Arrangement

"Tch. That's it?"

Uchiha Gen gave him another physical wake-up call right on the head.

"Wh... where is this? Have I... died?"

Uzumaki Shibaki hazily opened his eyes, only to hear a familiar laugh that sounded like a demon by his ear.

"Kehehehe!"

"Ah!!!"

After several twists and turns, Uzumaki Shibaki collapsed limply on the floor, his eyes vacant as though he had been thoroughly broken.

"Hmm, so your name is Uzumaki Shibaki. You're just an ordinary member of the Uzumaki Clan. You were captured while out at sea fishing. No father or mother. Height..."

Uchiha Gen put away the paper and spoke to the vacant-eyed Shibaki.

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

After mocking him, he walked over to the wooden crate and slowly pulled out another pale, naked body.

Uchiha Gen suddenly frowned.

"Damn it!"

After taking off his clothes to wrap him up and tossing him onto the floor, Uchiha Gen looked at this Yuki Clan member's face, as flawless as if it had been beautified by a filter. In the end, he could not bring himself to slap him twice across the face and chose to press the spot beneath his nose instead.

"Why didn't you slap her across the face?"

"Shut up. Who said you had any right to talk here?"

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

"Mmm... where is this?"

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

"...Oh."

Uchiha Gen scratched his head. Seeing the Yuki Clan member slowly lower his head without saying a word, he asked directly.

"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?"

"Mm. Because someone from the clan disappears every so often. Now... it was simply my turn."

"..."

Uchiha Gen was speechless. The nobles of the Naruto World really knew how to play. Someone disappeared every few days? What, was this sustainable farming? Still... the Yuki Clan really did produce some pretty boys... slurp...

Hearing the strange sound, Yuki Kiyoshi looked up, only to see Uchiha Gen writing something with an utterly 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, Uchiha Gen pointed to the corner on the other side and told him to squat there.

Then Uchiha Gen pulled another person with hairy legs out of the wooden crate.

Yuki Kiyoshi silently did as told. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of someone else seemingly in the neighboring corner. Looking up, he saw a naked red-haired man squatting there and drawing circles. Then he looked at himself and saw that he had a loose white robe on. He immediately understood something, and a glimmer 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 collected in succession, but by then, Uchiha Gen had only a pair of pants left on. He had even given the undershirt he had originally been wearing to the woman from the Land of Wind.

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

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

"And—at the Uchiha Clan Grounds!"

"So you can forget about leaving. Get used to the days ahead of us. If my experiments are finished, you're all still alive, and I'm in a good mood by then, I might let you leave."

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

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

"I need to make one thing clear. Right now, you are my personal property. You'd better not resist my will. Otherwise, if my clansmen kill you, I won't even have anywhere to seek justice. Understood?"

"Yes~" *5

"Fine. Now come upstairs and eat. Yuki Kiyoshi and Sabaku Meigetsu, you two come up first."

"Why?!"

Uchiha Gen did not even need to listen to know who it was. At present, only that Uzumaki still had the best constitution and actually had the strength to challenge him. He immediately went over and hit 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 outfits and entered the basement.

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

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

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

Uchiha Gen's enormous pot of noodles was completely devoured. Not even a drop of soup remained. Uzumaki Shibaki ate the most of all, making Uchiha Gen look at him several extra times.

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

"...You must be dreaming."

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

After cleaning up the table, Uchiha Gen directed the five people to stand in the courtyard, then turned and went to the clan leader's Military Police Force to call someone over.

"Setsuna? Are you on duty today?"

Uchiha Setsuna had a fierce, stern face, with a long, sharp visage that inspired awe even when he was not angry. In his youth, he had followed Uchiha Madara through countless campaigns and had been Madara's capable assistant.

A few years ago, Uchiha Gen had transferred him from his position as a personal guard to the Military Police Force. It was not only because his strength had reached the level of an Elite Jōnin, but also because Uchiha Gen wanted to cultivate him.

According to the historical inertia of the Naruto World, after Madara left the clan, the Uchiha Clan established a Council of Elders to govern jointly while acting as clan leader. The actual position of clan leader remained vacant.

As for why no one had competed to become the new clan leader after Madara left, first, no one had the strength to convince the masses; second, Madara's deterrence was simply too great.

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

But by then, the Uchiha Clan had already begun to decline. Not only had the clan failed to recognize the bigger picture, even the clan leader's own son had become 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 a few more experts, preferably squad leader-level. Have them go and... investigate thoroughly."

"...Understood."

"Oh, and one more thing..."

"..."

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

The Shadow Clone Technique left at the Clan Land had sent him a message: someone had delivered a letter to Madara.

After searching the Clan Land for quite some time, he finally found them at that familiar waterfall.

"Big Brother, Second Brother, still training?"