The market in Konoha, which had slept through the night, awoke with the dawn.
Built using Wood Release, the market's broad space was supported by sturdy, rugged wooden pillars.
The vendors who had rented stalls weren't looking at the vegetables before them. Instead, they sat up straight, eagerly discussing rumors they'd heard from the Uchiha Clan with their fellow merchants.
"Didn't I tell you before that I have a friend who works as a butcher in the Uchiha Clan?"
The man taking radishes and greens from his basket spoke without turning his head. "Did he pay you back?"
The smile on the vendor's face stiffened. Gritting his teeth, he said, "That's not what we're talking about today."
"Then what is?"
After arranging the radishes neatly on the wooden board, the man took a homemade watering can from his basket. Beads of water gathered on the vegetable leaves, adding a fresh sheen.
The vendor sitting on a low stool leaned sideways and lowered his voice. "Lord Madara bought half a pig right at his stall."
Having finished setting everything up, the man sat on the stool behind him. "There's nothing strange about that, is there? The Uchiha Clan Head is a legendary ninja. Ninjas get a lot of exercise, so he must need to eat more."
"That's not the strange part." The vendor gazed at the clear blue sky beyond the market and chuckled. "He's been buying half a pig every day for a whole week. Now the butcher's about to run out of pigs to sell."
"I never heard that Lord Hokage had such a huge appetite." The man's mouth fell open in disbelief. "Seven days means four pigs!"
"What are you two talking about?"
A curious voice beside them interrupted their conversation.
Rumors began circulating around the village. Since