Chapter 61: Madara Uchiha, the Ninja World's Auspicious Omen
"Sigh..."
Asuka's eyelid twitched when the old man finished the free fried chicken sample without so much as a word of thanks. Shrugging it off, he turned back to work.
That was just how free samples worked.
If twenty out of a hundred people who sampled the food actually bought something afterward, it was already considered a success.
Across the street, Madara Uchiha silently watched Asuka's retreating figure, his gaze growing colder.
The past is the past.
Besides...
The boy had gotten in his way.
His eyes shifted to Shukaku, who was enthusiastically dusting bucket after bucket of fried chicken with chili powder. Madara's eyelid twitched again.
No matter how he looked at it, he simply couldn't understand how this boy had managed to tame a Tailed Beast.
---
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon and the crowds dispersed, Madara still hadn't learned anything useful from observing Shukaku.
"Hey."
Asuka looked across the street toward a ragged old man with tangled white hair, a deeply wrinkled face, and clothes that clearly hadn't been washed in ages.
Lowering his head, he asked the orange cat sprawled across a chair beside him,
"Feifei... has that old man been staring at us all day?"
"Mhm."
The orange cat nodded and muttered,
"Asuka, are you thinking about giving him a bucket of chicken?"
"Maybe he's like those old folks who collect discarded vegetable leaves from the market. He could be waiting until we pack up so he can gather whatever leftovers remain."
"Not exactly."
Asuka shook his head.
"The old man only said one sentence to me all day... but every now and then he gives off this strange air of arrogance."
"And the way he looks at me..."
He frowned slightly.
"It reminds me of how I used to stare at video game characters before transmigrating."
With that thought in mind, he walked over with a friendly smile.
"Old man, where's your home?"
Madara shifted his gaze away from Shukaku and looked up at him.
In a hoarse, ancient voice, he answered,
"Between the Land of the Dead... and the world of the living."
"...?"
Asuka stared at him blankly.
Old age really does mess with your head.
Poor guy.
After observing him for a while, Asuka was fairly certain the old man wouldn't survive another two months. There wasn't much point in seeking medical treatment anymore.
Patting him gently on the shoulder, Asuka said,
"Then eat whatever you feel like eating."
"Don't hold back."
"I'll treat you."
Calling the orange cat over, he turned and walked away.
He still had manga to draw tonight.
He didn't have time to spend worrying about an old man whose days were already numbered.
---
Watching Asuka disappear into the distance, Madara remained standing where he was, closing his eyes in thought.
Should I control Shukaku...
...or the boy?
Asuka himself was troublesome. Even in his current state, Madara could tell the boy wouldn't be easy to manipulate.
But controlling Shukaku carried its own risks.
If the Tailed Beast noticed anything unusual, he might waste the last of his precious ocular power for nothing.
His aging body simply wasn't capable of controlling two targets simultaneously anymore.
Before he reached a conclusion—
He suddenly felt himself being lifted.
His eyes snapped open.
He found himself slung across Asuka's back.
Listening to the wind whistle past while the young Uchiha sprinted through the streets, Madara frowned.
Have I been discovered?
Impossible.
The younger generation of the Uchiha couldn't possibly recognize him.
Even if he stood in front of the older generation exactly as he was now, they still wouldn't identify him.
After all...
He had been dead for nearly fifty years.
"Where are you taking this old man?"
Madara finally asked.
Without slowing down, Asuka replied matter-of-factly,
"To freeload at a banquet."
"I just remembered today's the clan head's son's birthday."
"The clan head's celebrating because his son survived his baptism on the battlefield, tempered himself under pressure, surpassed his former self, and achieved spiritual growth."
"So he's throwing him a celebration feast."
"As one of the clan's jōnin, I gave their family a huge cash gift."
"But there's no way I can eat enough tonight to make my money back."
"So I'm taking a loss."
He sighed dramatically.
"You haven't eaten all day, so come with me."
"Eat as much as you want."
"And even if you eat yourself sick..."
"I'll save you."
Madara narrowed his eyes.
He replayed every word Asuka had just spoken, searching for hidden meaning.
Because he felt he'd 'lost money,' he decided to bring a complete stranger to the clan head's banquet?
The explanation sounded flimsy.
Unless...
His relationship with the current clan head's faction was only average.
Or he believed today's generous gift would never be repaid in the future.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to feel cheated.
"Hmph."
Madara snorted inwardly.
Since when did I concern myself with such trivial calculations?
What am I afraid of?
I'll simply see what this boy is planning.
---
The Uchiha Clan Compound was bustling with activity.
A long line of banquet tables stretched down the main street, their dishes releasing mouthwatering aromas that tempted everyone nearby.
The ordinary clansmen hadn't been seated yet.
The children stared unblinkingly at the steaming food as servants continued carrying out dish after dish, secretly swallowing their saliva.
Meanwhile, the adults looked toward the large house at the end of the street, unable to hide the excitement in their eyes.
"I heard our young clan head was incredible during the war."
"He not only exposed the enemy's schemes but personally executed quite a few enemy shinobi."
"Can an Uchiha child possibly be compared to an ordinary four-year-old?"
"I heard the young master has already started thinking about matters that concern adults."
"Oh?"
Someone asked curiously,
"Like what?"
The speaker puffed out his chest proudly.
"I heard someone accidentally overheard him contemplating..."
"...the meaning of life."
"Tsk."
A disdainful click of the tongue suddenly echoed through the crowd, instantly ruining the atmosphere.
Everyone's faces twitched.
Turning toward the sound, they saw Asuka jogging past them toward the clan head's residence.
Watching him leave, one elderly woman rubbed her temple in annoyance.
"Why do I remember Asuka saying the exact same thing when he was little?"
"Now that you mention it..."
"I remember too."
"He always said he was 'thinking about the meaning of life' whenever he got caught sneaking peeks at adult magazines."
"That's right."
"Later he even taught himself to draw so he could appreciate the pictures himself."
"And then he got beaten half to death because of one of those drawings."
"...Can a character in a magazine really come to life and beat someone up?"
"I heard he might've drawn someone he absolutely shouldn't have."
"Oh?"
A familiar voice called out.
Ryoichi stopped walking and looked back.
"Asuka."
After greeting him, he continued forward with his hands behind his back.
As one of the clan's pillars, the jōnin naturally dined separately from the ordinary clansmen.
"Old man."
Asuka caught up beside him.
"How much gift money did you give this time?"
Only then did Ryoichi notice the elderly man riding on Asuka's back.
After examining him for a moment, he calmly replied,
"One hundred thousand ryō."
"You're rich."
Ryoichi smiled silently.
He wasn't wealthy.
He simply had lots of children and grandchildren.
Sooner or later, the clan head would have to return the favor with interest.
Then his gaze drifted back to the old man.
His brow slowly furrowed.
That hairstyle...
Why does it look so familiar?
"Asuka."
"Hm?"
Asuka turned around in confusion.
Behind him, Madara repeatedly blinked at Ryoichi.
Looking at the old man on his back, Asuka fell into thought.
If I tell the truth—that I picked up some random old man off the street and brought him here to freeload—people are definitely going to gossip.
I need another explanation.
Scratching his head, he lowered his voice.
"Today, I discovered someone extraordinary among the crowd."
"This old gentleman has to be over a hundred years old."
"He's practically the Ninja World's living lucky charm."
"It just so happens the clan head is hosting a banquet today."
"So I thought I'd bring this auspicious elder along."
"Maybe he'll bless the entire family with good fortune."
Ryoichi blinked.
A living lucky charm...
He had no reason to doubt Asuka's judgment.
If this old man truly was over a hundred years old...
Then calling him an auspicious symbol of the ninja world wasn't unreasonable.
But...
Does Konoha really have someone like this?
Or is he from another village?
The more Ryoichi stared at the old man...
The more familiar he seemed.
Where have I seen this... "auspicious symbol"... before?