Inaho and Tekka thought Eiji was just a reckless hothead.
The only reason he wanted to join the Security Division was that he had seen how frustrated they were and wanted to vent their anger for them.
But joining the Security Division now would be tantamount to ruining his future.
No matter how much they tried to persuade him, Eiji refused to give up.
He insisted on joining the Security Division to broaden his horizons.
As for whether the pay was high or low, he didn't care. As long as meals were provided, that was enough.
With that, the two old hands, Tekka and Inaho, had nothing left to say.
They told him to report directly to the Security Division tomorrow and take things one day's wages at a time.
As for how many days he could stick it out...
Forget it. It would be enough for him to learn that the waters here ran deep.
After this little interlude, the wine in their cups suddenly tasted especially bitter.
After hastily cleaning up the scene, they tossed a stack of bills to the owner and left the Barbecue Shop.
The owner counted the money. "You gave me too much."
Then, a handsome White Hair shamelessly sidled over.
"I want the finest Beef with the rest. Pack it up."
When Eiji came out carrying the box, the Root Organization members hiding nearby widened their eyes.
"Lord Ryoma, he's out."
Ryoma straightened up and stared fixedly at Eiji, who was strolling down the street.
Then he watched helplessly as Eiji walked through the gates of the Uchiha Clan Compound.
"Damn it! That damn bastard!"
Ryoma wanted to kill Eiji so badly he could hardly stand it.
Don't you like Naruto? Then go to his house!
If you don't, we'll have to take turns watching you twenty-four hours a day.
"Damn." Ryoma waved his hand. "Tell the second squad to take over."
After entering the compound, Eiji couldn't help bursting into wild laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
You like following me?
I'll wear you to death.
The next morning, at the Security Division.
Eiji quickly completed the onboarding process.
When the Security Division's members learned that the clan's genius had joined them, they were all dumbfounded and didn't know what to say.
"The genius who defeated Itachi actually joined the Security Division?"
"What a fool. He's practically throwing away his future."
The Security Division had no welcoming ceremony and no decent onboarding gift.
All Eiji received was a not-so-well-made uniform and a copy of the Security Division Employee Handbook and Duty Overview.
He picked up the handbook and flipped through it for a long time before finally finding the duty he was looking for.
"Patrol Konoha's territory and ensure the village's safety is not compromised."
Inaho patted Eiji on the shoulder. "Take a look around today. I'll officially assign you work tomorrow."
"Okay."
Eiji answered and left the Security Division, whistling.
Watching Eiji's back grow farther away, the Uchiha clansmen couldn't help sighing silently.
Sigh. He'll probably come back tonight and start cursing.
Meanwhile, Eiji had already swaggered into the busy district.
Just as Inaho and the others had said, quite a few villagers changed expression when they saw his uniform.
The street vendor who had sold him the dango the day before immediately put up a wooden sign reading "Sold Out" when he saw Eiji in his Security Division uniform.
Even the young woman who had cheered him on from the stands earlier wore a complicated expression.
She had finally worked up the courage to go over and say hello, but a friend beside her pulled her back.
"Do you want to die? That's the Security Division! They kill without batting an eye!"
Eiji: ...
He couldn't be bothered with them and went straight to the Back Mountain, where he found a corner to rest.
Since Naruto hadn't appeared at the ramen shop recently, he was probably in the Back Mountain picking mushrooms, fishing, or something like that.
Sure enough, after the sun went down, a Little Blondie gradually appeared in Eiji's field of vision.
Naruto didn't know how to live properly and often found himself going hungry.
Even though kind Big Brother Eiji had treated him to noodles the last time they met, Naruto was still too embarrassed to keep showing up for free food and drinks.
So he brought a fishing rod to the river and began fishing. If he could catch a few big fish, he planned to find a way to give them to Big Brother Eiji to make soup.
Little Naruto picked a spot he liked and flicked the hook into the river.
All he had to do next was wait.
Seeing this from a short distance away, Eiji decided it was a good opportunity to interact with Naruto and slowly made his way over.
Suddenly, Eiji felt a chill wash over him.
A sharp Kunai grazed Eiji's ear and embedded itself in the tree trunk, shaving off a lock of his hair.
"Uchiha Eiji, step back." Kakashi emerged from the shadows.
Eiji's brows drew together slightly. "So you're the renowned Copy Ninja, Senior Kakashi Hatake."
Kakashi froze for a moment before returning to normal.
"The Uchiha's Sharingan can actually see through masks?"
Eiji looked helpless. "Besides you and me, who else in all of Konoha has white hair?"
Kakashi suddenly felt that Anbu disguise techniques needed some improvement.
"Eiji, you've approached Naruto several times. What exactly are you after?"
Eiji spread his hands and explained bluntly, "I just treated a pitiful orphan to a bowl of noodles, and now I'm being accused of having ulterior motives?"
"What about today?" Kakashi stepped forward. "You didn't come here specifically to accompany him fishing, did you?"
Eiji suddenly chuckled and pointed at the Security Division insignia on his clothes.
"As a member of the Security Division, isn't it perfectly normal for me to patrol the area?"
In theory, there was nothing wrong with Eiji's explanation.
Even though the other party was one of those supposedly evil Uchiha, Kakashi held no prejudice against him.
After all, he had once had a close friend who, like Eiji, had a warm heart.
Just as Kakashi was considering whether to take Eiji back to Anbu, Eiji suddenly reached his right hand into his backpack.
Kakashi's pupils contracted instantly. His right hand instinctively drew a Kunai and viciously thrust it at Eiji.
Xiao Er's blade accurately blocked the Kunai's attack.
"Too fast!"
Kakashi was rather astonished beneath his mask. How had Eiji casually blocked his Kunai without any preparation?
Kakashi formed an entirely new assessment of Eiji.
A genius who would surpass him one day.
By then, Eiji had already taken something out of his backpack and held it out to Kakashi.
When Kakashi saw the familiar cover, he almost spurted blood from his nose.
Icha Icha Paradise: Uncensored Edition.
Even more astonishingly, it bore Jiraiya's handwritten signature.
"Eiji, what do you mean by this?"
Kakashi's voice trembled slightly. This was the rarest edition, and its price on the black market had been inflated dozens of times over.
Even so, it was still nearly impossible to find.
"It's for you."
"According to Anbu regulations, I can't accept gifts from villagers."
At that, Eiji suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Kakashi's left eye.
"You've already accepted the most important gift from our Uchiha clan. Why bother caring about one book?"
Kakashi's head buzzed. "What do you mean?"
He knew that the gift Eiji was referring to was the Sharingan he had received from his close friend Obito.
After the tragedy back then, and even now, there were Uchiha clansmen who wanted that Sharingan back.
Could Eiji also be...
Unexpectedly, Eiji added, "A Descendant of Heroes naturally deserves Uchiha's most precious gift."
"Of course, a Descendant of Heroes shouldn't end up going hungry, either."
Before you continue