Casual Conversation

After wolfing down his first meal of the day, Qile let out a long sigh. He was alive again!

He wiped the scraps from the corner of his mouth and exclaimed, "Yeling, I never realized the Uchiha Clan Compound was so huge! It took me an entire afternoon just to walk around it!"

Yeling was kneeling by the table, helping Qile with his food. At his words, her hand paused briefly. A hint of surprise crossed her face, but soon she was smiling gently again. "Is that so? I had no idea. Would you like some more?" she asked softly, pointing to the generous spread on the table, her eyes full of concern.

"No, no." Qile hurriedly waved his hand to show that he was full. Then, as if he'd opened the floodgates, he continued grumbling. "It's bad enough that the compound is ridiculously huge, but why can't they put in a few more side gates? Even just one little gate would be nice..."

After hearing that Qile didn't want any more food, Yeling briskly began clearing the bowls and chopsticks from the table. She looked up, curiosity in her eyes, and asked, "Did something unusual happen to you? What made you suddenly think about the layout of the compound?"

Yeling's question left Qile at a loss for words. What a predicament. He couldn't very well tell her he'd wandered around the compound because he'd gotten lost, could he?

That would be so embarrassing!

So he scratched the back of his head, gave an awkward laugh, and stammered, "Uh... It's really nothing. I just said it offhand."

Unwilling to let the current topic drag on, Qile suddenly grew curious and asked, "By the way, where did Madara go?"

Yeling gently shook her head. "The clan leader left early this morning. He must have had something important to take care of. Oh, and before he left, he specifically told me not to slack off on your training. You still need to train as usual."

"Okay, okay, I got it." When Qile heard Madara wasn't home, he instantly became like a lifeless salted fish and flopped down on the floor without a care.

Then he watched Yeling clear the dishes and asked with interest, "By the way, Yeling, have you lived in the compound since you were little?" He was beginning to feel a little sleepy.

There was no denying it: a full meal really did make you drowsy...

As for the training Yeling had just mentioned, Qile hadn't taken it seriously at all. After all, Madara wasn't even home. Who would feel like training? Wasn't it much better to lie around in comfort?

Whether Madara would scold him for it later was a problem for another time.

"I came to live with the clan when I was very young," Yeling said softly, a faint smile on her face. But she didn't directly answer Qile's earlier question.

Then she swiftly picked up the bowls and chopsticks and turned toward the kitchen. "You can rest for a little while. I'll wash these dishes, and then it'll be time for your training."

Yeling's failure to answer his question didn't bother Qile in the slightest.

After all, he'd only asked on a whim. It didn't really matter to him whether she answered or not.

At that moment, Qile was lying very comfortably on the tatami, enjoying a brief spell of leisure.

But just then, Qile, who had been lounging so contentedly, suddenly sat bolt upright, as if he'd just remembered something terribly important.

He furrowed his brows and muttered to himself, "Oh no, how could I have forgotten something this important!"

He'd suddenly remembered that he needed to treat Shimura Danzō and Sarutobi Hiruzen to lunch tomorrow. But there was one big problem: he didn't have any money!

He'd been raised by the clan since he was a child. How could he possibly have money to spare? Any money he got would've gone toward food long ago.

So he hurriedly called toward the kitchen, "Yeling, do you have any money you could lend me? I need to treat some people to lunch tomorrow. Once Madara gets back, I'll get the money from him and pay you back. Would that be all right?" He waited for Yeling's answer, full of hope.

By then, Yeling had finished washing the dishes. She was wiping the remaining water from her hands with a clean towel as she slowly stepped out of the kitchen.

She tilted her head slightly as if thinking, then looked at Qile and replied, "The clan always purchases everything the clan leader needs. And ever since I came to take care of you at his home, I've simply gone to the clan to collect what I need at the appointed times. So I don't have any money on hand. But you could ask the clan elders for some. I think they'd be happy to give you money."

"Ask the elders for money..." Qile murmured.

But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly shook his head and dismissed it.

He remembered the commotion he'd caused at the clan meeting just a few days ago.

If he went to ask them for money now, wouldn't he be walking straight into a trap? At the thought, Qile furrowed his brows, a hint of worry appearing on his face.

As Qile pondered, a somewhat low voice sounded. "Why haven't you started today's training yet? Are you planning not to sleep tonight?"

The moment those words reached Qile's ears, it was as if an invisible force had pierced straight through his defenses, leaving him no time to think.

Almost instinctively, he sprang up from where he'd been lazily half-reclining on the tatami and quickly stood straight.

Then, as if drawn by an irresistible force, he strode toward the courtyard.

As he went, Qile shouted, "Yeling, bring me my sword! I'm starting today's training right now! I can't keep being lazy. I'm going to work hard!!!!"