Arrangement

"Tch, that's it?"

Uchiha Yuan gave him another physical wake-up call to the head.

"Wh... where is this? Am I... dead already?"

Uzumaki Shibaki groggily opened his eyes, only to hear a familiar, devilish laugh by his ear.

"Kehehehe!"

"Ah!!!"

After several twists and turns, Uzumaki Shibaki slumped limply on the floor, his eyes vacant as if he had been completely broken.

"Hm, so your name is Uzumaki Shibaki. Just an ordinary Uzumaki clansman. You were captured while out at sea fishing. No parents. Height..."

Uchiha Yuan put away the sheet of paper and said to the dazed Shibaki:

"Wouldn't it have been over sooner if you'd cooperated from the start? Serves you right!"

After taking a jab at him, he walked over to the crate and slowly lifted out another pale, naked body.

Uchiha Yuan suddenly frowned.

"Damn it!"

He took off his clothes, wrapped them around him, and tossed him onto the floor. Looking at this Yuki Clan member's face—pretty enough to seem enhanced by a beauty filter—he ultimately could not bring himself to slap him twice. Instead, he pressed the spot beneath his nose.

"Why didn't you slap her?"

"Shut up. Who said you got to talk?"

Uzumaki Shibaki's gaze immediately turned resentful. Pouting, he slowly retreated to a corner and began drawing circles.

"Mmm~ Where is this?"

"Oh, hello. You were sold, and I'm the master who bought you."

"...Oh."

Uchiha Yuan scratched his head. Seeing the Yuki Clan member slowly lower his head without saying anything, he simply asked:

"What's your name? How were you captured?"

"My name is Yuki Kiyoshi. I forgot how I was captured."

"Oh? You don't seem surprised by this sort of thing?"

"Mhm. Because a clansman disappears every so often. Now... it was simply my turn."

"..."

Uchiha Yuan was speechless. The nobles of the Naruto World sure had some wild tastes. Someone disappeared every few days? Was this some kind of sustainable farming? Still... the Yuki Clan's feminine men really were pretty... slurp...

Hearing the strange sound, Yuki Kiyoshi looked up, only to see Uchiha Yuan writing with a perfectly serious expression.

"Ahem! How old are you this year? How tall are you? What's your family situation like?"

After writing down Yuki Kiyoshi's information, he pointed to the corner on the other side and told him to squat there.

Uchiha Yuan then continued pulling another hairy-legged person from the crate.

Yuki Kiyoshi silently did as told. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of someone else in the neighboring corner. Looking up, he saw a naked red-haired man squatting there and drawing circles. Then he looked at himself and noticed the loose white garment on his body. He immediately understood something, and a trace of light appeared in his eyes.

Smack! Smack!

"What's your name? How were you captured? ..."

Time slowly passed. The basic information of five people was gathered in succession, but Uchiha Yuan was now left with only a pair of pants. Even the undershirt he had originally been wearing had been given to the woman from the Land of Wind.

"Yuki Kiyoshi, Uzumaki Shibaki, Tenbin Heiyan, Hoshigaki Kuroto, Sabaku Meigetsu."

"Very good. From your names, I can roughly tell which ninja clans you come from. But regrettably, I must inform you that you are now in the Land of Fire."

"And—in the Uchiha Clan Grounds!"

"So you can throw away any thoughts of leaving. Get used to the days ahead. If my experiments are finished and you are all still alive, and if I happen to be in a good mood by then, I might let you go."

None of the five could use Chakra, and they had no strength either. They could only nod weakly.

After Uchiha Yuan went upstairs again, he cooked a huge pot of noodles, made a simple sauce, and returned to the basement.

"I need to make one thing clear. You are now my private property, unilaterally speaking. It would be best if you did not resist my will. Otherwise, if my clansmen kill you, I won't even have anywhere to reason it out. Understand?"

"Yes~" *5

"Fine, then come upstairs and eat. Yuki Kiyoshi and Sabaku Meigetsu, come up first."

"Why?!"

Uchiha Yuan did not even need to listen to know who it was. At present, only that Uzumaki had the best constitution and still had the energy to challenge him. He immediately went over and smacked him twice on the head.

Smack! Smack!

"I'll show you why! I'll show you why!"

After sending the two upstairs, he gave them two sets of Haru's clothes to change into, then took three of his own garments and went into the basement.

"Put these on, then come upstairs to eat."

Uzumaki Shibaki exchanged glances with his two fellow sufferers beside him, then slowly crouched down and obediently put on the clothes.

But because of Uchiha Yuan's build, the clothes looked more like skintight outfits on the three of them.

Uchiha Yuan's huge pot of noodles was completely devoured. Not even a drop of soup remained. Uzumaki Shibaki ate the most of all, making Uchiha Yuan glance at him several more times.

"What are you looking at? I have a big appetite. If you can't afford to feed me, just let me go sooner."

"...You must be dreaming."

Uchiha Yuan rolled his eyes. He had noticed that the Uzumaki people seemed to all have a carefree personality. Naruto was like that, Kushina was like that, and perhaps Mito had been the same.

After clearing the table, Uchiha Yuan directed the five people to stand in the courtyard, then turned and went to the clan leader's Security Department to call someone over.

"Setsuna? Are you on duty today?"

Uchiha Setsuna had a fierce, stern face, with a long, sharp visage that commanded respect even when he was not angry. In his younger years, he had followed Uchiha Madara through countless campaigns and was one of Madara's capable aides.

A few years ago, Uchiha Yuan had transferred him from his position as a bodyguard to the Security Department. It was not only because his strength had reached the level of an Elite Jōnin, but also because Uchiha Yuan wanted to cultivate him.

Following the course of Hokage history, after Madara left the clan, the position of Uchiha Clan leader had been jointly managed by the Council of Elders, which also acted as the clan leader. The actual position of clan leader had remained vacant.

As for why no one fought to elect a new clan leader after Madara left, first, no one had the strength to command widespread respect. Second, Madara's intimidation was simply too great.

Who knew whether Madara would return after leaving? Although Madara later faked his death once, the Uchiha still did not reconfirm a clan leader. Thus, the Council of Elders' regency continued until Uchiha Fuyue took office.

But by then, the Uchiha Clan had already begun declining. Not only could the clan not see the bigger picture, even the clan leader's son became a traitor.

"Setsuna, arrange accommodations for these five people. Have several capable men watch them day and night."

"Understood."

"There's one more thing. Find several more experts, preferably captain-level ones, and have them go... investigate thoroughly."

"...Understood."

"Oh, and one more thing..."

"..."

After watching Uchiha Setsuna lead the five away, Uchiha Yuan went to find his two nominal older brothers.

A Shadow Clone left in the Clan Land had sent him a message: someone had delivered a letter to Madara.

He searched the Clan Land for quite a while, eventually finding them at that familiar waterfall.

"Big Brother, Second Brother, still training?"