What Are You Even Talking About?

The atmosphere at the dinner table was a little strange.

Fresh from her bath and dressed in clean clothes, Anko smelled sweet. Every so often, she put another helping of food in Yan's bowl.

"Try this. It's my dad's best dish."

Mitarashi Masamune lifted his bowl to his mouth, hiding his eyes behind it as he stared at the boy who had his daughter smiling like a flower.

Lunch ended like that.

"Sorry for the trouble, sir."

After giving the food a little time to settle, Yan said goodbye to Anko and Masamune.

Mitarashi Masamune nodded, his face composed while he screamed inwardly:

You certainly were trouble. Now hurry up and leave!

"Oh, right. I have something for you."

Yan took a scroll from inside his clothes and handed it to Anko. "If you finish what's written here, I'll have a big surprise for you."

Then he waved goodbye to Anko and left.

Mitarashi Masamune tried to sneak a look at the scroll, but Anko ran into her room to read it alone.

Looking thoroughly dejected, Masamune got ready to head out on a mission.

The scroll Yan had given Anko contained only a simple experiment, but it tested a wide range of scientific skills.

If Anko could complete it, Yan would recommend her to Orochimaru and help her become Orochimaru's disciple early.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru was holed up in who knew which laboratory, and Yan had no way to find him.

After leaving Anko's house, Yan sent several Shadow Clones to stake out Konoha's busier hot spring inns.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Lianping was patrolling the streets with a few colleagues.

"Seriously, the captain keeps telling us to rein in our tempers, but sometimes those people make me want to activate my Sharingan."

Lianping knew exactly what he meant. The melon seller he had arrested last time had spent a few days locked up, then gone around claiming the Police Force had mistreated him.

Only a handful of people believed it, but the rumor still stuck in Lianping's craw.

"Speaking of which, have you heard? The captain's brother-in-law has been making quite a name for himself lately. That's a Uchiha for you."

At the mention of Yan, Lianping felt a little embarrassed.

The boy was talented, certainly, but his taste in partners might be a little...

As he thought about it, Lianping spotted someone sneaking around upstairs at a nearby hot spring inn, apparently scouting the place.

He said a few words to his companions, and they quietly moved in to watch the suspect.

The suspect searched for a window. Lianping immediately assumed he meant to peep.

But what the suspect did next caught him off guard. He merely glanced at the vent to the women's bath without once looking inside, then turned toward the men's bath.

"Is he trying to look at men?"

His companion sounded baffled. The Uchiha of Konoha were, after all, fairly conservative.

"Whatever he's after, let's catch him first."

As Lianping drew closer, the figure began to look familiar.

He shook off the thought and joined his companions in surrounding the suspect.

They closed in quickly, and Lianping put a hand on the suspect's shoulder.

"Morata."

The suspect turned. Lianping and his companions froze.

That face belonged to none other than the famous Homura Uchiha.

A moment later, Homura Uchiha vanished in a puff of white smoke.

The clone had only been checking whether Jiraiya might gather material by making a small hole in the men's bath. Now that someone had spotted him, Yan had dispelled him to avoid a misunderstanding.

Yan's original body received the memory and thought nothing of it.

Lianping and the others, however, stood rooted to the spot.

"That was... Homura Uchiha, wasn't it?"

"Looked like him. But why would he be here?"

"Someone must have been impersonating him! A Uchiha would never do that. If he wanted to look, he'd look at the women's bath, right?"

"Right, right. It had to be an impostor..."

By unspoken agreement, they let the matter drop and prepared to resume their patrol.

But Lianping clenched his fists. He knew that had been Homura Uchiha's Shadow Clone.

After all, he had once witnessed what Homura Uchiha had done to a clansman named Obito...

Obito had been acting a little unhinged ever since, asking everyone what it meant that someone kept chasing him in his dreams.

Damn it. Being a genius doesn't give you the right to do that!

A sudden sense of justice rose in Lianping's chest, and he turned and ran toward the Military Police Station.

"Hey, Lianping! Where are you going?"

Lianping ignored the calls behind him. He was ready to sacrifice himself for the greater good.

The honor of the Uchiha must not be sullied!

He would report this to the captain. Homura Uchiha was still young. Perhaps some scoundrel had led him into this unsavory habit.

If the captain steps in soon, he might still set Yan straight. And if Yan refuses to change, or the captain shields him, then I, Uchiha Lianping, will be the first to sacrifice myself!

"Captain!"

Fugaku, who was working through a stack of documents, startled at Lianping's shout. His brow furrowed. Why had someone abandoned today's patrol?

"I have something important to report."

As Fugaku listened, his expression changed again and again.

What on earth are you talking about?

"Captain, every word I've said is true. I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Captain, for the honor of the Uchiha, you can't keep letting Homura Uchiha do as he pleases!"

Fugaku's entire understanding of what a proper Konoha Uchiha should be took a heavy blow.

He looked at Lianping's earnest face and fell into thought.

Could Yan really be...?

Elsewhere, Yan, who had staked out the inns from afternoon until sunset, was getting ready to go home.

It seemed he would not catch Jiraiya today. At least he had found the best spots and could now spot a peeper right away.

Next time, he could leave a Shadow Clone there to keep watch.

Yan had barely taken a step when one of his Shadow Clones dispersed.

A new memory appeared in his mind: that familiar head of white hair was heading for a window.

Yan turned and ran toward that hot spring inn. Sure enough, there was Jiraiya, busy gathering material.

"Heh, not bad at all. She's got half of what Tsunade has."

Jiraiya eagerly took in the lovely view, appraising his material.

Yan tapped him from behind. "Lord Jiraiya."

Jiraiya jumped and tumbled onto the roof. The noise alerted the people inside.

"Aaah! A peeping Tom!"

"Not good!"

Jiraiya glared at the brat who had ruined his fun, then took off.

Yan saw the danger and fled after him.

"Huff, huff... Not bad, kid."

Jiraiya braced his hands on his knees and looked at Yan, who was just as breathless. He had only been running at a leisurely pace, but he had not expected the kid to keep up.

"Uchiha brat, you ruined this great sage's fun. How are you going to make it up to me?"

"Lord Jiraiya, unless I'm mistaken, you were peeping just now. You even forgot a ninja's most basic caution."

"Ahem. Creating art takes complete concentration. Enough small talk. What do you want with this great sage?"

Yan took out Minato's Kunai. "Lord Jiraiya, let me introduce myself. I'm Homura Uchiha, Orochimaru's disciple."

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "Orochimaru actually took a disciple? And why do you have Minato's Kunai?"

Yan ignored Jiraiya's surprise and got straight to the point:

"Lord Jiraiya, I came to invite you to join my Heavenly Eye Society."

At the same time, he offered a gift by way of introduction.

Without changing his expression, Jiraiya glanced at the gorgeous woman on the cover of the magazine in Yan's hand.

His face instantly broke into a grin. "Well, how could I refuse a request from a junior? Come on, let's find somewhere to talk properly."