Early morning.
Thousand Nights awoke at his usual hour, the same strict schedule he had followed since the Academy days similar to how Sasuke trained at dawn back in the Uchiha district.
He brushed his teeth and washed up first, using the polished copper basin that the Uchiha households traditionally kept in their side rooms.
Then, stepping into the courtyard paved with the familiar red-brown Uchiha stone tiles, he practiced for another hour basic taijutsu drills, chakra-control routines, and a short session of Water Release shaping, just as he had done every morning since his battle with the Root squad.
By the time he finished, the sun had fully risen above the tiled roofs of the clan compound. ANBU sentries were already switching shifts; even the distant training grounds were beginning to fill with the sounds of kunai striking wood.
And then
Thousand Nights made his way toward the side room.
He slid the door open
And saw Wang Tu sprawled across the futon, sound asleep.
A tiny trail of glistening drool hung from the corner of her mouth.
Her limbs were stretched out in the shape of a big "大",
and one long, pale, smooth leg was sticking boldly out from under the blanket.
Thousand Nights: "…"
So this was what Kuishan meant when he said she was "excellent at taking care of people"?
Oversleeping more than the household head?
Chiya raised his foot and nudged her twice.
Wang Tu rolled over, mumbling, "Don't… don't bother me~ let me sleep a little longer…"
Wow.
She slept like a rock!
Thousand Nights' expression darkened into a black line.
He formed a quick one-handed seal an efficiency unique to someone skilled in Water Release.
A tiny Suiton: Drizzle Technique formed above her head.
A handful of icy water splashed down, soaking her like a drenched chicken.
"Ah!!"
Wang Tu jolted upright like she'd been struck by lightning.
She wiped her little wet face with both hands, ready to complain but then she suddenly realized who was standing in front of her.
Qianye smiled without smiling.
"You're finally awake. So, what do you want for breakfast? Should I be the one making it for you?"
Wang Tu froze for a few seconds.
Then her whole expression collapsed.
It's over.
It's really over this time.
She had overslept on her first day of work.
Her brother's words from last night echoed in her head:
"Don't be fooled by how approachable that little brat seems. It's only on the surface. When he gets angry trust me it's terrifying."
"Your brother once broke his rules, and then… sigh. I still tear up thinking about it."
"In short work hard, don't anger him, understand?"
Remembering this, Wang Tu broke into a cold sweat.
Her food, her lodging her survival all depended on Thousand Nights now.
If he threw her out in anger, she'd have nowhere to go.
"I—I promise I'll never do it again!"
She raised her small hand timidly, like a child caught by a strict teacher.
"This time, let's chalk it up to you not being used to the place yet… but don't make it a habit."
Thousand Nights didn't want to pursue such a trivial matter further.
"Yes!" she said quickly.
"Th-Then… whatever you want for breakfast, I'll prepare it right away!"
"Oh and I can also make some specialties from Tsuchi no Kuni. Do you want to try them?"
Wang Tu asked, exhaling in relief as she tried to show off her strengths in cooking hoping to redeem her image as quickly as possible.
Qianye waved his hand dismissively.
"Forget it. I'm still not used to the specialties from Tsuchi no Kuni. Besides, it's already late in the morning. By the time you finish cooking breakfast, it'll practically be noon. We'll just go out and eat."
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the room.
Behind him, Wang Tu stuck her tongue out secretly, making a mischievous face then hurried to follow him before he noticed.
...
"Patriarch, good morning!"
"Morning, Patriarch!"
"I picked these vegetables fresh from the clan fields still covered in dew. Please take them home to try!"
"Patriarch, if you need help reinforcing the north wall again, my sons and I are free today!"
Walking along the stone-paved streets of the Uchiha district,
clansmen greeted Qianye one after another warmly, respectfully, even enthusiastically.
Some bowed slightly, others stopped their chores just to speak to him.
And Qianye responded to each person with a calm smile, the same way Fugaku used to carry himself before the clan meeting hall.
Behind him, Wang Tu followed with wide eyes completely dumbfounded.
She hadn't expected this at all.
This "little patriarch," who looked about the same age as her, was actually this respected?
From this alone, it was clear
His prestige within the clan must be extremely high.
Even in Iwagakure, the formidable Tsuchikage Ōnoki couldn't casually stroll through the village and receive this level of affection.
The more she saw, the more Wang Tu realized
She truly could not see through this boy named Thousand Nights.
Before long,
Qianye stopped at a modest outdoor stall operated by an old couple who had been feeding hungry Uchiha genin since the days before the Nine-Tails attack.
He sat down and ordered two breakfasts.
The development of the shinobi world was always strange in its contradictions.
This could be seen in technology
There were televisions, even movie theaters like the one in the Land of Fire capital yet they still relied on messenger hawks and hand-written scrolls for important communication.
And it could be seen in food as well
There were traditional Japanese dishes like miso soup, grilled fish, and ramen from Ramen Ichiraku, yet also Western-style foods like bread, milk, and butter brought in from the Land of Tea and the Land of Snow.
Qianye glanced across the table at Wang Tu.
She sat neatly in seiza, eating in a very disciplined manner a bite of rice, a bite of grilled fish, then a sip of soup to balance the flavor. She chewed slowly, nodded with approval from time to time, and seemed deeply content.
Watching her eat so happily,
Thousand Nights suddenly felt a mischievous impulse rise within him.
Just as she lifted the small bowl again to drink another sip of miso soup
Qianye said calmly:
"Since you overslept and made us eat outside this morning…
this meal is on you."
PFFF—!!
Wang Tu instantly sprayed the miso soup she had just swallowed.
She stared at Qianye with a shocked, pitiful expression.
"I… I don't have any money…"
When she had been captured by Konoha's shinobi during her mission,
all valuables on her body had been confiscated according to standard ANBU procedure.
She truly didn't have a single coin left!
And
If she had known she would be expected to treat him
she absolutely would not have agreed to come out!
Seeing her trembling expression, Qianye smiled and said:
"It's fine. Just owe it."
Wang Tu: "…"
It was only her first day of work. Not only had she failed to earn anything she had instead fallen into debt.
Suddenly, the breakfast in front of her didn't taste good at all…
—
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