
"The reason you joined that place is to find a way to save your son, right?
Bring him back from the hospital, I can cure that disease."
"Really?"
Suddenly hearing this news, Nara Ryoko looked at Asuka in disbelief.
Her two-year-old son had been lying in the hospital for more than a year due to an incurable disease.
During this period, whenever she had free time, she would go to the hospital to accompany her son. If it weren't for the swelling on her cheeks being too difficult to explain, she wouldn't have appeared at home at all.
After a moment of silence, she put her hand on the scroll that Asuka handed over, her voice trembling.
"R-really?"
"More or less, if you can invite Tsunade over, she can also cure him."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Pass on information.
My dream is to know the moment you adults change your underwear."
"Don't joke around, we have seals in our mouths, how could we possibly reveal information about the higher-ups."
"It's just a metaphor.
If you receive any missions related to the Uchiha in the future, you can secretly tell me."
Uchiha Asuka rolled his eyes at her, seeing Nara Ryoko still staring at him warily, he couldn't help but feel a little speechless.
"Don't worry, I'm not interested in you, and I won't make you do anything dangerous. If you feel that what I'm asking you to do is dangerous, you can just give up.
Moreover, you don't have to be afraid that I'll use your son as a threat.
Because I will cure his illness first, so that he can go to school, graduate, and do missions like a normal person."
Hearing this, Nara Ryoko instantly became somewhat silent.
She had thought that the other party would propose some harsh conditions, or even have some bad ideas about her.
She didn't expect that the other party would not restrict her at all, and even seemed to be deliberately helping her.
Looking at the Uchiha's clear eyes, Nara Ryoko directly asked the doubts in her heart.
"Why? Why are you helping me so much?"
Uchiha Asuka shrugged, he picked up the tea on the table, took a sip, and said casually.
"Because we live in the same village and have lived together for 51 years.
Isn't it normal for villagers to help each other when there is no conflict of interest?
You are also aware of the conflict between the Senju and the Uchiha. When Tsunade was still in Konoha, although she verbally scolded and disliked the Uchiha, she didn't save many Uchiha patients.
Doctors have benevolent hearts, using noble sentiments to practice benevolent arts.
Worthy of heaven and earth, worthy of the heart."
Looking at the other party's suspicious eyes, Uchiha Asuka twitched his mouth and said his true purpose.
"Actually, the real reason I'm curing your son is that I want you to remember this favor one day in the future, and pass on some information that is crucial to the future of the Uchiha Clan at a critical moment."
Is that so?
Nara Ryoko couldn't help but fall into self-doubt. She didn't quite believe that the Uchiha would suddenly care about herself as a villager, but listening to the other party's true purpose didn't seem real.
Forget it.
As long as her son is cured, then this guy will not have any means to threaten her.
When the time comes, if the other party really wants her to do something dangerous, she will just quit the ninja sequence, and repay the favor in the next life.
At the same time.
In the bushes outside the room.
That Nara clansman was a little dazzled.
What did she just see... Nara Ryoko actually manipulated her shadow, first grabbing the collar of another shadow very violently, and then kissing the other party face to face.
Hmm... After thinking about it in her mind, this Nara clansman probably understood the reason for Ryoko's anger.
It was nothing more than her husband leaving her and their orphaned child, heading to the Pure Land alone, and she was feeling a bit sentimental. If she suddenly conjured up her husband's shadow, she might not be able to think straight for a while.
Tsk, tsk!
Watching the two shadows pressed tightly together, the Nara clansman shook her head and stood up, intending to leave.
She hadn't realized before, but Ryoko was such a devoted person.
The clansman turned around, taking one last look at the two shadows in the room. When she clearly saw the face of the masculine shadow, the emotion on it instantly froze her.
She rubbed her eyes hard, looking at the scene unfolding in the room with disbelief, and murmured.
"Ryoko... is Ryoko so eager for a 'happy life'?"
To conjure up a shadow was one thing, but to actually conjure that...
This... this..."
After seeing Ryoko's shadow, she fell silent.
The Nara clansman subconsciously reached out and grasped at the air... Hmm... she felt nothing.
It seems Ryoko is sick.
The next day, the sky was just beginning to brighten.
The Nara clansman, who had been crouching in the grass for half the night, walked out of her house with dark circles under her eyes. She looked at the red sun overhead and muttered to herself.
"What does it feel like to grasp at air... why can't I feel anything after grasping at it all night?"
"Naomi, what are you muttering about so early in the morning?"
Hearing a familiar voice from behind, Naomi turned around and looked at the person behind her, greeting her weakly.
"Sister, good morning."
"Naomi, what's wrong with you?"
"Sigh!"
After sighing, Naomi looked at her sister's concerned expression, hooked her finger at her, and whispered in her sister's ear.
"Sister, I have a secret to tell you, and I want you to give me some advice.
You can't go around telling anyone about this secret, okay? Just between us sisters."
Looking at her younger sister's haggard face, she nodded, signaling her to continue.
Then, Naomi described everything she had seen and heard the previous night, as well as her doubts, to her sister in complete detail.
"..."
After listening to Naomi's description, she subconsciously reached out and grasped at the air, a look of confusion also appearing on her face.
This... she felt nothing. However, looking at the hint of curiosity in her younger sister's eyes, she reached out and patted her shoulder, teasing.
"You might understand this feeling when you find a boyfriend in the future."
After speaking, without waiting for her sister to continue asking, she directly made an excuse and slipped away.
Although I don't understand this kind of thing myself, my best friend is knowledgeable and experienced, she will definitely understand.
The sun hung high in the sky, and it was already noon.
Nara Ryoko then pushed open the door, taking large gulps of the fresh air outside.
Last night was the most peaceful sleep she had gotten in the past year.
Her son's condition finally had a solution. "Yoshino-obasan, good afternoon."
After greeting the clan leader's wife who was passing by her door, Nara Ryoko closed her eyes and began to sunbathe.
The last time she had such a relaxed and pleasant sunbath seemed like the year before last.
Nara Yoshino stood there dumbfounded, staring at Ryoko on the deck chair, her eyes suddenly becoming complicated.
Although she doesn't understand medicine, she understands the things between men and women.
Ryoko's face was rosy and radiant, her mood seemed very cheerful, and she had no dark circles under her eyes. Her sleep quality last night must have been excellent, and the cold, unapproachable aura on her body had also disappeared.
The rumors that came out of the clan this morning, could they be true? Did the widowed years of a woman with the aura of a deceased spouse end after only a year?
Nara Yoshino stormed out of Ryoko's room, her face flushed with anger, and headed to Yamanaka Inoichi's house.
Knock! Knock! Yamanaka Kaoru opened the door, looking at Yoshino, who was standing outside with a red face, and asked in surprise.
"What's wrong?"
"Let's talk inside."
With that, she pulled Inoichi's wife into the living room and sat heavily on the sofa, looking at Yamanaka Kaoru with a wronged expression, and complained.
"Kaoru, do I look like a shrew?"
"Don't be angry!"
Yamanaka Kaoru also sat down next to her, gently patting her chest, trying to calm her down while comforting her.
"When did the Nara Clan's matriarch become a shrew? Who is spreading rumors about you? I'll go help you."
"Haa!"
Nara Yoshino took a deep breath, then turned her head towards the direction of her clan's compound, her voice trembling with anger, and said.
"When my younger brother died, I already made it clear that my sister-in-law could remarry, but she told me at the time that she didn't want to divorce and wanted to continue guarding that home. Seeing that my sister-in-law was so insistent at the time, I agreed to it. But I also told her afterward that if she wanted to remarry, she could just tell me. I would support her if she wanted to remarry, after all, life would become very difficult without a man in the house. But... she's openly bringing people into the house under the guise of being a widow, and even on the bed that my brother slept on..."
Looking at Yoshino, who was trembling with anger, Yamanaka Kaoru raised her eyebrows, and the person she was talking about instantly came to her mind. The Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clans all knew the situation of the other two families very well.
Yoshino's younger brother died in the early stages of the Third Shinobi World War. Her brother's wife's name seemed to be Nara Ryoko, right? And Nara Ryoko seemed to be a cousin of the Nara Clan's head.
Seeing that the atmosphere in the room was a bit silent, Nara Yoshino took a few deep breaths, then forcibly suppressed the anger in her heart, and continued.
"I'm not the kind of unreasonable person, she can remarry if she wants to. But the most infuriating thing is that this afternoon, I beat around the bush for a long time, but she just wouldn't admit it, and her face was full of the word 'wronged,' as if I was forcing her to remarry. Is she looking for some special thrill by finding another man under the name of my deceased brother?"
Oh~ Hearing this, Yamanaka Kaoru finally understood the ins and outs of the matter.
No wonder Nara Yoshino was so angry.
Yes, if you want to remarry, you just need to tell the clan head, and they will definitely agree. In the end, they might even give you a dowry. Why do you have to do it so secretly?
Yamanaka Kaoru quickly sided with her best friend, looking at Yoshino, whose chest was rising and falling sharply, and said softly.
"Yoshino, what do you want to do?"
"I'm going to take pictures of her with that man as evidence. If the man isn't from the Nara Clan, I'll give her the equivalent value of my younger brother's inheritance in the clan to buy a house outside the clan.
If the man is from the Nara Clan, then she'll move into his house, and my younger brother's old house will be directly passed on to my nephew."
As she spoke, Nara Yoshino rubbed her red and swollen eyes, turning her head to look at her best friend, her tone somewhat aggrieved.
"Kaoru, you have to help me!"
"I will help you.
Don't be angry, you're pregnant now.
Tomorrow, I'll take you to the hospital for a check-up to see how Shikamaru is developing."
"Ah, I really want a daughter. After Ino is born, let's switch and raise them."
"That's a good idea."
The next morning.
Asuka yawned as he left the Hokage Building, ending a night of discussions.
As he stepped into the clan grounds, smelling the aroma of food in the air, his tense expression immediately relaxed. Then, his whole person seemed to lose his energy, and his straight back instantly became hunched.
This whole night of discussion was not as good as going home to sleep. Nothing was discussed all night. Those Cloud Ninja were really annoying, constantly sending small groups to harass the border.
Sending a large force would easily reignite the flames of war that had just been extinguished.
Sending a small force could repel the Cloud Ninja, but they would quickly return.
Sending the Uchiha Clan was something Danzo would never agree to.
Sending Danzo was also something he would never agree to.
The Fourth Hokage wanted to go, but the Third Hokage was afraid of a war between Kage and wouldn't agree.
Orochimaru could go, but Danzo immediately made up an excuse and disagreed.
Letting Tsunade return to participate in the war was something Tsunade wouldn't agree to.
Letting Jiraiya return to participate in the war was something Jiraiya wouldn't agree to.
Directly deploying nuclear weapons (the Nine-Tailed Beast) was something the Third and Fourth Hokage wouldn't agree to.
Kakashi said he wanted to go, but everyone at the meeting disagreed.
Recalling the scene of the Konoha Jonin meeting last night, Asuka only felt a little tired. The Hokage position was really difficult. When could those old fogeys in the Elder Council go to the Pure Land?
"Lord Asuka!"
At this moment, a Chunin suddenly stopped Asuka's path, and said in a deep voice.
"The clan meeting has been moved forward, it will start in one hour."
"Understood."
Asuka waved his hand weakly, then changed direction and walked towards the Nanga Shrine.
This clan meeting is just like the Jonin assembly, nothing productive ever comes out of it. A bunch of people just gather in a room to socialize.
When he arrived at Nanga Shrine, he saw that many elders of the Uchiha Clan had already gathered there.
"Good morning, elders!"
After greeting the elders, Asuka bit his finger and summoned dozens of family buckets to distribute. While eating, he discussed the events of last night with everyone.
"I actually ate breakfast already."
Elder Ryoichi patted his stomach, looking down at the two family buckets on the table, frowning.
"Just eat one, two buckets aren't good for the stomach."
Heh~ A sneer suddenly came from the side. The one-eyed elder looked at Ryoichi with disdain, scoffing.
"Lord Madara once said:
The more you try to protect something, the more you will lose it. No matter who the person is, friend, brother, or even my descendants…
This saying still applies today.
Ryoichi, the more you try to protect your stomach, the more you will lose it.
You have to conquer it."
Burp~ After letting out a melodious burp, the one-eyed elder faced Asuka, his one good eye glancing at Ryoichi, and slowly said.
"Three more buckets!"
???
Ryoichi looked at the madman with a face full of question marks. Is he sick in the head? Eating something so greasy so early in the morning is one thing, but eating four buckets in one go.
Old geezer, aren't you afraid of dying from a heart attack at 60?
Seeing the surrounding clansmen focusing their attention on him, Ryoichi stood up and jumped in place a few times, then said with disdain.
"Three buckets?? Are you raising a cat?? Four buckets."
Clatter~ Clatter~ When Uchiha Fugaku arrived late, he heard a burst of applause and praise from the assembly hall, followed by a rich smell of fried chicken that drilled into his nostrils.
Eating again???
The image of those old men gnawing on fried chicken flashed in his mind, and Uchiha Fugaku paused in his steps.
If they keep eating like this, I might have to face a bunch of fatties at future clan meetings.
"Burp~"
"The clan head is here."
"Good morning, clan head."
"Clan head, come, come, try some."
After declining the good intentions of the group, Uchiha Fugaku went directly to the high platform. He looked at the crowd below with a serious expression and said.
"Elder Danzo has rejected our request to participate in the war. It seems that we will not be involved in the upcoming conflict with the Cloud Ninja."
"Burp~"
A melodious burp echoed, and Elder Ryoichi, suppressing his nausea, stood up and jumped twice in place before speaking.
"If the Uchiha Clan doesn't produce a Hokage, they will never change the situation of being suppressed.
The First Hokage was indeed stronger than Lord Madara.
The Second Hokage was indeed stronger than the other Uchiha.
The Third Hokage was also enough to suppress the strongest in the clan.
The Fourth Hokage, a rare genius in the world, had no rivals in the clan at all.
Do you still expect the Fifth Hokage to be a fool, an idiot, or a moron?"
Seeing everyone around him silent, Elder Ryoichi stroked his big belly, looked at everyone with disdain, and continued,
"We must cultivate a strong person, one strong enough to overwhelm the rest of Konoha.
And I have observed within the clan and seen that Uchiha Shisui has the potential to become a strong person. Moreover, he is a descendant of Kagami, so the hope of becoming Hokage is very high."
Hmm~ Uchiha Asuka looked around and, seeing everyone nodding, he slammed the table and stood up, objecting.
"I object.
I suggest the clan directly select a girl, and then the clan head spends money to buy a disciple position from Tsunade.
That guy has been desperate for money lately. As long as the price is right, she will definitely sell a disciple.
The name of Tsunade's disciple is enough to be worth a pair of Mangekyo.
The Second Hokage has been dead for many years, and the weight of Kagami's descendants in the hearts of the higher-ups is definitely not as great as that of a Sannin disciple."
"How much money would that take?"
"Yeah, I heard that Tsunade, that spendthrift, loses millions a day."
"Does the clan head have to sell the house??"
Once their minds were opened, everyone began to discuss the two methods.
In fact, they had been cultivating geniuses within the clan all along, but those geniuses were always suppressed by the Hokage lineage during their time.
This led them to not pay much attention to cultivating geniuses now.
To fight against a village of geniuses with a clan of geniuses.
To be honest... it's a bit difficult!!
As time passed, the sun had slowly climbed to the very center of the sky.
Konoha Village, Nanga Shrine.
Two Uchiha Clan members stood at the shrine gate, their eyes fixed on the road ahead, their ears straining to hear the sounds of arguing coming from inside the shrine.
"Tsk tsk~"
One of the clan members checked the time, then leaned against the door, his eyes glancing at his companion as he spoke.
"The Jonin have been arguing for six hours already."
"Yeah!"
The other companion also leaned against the door, stretching his muscles as he said.
"At this rate, they'll probably be arguing all afternoon."
"I don't get it. I actually think that elder's proposal for a 'cultivate genius' plan is pretty good. Why oppose it?"
"Maybe they're just opposing for the sake of opposing.
I heard yesterday that it was like this at the village meeting. You pull my leg, I tug her arm, she pulls his hair."
Just as he finished speaking, the two clan members saw a small figure suddenly appear on the road ahead, running towards them quickly.
When the person got closer, they nodded to him, saying expressionlessly.
"Young Clan Leader!"
Uchiha Itachi waved the lunch box in his hand at the two guards, a little out of breath.
"Is Father still inside?"
Hearing this, one of the clan members gestured towards the inside, his words full of warning.
"The Clan Leader is discussing matters with the Jonin. If the Young Clan Leader goes in now, you need to be careful."
"Got it!"
Saying that, Itachi, carrying the lunch box, entered the shrine courtyard through the gap between the two, and before he could even stand still, his ears heard a whistling sound in the air.
Looking up, he saw a chair cutting through the air, rapidly enlarging in his sight.
Uchiha Itachi leaned back, his hands braced on the ground, watching as the chair grazed his nose and crashed into the wall behind him.
Bang! Accompanied by a loud noise, cracks instantly appeared on the solid white wall.
Looks like the argument inside is pretty intense.
Uchiha Itachi patted the dust off his hands, bent down to pick up the lunch box, and walked inside with a calm expression.
He had seen this kind of thing many times. He had only suffered a few losses when he was two years old, but he was already four years old now.
Moreover, he didn't like attending clan meetings. He always felt like they were a waste of time, often unable to discuss anything in a single meeting.
Pure waste. "Old guy, your butt has so much power, how could you sit firmly as the Seventh Hokage??"
"Uchiha Asuka.
A plan, a plan, do you even know what a plan is?
As long as we follow the plan step by step, is there any reason why we, the Uchiha, can't become the Seventh Hokage?"
"I want to be the Fifth Hokage.
Why doesn't anyone give me a plan to become the Fifth Hokage?
The Fourth Hokage isn't even dead yet, and you're already setting your sights on the Seventh Hokage, you're really farsighted."
Hearing the commotion inside, Uchiha Itachi's thoughts were immediately interrupted. He looked at the closed door in front of him, hesitated for a moment, then clenched his fist and knocked gently twice.
Knock! Knock! Creak!
As the door slowly opened, Itachi was about to step into the room when he felt the air inside freeze. His raised leg instantly froze in mid-air.
Being stared at by so many Three-Tomoe Sharingan, the pressure is immense.
Forcing himself to the front, he placed the lunch box in his hand on his father's desk, then took a step back and stood behind his father, secretly observing the Jonin.
That one's nose is red, that one's face is swollen... the one next to him has his hair burnt and curled... the one by the mouth is still spewing black smoke... a tragic battle.
After taking in the situation below, Uchiha Itachi's mouth twitched, and he took two more steps back.
It seems the Second Hokage's assessment was correct. The Uchiha Clan is a clan of lunatics. This isn't to say there are no normal people in the Uchiha Clan, but rather that the normal people of the Uchiha Clan cannot become strong.
And Nanga Shrine here, gathers all the strong people in the clan.
Asuka stood on the table, glanced at Uchiha Itachi, then took out a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and said.
"This is a collection of Lord Madara and his brother Izuna's words and deeds, compiled from my reading of the clan's history before and after the founding of the village.
By using the past as a mirror, we won't get lost; by using the past as a mirror, we'll understand the future."
Seeing everyone's eyes on him, Asuka cleared his throat and recited.
"Uchiha Izuna: Now we need to seize power in the village, we have to establish a good reputation, and win over the Senju, so that other clans will work with us. After it's done, we'll split the profits three-seven, taking the power of the other clans.
Uchiha Madara: Why only seventy percent? Izuna: Seventy percent is for the Senju, we get thirty percent, and we still have to watch the Senju's face.
Madara: Whose face?
Izuna: It's his [Hashirama Senju's portrait].
Madara: I came all this way, just to watch their faces?
Izuna: That's right.
Madara: And I have to establish a good reputation? Izuna: That's right.
Madara: And I have to win over the Senju? Izuna: That's right.
Madara: And I still have to watch the damn Senju's face? And in the end, only thirty percent of the benefits?
Izuna: That's right.
Madara: Then wouldn't I be begging for food on my knees? Izuna: If we're going by your logic, brother, cooperating with the Senju is like begging for food on our knees. And even then, many clans don't even have the qualifications to kneel!"
Uchiha Madara: Let me ask you, why do I activate Susanoo as soon as I enter the Senju compound? It's just that my legs and feet are not working well, and I can't kneel down!
Izuna: So, big brother wants to fight for power standing up? Then big brother should just go back to the Konoha back mountain.
Uchiha Madara: Hey, I don't understand this. I am one of the two founders of Konoha Village. How am I worse off than running my own clan? Izuna: In the eyes of other clans, you are a founder. In the eyes of the Senju, you are just a beggar on your knees. Fighting for power isn't shameful.
Uchiha Madara: Shameful, so damn shameful!
Izuna: So, does big brother want to stand, or does he want to fight for power?
Uchiha Madara: I want to stand and then fight for the Hokage position.
Izuna: You can't win it!
Uchiha Madara: Can't win it? Izuna: You can't win it!
Uchiha Madara: Can this be fought for? (referring to the Uchiha sacred artifact)
Izuna: Yes, but you have to kneel.
Uchiha Madara: Then what about this? (pointing to the Uchiha Clan emblem)
Izuna: Yes, with other villages.
Uchiha Madara: Then this (sacred artifact) + this (clan emblem), can we fight for it? Izuna: May I ask, big brother, where does your confidence come from?
Uchiha Madara opened his Mangekyo."
Speaking of this, Uchiha Asuka paused for a moment, and after giving everyone some time to react, he continued.
"The things that happened later, everyone knows. Izuna died in the hands of Tobirama Senju. Lord Madara put the death of his younger brother in the deepest part of his heart for the sake of peace in the ninja world, and then created the village with Hashirama Senju and named it Konoha.
Later, Lord Madara's Mangekyo didn't beat the First Hokage.
The reason I'm telling you this today is to let you all know.
The way for the Uchiha to become Hokage was found for us by Izuna back then.
That is to win over the Senju and divide the power in the hands of other clans."
The Uchiha who can participate in the clan meeting here, although there are some problems in their mental state, their brains are fine.
After listening to the [Lord Madara's Quotations] said by Uchiha Asuka, their eyes swept over Uchiha Fugaku intentionally or unintentionally.
Although they don't know if Lord Madara said such a thing, some old men followed Izuna when they were young.
Izuna was one of the few normal ninjas in the clan after opening the Mangekyo.
At the beginning, Izuna was the one who strongly opposed the alliance with the Senju. It was very likely that he said some words to stimulate Uchiha Madara to prevent the Uchiha Clan from uniting with the Senju Clan.
The most important thing is that it is not the same as before. There is only one person left in the Senju family.
When they united with the Senju at the beginning, the Uchiha needed to be the second in command.
Now that they unite with the Senju, the Uchiha might be the boss.
Hmm... let's take a look again, don't worry.
At this time, they heard Uchiha Asuka continue to say.
"Everyone, I still hold the same view.
If our Uchiha Clan wants to compete for the Hokage position, we must win over the Senju Clan and then gain the support of the majority in the village.
So, clan leader, for the bright future of our Uchiha Clan, when are you getting a divorce?"
Hearing this, Fugaku's face darkened.
Damn it, he originally called a clan meeting to discuss the war with the Cloud Ninja, but after a few words, it went to the Hokage issue, and after a long discussion, it went to his own marriage.
This group of clansmen can't go three sentences without mentioning the Hokage, and Uchiha Asuka can't go three sentences without mentioning his divorce.
Just as he was brewing his words in his mind, he saw someone in the row of Jonin on the far side suddenly stand up.
"Uchiha Nine, what do you want to do?"
Seeing his younger brother suddenly stand up, Uchiha Eight, who was sitting in front of him, crossed his arms, and his brows instantly furrowed into a frown.
"I'm just moving to a different spot."
Saying that, Uchiha Nine picked up the table in front of him, looked down at his older brother, and continued,
"I don't have any hatred for the Senju Clan, I only care about the bright future of the clan.
Hearing the plans of those old men, I feel like I won't see the light for fifty years.
In that case, why shouldn't I change my ways?"
"Uchiha Nine... you..."
Seeing Uchiha Nine carrying his table and running to Uchiha Asuka's side, a sour feeling suddenly rose in Eight's heart. His younger brother, whom he had raised for nearly twenty years, was finally leaving him.
He is no longer the Uchiha Nine who only hides behind his older brother.
Most importantly, there's no future in following Asuka. Encouraging divorce is immoral.
Asuka looked at Uchiha Nine behind him with some surprise and smiled.
"Yo, Uchiha Nine, you've really come to the right place. My team is missing someone like you."
"Uh!"
Hearing this, Uchiha Nine was stunned for a moment. He first looked at Asuka, then at himself, and finally turned around to look at the team of two people behind him... it was really a bit tearful.
And this clan meeting, which was originally discussing how the Uchiha should participate in the war, finally returned to the difficult question of how to get [a Hokage from the clan].
After the clan meeting, Uchiha Itachi took the news discussed at the meeting and trotted all the way home.
Chi! Looking at his mother who was processing ingredients in the kitchen, Itachi stopped abruptly at the kitchen door, poked his head into the kitchen, and said softly.
"Mother, I'm back."
"Itachi! You're back."
Uchiha Mikoto glanced at her son, a smile on her face, and then her eyes drifted to the Nanga Shrine, hinting,
"The clan meeting lasted so long today, their discussions must have been very intense, right?"
Um... Uchiha Itachi hesitated for a moment. One of the reasons why he stayed at the clan meeting for half a day today was because his mother asked him to go and tell her about the things he saw and heard at the clan meeting.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have wasted half a day at such a boring clan meeting.
Seeing his mother looking at him with expectant eyes, Uchiha Itachi organized his words in his mind and then recounted what had happened at the clan meeting.
Cha! Cha! The sound of chopping vegetables came continuously from the kitchen, but the sound gradually became heavy as Uchiha Itachi spoke.
"That, that... Mother."
Seeing the smile on his mother's face gradually turn cold, Uchiha Itachi stood on tiptoe and pointed to her finger pressing the vegetables, somewhat worried.
"You seem to have cut your hand."
"It's nothing!"
Uchiha Mikoto shook the blood off her hand, then put her finger under the faucet to rinse it. She gritted her teeth as she quietly comforted her son.
"Chopping vegetables... it's normal to have a little cut..."
Chapter 19: Konoha's Best Detective, Zetsu, a Product of Kaguya Otsutsuki's Will.
White Zetsu, a product created by Kaguya Otsutsuki.
But, when these two are combined, they become a product created by Uchiha Madara.
Uchiha Madara, as the former head of the Uchiha Clan, the undisputed number one of the Uchiha Clan back then, his thoughts are not something normal people can understand.
For example, monitoring the Uchiha Clan for a long time... "Lord Madara, this is a record of a meeting overheard by White Zetsu from the Uchiha Clan while monitoring Konoha yesterday.
It contains some information about you."
Just then.
A gray-robed old man with white hair and a face full of wrinkles, barely breathing, appeared before White Zetsu.
It's hard for the world to imagine that he is Uchiha Madara, who once shook the ninja world.
Looking at the deeply sleeping Uchiha Madara, White Zetsu waved the note in his hand in front of him and called out softly.
"Lord Madara? Lord Madara?"
Is Lord Madara dead?
After calling for a long time without seeing him open his eyes, White Zetsu stroked his chin with one hand, his eyes constantly scanning the sleeping Uchiha Madara, secretly thinking.
Should he leave a pile on Lord Madara's head before Black Zetsu returns??
Although not being able to poop is a troublesome thing, squeezing should be able to force out a little... "Cough~ cough~"
At this moment, a weak cough interrupted White Zetsu's thoughts. He looked at the gradually awakening Madara and quickly handed over the note, saying.
"Lord Madara, it contains some information about you and Lord Izuna."
Huh? Uchiha Madara suddenly opened his eyes, his sharp gaze turned to the note in White Zetsu's hand. After taking a deep breath, he said in an old voice.
"Izuna?"
"Yes!"
Hearing this, Madara took the note from the other party, lowered his head and looked at it.
Begging on his knees?? Luring the Senju?? Creating pretexts?? After reading this so-called conversation between Izuna and himself, Madara closed his eyes, and his mind began to churn with his memories.
As the person involved, how could he not remember Izuna saying such things?
He hadn't said these things either.
"..."
Well, there is some truth to it.
After a moment, Uchiha Madara slowly opened his eyes, he folded the note in his hand and put it aside, slowly saying.
"How are the Uchiha clansmen doing now?"
"Not bad, Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze doesn't have much prejudice against the Uchiha Clan."
"Is that so!"
Uchiha Madara nodded, closing his eyes to continue resting.
I wish you all the best.
If things don't go well for you, I also wish you the best in the future.
Although I have now been expelled from the Uchiha Clan, as the former head of the Uchiha, Izuna personally entrusted the clan to me before his death. I hope you all have better and better days ahead.
There are not many days left. The arrival of true peace in the ninja world is not far away. Thinking of his brother, Uchiha Madara's expression gradually became peaceful.
I wonder if I can meet Izuna after death.
ps: [To be honest, I don't know how to write about Madara. I feel that his essence is good, but his thinking is very extreme.
With Madara's pattern, it's been decades, so he shouldn't hold a grudge against the clan for betraying him, right?
After all, since he handed over the Rinnegan, his pupils only have one Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and the other pupil has no eye (episode 564 of the anime).
There may be many reasons for this, but I prefer the good side (can't say that the ninja world Asura couldn't get a second Three-Tomoe in decades... hiss, it's a bit far-fetched.).
So, I'm writing here that Madara has some feelings for the clan, but not much.
If you readers have other ideas, please comment, I'll copy them.]
"A bunch of idiots!"
Uchiha Asuka slumped his shoulders, his whole person like a zombie, swaying towards the direction of the Uchiha Clan Grounds.
He just couldn't understand it, the difference between people is even greater than the difference between people and cats.
Today, he taught those three students the skill of climbing trees with their feet. It was obviously such a simple thing. After a day, it can't be said that they were walking on flat ground, but at least they shouldn't fall down as soon as they stood on it.
Thinking of those three bruised and swollen guys, Asuka turned his head to look at the fat Orange Cat lying on his shoulder, and said.
"You are smarter than those three students.
Go back and practice the Transformation Technique more, and don't transform into something like today in the future."
The Orange Cat raised a trace of its eyelids, then stretched out its tongue and licked its nose, and said somewhat tiredly.
"You said that fat is beautiful."
Asuka suddenly became a little annoyed, and his face instantly turned red when he thought of the cylindrical cat girl today.
"I did say that.
But shouldn't your reference object be Tsunade?
If that doesn't work, you can refer to Kushina.
Who told you to refer to Akimichi, are these two kinds of fat the same thing?"
"Okay, okay!"
The Orange Cat covered its ears with its two paws, and showed an impatient expression on its face.
"I'll just transform into Tsunade tomorrow."
Hearing this, the image of Tsunade instantly appeared in Asuka's mind.
emmm, a pair of cat ears suddenly appeared on his head, whiskers grew below his nose, and a cat tail on his butt, and he would occasionally lick his paws while squatting on the ground. How strange. After a moment of silence, Uchiha Asuka tilted his head to look at the Orange Cat on his shoulder and said softly.
"I want a beautiful woman with cat ears, not Tsunade with cat ears. If that doesn't work, practice with Kushina first. I have images of her son in my mind now, and I have a strong acceptance of her having whiskers on her face."
As he spoke, Uchiha Asuka pushed open the door and entered the courtyard, looking at the people standing there. He stood at the door, blinked, and then a look of embarrassment appeared on his face.
"Sorry, wrong house!"
Bang! After closing the door, Uchiha Asuka stood outside, patting his chest and talking to himself.
"That was really scary. When I went in, I saw five pregnant women chatting in the yard. When did Uchiha Mikoto move next door to me?
Did they really sell their old house and plan to go to Tsunade to buy a spot for a disciple? They're really quick to act."
Afterward, Uchiha Asuka walked out of the courtyard and onto the street, walked around the street once, and then returned to the starting point, back to the outside of the house where he lived.
Looking at this familiar house, Uchiha Asuka took a few deep breaths, then pushed open the door with a blank expression, and before those five pregnant women could speak, he said seriously.
"This is my house."
The pregnant women nodded at the same time.
"We know."
Uchiha Asuka took another deep breath, pointed to his courtyard, and continued.
"You are now standing in my house."
"Mikoto brought us here."
Hearing this, Uchiha Asuka's gaze fell on Uchiha Mikoto. Looking at her belly, which seemed to be even bigger, a wave of sorrow passed through his heart again.
Nezha's mother took three years to give birth to him, and Ace's mother took one year and three months.
Why is Uchiha Sasuke's mother's belly growing so fast?
At this moment, a somewhat immature idea flashed through Uchiha Asuka's mind.
With his medical skills, he wondered if he could make Kushina pregnant for a few more months.
Seeing Uchiha Asuka standing blankly at the door, looking at her belly with a resentful expression, Mikoto put her hands on her belly, covering it slightly, and smiled.
"Asuka-kun, we came to see you today because of some things."
"Let's talk inside!"
Uchiha Asuka also came back to his senses at this time. He opened the door and invited the women in, pointing to the sofa in the living room, signaling them to sit down first.
After the five of them were seated, he scanned them with his eyes, and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
The Nara Clan leader's wife, the Yamanaka Clan leader's wife, the Akimichi Clan leader's wife, the Uchiha Clan leader's wife, the Inuzuka Clan leader's wife... "What can I do for you five ladies? If it's for medical treatment, forget it. You are the people who can get Tsunade to come."
"It's not that!"
Mikoto shook her head, then she kept signaling to Nara Yoshino with her eyes, and said softly.
"It was Lady Yoshino who found me and asked me to bring her to see you."
"Mmm!" Yoshino hummed and then looked at Uchiha Asuka.
The slender and upright figure, beneath the medium-length black hair, was a handsome face that didn't lack a masculine aura. Through the sweat-soaked clothes, one could vaguely see the scars on his body.