No Pay After the Fun!

Yongye slowly raised his head. A fierce aura rolled off him as his gaze moved between Ayame and Teuchi. When he spoke, his voice was cold and utterly firm.

"What did you put in my ramen?"

The question hit Ayame and Teuchi like a bucket of ice water dumped over their heads.

Ayame's trademark smile froze, then crumbled away.

Her delicate face went white. Her lips began to tremble, and her eyes filled with the terror of someone exposed in public.

Teuchi's reaction was even more immediate.

The cleaning cloth fell from his hand. He stood rooted to the spot as sweat beaded on his forehead and ran down his round face.

Their Chakra surged at the same instant—overwhelming fear!

He found out! He hadn't even looked toward the kitchen! He hadn't touched his chopsticks or even smelled the ramen.

How could he know?

"We... we didn't add anything..." Ayame stammered, her voice barely audible. "It's just... normal... ramen..."

Yongye leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Killing intent radiated from him.

"Confess, and I'll go easy on you. Resist, and I won't!"

He paused. The crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared in his eyes and slowly turned.

"We Uchiha always keep our word... you know that. And you can't hide anything from the Sharingan."

The Sharingan.

Ayame's legs nearly gave out.

She grabbed the stool beside her, gripping it so hard the seat creaked.

Teuchi hurried in front of his daughter and spread his thick arms to shield her.

The ramen shop owner's lips were trembling too, but his eyes were steadier than hers. He looked like a man who knew he was doomed and had decided to face it anyway.

"I'm sorry..."

Ayame's voice cracked, and tears welled in her eyes. "It was me... I put something in your ramen..."

"It was me!"

Teuchi cut her off, his voice loud and urgent.

His throat shook. Every word sounded forced out, laden with desperate resolve.

"I put dirty dishwater in your ramen! My daughter had nothing to do with it! Leave her alone! If you want to kill someone, kill me!"

Ayame jerked her head up, and her tears spilled over.

"Dad! That's not—"

"Quiet!"

Teuchi shouted his daughter down, then turned to face Yongye.

The ramen shop owner's knees shook. His breathing was heavy, and cold sweat covered his forehead, but his small eyes stayed fixed on Yongye.

Like a hen protecting her chick.

Yongye watched him in silence for a moment, then asked, "Why?"

Teuchi's lips moved, but he hunched his shoulders and said nothing. It wasn't that he didn't want to answer. He was afraid to. Some things were worse to say aloud than putting dirty dishwater in someone's ramen.

Yongye raised his middle finger, every inch the villain.

"Last chance. If you still won't tell me the truth—"

"I'll slaughter both of you!"

Teuchi flinched hard.

He raised his head. Rage and bitter resentment filled his round face, and his eyes turned red.

He clenched his teeth until his cheeks bulged like they were stuffed with dough. Then he seemed to snap and roared at the top of his lungs.

"You Uchiha... you're always so arrogant and overbearing! You're always making life hard for ordinary people like us! I've put up with you for years! You drove me to this..."

His voice grew louder and hoarser, as though grievances bottled up for half a lifetime had finally found an outlet.

Tears streamed down his round face. He didn't wipe them away. He just glared at Yongye.

"I can't stand you! I wanted to make you sick! My daughter had nothing to do with it. It was all me! If you're going to kill someone, kill me. Leave my daughter out of it!"

Yongye listened without getting angry.

He shook his head slightly, feeling a measure of genuine admiration for the Second Hokage, who had been dead for decades.

Tobirama Senju, you were a fucking genius. What a fine time bomb you planted!

The Uchiha had rotten tempers. They looked down on everyone, spoke without thinking, and acted as if the whole world owed them a fortune.

And Tobirama had put them in charge of the Konoha Military Police Force, handling public order and disputes within Konoha.

The villagers of Konoha were no pushovers, either.

They had bullied Naruto, Sakura, Choji, Iruka, Kushina, Hinata, Hatake Sakumo—the White Fang—Might Guy, Kakashi, Rock Lee...

Calling them Konoha's vicious rabble wouldn't be unfair!

The cold, arrogant Uchiha versus Konoha's vicious rabble: of course they despised each other. Their grudges deepened, spread, and dragged more and more people in.

It had reached the point where Uchiha Yongye couldn't even go out for ramen without Teuchi, the supposedly well-regarded shop owner, putting dirty dishwater in his bowl.

But the reason didn't matter. Yongye had only asked out of curiosity. It changed nothing about what came next.

This was Fusang. Yongye would never let anyone mess with him! He was the one who would mess with others!

He sneered and spoke slowly. "Let me introduce myself—Uchiha Yongye. I'm the Uchiha who beat the crap out of Danzo last night."

The faces of Teuchi and his daughter changed completely.

Until then, a sliver of hope had remained beneath their fear. Maybe this Uchiha was only trying to scare them. Maybe he was all talk. Maybe Konoha's rules could restrain him a little.

Now that hope was gone.

Word of the huge disturbance outside the Uchiha Clan Compound last night had spread all over Konoha that morning.

Before opening his shop, Teuchi had heard the grilled-skewer seller next door talking about it. Some Uchiha madman had beaten Lord Danzo senseless, killed more than a dozen Root Elite, and forced even Lord Hokage to back down.

Whether the rumors were true or not, anyone who dared announce in public that he had beaten Danzo was clearly beyond the law!

No rule could restrain him. No one could protect them.

Yongye looked at Teuchi's ashen face, then at Ayame's tearful, terrified eyes, and nodded with satisfaction.

That'll teach you to be crooked cooks!

That'll teach you to put dirty dishwater in a customer's ramen!

You reap what you sow!

"What are you standing around for? Make me a fresh bowl. A proper one."

Teuchi remained frozen, unable to react for a moment.

Ayame shuddered. Tears still clung to her face, but her desire to survive overrode everything else. She turned instinctively toward the stove, only for Yongye to grab her wrist.

"Not you."

Yongye shoved Teuchi toward the stove, then pulled Ayame into the seat beside him by her wrist.

"You sit here and entertain me like a hostess at a hot spring inn. Make me happy, and we'll call it even."

With that, he put his hands on her.

Ayame stiffened as though she'd been struck by lightning. Her body went taut, and her deathly pale face flushed bright red, all the way to her ears.

She wanted to push him away, but she hesitated.

Yongye knew that reaction well. He had seen it plenty of times in the Japanese and Korean sections! Trying it with a real person was far more satisfying than watching.

Teuchi's pupils contracted. His eyes reddened, and his lips shook violently.

"Lord Yongye..."

His voice trembled, low and hoarse, as though it took every ounce of strength he had to get the words out.

He opened his mouth. Tears swam in his eyes, but all he managed in the end was a pitiful plea.

"We're nothing like a hot spring inn. We only sell ramen..."

Yongye didn't even look up. He kept going and said with a casual laugh, "If I don't pay after I'm done, then you haven't sold anything!"

Sweat poured down Teuchi's face. He stamped his foot and turned away.

With that, Yongye grew even bolder.

Ayame was no longer stiff. She responded awkwardly, trying to please him.

A while later, Teuchi finished making another bowl of ramen at the stove. He hesitated in embarrassment, unsure whether to bring it out.

Then a loud, full-throated shout came from outside.

"Hey, you two! In broad daylight? Have some decency! Take it somewhere else before you corrupt the kids!"

Ayame tore herself out of Yongye's arms and stumbled back two steps, frustration and panic mingling on her face.

She recognized the tall figure at the entrance. Her eyes darted around as she hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

Just then, Teuchi rushed out from behind the stove and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Lord Asuma! Help! This Uchiha is going to kill me and my daughter!"