Chapter 128: Madmen and Reckless Fools
"Damn it! Wherever we go, there are you Uchihas."
The sudden voice grabbed the three guys' attention. Uchiha Masaki scowled and turned around, wanting to see which blind fools dared to provoke them. But when he saw the blatant clan emblem on the newcomers, he held back the urge to activate his Sharingan.
It was the Senju clan.
They're not being offensive at all when talking like this. Actually, they're quite well - behaved. Look, there aren't even any swear words in their greetings.
After sizing them up and realizing he didn't recognize anyone, Uchiha Masaki set his eyes on the only female ninja in the group. He tilted his head in confusion, thinking, 'So the Senju are actually bringing their young ninjas to a tavern? How irresponsible!'
But Uchiha Eiji was much more enthusiastic. He waved cheerfully and greeted, "Hey, long time no see, Senju! The last time we met was when our teams bumped into each other on a mission. Care to introduce your friends?"
The leading Senju tsk - tsked and looked at one of his teammates. "Senju Cheng, do you know them?"
Senju Cheng's mouth twitched. "Yeah... Uchiha Eiji. He's in the same position in the Uchiha as I am in the Senju."
"Same position? That's a bit much. I've been to the battlefield. I'm an experienced ninja!"
"Cleaning up the battlefield doesn't count as being on the battlefield," Senju Cheng retorted, his face twitching. "Don't make the Uchiha look bad, okay?"
"Come on, we all have our flaws. Don't be so harsh..."
"So, Senju Cheng, you're more of a support ninja..." Ling tilted her head slightly, looking utterly confused. "Did you provoke me last time just to save face in front of your juniors?"
"No, it's because you're blind."
"Well, I admit I'm weak..." Ling looked even more puzzled. "But that doesn't mean you're strong. Those Explosive Tags were a bit of a hassle, but that's all."
"I also set up sealing techniques that activate upon my death."
"Oh... I see," Ling nodded slightly, finally showing an understanding expression. "Well, then, it would indeed be a bit of a hassle without using illusions."
"Hey, let's go inside," Uchiha Masaki said, turning his head. "It's bad for business with our two clans chatting at the door. We can talk more if we sit closer later."
The leading Senju couldn't help but rub his face. "Sit closer... Your Uchiha thought process is as strange as ever."
"There's no conflict mission between our clans today, and I'm not in the mood to fight. Sitting closer to gather Baji information is the best option. Can't even figure that out..." Uchiha Masaki looked disgusted. "Your Senju are the ones with the strange thought process."
"
"I really don't want to hear such words from you Uchiha and Kaguya clan members..."
Nevertheless, the two clans entered the tavern relatively peacefully and sat at a spot where they could clearly hear each other.
Of course, this so - called peace was only in the eyes of the two clans. To outsiders, the two clans were practically releasing Malice towards each other without any concealment—they were just one step away from starting a fight.
In this situation, the shopkeeper didn't want to get involved. He sent two waiters to take orders from the two tables simultaneously. The dishes ordered by the two clans were also quite distinctive. The Senju Ichikata group ordered large - portioned and filling ordinary meals, while the Uchiha side ordered high - calorie delicate desserts. What most surprised the Senju Ichikata group was that the Uchiha even ordered alcohol.
"Hey! Drinking alcohol right next to us, you're being so disrespectful!"
Uchiha Eiji turned his head and looked at the leading ninja of the Senju Ichikata group. He squinted his eyes with a smile and said, "If you're not afraid, you can drink too. We're not stopping you."
Meanwhile, Ling, who had just sat down, finally got the chance to use sensory ninjutsu. After a brief identification, he smiled and said, "So they're all old acquaintances... Senju Chokei, Senju Ming, long time no see. I greeted Cheng just now."
"Coming here without weapons and still daring to drink...," a vein popped on Senju Chokei's forehead. "You're still as arrogant as ever."
"Haha, if you don't like it, you can give it a try. I don't mind," Ling laughed heartily. "I really enjoy fighting."
Uchiha Yakuki was a bit confused. "Is Senju Chokei also one of the main fighters? I've never seen her before."
"Well, Senju Chokei is good at Concealmentjutsu. To put it simply, her role is similar to Kenji's. You're always on the front - line battlefield, so you probably haven't met her much."
"Ah... How pitiful. Being Kenji's opponent," Uchiha Yakuki showed a look of sympathy. "Even though they're old opponents, it's like they're meeting each other for the first time every time..."
"Well, it's not Kenji's fault," Uchiha Eiji said with a smirk. "It's just that the Senju all look so similar. You see, he never mistakes the members of the Uzumaki clan."
"Hey! You damned Uchiha are deliberately picking a fight, aren't you!" Senju Ming slapped the table and stood up. "Only a blind man wouldn't recognize the red - haired Uzumaki clan members!"
Ling paused, then silently raised his hand, looking a bit meek. "Although I'm blind, I can recognize them..."
"Come on! Aren't you a sensory ninja?! You're blind, not useless! There's no way you can't recognize them!" Senju Ming pointed at Ling with his finger. "And stop pretending to be innocent, you crazy guy! Weren't you the one who provoked us in the Land of Tea last time? And weren't you the one who chased my little brother before?!"
Before Ling could react, Uchiha Yakuki involuntarily widened his eyes and pointed at Senju Chokei with a trembling finger. "Eh?! You're her sister?!"
"What? Is there a problem?!"
"Is it for real?"
Uchiha Masaki raised his hand to cover his mouth, looking utterly shocked. "You're from the Senju clan and of the same age as me, yet you're so tiny... Is there really nothing wrong with your body? Can you really use that Strength of a Hundred Technique normally?"
Senju Ming's face turned alternately green and white, and her voice rose an octave. "Come on, let's go outside and have a go! Hell, even with my [Gatai] frail body, I can smash your skull in with my bare hands!"
Uchiha Masaki just looked worried. "No, I'm really worried. It would be such a pity if a cute girl like you died on the [battlefield]... I don't really want to slaughter the weak."
"Hey, you damned Uchiha, get out here! Hell, I'm going to break the rules today and smash your skull in!"
Uchiha Masaki then stopped looking at the fuming Senju Ming and just turned to his friend beside him. "Did I say something wrong?"
Uchiha Eiji was laughing so hard that his shoulders were shaking. "Maybe she thought you were flirting with her?"
"Oh, I see... Don't get me wrong. I don't like girls like you who are flat - chested and have no hips. Even if we meet on the [battlefield], I'll just end you quickly."
"Aaaaaah! Don't hold me back, little brother! Hell, I'm going to take on this Uchiha today!"
"Calm down, sister! Calm down!"
Ling, who had overheard the whole conversation, thought of the information he'd heard from [The Nekomata's Journey] again. A fond smile appeared on his lips involuntarily. After pouring himself a glass of wine, he said, "Come on, Masaki. Don't bully the Senju too much. If I really get drunk later, you might still count on them for help."
"I think you're right, sister. These Uchihas deserve a beating," Senju Chokei said with a dark look on his face. "Let's discuss how to kill them all."
Just as the two clans were having what they claimed to be a "sincere exchange" (?) to "strengthen their relationship" (?), an out - of - place voice interrupted them —
"A bunch of lunatics and hotheads... Your two clans are really a perfect match."