Chapter 27. Let's Go!
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A few days later...
Team Minato set out once again.
Recently, the situation across the ninja world has become increasingly tense. Most of the village's ninjas had started taking on missions outside the village, and even Jiraiya, after a few days of fun, had departed for the battlefield.
The village had grown noticeably quieter.
Rumors suggested that the Iwagakure ninjas at the front lines were sneaking around suspiciously as if something unusual was brewing. Spies from Kumogakure also reported frequent large-scale movements within Kumo, prompting Konoha to arrange its defenses promptly upon receiving this news.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Yuto continued living his quiet life. His business had already reached a new level, earning him a reward, and both his body and mind had grown significantly stronger. He could now open branch stores throughout the Land of Fire.
Despite the economic downturn and low consumer spending due to the war, a certain baseline of demand remained, so expanding sooner had its benefits.
In addition, wars between ninja villages... aside from Kirigakure attempting a distant raid, no war had yet entered the Land of Fire. The battles generally took place in other countries or along the borders.
So, things remained quite peaceful within the Land of Fire.
Currently, the bubble tea shop in Konoha was still managed by Uncle Sato, while the BBQ joint… was temporarily run by a civilian member of the Uchiha clan who had not yet awakened his Sharingan.
Yuto specifically chose a calm and ordinary person without any mental issues.
It's worth noting that the Uchiha mental issues came in two varieties: one type smiled at everyone and acted friendly but became completely unhinged when triggered—at best, they'd drown themselves; at worst, destroy the entire clan or even the world. The other type had a perpetual poker face, looked down on everything, and seemed arrogant. This second type wasn't as bad; when triggered, they mostly just liked showing off.
So, to avoid any future conflict, it was crucial to carefully select the resident manager.
Of course, the Uchiha took their work seriously, almost to the point of a strange compulsion or maybe some latent psychosis~
Because they were so meticulous, the Konoha Police Force often acted like a hard-nosed authority, enforcing the law so rigidly it ended up angering everyone.
Then came the Nine-Tails incident, and as rumors spread, long-standing conflicts erupted, giving Danzo the excuse he needed to act.
This just shows how powerful rumors can be—and how much worse it is when you're not even allowed a chance to clear your name!
As Yuto enjoyed the massage techniques of Suzune's gentle fists, he couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
The Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist techniques were truly impressive~
Just then.
As he let out a quiet "Mmm", the door opened.
"Yuto, you—" Kushina appeared in the doorway, looking at him with flushed cheeks and dazed eyes, and immediately froze. She quickly shut the door again, saying, "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."
"…"
Interrupt what?
It was just a massage—was there really a need to be so surprised?
Uchiha Yuto kept a calm face as he adjusted his clothes and glanced at Suzune, who was blushing slightly and adjusting her own clothes.
"…"
Why are you adjusting your clothes?
He shook his head helplessly, opened the door, and saw Kushina sneaking a peek. With a hint of irritation, he said, "There's nothing to see! We were just discussing business!"
Is it that strange for a boss and his assistant to discuss business in the office?
"What do you need?"
"It's just that Minato left, and now it's boring! I don't feel like going for the barbecue alone," Kushina said with a sheepish smile. "That stupid Nine-Tails has been making a fuss nonstop. I can't even take a nap in peace! I suggested it play some card games you taught me, like 'Fight the Landlord,' but it refused! So, I came by to see if you were free!"
"…"
No way would I want to be the odd one out in Fight the Landlord!
Yuto sighed helplessly. "Aren't you, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, worried that if you keep running to us Uchiha, the Hokage might come looking for trouble with me?"
"Relax!" Kushina gave Yuto a hearty slap on the shoulder. "You're not a ninja, so what's there to worry about?"
"So, what did you come to find me for?"
"To play Fight the Landlord?"
"No way! Minato works hard enough for his money. Let's save some of it for him."
"…" Kushina glared at him! Did he think she was some gambling addict like Tsunade?
"Then how about a round of Double-Handed Poker?"
"That's too quick—no thrill in it," Yuto said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Let's play Mahjong! We can play for small stakes, and a single round will last long enough. Three people and one beast—perfect!"
"Suzune's joining too?"
"I…"
"It's fine." Yuto shook his head and opened his Sharingan, giving Suzune a reassuring smile. "Just remember not to tell anyone."
Both Minato and Kushina already knew about the Uchiha family secrets, and he called her "Sister," so the two of them had promised to keep his secret. In return, he'd promised to keep it confidential—especially since Kushina might beat him up if he didn't!
He promptly closed the door.
"Let's go!"
And with that, the two of them arrived at a dim, damp place.
Suzune looked around in shock, then, understanding the importance, nodded solemnly and whispered to Yuto, "I won't tell anyone."
Yuto...
He wasn't as simple as he seemed!
Even if she didn't fully understand why, Suzune still trusted him.
At that moment,
"Hey, Uchiha brat!" boomed a loud voice. "Bringing more weird people again? There's four this time—one more than usual!"
"No Fight the Landlord today!" Yuto waved his hand, summoning a Mahjong set and table.
Looking at the Nine-Tails trapped in its cage, Yuto recalled how he once joked with Kushina that she could try to befriend the Nine-Tails. Surprisingly, she had actually managed to do it.
Over time, they'd even become card-playing buddies.
In the name of "studying the Nine-Tails' chakra"… he'd ended up a card buddy too.
"We're playing Mahjong."
"Mahjong?"
"You'll see soon enough."
"Hmph! Boring! This old fox has lived for ages; there's nothing I haven't seen! Just a little curious!" The prideful Nine-Tails huffed disdainfully but kept sneaking glances at the Mahjong table. "If it weren't for my immense power that made Senju Hashirama tremble back then, forcing him to fight me in a grueling three-hundred-round battle, before using underhanded techniques to seal me away… I'd have devoured you all by now!"
"Sure, sure!" Yuto held back a laugh. The story didn't exactly match the version where Hashirama pinned it down like a duck, but he let the Nine-Tails boast. "Today, are we betting chakra again? Or… want Kushina to cover your losses?"
He had a dream.
To one day play Mahjong with all nine Tailed Beasts!
"I…"
The Nine-Tails hadn't finished speaking when Kushina interrupted.
"No way!" Kushina refused instantly. Following Yuto's explanation, she eagerly began arranging her tiles. "Come on! Let's start!"
"Hmph!" The Nine-Tails stiffened, then let out a cold snort, saying arrogantly, "Fine! I have plenty of chakra!"
Looking like a bossy old fox, as if it had all the wealth in the world!
And with that—
the clattering of tiles began as the first-ever Mahjong game in the ninja world commenced within the sealed space.
…
Meanwhile,
Minato's team was in a crisis.
Obito, holding a kunai, guarded Rin alongside Kakashi, cautiously watching their opponents.
After completing many missions, he had grown, no longer as nervous as he once was when facing enemies.
But now…
Minato-sensei had drawn away one group of enemies, but somehow… another group had appeared!
They were now facing two enemy Jonin, while they were only Genin—this was dangerous!
"What do we do now?"
No one answered, and Obito understood that words were pointless against such foes.
His hand holding the kunai trembled slightly, and his mind raced for a plan.
Suddenly…
He noticed something strange behind the Earth-Style user in front of him—a suspicious dark mass that didn't look like something any human could leave behind. For a second, he remembered that annoying guy's words from that night…