So, What Do You Want?

Kujo Sho walked out dejectedly.

These past few years, the price of missions in the Hidden Leaf Village had risen far too quickly. Though he knew the Nine-Tails disaster had caused enormous losses.

But as a small merchant group, most of their funds were tied up in goods. They hoped to earn a little more each trip, so the liquid capital available for posting missions was truly limited, and some had to be reserved for use on the road.

Kujo Sho had considered simply hiring some samurai from the Land of Fire, but just as Manager Tang had said, the journey from Konoha to the Land of Lightning was quite far, with far too many uncertainties along the way.

Besides, when doing business in Konoha, how could one avoid posting missions and paying some "protection fees"?

He understood that well enough.

"We can only reduce the amount of goods."

He made up his mind.

However, just then, a voice from behind made him stop instinctively.

"Uncle?"

"A mission?"

"Half price?"

Kujo Sho raised his gaze and looked around before turning toward Naiki's squad. "Me?"

It was no wonder he had asked that at first.

After all, there was only one ninja squad in the entire hall at the moment, and Arata, who looked the youngest, had naturally been mistaken for a member of that squad.

Naiki Uchiha froze for a moment upon hearing this.

Then, seeing the fat uncle pointing at himself in his field of vision, he suddenly burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha, Arata, looks like he doesn't recognize you at all!"

"Ha ha ha, I'm dying!"

This was absolutely the most embarrassing sight Naiki had ever seen, especially since it involved Arata Uchiha.

"Half-price missions? Uncle, you believe whatever people tell you?"

One of his teammates added while wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.

Even their squad leader's lips twitched slightly, finding the whole matter absurd.

If such a fantastical thing were really carried out, it would greatly damage both the other clients and Konoha's reputation.

Though Kujo Sho felt somewhat humiliated, he still put on a perfunctory smile and decisively prepared to leave.

Even if he had to hire samurai from the Land of Fire as escorts, he would absolutely not commission Konoha's ninjas this time.

"Uncle, you've got the wrong person."

"I was the one who said it."

Arata directly shut out the noisy mockery at his ears.

Those harsh words had long since lost the ability to hurt him.

"Arata Uchiha, don't cause trouble. You aren't qualified to accept missions above D-rank yet."

Before Kujo Sho could react further, Manager Tang, who had been standing with his back to them, cut in.

His voice was filled with the rebuke of a superior or elder, while a barely perceptible gloom flashed through his eyes.

Arata?

Arata Uchiha!

No wonder that name had sounded so familiar.

So it was that brat!!

Kujo Sho was also puzzled, and his desire to leave was interrupted by the sudden reprimand.

He followed the voice and looked over.

Huh?

He rubbed his eyes again. The speaker was indeed a tiny child, not even as tall as himself. Though he wore a Konoha forehead protector and carried a ninja pouch and a blade on his back, he was far too young!

Arata ignored Manager Tang's reprimand and calmly looked at the fat uncle before him.

Even if he were rejected, he would not do anything. At worst, he could wait for the next client. If that did not work, he could consider going to the Daimyo Palace or nearby villages to take missions.

Of course, it would be better if he could successfully receive a mission sooner.

"Arata Uchiha, I'm talking to you. Did you hear me?!"

Sparks flickered in Tang Sarutobi's eyes.

Ever since he had been promoted to mission supervisor at the mission reception hall, no one had ever ignored him so thoroughly!

And the one doing it was Arata of the Uchiha Clan.

His proudest son, Sarutobi Kenichi, had been severely beaten by this brat a few days ago and had yet to recover.

As one of Konoha's administrators, he could not exactly go looking for trouble like other parents, could he? Besides, that was the notoriously unreasonable Uchiha Clan.

But he was no pushover either. He had long remembered that name. All ninjas had to accept missions eventually; all he needed to do was wait for the rabbit by the tree stump!

"Uncle, what's your answer?"

Arata lowered his eyelids slightly.

He had already sensed Manager Tang's hidden hostility, but he still paid it no mind.

"I..."

Kujo Yu hesitated.

Half price was absolutely tremendous news for him!

But could this tiny child really possess such ability?

Manager Tang seemed to have said that he was not even qualified to accept missions above D-rank. Didn't that make him a fresh graduate rookie?

Though Tang Sarutobi had recently seemed to be raising commission prices, he had not made any mistakes in handling affairs. Otherwise, he could not have become the manager of Konoha's mission hall.

But...

This kid seemed to be surnamed Uchiha?

"Enough, Arata."

"Start honestly with D-rank missions. Stop bringing shame to the Uchiha Clan!"

"Can't you see the doubt in that uncle's eyes—"

Beside them, Naiki Uchiha, holding a mission form, started chattering again. During the days when Konoha residents had come seeking explanations, he had been harshly reprimanded by Yashiro for stopping Arata from using the training grounds. He could only vent his frustration by taking missions.

Running into this by chance today had truly given him the perfect opportunity to vent.

But Arata no longer indulged him.

"Shut up!"

As the words swept forward, surging ocular power burst forth. Black magatama were especially beautiful against his scarlet pupils.

Though it was only a Single-Tomoe.

It was still the Sharingan!

Bang.

"Hah... hah... hah..."

Naiki Uchiha instantly dropped to his knees, his trembling arms braced against the hall floor as his chest heaved without pause!

"How could this be? How could this be?"

His mind trembled in terror!

How could a single glance make him lose all will to resist?

He possessed the Sharingan too!

How could he fail to resist for even an instant?

This guy was even more terrifying than he had been two years ago!

"Arata!"

"That was too much."

A deep rebuke rang out. It came from the ninja instructor accompanying the squad, who wore dark green ninja armor marking him as a Jonin, though he bore no Uchiha Clan crest.

Arata Uchiha slowly raised his face at those words. At some point, his right hand had settled on his sword hilt, while his scarlet eyes revealed what it meant to be fearless.

And that was not all.

Clear Mirror, Still Water · Open.

An invisible pressure surged forward, aimed directly at the four-man squad before him.

The two Genin turned pale the instant they came into contact with it, their legs trembling.

Even the squad leader, who was the main target, could not help tensing up. He had only felt such nearly tangible hostility and killing intent from Anbu members!

What kind of existence was this little kid?

"So, what do you want?"

The cold words poured into his ears, and the squad leader in dark green ninja armor was left speechless for a moment.

Such a child was absolutely a genius highly valued by the Uchiha Clan!

What could he do?

The entire hall fell silent.

Arata did not continue pressing the matter. He withdrew the pressure released by Clear Mirror, Still Water and started walking out. At worst, he could take missions elsewhere.

"Wait. Sorry, little brother. Forgive my poor judgment. I'm willing to hire you, still at the price of fifty thousand."

Kujo Sho instantly came to his senses as the boy passed him.

With a wave of his hand, he had forced back three Genin, and he possessed the Sharingan, the foremost ocular technique. Hiring such a genius was far better than hiring samurai, wasn't it?

"The time."

Arata Uchiha stopped, unconcerned by having been doubted earlier.

But just then, a gritted threat abruptly sounded out. "Kujo Sho, think carefully. Konoha's rules are not something just anyone can break!"

The fat uncle froze at once, the smile on his face solidifying in that instant.

Though the other party had not said it outright, this was a blatant threat!

Arata said nothing.

As though this contest had nothing to do with him.

"Hmph."

Disdain spilled from Tang Sarutobi's gaze. So what if he had some skill? He could still be toyed with as he pleased.

"For the sake of our friendship, I'll help you find a Chunin squad to escort you. I'll cover the missing reward myself!"

The smile in Manager Tang's eyes deepened, and his tone softened somewhat.

See that?

That was how adults handled things!

Arata still gave no response. Instead, he resumed his halted steps and walked outside.

However, in that instant, the fat uncle's conflicted yet resolute decision reached his ears.

"A merchant's word is worth a thousand gold."

"Little brother, meet me at the village gate tomorrow morning at eight."

The sudden turn of events left Tang Sarutobi dumbfounded, the savage smile frozen at the corners of his eyes.

Konoha's market and fifty thousand ryo were undoubtedly an enormous temptation for a small merchant group. He truly had not expected Kujo Sho to give them up!

Arata Uchiha's steps also faltered slightly upon hearing those words.

"Mm, understood."

He replied.