Honest talk over drinks, the Nara clan's castoff

The ANBU operative finished reading the orders and left the tent without looking back.

Only then did Jin Uchiha and the other two finally let their tightly wound nerves relax.

They had all more or less known what to expect, but until things were settled, none of them could say there would be no surprises.

Now the Hokage's orders had set everything in stone.

Jin Uchiha grabbed his cup and clunked it against the table. "This is good news."

"Besides, I figure our new assignments won't come through anytime soon."

"We've been together this long. Before we all go our separate ways, we ought to drink our fill today."

With that said,

He pulled out a Storage Scroll and began producing jar after jar of liquor like a magician, along with enough food to cover the table.

He had prepared all of it before coming to the front.

It was only because they were in the main frontline camp that he held back. Anywhere else, he would have happily lit a fire and grilled some skewers right there.

Jin Uchiha was a reasonably normal person.

All his little schemes ultimately came down to keeping himself alive.

In a world this chaotic and rotten, anyone without a few tricks and plans up their sleeve would wind up dead sooner or later.

The world of the Hokage was nothing like the hot-blooded adventures of One Piece.

But things were different now.

They would never be put on the same squad again, or Hiruzen Sarutobi would not have issued orders like these.

Once the squad split up, their conflicting interests would disappear.

Besides, after spending these past days together, calling them friends who would die for each other would be nonsense, but they had at least built some camaraderie.

As long as they did not interfere with his interests, Jin Uchiha was quite happy to make a few more friends.

"Exactly. We've got nothing else to do anyway." Kazama Nara grinned too. "Come on, let's drink. Nobody's walking out of here on their own feet."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke.

A moment's thought told him that Jin Uchiha's guess was probably right.

Under normal circumstances,

a squad like theirs, fresh from clawing their way out of a pile of corpses, would certainly be given time to rest.

Throughout that stretch, every waking and sleeping moment had brought them to death's door.

Now that they finally had a breather, a good, unrestrained drinking session was just the thing to shake off their exhaustion.

Besides, once the cups came out,

it was a good opportunity to build closer ties.

Shin Kudo said little. He nodded and sat down with them.

The three of them stayed inside the tent, passing cups around and drinking.

Their conversation wandered everywhere, following whatever came to mind.

After several rounds, the tension gradually drained away.

Shin Kudo looked deeply moved.

His gaze settled on Jin Uchiha across from him, and his eyes suddenly filled with complicated emotions.

He knew perfectly well.

If Jin Uchiha had not pulled him out of danger two days earlier, he would not be sitting here drinking. He would be lying outside as a corpse.

After a long silence, Shin Kudo tipped back a cup and suddenly spoke.

"Jin Uchiha."

"If you hadn't reached out and pulled me back, I'd have been dead long ago."

"We're both sensible men. I know you must have had your own reasons for saving me."

"But that doesn't matter."

"I'm just a civilian shinobi. My life isn't worth much, but you saved it. That's a fact."

"If you ever need me for anything, just send word."

Jin Uchiha narrowed his eyes slightly.

Looking at that grateful face, he honestly took none of it to heart.

Only a fool took drunken promises seriously.

Shin might genuinely have been full of gratitude right then, but the alcohol had certainly helped those words along.

Once he sobered up tomorrow morning, someone else might extend an olive branch, and he might eagerly run straight to them.

Still,

knowing the truth was one thing. Nobody was going to spoil the mood by saying it aloud at a time like this.

Jin Uchiha laughed, and that was the end of it.

About an hour later,

Shin Kudo, the worst drinker of the three, tipped his head sideways and slid straight under the table.

Jin Uchiha and Kazama Nara each took one side, hauled him up, and tossed him onto his bed, then pulled a blanket over him.

The two returned to the table.

After a few more casual drinks, Kazama Nara was the first to broach a subject.

"Jin."

"Shin Kudo is actually worth winning over."

"He's a civilian shinobi. The village barely gives him a second glance."

"Give him a few basic ninjutsu, and that would probably be enough to make him risk his life for you."

"Besides, he's survived at least two major wars. Both his character and his abilities are outstanding."

"If you're willing to put some effort into developing him, he'll definitely become a capable hand."

"As for worrying about betrayal, I don't think you need to dwell on it. Just make him prove his commitment."

"There are plenty of ways to keep someone under control and stop them from turning against you."

"Of course, the most important thing is his background."

"He comes from the ranks of civilian shinobi. Once he really makes a name for himself, his influence among them will be nothing to scoff at."

"..."

Kazama Nara's reasoning was clear and orderly.

Even after all that liquor, his mind remained perfectly sharp.

Jin Uchiha, however, was a little bewildered by what he heard.

What was this about?

He stared at Kazama Nara strangely for a long while before finally asking.

"What are you playing at?"

"Sure, we've fought together. We could just about call each other comrades."

"But let's be honest."

"We both know what the other is like. We've each got our own agenda."

"You're going to all this trouble to advise me, and I honestly can't figure out what you're hoping to get."

"Until you explain that, I'm not interested in anything else you have to say."

Every choice a person made had a purpose behind it. Put plainly, it came down to self-interest.

But what were the two of them to each other?

Just members of a cannon-fodder squad thrown together by a jumble of circumstances.

With Kazama Nara suddenly laying his heart bare and making plans on his behalf, Jin Uchiha genuinely could not work out what he wanted.

Kazama Nara shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Neither of us has any right to laugh at the other. We're cut from the same cloth." His voice grew heavy, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes. "I don't believe you haven't noticed the mess surrounding the Uchiha."

"Everything you're doing now is meant to distance yourself from the Uchiha."

"But here's the problem."

"I don't think the village will let you off that easily. You bear the Uchiha name. That alone is your original sin."

"Of course, I believe in your abilities. Sooner or later, you'll reach a height where even the Hidden Leaf won't dare touch you lightly."

"But what comes after that?"

"In the Shinobi World, individual strength matters, sure. But in another sense, it only gets you so far."

"The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, was strong enough, wasn't he? Yet once he died, didn't the Senju clan disappear all the same?"

"So the safest path is to build a power base of your own."

"You can't shoulder everything alone forever. Right now, you're young, and you have plenty of other worries."

"But once you truly become powerful, marriage and children are things you won't be able to avoid."

"Can you honestly guarantee that you'll protect your family for the rest of their lives?"

"The best way is to build your own circle of followers."

"Our Nara clan might look secure, but my position is fucking awkward. I have to plan for the future."

"Even if I spend my whole life swallowing humiliation, even if I really do become stronger, what would it change?"

"There will never be a place for me in the Hidden Leaf's Nara clan. Shikaku Nara won't give me the slightest chance."

"And now, I've found you."

"After spending these past days with you, I'm betting you can make something of yourself."

"I'm betting you can have Hashirama Senju's strength and Tobirama Senju's cunning."