This Life is Unlivable

Night fell, the lantern of Ichiraku Ramen Shop swaying at the street corner.

Eiji lifted the curtain, and the warm air mixed with pork bone broth scent rushed toward him.

Uncle Teuchi strained his eyes wide, greeting the handsome white-haired brat.

Eiji swept his gaze around but found no sign of Naruto.

He must have gotten his living allowance and gone to buy limited-edition instant noodles.

Eiji tapped lightly on the counter. "Uncle, the usual. Double chashu."

"Alright, please wait a moment."

A few minutes later, the tonkotsu ramen was set before Eiji.

The moment Eiji took his first bite, his original smile froze instantly.

This made Uncle Teuchi break out in a cold sweat.

Could it be that his ramen skills had slipped, that they could no longer satisfy a customer's palate?

That would be truly terrible.

In truth, the ramen tasted excellent.

It was just that the various Anbu and Root Organization members hidden in the shadows made Eiji feel like he couldn't even take his pants off to use the toilet.

"Is something wrong with the ramen? If it's no good, I'll make you another bowl."

"Today's chashu," Eiji deliberately drew out the last syllable, "is still top-notch."

Uncle Teuchi let out a sigh of relief and handed Eiji a free drink and side dish.

Eiji wolfed down the ramen, dropped the money, and quickly left the shop.

Seeing Eiji come out, the two teams from Root and Anbu followed closely behind.

Especially when they saw him heading toward Naruto's house, their excitement grew.

Ryoma was already thinking about whether he should first break Eiji's hands to prevent him from using strange ninjutsu that might endanger Konoha's safety.

Of course, his eyeballs could be gouged out too—Lord Danzo was missing those.

Just as he was about to organize his men to surround Eiji, the boy suddenly turned in another direction and walked into a small shop next door to buy a few skewers of three-colored dango.

Then... he just strolled back home like that!

"Tch, this little brat."

Ryoma was quite annoyed. Even though he could confirm his surveillance skills were top-notch and Eiji absolutely couldn't have spotted him, he still felt like he'd been played.

Going all that way just to eat a skewer of dango—why don't you just die already?

Didn't he know these people were still starving?

On a tall tree a dozen meters away, Kakashi and Tenzo swallowed their dinner for the night—a single awful-tasting Ration Pill.

No trouble, that was best.

Time's up, clock out on the dot.

Nothing happening tonight—off to the pleasure house to listen.

No, wait.

Grab some late-night snacks and head home to rest.

Over the next few days, Anbu and Root Organization kept Eiji under twenty-four-hour surveillance from every angle.

The moment he stepped out of the Uchiha Clan Compound, those masked men would lock onto him.

Little Naruto had vanished somewhere these past few days, and Eiji had wandered around for days without running into him.

Where was he supposed to find him?

He couldn't just go straight to his house, could he? That would be like slapping Konoha's higher-ups right in the face.

Eiji thought about the progress bar that hadn't budged at all and felt a bit irritated.

He kicked a small pebble on the ground.

The stone traced an elegant arc before smacking right onto the head of Inaho, who had just finished his patrol shift.

"The hell—who did that?!"

Inaho, who had been scolding a street vendor blocking the road, whipped around, the Security Division emblem glinting coldly in the sunset.

Eiji hurried over, wearing an awkward expression. "Sorry about that, Brother Inaho. Are you hurt?"

Inaho was about to curse loudly, but the moment he saw who it was, he immediately put on a smiling face.

"No harm done," Inaho said, slinging an arm around Eiji's shoulder. "Let's go eat grilled meat together tonight. My treat."

Eiji was a man of principle—if the meal was free, he was definitely going.

And if the food was good, he'd pack a takeaway portion on the way out.

"Then Brother Inaho is treating us."

Soon the two arrived at the Barbecue Shop, where someone was already waiting.

He looked fierce, also wearing the standard uniform of the Security Division.

"Brother Tekka."

"Sit. Order whatever you want to eat, don't save me any money."

Eiji scratched his white hair. You said it yourselves—don't cry later.

"Boss! Give me one of everything."

The boss was stunned. "What does 'one of everything' mean?"

"Every item on the menu, one round. If it's not enough, we'll add more later."

The boss's face lit up with joy. Good, good, good—finally, a fat sheep had arrived.

No, a big spender.

This was the most expensive barbecue shop in Konoha. If he ate recklessly, Eiji would probably go bankrupt on the spot.

In no time, the barbecue was served.

The fat from the meat dripped onto the charcoal, making a pleasant sizzling sound.

Watching Eiji devour the food like a whirlwind, Tekka and Inaho both swallowed hard.

Was this kid Eiji usually living too pitifully?

"Inaho, didn't the elders tell you to give Eiji some money? Did you pocket it?"

"What nonsense are you talking? I only embezzle from rich people."

"Then what's going on? Eiji eats like he hasn't had a meal in eight lifetimes."

Inaho scratched his head too. Whatever, he'd find an excuse later to get reimbursed by the clan leader.

Time ticked by. Eiji single-handedly plowed through the barbecue with a clatter.

Inaho and Tekka nibbled on the complimentary side dishes, drinking cup after cup of sake.

After several rounds of drinks and plenty of food, Eiji was just about full, so he started listening to Inaho and Tekka, two working stiffs, vent their grievances.

"The Security Division's work is getting harder and harder. Clearly, these people were gathering to cause trouble, but in the end, they pin the blame on us."

"This month alone, we've received who knows how many complaints about violent law enforcement."

At that, Inaho lowered his voice and glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before continuing.

"Some guys have already complained to the Hokage. Clan Leader Fugaku was even called in for a talk."

"Apparently, a few small ninja clans who refused to give their names jointly suggested establishing a Security Division Oversight Committee."

At this, the two sighed in unison, then raised their cups and drained them.

All three of them knew full well what "called in for a talk" really meant—it was an interrogation.

Just then, Eiji suddenly asked, "And what did Clan Leader Fugaku say?"

"The clan leader said we should trust the Hokage, that he'd investigate the matter thoroughly. He also told us to enforce the law with warmth and all that."

Eiji let out an "oh." That really did sound like something the fence-sitter Fugaku would say.

If he could be even a little decisive, the Uchiha wouldn't have ended up in this state.

Tekka let out a sneer. "Warmth, my ass. Those villagers set up stalls blocking the road. I went up to stop them, and the guy punched me twice."

"The moment I reached for my blade, the punk lay down on the ground and played dead, claiming I beat him up."

"Tell me, what was I supposed to do?"

Inaho shook his head helplessly. "And then there are the thieves, the robbers. When they get caught, they bite back at us. The victims, those stubborn fools, don't even say a word in our defense."

"That bastard we arrested even said we forced a confession!"

Tekka and Inaho went back and forth, one after the other.

The gist of it was one thing: the Security Division was completely unworkable.

Usually, they'd bust their asses for nothing, ending up hated by everyone.

Later on, the Security Division stopped caring as much, and the village's safety problems got worse and worse.

[As the one who established the Security Division, you should protect Konoha's villagers—that is the duty of a Hokage.]

[Side Quest: Resolve the current difficulties facing the Security Division as soon as possible, and eliminate the village's safety hazards.]

Hearing the prompt, Eiji thought it over for a moment.

Aside from throwing himself into the situation, there didn't seem to be any suitable approach.

And the Security Division also bore the heavy responsibility of patrols.

With this excuse, wouldn't it be reasonable to go anywhere?

Thinking this, Eiji approached the two clansmen reeking of alcohol.

"Big brothers, I want to join the Security Division."

Hearing this, Tekka and Tao Huo looked at Eiji as if he were an idiot.

Are you okay?

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