The kitchen had been set up outside because Yanbai disliked having his tomb filled with cooking fumes.
Ordinarily, Yanbai would not let Madara Uchiha into the kitchen to help, either.
Madara Uchiha had been unhappy about it at first, but after Yanbai casually said a few flattering words, he gladly accepted the arrangement.
At that moment, wisps of smoke rose from the kitchen.
Yanbai's clones were busy at work, with ninjutsu flying everywhere inside.
Yanbai himself, meanwhile, sat on the threshold with Cherry Ink in his arms.
Stroking Cherry Ink's now entirely white whiskers, Yanbai squeaked earnestly, "Cherry Ink, if you keep teaching Tangerine to say things like that, Madara will find out sooner or later."
At those words, Cherry Ink burrowed deeper into Yanbai's arms. It instinctively tried kneading him, but his skin was so hard that the contact hurt its entire body. After shifting positions several more times, it finally settled where his clothes were thickest.
A mouse's life came first. Not just anything could safely touch a guy like Yanbai.
Cherry Ink suddenly felt deeply sorry for Madara Uchiha.
How awful! No wonder those two weren't together.
Despite those thoughts, Cherry Ink squeaked back, "He won't find out. Tangerine's too dumb and clueless."
Yanbai shook his head. "Tangerine's still a child. Don't teach it bad habits. It still needs to find a wife and have lots of children someday."
That reminded Yanbai of how Tangerine had openly provoked Madara Uchiha earlier that day.
It had actually driven Madara Uchiha to use dōjutsu on a cat.
At the time, Yanbai had even said, "Tangerine's just a little kitty. Let it go..."
It had only spoken a few extra words of human language. Tangerine was simply trying to be cute, though the little kitty's words really were infuriating.
But