What Hyuga Rinka Meant to Uchiha Yi

"Yi, you were amazing! Those ninja were no match for you. You cut them down in a flash!" After they reached the town, Tsunade took the group out for a delicious meal. Kushina Uzumaki chattered as she ate.

"They were only Rain Ninja. They're still a step behind Konoha ninja.

"You two did well, too. You held off five ninja, and more than one of them was a Chunin." Uchiha Yi happily ate a slice of beef as he praised Kushina Uzumaki and Hyuga Rinka. Then, as though something had occurred to him, he pulled a Storage Scroll from his waist and tossed it to Rinka across the table. "There are still plenty of Explosive Tags in there. We'll probably need them later."

Come to think of it, Hyuga Rinka really was rich. Uchiha Yi had thought he was wealthy and extravagant enough, but beside her, he realized he had underestimated what extravagance looked like.

There had been at least five hundred Explosive Tags in that woman's Storage Scroll!

What Genin carried more than five hundred Explosive Tags on a mission?

Uchiha Yi certainly didn't. Even Uchiha Fugaku wouldn't bring that many Explosive Tags on a mission.

That wasn't because the Hyuga Clan was stronger or wealthier than the Uchiha Clan. In fact, even two Hyuga Clans couldn't match the wealth of one Uchiha Clan.

The difference was that the Uchiha Clan didn't have anyone who bled its members dry the way the Hyuga Main Family did.

If the clan leader or elders tried to do that, the ordinary Uchiha would probably drag them from power.

The Uchiha had no Caged Bird Seal. They couldn't control the rest of their clan the way the Hyuga did.

In fact, no other clan exerted such absolute control over its members.

Not even the Ōtsutsuki Clan on the moon could manage that. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been wiped out in the future.

"Mm." Hyuga Rinka put away the Storage Scroll. She didn't ask Uchiha Yi how many Explosive Tags he had used or how many remained, much less worry that he had pocketed any.

It seemed she trusted him on that front. Then again, perhaps she simply didn't care.

They were only a few Explosive Tags. How much could they cost? Just more than an ordinary Genin might earn from a whole year of missions.

"Tsunade, how long will we be staying in this town?" Rinka asked after putting away the Storage Scroll, giving her a pointed look.

A smile touched Tsunade's lips. It seemed Rinka had figured something out. If she had to guess, Uchiha Yi had probably begun to suspect it before they even left Konoha.

Then Tsunade glanced at Kushina Uzumaki, who was busy stuffing her face. She probably hadn't noticed a thing. She was a little too oblivious, exactly like Nawaki.

It was fortunate Uchiha Yi was there. Otherwise, Tsunade would have worried that someone might trick Kushina someday.

Then again, Uchiha Yi was the most dangerous one of all. Kushina had no guard up around him. If he ever sold her off, she would probably help him count the money.

Forget it. Kushina isn't my responsibility. Grandmother thought highly of Uchiha Yi, treating him almost as well as Nawaki. She turned a blind eye to whatever was going on between him and Kushina, so she probably wouldn't stop them from getting together.

But Uchiha Yi was still tangled up with Uchiha Mikoto. Men who couldn't settle on one woman were such a headache.

Whichever one he chose, the other would be left hurt.

Fortunately, the Shinobi World had no rule requiring people to have only one spouse. Most people simply followed that custom. Tsunade couldn't even count how many women her grandfather, the Daimyō, had.

"We'll rest for a day and leave tomorrow for our second mission." Tsunade took a mission scroll from her clothes. "Since we're already out of the village, we might as well complete a few more missions.

"Uchiha Yi, Hyuga Rinka, you've both completed quite a few missions, and you're strong enough. Once we return, it should be about time for you to advance to Chunin. I'll recommend you for the Chunin Ninja Exams."

"Hey! Why do Yi and Rinka get to take the Chunin Ninja Exams? What about me?" Kushina Uzumaki immediately protested, glaring at Tsunade.

"To become a Chunin, you first have to be a ninja. You may be going on missions with me, but officially, you're still a student at the Ninja Academy. You aren't even a Genin.

"How are you supposed to become a Chunin?" Tsunade shot Kushina an exasperated look. She was trying to do the girl a favor, and this was the thanks she got.

Once war broke out, Kushina would be among the safest people in the village.

If Tsunade had her way, Nawaki, Uchiha Yi, and the others would stay in school forever and never become ninja.

"Uh..." Kushina Uzumaki froze. Right. She hadn't graduated yet.

If Yi and the others became Chunin while she wasn't even a Genin, wouldn't that be embarrassing?

"What's our next mission?" Uchiha Yi wasn't interested in the Chunin Ninja Exams. Even if he became a Chunin now, he wouldn't be Konoha's youngest. In truth, his advancement had been held back.

If he had applied to take the Chunin Ninja Exams six months ago, Tsunade and the others wouldn't have allowed it.

It was their way of protecting him. At least they had given him six months to grow stronger in peace.

Unless he had the misfortune to run into an exceptionally powerful enemy, Uchiha Yi could now face most threats without fear.

"We're going to the Land of Rivers to escort three nobles to the capital of the Land of Fire." Tsunade paused, then explained, "Relations between the great nations have been tense lately. War could break out at any moment, and the smaller countries may become battlefields. Even nobles could be caught up in a shinobi war.

"Those who favor Konoha and are close to the Land of Fire naturally want to flee to its capital for safety."

"I see." Uchiha Yi nodded thoughtfully. The mission didn't sound particularly difficult for them.

But would crossing into another country's territory really be all right?

Uchiha Yi gave Tsunade a speechless look. She was using them as bait, and she wasn't even trying to hide it!

And they weren't the only ones who could draw an enemy's attention. Tsunade was Hashirama's granddaughter and Konoha's foremost medical ninja. She was a target herself!