Absolute Loyalty

Eiji opened the door and found Inaho standing outside with quite a few things in his hands.

He was a little surprised. "Big Brother Inaho? What brings you here?"

Inaho pointed at the gift boxes in his hands. "The clan elders sent me to bring you some things."

"Oh." Eiji gestured invitingly. "Please, come in."

If this had been before, Eiji might not have been so enthusiastic.

After all, the two of them weren't actually close, and they had even argued over a few things before.

But then again, Inaho had come bearing gifts today.

That was enough to show his sincerity.

It would have been terribly rude not to let him in.

Of course, next time he could simply not come in person and have a Ninja Cat deliver a message. Eiji could go to the Logistics Office and collect the things himself.

After leading Inaho to the sofa, Eiji chatted about meaningless pleasantries while searching the cabinet for tea leaves.

"Coming was enough. Why did you bring all this stuff?"

"The house is a little messy. Don't mind it, Big Brother Inaho."

"Have a seat, have a seat. I remember Elder Yashiro gave me a box of tea three years ago. I've never been willing to drink it. Since you're here, let's have some together."

As Inaho said there was no need to go to so much trouble, he secretly looked around Eiji's home.

One bed, one old sofa, and a peeling table.

The refrigerator in the corner had no idea how many years it had been in service. Every so often, it let out an annoying hum.

Inaho's gaze suddenly stopped on a sword. Its blade was a clear, pure white, and its edge was exceptionally sharp.

Just looking at it seemed to make him feel the killing intent radiating from the sword.

"What a fine blade!"

Inaho rose and walked over to it, narrowing his eyes as he examined it carefully.

"Eiji, this sword must have cost quite a bit, right?"

"You mean Xiao Er? It's an heirloom my father left me."

Strictly speaking, Eiji wasn't wrong. After all, his father had left him his father.

At that, Inaho nodded.

That made sense. Eiji was a Genin who had previously done jobs like unclogging sewers and cleaning elderly women's homes. He had to work himself unconscious just to earn a few coins.

Still, the name of the sword was perhaps a little too childish.

While Inaho waited, Eiji was waging a desperate battle against the tea leaves.

The tea, unopened for three years, had absorbed moisture and hardened into chunks of dark-green brick.

Eiji took out a Kunai and secretly poked the "bricks" into crumbs.

Inaho's jaw nearly dropped at the sight. Maybe they should just stop wasting their effort. Plain water would actually be fine.

Watching Eiji fumble around as he brewed the tea, Inaho couldn't connect him at all with the man who had swung a sword and brutally hacked at Itachi.

In the quiet room, the only sound was the clinking of tea utensils.

Soon, the water boiled as well.

The scalding water released the tea's flavor, and an unpleasant tea fragrance spread through the room.

Eiji carefully picked up a teacup and brought it before Inaho, whose expression had grown complicated.

"Please, have some."

Inaho picked up the teacup and hesitated for a moment before downing the tea in one gulp.

"Urk..." Inaho's features twisted together.

Anyone who knew would say it was tea leaves. Anyone who didn't might think Eiji had poisoned him.

Seeing that Eiji was about to pour another cup, the tough-as-nails Inaho panicked.

He shifted the conversation to today's Chunin Ninja Exams and naturally set down his teacup.

"I heard from the clan that your performance today was excellent."

Inaho paused, a trace of surprise in his voice. "I didn't expect you to injure Itachi that badly."

This time, it was Eiji's turn to feel uncomfortable. Are you all going to keep bringing this up or what?

Itachi is the bastard who'll massacre the entire Uchiha clan in a few years. What's wrong with beating him up?

"Itachi... he's all right, isn't he? Should I buy some fruit and milk and go see him?"

Inaho clearly hadn't caught Eiji's sarcasm. He merely waved his hand and said, "It's normal to get injured during a spar. Besides, you didn't do it on purpose, did you?"

Eiji didn't reply. I couldn't have been more deliberate.

If there hadn't been so many people around, I would have given him two more cuts.

After chatting for a while, Inaho decided it was about time to leave and pointed at several square boxes near the door.

"Now that you've become a Chunin, you'll be taking on more difficult missions. The clan elders prepared some scrolls and ninja tools for you. I hope they'll be of help."

Hearing that, Eiji was instantly moved beyond words.

Three years!

The elders finally knew who actually needed help!

Whenever he applied for assistance, the clan member in charge would always say that clan funds were tight and tell him to wait a few more days.

They told Eiji that the allowance wasn't being withheld—it was being issued slowly, according to a plan.

The situation was unusual, and they hoped Eiji could endure the hardship.

Then they registered his request and told him to go home and wait for notice.

But Eiji wasn't an idiot. No matter how poor the Uchiha were, they couldn't possibly be unable to spare even one Kunai.

Those bastards had definitely pocketed it.

Of course, Eiji hadn't said anything. He had simply slipped away with a pouch of Explosive Tags while Itachi was out.

After all, Itachi had a clan leader for a father. He certainly wouldn't miss them.

Thinking about how he had nearly used Itachi's Explosive Tags to blast Itachi's father today, the corners of Eiji's mouth rose uncontrollably.

Inaho had no idea why and assumed Eiji was simply too excited.

At the same time, he felt that Eiji was truly pitiful.

Just how poor is this child? A few scraps have him this happy.

Inaho then took out an envelope and placed it in front of Eiji.

Eiji put on a bewildered expression. "Big Brother Inaho, what's this?"

"I specifically applied to the clan for this. They approved a little living allowance for you. Buy whatever you need."

Hearing that, Eiji really wanted to kneel and bow to him.

What a good man!

Inaho really is a good man!

Someone as kind as Inaho will definitely live to a ripe old age!

"Eiji, if you need anything in the future, you can contact me anytime."

Eiji understood that Inaho and the elders had suddenly become so friendly not because they had developed a conscience.

They wanted to win him over.

That was fine too. At the very least, he could fleece the clan dry.

"Thank you, Elder Inaho. Please tell all the elders that I will always remain absolutely loyal to the Uchiha."

Hearing this, Inaho revealed a heartfelt smile.

It seemed to say, Good lad. You know how to play the game.

After Eiji thanked Inaho and the elders for quite some time, Inaho finally made an excuse and left.

He really didn't want to drink Eiji's tea anymore!

After seeing Inaho off, Eiji returned home and wiped the smile from his face.

By defeating Itachi so flamboyantly today, he had probably attracted more than just the attention of the Uchiha clan.

More importantly, Konoha's higher-ups had certainly noticed him as well.

But there was nothing he could do about it.

Ever since the Nine-Tails Incident, relations between the Uchiha and Konoha had grown increasingly tense.

Not only had the Uchiha been driven to the edge of the village, but large, imposing buildings had also been constructed around the Uchiha Clan Compound to monitor the clan's movements.

And then there was that old bastard Danzo, straining every day to wipe out the Uchiha.

I, Uchiha Eiji, will stab you to death with two cuts sooner or later!

But for now...

He had money. He needed to eat something good to celebrate.

Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

"Uncle Teuchi, one bowl of ramen—top of the line!"

"Please wait a moment."

That was right. Eiji's idea of luxury was simply eating a bowl of ramen with extra toppings.

While Eiji waited, under the eaves not far away, a Little Blondie rubbed his growling stomach and kept glancing at Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

He took the few coins from his pocket and counted them carefully again and again.

"With this little money, it doesn't look like I can even afford a bowl of ramen."

At the same time, an electronic voice rang out in Eiji's mind once more.

[As an important weapon for protecting the village, the Jinchuriki must receive the protection they deserve]

[New Mission: Help the Jinchuriki Uzumaki Naruto master the power of the Nine-Tails and guide him onto the right path]