Shearing the Sheep

The border of the Land of Fire.

"Jonin Shisui, this is nowhere near enough. You have to understand, Anko's not just a pretty young girl—she's Lord Orochimaru's student. I had to bust my ass just to bond with her a little when we first met, and even then, I barely managed to squeeze into her squad."

Inside the Uchiha tent, Uchiha Yoruro slumped in, looking exhausted, and immediately started venting. Uchiha Shisui, however, stared back in shock.

"Brother Yoru! Are you saying you've already teamed up with Anko?"

Shisui's eyes went wide. How long had it been? Not even half a day. They'd only arrived at the front lines less than half a day ago, and the other guy had already half-finished the mission.

Shisui glanced at Yoruro's handsome face and silently grumbled to himself. The elders were right—when it comes to this, I'm nowhere near Brother Yoru's level.

Seeing Shisui's stunned expression, Yoruro inwardly sneered. What good is being stunned? Does flirting with a girl not cost money?

Of course it did—and a lot of it. Otherwise, how could he live up to the status of being one of the Sannin's disciples? He needed Shisui to send word to the clan, to make them understand that even ordinary dating required spending. And Anko was practically a Young Lady of a wealthy family—how could she be so easily won over?

"Sigh, Shisui, I had to swallow my pride this time to get Anko to agree. And, and—"

Yoruro trailed off, looking like he had more to say but hesitated. Shisui nodded solemnly. "Brother Yoru, there's no one else here. Speak freely about any difficulties."

That's exactly what I was waiting for. Yoruro put on a troubled face, pretending to steel himself for a hard decision, and finally let out a deep sigh.

"Shisui, you might not know this, but back at the Academy, Kurenai and Anko were close friends. Naturally, you know I've been living off this face. I've already broken up with Kurenai, and as for Anko... you get it."

With a pained expression, Shisui nodded gravely. He got it. How could he not?

After all, they'd been at the Academy together. Who hadn't heard of Uchiha Yoruro's reputation? If you asked who the genius was, it was Hatake Kakashi. But if you asked who was the most handsome and most popular with women, it was definitely Uchiha Yoruro.

Shisui's mind started filling in the blanks, conjuring up a cliché drama: Yūhi Kurenai had been in a relationship with his senior, and as her best friend, Mitarashi Anko could only silently wish them well. But now, an opportunity had arisen.

Seeing Shisui's determined look after his mental gymnastics, along with a flicker of sympathy—as if to say, For the clan, you've sacrificed yourself—truly admirable—Yoruro cursed inwardly. You blockhead, Shisui. No wonder you got brainwashed into being a fool. Can't you even open your mouth to offer funding?

"Shisui, Anko and I grew up together. This time, I laid out the clan's current difficulties, and she's willing to put in a good word with Lord Orochimaru, to see if I can become his student."

The moment Yoruro finished, Shisui was visibly moved. This was a critical factor in the clan's rise or fall.

If Brother Yoru really became Lord Orochimaru's student, then in the village, the Uchiha could rebuild trust with the Hokage Faction.

After all, Orochimaru was a shoo-in for the future Fifth Hokage.

In this world, aside from father-son bonds, the most trusted relationships among shinobi were teammates, teacher-student, and master-disciple. Teacher-student meant the instructor-student relationship.

In Shisui's eyes, Mitarashi Anko clearly wanted to help Uchiha Yoruro become Orochimaru's student—specifically as his squad leader. That was one step below master-disciple or father-son bonds.

Master-disciple was like the Third Hokage and the Sannin. In this era, the bond between master and disciple was no weaker than that between father and son.

"Brother Yoru, are you saying Anko is willing to have Lord Orochimaru be your squad leader?"

Shisui's face lit up with excitement. If this relationship could be secured, it would be like the Fourth Hokage and Kakashi—the latter immediately entered the ANBU. That proved it. The Uchiha clan would once again earn the Hokage's trust.

Yoruro sighed helplessly. "Jonin Shisui, I think you need to contact the clan. Anko's already gone to see Lord Orochimaru. She swore up and down it's practically a done deal. But..."

He trailed off with a bitter smile. "Funding. I need a lot of funding. You know Anko is Lord Orochimaru's disciple—she lacks nothing in jutsu or secret techniques. I don't know if I can become his student yet, but I absolutely can't give up on Anko."

"Anko's not like other Female Ninja. So right now, I'm relying on the clan's resources."

Yoruro's meaning was simple. Anko was a Young Lady of a wealthy family who wanted for nothing. She was helping him now based on their Academy days, but as time passed, he'd be lacking everything while she lacked nothing. When the feelings faded, how could a rich young lady look twice at a poor boy?

In short: the clan needed to provide every convenience immediately, polish him into a Young Master of a wealthy family, and then they'd be a Golden Couple—a perfect match.

That way, there'd be no risk of the rich girl looking down on him.

Shisui had a sudden epiphany. He'd never had a girlfriend, but he understood the logic. Only when the distance between two people closed could communication improve.

"Brother Yoru, don't worry. I'll send word to the clan right away. You can count on me."

Shisui nodded firmly. He knew Yoruro had selfish motives, but who in this world didn't? The guy used his face to complete missions, needed the mission's essentials, and satisfied a bit of personal desire on the side. Was that wrong?

No.

Seeing Shisui's attitude, Yoruro sighed with a look of shame, but inwardly he was gleeful. I've got to hurry. Before Orochimaru defects, I need to milk the clan dry.

After all, if he didn't take the clan's resources, they'd just end up benefiting Konoha after the massacre anyway. Better to turn them into his own strength.

From the moment the clan assigned him this mission, he'd started scheming. Maximize profits. Strengthen himself as fast as possible.

Pay-to-win! That was the only path now. But relying on mission payouts was like a snail crawling—pathetically slow.

Only by leeching off the clan could he boost his strength quickly. By the time Orochimaru defected, he'd be strong enough to earn the clan's attention. Then, whether taking missions or angling for benefits within the clan, he'd have more leverage.

Yoruro pondered silently. Leeching off the clan was necessary, but not enough. Orochimaru's defection was only a couple of years away. He needed a second path.

A long-term source of income: intelligence. Selling intel for massive profits.

At that thought, Yoruro smiled. The turmoil in Konoha was prime intelligence material, and he was right on the front lines.

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