Sitting in the most remote corner usually meant being overlooked.
Which often meant missing out on the best food.
But Uchiha Yoru was an exception.
Among the clan's upper ranks, he was practically invisible—
But among the lower ranks, his popularity was excellent.
Every servant in that courtyard knew him.
With just a greeting, the young attendants would prioritize bringing him the best dishes. Sometimes, he even got to taste certain delicacies before the clan head or elders did.
After all—
Those closest to the work mattered more than those far above.
So even in the most inconspicuous corner—
Yoru still ate the most.
And the best.
By the time night fell, the banquet finally ended.
Yoru, seated in the outermost courtyard, ended up being the last chūnin to leave.
Before leaving, he noticed that the clan head, the jōnin, and the elders all remained behind, continuing their tea and discussions.
The topic—
Most likely the war.
With Miwa Masayo sleeping soundly in his arms, Yoru cradled her carefully with his right hand and stepped out of the residence.
At the gate—
The clan steward, Uchiha Heihachi, handed him a thick envelope.
Yoru accepted it with his left hand, gave it a light squeeze—
And immediately broke into a bright smile.
Two hundred thousand ryō.
Ten times the gift he had given.
A return gift from the clan head.
Yoru was genuinely pleased.
This alone could sustain him for at least half a month.
It gave him far more room to be selective with missions.
Still—
After eating, drinking, and receiving such a generous return—
He felt a little embarrassed.
So he made a quiet decision.
Out of respect for Fugaku Uchiha—
If the opportunity arose in the future…
He might consider sparing Itachi Uchiha.
Of course—
That was only if he could ensure his own safety, the safety of those close to him, and the clan's survival.
Otherwise—
Itachi would still have to die.
Money was important.
But never more important than lives.
With fresh funds in hand, Yoru immediately stocked up on large amounts of food.
As for choosing missions—
Completely forgotten.
His days fell into a steady rhythm.
Weighted running.
Standing meditation.
Refining ninjutsu, taijutsu, swordsmanship, and throwing techniques.
Then cooking large amounts of fragrant meat as a reward.
Miwa Masayo continued her carefree life—
Eating well.
Sleeping well.
When she felt like it, she trained alongside him.
When she didn't—
She went to the Inuzuka compound to argue with Kuromaru.
Sometimes—
They fought.
Because her strength was rising rapidly, she had become evenly matched with Kuromaru.
With both masters' tacit approval—
The two ninja beasts fought freely.
Half play.
Half serious.
Improving reaction speed, combat skill, and physical strength.
A highly effective way to grow.
After all—
Ninja with animal partners were rare.
Combat-capable ninja beasts were even rarer.
Evenly matched ones?
Almost unheard of.
So neither Yoru nor Inuzuka Tsume ever interfered.
They only stepped in afterward—
To treat wounds.
Soothe tempers.
And encourage the next fight.
This kind of life—
Regular.
Focused.
Steady—
Made Yoru extremely satisfied.
Even the mind-ape within his inner world had quieted down, showing no signs of stirring trouble.
Every day of hard training brought visible, almost addictive results.
Soon—
He realized something.
His strength—
Had doubled.
The 650-kilogram weight he once struggled under—
Was no longer a problem.
But fate—
Was never kind.
It never allowed anyone but the protagonist to live too comfortably.
…
Yoru stared at the messenger in front of him, disbelief written all over his face.
"…Who?"
"Uchiha Obito?"
The messenger wore the Uchiha crest but was unfamiliar to Yoru—a clear sign he belonged to some high-ranking branch of the clan.
Hearing Yoru's reaction, the messenger gave a strange look.
"Yes. That 'least Uchiha-like' idiot."
"Uchiha Obito."
"He barged into the clan head's residence yesterday, demanding to join internal clan training."
"The clan head couldn't get rid of him, so he had to assign someone to teach him."
…Damn it.
So this started with him.
But why—
Did the blame land on him?
Yoru had suggested that Obito go back and train within the clan—
Because he already planned to deal with him in the future.
Maintaining a façade of goodwill now would make things easier later.
Since it was all part of an act—
His suggestion had been carefully calculated.
Helpful enough to look sincere.
Safe enough to avoid backfiring.
The Uchiha clan held internal training sessions twice a year—early summer and early winter.
Led by selected jōnin.
With outstanding chūnin assisting.
Lasting about a month.
Yoru had only just been promoted.
He had no qualification to participate.
So after making the suggestion—
He had completely forgotten about it.
And yet—
Days later—
The burden still fell on him.
Unbelievable.
Teaching Obito Uchiha—
Was a disaster waiting to happen.
Obito, before his fall—
Was hopeless.
He couldn't learn.
Techniques he grasped couldn't be used.
Techniques he used were full of flaws.
And worst of all—
He was stubborn.
Didn't listen.
At all.
Take away the protagonist halo—
And he was just a bigger, louder version of Naruto.
Teaching someone like that—
Was like carrying a massive, pitch-black burden.
Just thinking about it gave Yoru a headache.
"…Since when did the clan head become so easy to deal with?" Yoru asked. "And why me?"
The messenger sighed.
"I didn't know either at first. But Obito's grandfather was Elder Kongyuan."
"He was a direct-line descendant."
Yoru blinked.
Kongyuan… who?
"The elder passed away long ago," the messenger continued, "but he was Fugaku-sama's teacher."
That explained everything.
In the shinobi world—
The bond between teacher and student carried immense weight.
Sometimes even more than blood.
Obito's grandfather had been Fugaku's teacher.
Even if time had passed and Obito himself was struggling—
Once he made a request—
Fugaku had no choice but to fulfill it.
Otherwise—
His reputation would collapse.
"…But why me?" Yoru pressed.
The messenger looked at him.
"Because there's no one else."
"…What?"
"The clan is busy. Every jōnin and chūnin is tied up with missions."
Yoru understood instantly.
The Uchiha weren't just a clan within Konoha.
Their business spread across the Land of Fire—
Even beyond.
With war looming—
They were recalling assets, securing resources, preparing for conflict.
On top of that—
They handled village security.
And assignments from the Hokage.
Everyone—
Was overwhelmed.
So when Fugaku agreed to Obito's request—
And went to find someone—
He discovered something incredible.
There was actually—
A freshly promoted chūnin—
Sitting at home—
With no missions.
No duties.
No assignments.
"…Well then," the messenger said.
"What more is there to consider?"
"It's you."
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