Night had fallen deep and quiet, and all of Konoha lay under the thick darkness.
Looking around, one could see scattered lights shining through the windows of the neatly arranged houses. A few distant barks rang out, while insects chirped beneath the trees, their calls rising and falling without end.
Uchiha Ao strolled down Konoha's main street with Orochimaru and the other kid, offering pointers as they walked:
"Orochimaru, some of your movements still aren't quite right. Come back tomorrow, and I'll give you a proper tune-up."
"Yes, Teacher Sou." Orochimaru always kept half a step behind and nodded firmly.
Sou continued, "Duy, you've almost mastered the Substitution Technique, but there are still a few things you need to improve. Remember to practice diligently at home, just like I told you."
"Got it, Brother Sou," Duy responded.
As they talked, they reached an intersection.
"All right."
Sou waved a hand. "Let's split up here for today. Same time, same place tomorrow."
"Good night, Teacher Sou. Good night, Brother Sou."
Orochimaru and Might Duy answered in unison.
Grrr...
Just then, a sound came from Duy's stomach.
A chilly night breeze, carrying a few autumn leaves, swept past...
"..."
The three of them stared at one another.
"Uh..."
Sou scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "Are you two hungry?"
"Yeah."
They both nodded firmly.
"My bad."
Sou rubbed his forehead helplessly. "I forgot you two haven't had dinner. Come on, I'll take you to the Ramen Shop nearby for a bowl of ramen."
As for Qingyi Lang, Sou would just let him wait a little longer. His nephew needed a good sorting out anyway.
"Yay!"
The two kids jumped for joy. "Thanks for treating us, Teacher Sou!"
Orochimaru's smile seemed a little more genuine than usual. It was the first time in a month that he'd shared a meal with someone else.
His parents were elite Ninja in the village, but the more capable they were, the greater their responsibilities. They hardly ever had time to spend with him.
"Let's go!"
Seeing the two kids' cheerful smiles, Sou seemed to catch their mood. He rested a hand on each of their heads and called out grandly:
"Order whatever you want tonight! Young Master Sou is picking up the tab!"
Orochimaru and Duy exchanged smiles. "Thanks, Teacher Sou!"
Though the two kids had different personalities, being put through the same grueling training by Sou that afternoon had brought them together through their shared misery.
Sou then took them into a Ramen Shop called "Zero Joy." The owner looked a lot like the Ichiraku Shop owner from the original story.
Sure enough, the owner's ramen was delicious. Even the somewhat reserved Orochimaru ate two or three bowls. As for Duy, there was no need to mention him—he polished off six or seven bowls in a row.
After filling the two kids up, Sou said goodbye and walked alone down the brightly lit commercial street in the center of town.
It wasn't long before he spotted Qingyi Lang crouching outside the "Charcoal Flame Soul" Barbecue Restaurant, desperately swallowing at the smell of meat wafting from inside.
Sou got an idea, and a sly grin tugged at his lips.
He slipped around a street corner. White smoke burst into the air, and a somewhat stocky figure emerged from the alley.
"Hey."
In a few steps, he was behind Qingyi Lang. He set a hand on his shoulder and said solemnly, "Customer, you've been standing outside my shop and hurting my business. Could you please move along?"
"Huh?"
Qingyi Lang flushed red and quickly stood up, bowing. "Sorry, I was waiting for a friend."
With that, he started to leave.
As he walked, he muttered, "That bastard Sou really did lie to me. Just wait till I get back—I'll teach him a lesson!"
"Wait, customer."
The "barbecue shop owner" suddenly called after him with a beaming smile. "We're running a promotion. If you complete the challenge, you can eat all the barbecue you want at my shop."
"Hm?"
Qingyi Lang perked up and quickly turned around. "There's really a deal like that? What's the challenge?"
"You just have to..."
Sou drew out the suspense.
Gulp!
Qingyi Lang swallowed and picked up where he left off. "I just have to..."
Poof!
White smoke burst everywhere.
Sou, back in his usual form, smiled like a kindly father. "You just have to call me Dad!"
"Damn it!"
Qingyi Lang caught on and cursed. "I knew it was you, you little punk! Come here and die!"
The two tussled for quite a while. Qingyi Lang eventually stood panting, while Sou looked as if nothing had happened, leaning against the wall and picking his ear with his pinky.
"Ha... ha... I finally... know why you can finish your missions. With stamina like a beast, who the hell could outrun you?"
Sou flexed his biceps and retorted, "What do you know? Your dad here relies on skill!"
But the kid was right about one thing. Without that stamina, Sou would've been skinned alive by Kinkaku Ginkaku back in the Land of Iron.
"Yeah, yeah, you're amazing."
Qingyi Lang humored him, then grinned as if he'd gotten his way. "Anyway, after running around with you, I'm starving. I'm going to make you pay for a huge meal tonight."
"Holy crap, Qingyi Lang, you've learned to be a bad influence!"
"Tch. Spend enough time with a jerk like you, and it's hard not to!"
Laughing and trading insults, they went inside and picked a table in the corner. Qingyi Lang ordered with practiced ease, clearly having planned it all in advance.
"Boss! Ten plates of Tokujo Gyukahana! Two plates of Thick Cut Beef Tongue! And a bottle of your strongest liquor!"
Qingyi Lang shouted out his order, then turned to Sou and lowered his voice. "Hey, did you... hear anything this time? Is Cloud Village really going to attack?"
"Hard to say."
Sou gave a vague reply and picked up a damp towel to wipe his hands. "I heard Cloud Village is split into two factions. They're still arguing among themselves."
There were too many people around, so he couldn't say more. He could only hint at it.
Soon, the Charcoal Grill was brought over, and its crimson coals radiated scorching heat.
Qingyi Lang laid slices of beautifully marbled beef across the grill. The high heat instantly sealed in the juices. Fat popped on the iron grates as the meat curled and changed color, filling the air with an irresistible, smoky aroma.
"Sizzle—"
That sound was practically medicine for the soul.
"Here, drink." Qingyi Lang filled both their cups. "This toast is to your miraculous survival."
Sou raised his cup. The fiery liquor slid down his throat and exploded in his stomach like a ball of fire, driving away the chill that had built up inside him.
After several rounds of drinks and a few courses of food, the empty plates on the table piled higher and higher. Qingyi Lang grew more talkative, but the mood turned somewhat heavy.
Qingyi Lang, who usually wore a teasing smile, now had flushed cheeks and a hazy gaze.
"Sou."
Qingyi Lang suddenly spoke, his voice slurred and tinged with drunkenness.
"Yeah?"
Sou had just picked up a slightly charred mushroom. He stopped when he heard him.
"Sometimes I think... this world is so damn unfair."
Qingyi Lang stared at the liquor swirling in his cup, the corner of his mouth lifting in a bitter, self-mocking smile. "We grew up together, after all.
You were the one who led the way when we snuck a peek at the older girl next door bathing. When we got caught and beaten, we split it fifty-fifty. How did you end up so far ahead that I can't even see you anymore?"
"..."
Sou fell silent.
The original Sou had snuck peeks at people bathing?
Damn it, that was pretty important. Why hadn't he remembered it? He couldn't picture it at all.
But this time, he didn't interrupt recklessly. He just sat quietly and listened.
He understood that Qingyi Lang needed someone he could confide in.
"Yesterday, I went on a D-rank mission to help a woman find her cat. That damn cat even scratched my face."
Qingyi Lang pointed to a nearly invisible scratch on his face, smiling as if he were about to cry.
"I'm an Uchiha... But to make a living, all I can do is look for cats. I guess even a useless bum like me can only do that."
"...Don't put yourself down."
Sou poured him a cup of liquor and said earnestly, "Gongzhu, and your younger sister too—they're able to live well in this world because of you."
Having once been ordinary himself, Sou could understand Qingyi Lang's pain. Among the Uchiha, a clan that revered strength above all else, mediocrity was a sin.
Qingyi Lang had tried hard. His talent simply had a limit, and no matter how much he struggled, the so-called geniuses left him far behind.
If Sou hadn't had Destiny to help him, his own circumstances probably wouldn't have been much better than Qingyi Lang's.
"Thanks..."
Qingyi Lang picked up his cup and drained it, head bowed as he spoke softly. "You've always acted like nothing matters... but I know... Sou... you're a good person.
You've made it this far, and I'm... genuinely happy for you, buddy."
"..."
Sou was quiet for a moment, then deliberately scoffed and teased him:
"Like I need you to tell me! I'm obviously a great guy. I don't need you handing me a good-person card!
But... since you've got such a keen eye, I'll give you a chance. Set me up with your sister."
"Get lost!"
Sure enough, as soon as Qingyi Lang heard that, he reacted as if he'd been triggered. He sobered up halfway and snapped back into his usual self, yelling:
"Go play somewhere else! My sister would never get with you!
Forget my sister—my nephew would probably help you count the money after you sold him.
And..."
Qingyi Lang went on ranting for a while, then tried to pour himself another drink so he could keep going.
"...Wait!"
At that moment, Sou, who'd been quiet for a long while, suddenly reached across the smoke rising from the grill and stopped Qingyi Lang's hand as he went to pour another drink.
It was hard to make out his expression through the smoke.
"W-what are you doing?"
Qingyi Lang froze. He raised his bleary eyes, looking confused. "Did I piss you off, or are you worried about the bill? Don't worry, I've got money..."
"Stop drinking. I have something to ask you."
Sou's voice was quiet, but his red, glinting eyes were like an ice blade, stabbing straight into Qingyi Lang's heart.
Qingyi Lang shuddered, and most of the alcohol haze vanished at once.
"W-what is it?"
"..."
Sou didn't answer right away. He picked up the bottle, poured himself a drink, and slowly downed it before finally speaking softly:
"What if I told you I could help you stop looking for cats—and get you into the Police Force..."
He set down his cup, leaned forward slightly, and fixed Qingyi Lang with a burning gaze.
"Would you be willing?"
Before you continue