Yakiniku Q

In Samui's field of vision.

A family of three sat in a booth by the window, tucking into their barbecue with gusto, with plates piled high like a mountain on their table.

All three were quite stout, and each had the striking character "Shi" embroidered on the chest of their clothing.

Among them.

The most eye-catching one had spiky, long red hair and two flowing blue war markings on his cheeks. According to the intelligence Samui possessed, this was clearly—

The Clan Head of the Akimichi Clan, Choza Akimichi.

A trusted confidant of the Third Hokage.

Samui withdrew her gaze calmly, then pointed to the booth next to them and said to Dan:

"Director, this seat looks good. Let's sit here."

"Alright."

Dan nodded, plopped down into his seat, and skillfully picked up the menu to order.

"Beef, tenderloin, pork skin, ham, chicken wings... squid, cuttlefish, yellow croaker... chives, eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, tofu skin... hmm, let's start with fifty plates of each."

Dan spoke up.

He didn't ask Samui what she liked to eat, as he had ordered almost every item on the menu.

"What?"

The employee held his paper and pen, thinking he had misheard, and subconsciously confirmed with Dan, "You want fifty portions of every item, for the two of you?"

Just then.

The Shopkeeper hurried over, smiling apologetically at Dan:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dan. This employee is new and doesn't recognize you. Please forgive him."

After saying this, he urged the employee to hurry off and notify the kitchen to prepare the food.

Dan was a major regular at Yakiniku Q; the amount he spent in a single night could equal that of dozens of other customers.

Naturally, the Shopkeeper had to cater to such a VIP.

While waiting for the food to be served.

Dan closed his eyes to rest, while Samui, sitting opposite him, quietly pricked up her ears to eavesdrop on the conversation at the Akimichi family's table.

"Choji, today is your birthday, so eat to your heart's content. In our Akimichi Clan, the more we eat and the fatter we grow, the stronger our power becomes!"

Choza Akimichi laughed heartily, showing great affection for his son.

"Mmm... thanks, Dad."

The five-year-old Choji Akimichi said vaguely while stuffing his face, then raised his greasy little hand, "Five more plates of pork belly!"

The other customers in the shop were all amazed by the appetite of this family of three.

They had heard that the Akimichi Clan were all big eaters, and it was certainly true.

Before long.

The dishes Dan ordered arrived, and because the volume was so large, the table could barely hold them all.

Usually, customers at the barbecue shop grilled the food themselves, but if they didn't want the trouble, they could ask the staff to grill it and bring it over ready to eat.

Dan had ordered them ready-made; after all, grilling it himself was too slow.

"Mr. Dan, should we wait a while before bringing out the rest of the dishes?"

The employee asked.

Although Dan looked very strong and capable of eating, the employee didn't believe Dan could finish so much food all at once.

No matter how much a person could eat, they had to let their stomach digest it slowly; after all, the stomach was only so big.

Even the Akimichi Clan, with their astonishing appetites, had their limits.

"Just keep bringing them."

Dan's reply was concise. Then, he said to Samui, "Let's dig in."

And so.

The two began to enjoy the delicacies before them.

Samui was a lady; she chewed slowly and swallowed carefully while eating, remaining elegant even while eating skewers.

Dan was different.

He was a human beast, devouring food like a whirlwind, eating meat in large chunks and gulping down drinks. In no time, he had polished off more than half the dishes on the table.

At this moment, Dan stopped, his stomach bulging high as if he were already stuffed.

But immediately after.

As his abdomen rose and fell, a "rumbling" sound emanated from his stomach.

Dan closed his eyes, focusing his mental energy on his stomach, controlling the rhythm of his gastrointestinal peristalsis like a cement mixer on a construction site, repeatedly crushing the food.

After years of physical training.

Uchiha Dan had not only gained complete mastery over his somatic nervous system, allowing him to control all 639 muscles in his body at will to perform high-difficulty movements, but he could even alter his appearance and physique through muscle manipulation.

He had also discovered a method to govern his autonomic nervous system, enabling him to manipulate his heart rate, adrenaline secretion, and gastrointestinal digestion with his mind, training his internal organs just as one would train muscles.

At this moment.

Dan's stomach acid secreted in massive amounts, and his gastrointestinal muscles churned frantically, pushing his digestive capacity to dozens, or even hundreds of times that of an ordinary person.

An average person would take an entire afternoon to digest a single meal, but for Dan, it took only a few minutes.

Very quickly.

Dan's previously distended abdomen returned to a flat state.

This scene left not only the employee standing nearby dumbfounded, but also the family of three at the next table in utter shock.

The little chubby boy Choji even forgot to eat the grilled meat by his mouth, staring at Dan with wide eyes, unblinking.

The employee regained his senses, no longer daring to question Dan's appetite, and hurriedly urged the kitchen staff to keep serving dishes.

However, even with several employees grilling together, sweating profusely, they still could not keep up with the speed at which Dan was eating.

During a gap in the service.

Dan put down his chopsticks, went to the restroom, and returned two minutes later with his usual expression.

He had expelled the indigestible food waste from his body.

The nutrients and energy from the food had all entered his bloodstream, circulating throughout his body to make Dan's muscles even stronger and fuller.

Although Dan was insulated from the five basic natures of Chakra—Water, Fire, Wind, Lightning, and Earth—he possessed both Yin Release and Yang Release, which could not be detected by Chakra test paper.

Yin Release originated from the Sharingan bloodline of the Uchiha Clan;

Yang Release originated from his own body, which was born with a star-shaped birthmark.

Over these twenty-plus years.

Through scientific training and diet, Dan had strengthened his physical body to an incredible degree.

Steel tendons, iron bones, bronze skin, mercury blood, frost marrow.

These terms were not mere adjectives, but literal descriptions.

This bronze skin and iron bone of Dan's were enough to make him immune to kunai, Shuriken, explosive tags, and ordinary Ninjutsu attacks.

"Hello, mister."

Suddenly, a muffled voice rang out.

It turned out.

The little chubby boy Choji had walked up to Dan, looking up with a curious expression, asking how Dan managed to do it—eating even more than he did, yet maintaining such a good physique.

Without a single bit of fat.

Choji had a round, chubby face with red swirl-shaped markings on both cheeks, looking not particularly bright.

He had inherited the excellent genes of the Akimichi Clan from birth, and his greatest hobby was eating, but this had also made him obese, often leading to mockery from his peers, with some even calling him a fat pig.

He thought to himself, if only he could be like Dan, growing only muscle and no fat, how wonderful that would be.

Before Dan could speak.

"Apologies, the child is too impetuous."

Choza Akimichi walked over with a wry smile, took his son's hand, expressed his apologies to the stranger, and kindly asked for Dan's name.

"My name is Uchiha Dan," Dan said calmly.

As soon as these words were spoken, Samui was taken aback.

In her memory, the Gym Director had always referred to himself as "Dan," never including the Uchiha surname; this was the first time he had done so.

The Gym Director seemed different from before.

Hearing the name Uchiha, Choza Akimichi's expression shifted slightly, and the intention to socialize he had initially felt quickly faded away.

"Excuse us."

He took Choji back to their table, clearly not wanting to get involved with anyone from the Uchiha Clan.

Dan did not mind, simply saying casually:

"Your son has good talent; it would be a pity not to work out. If you are interested, you can come to my Fitness Gym."

Upon hearing this, Samui hurriedly stood up and stepped forward, handing a business card with the Fitness Gym's address to Choji's mother with both hands.

The woman hesitated for a moment, exchanged a glance with her husband Choza Akimichi, and finally offered a polite word of thanks before accepting the card.

Perhaps the family of three was full, as they soon paid the bill and left.

After this small interlude ended.

Dan and Samui continued to enjoy their meal.

An hour later.

"Hiccup~"

Samui had eaten too much and couldn't help but let out a burp, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

"I'm sorry, Gym Director... I think I ate too much," she said in a low voice.

"Eat as much as you like; I'm not so poor that I can't afford to feed one employee," Dan said, pouring Samui a cup of barley tea.

As far as Samui knew.

The combined expenses for Dan's fitness gym and daily living were quite a significant sum. Although the Gym Director came from the prestigious Uchiha clan, he hadn't inherited any family assets.

However.

Every so often, Dan would leave Konohagakure for a while to earn money, seemingly through some special channels.

Samui had once tried to tail Dan, but she had failed.

But she also knew that some things were better left unasked.

After finishing the meal.

Dan took out his wallet to pay at the front desk; the meal had cost nearly fifty thousand Ryo.

Amidst the collective bowing and farewells of the shopkeeper and the staff, the two left Yakiniku Q.

Walking down the street.

Just as Samui was feeling satisfied, a cold breeze suddenly blew past, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms and making her shrink into herself.

Dan took off his own coat and draped it over Samui, making her feel a wave of warmth.

"Thank you, Gym Director," Samui said, her face flushing slightly.

In her eyes, Dan was usually a cold and taciturn man, not the type who was witty, humorous, or skilled at pleasing women; he always radiated an aura that kept strangers at a distance.

But sometimes, the thoughtfulness and gentleness this man displayed inadvertently were even more likely to make a woman's heart flutter.

Oh no.

Samui snapped back to reality.

She had almost forgotten that she was a spy. The affection she usually showed toward Dan was all an act.

If she got too deep into character and accidentally played the part for real, she would be finished.

Thinking of this.

She took a deep breath and regained her composure.

After walking in the evening breeze for ten minutes, the two returned home.

"Gym Director, get some rest early."

In the hallway, Samui bowed to Dan and watched him walk into his bedroom.

Clang.

She pushed open the sliding door and returned to her own small room, her expression changing in an instant, taking on a sharp, piercing quality.

It was completely different from the persona she usually put on in front of Dan.

The night deepened.

The room was dim, and Samui sat by the window, using the faint moonlight to organize an intelligence scroll.

Recorded on it was all the information regarding Uchiha Dan: from his height, weight, and age, to his family connections, and finally his strength and combat methods.

It was particularly detailed in its account of how Dan had killed the five Amegakure spies.

In addition, it included a back view photo of Dan that Samui had secretly taken.

In Samui's view.

If a total war were to break out between the Cloud Hidden Village and Konohagakure in the future, and Dan were to enter the battlefield, he could potentially grow into a major enemy for the Cloud Hidden Village.

He had to be guarded against.

"Poof."

With Samui's practiced hand seals, a ninja hawk with gray-white feathers was summoned.

She tied the intelligence to the ninja hawk's leg, then opened the window and watched as it flapped its wings and took flight, disappearing from Konohagakure under the cover of night.

Heading north.

After sending off the ninja hawk, Samui closed the window and prepared to go to sleep.

"You... aren't asleep yet?" A voice suddenly rang out from outside the door, and the hallway light flickered on.

"!"

Samui was so startled that her face turned pale.

She turned to look, and through the translucent paper lattice of the wooden sliding door, she saw a tall, dark shadow standing in front of her room.

Motionless, like a ghost.