Chapter 590: Jailer's Grip!

"No, Lord Izuna, you want me, a logistics elder nearing retirement, to take charge?"

Uchiha Rucha, who was yawning and slacking off, pointed at himself in astonishment. Ever since Uchiha Gin had elevated him to the position of elder, he had been working diligently for the clan, never daring to show the slightest bit of negligence.

Having finally managed to coast toward retirement and his golden years, why was he being dragged out and entrusted with such a heavy responsibility again?

"Elder Rucha, do not be so humble. The organization has seen your work attitude over these years; the position of Head Elder is yours and yours alone."

Uchiha Izuna shook his head, spouting nonsense with a straight face. If his eldest cousin hadn't recommended Uchiha Rucha to him, he would have almost forgotten this person even existed.

"He is just a low-ranking elder who started as a prison guard; by what right can he be the clan's head?"

Uchiha Setsuna, who had only just quieted down, jumped out again. His sinister eyes stared fixedly at the visibly resistant Uchiha Rucha, wishing he could take his place.

As the son of the previous Head Elder, Uchiha Ryuei, his work in the Police Force had merely been a transition.

Once his service period ended, he would be able to take over the setup his father had left behind, become the new Head Elder with the support of the old regime's remnants, and become the number one person under the Uchiha brothers.

Yet now, Uchiha Izuna was telling him that the position of Head Elder would be filled by the usually inconspicuous Uchiha Rucha. How could he possibly accept this?

"He is not worthy, but are you?"

Glancing over slightly, Uchiha Izuna looked at the hopping-mad Uchiha Setsuna, a flash of impatience crossing his heart.

Eldest cousin was right; these clansmen who were left behind had gathered all the flaws of the Uchiha—arrogant, perverse, and dismissive of others. If he were to take them back to the Land of Waves, they would likely cause no small amount of trouble for the Uchiha's new world.

"Uchiha Setsuna, even if your father were still alive, he would not dare to spout such nonsense during a clan meeting. Considering you have only just been released from prison and your mindset has not yet adjusted, I will spare you this time."

Uchiha Izuna shook his head lightly. As the saying goes, a tiger father does not beget a dog son, so why did Uchiha Ryuei produce such a useless thing?

"However, while the death penalty may be avoided, living punishment is inevitable. Since you look down on prison guards so much, you will go to the prison to clean for the next year."

"Lord Izuna, you cannot..."

Upon hearing that he would be demoted to the dark, sunless prison to deal with foul-smelling criminals every day, Uchiha Setsuna instantly lost his nerve. He immediately knelt on both knees, preparing to beg Uchiha Izuna for mercy.

"Say no more. Do you not know that your father also started as a prison guard? I am having you retrace your father's path; I hope you can gain some insight from it."

Glaring fiercely at the terrified Uchiha Setsuna, Uchiha Izuna waved his hand.

"If there is business, state it; if not, the court is dismissed."

Soon, the clansmen, immersed in the bombardment of a series of explosive news, dispersed one after another. Uchiha Rucha, who had been promoted just before retirement, was still using his Sharingan to confirm if he had been caught in a genjutsu, but the result left him very disappointed.

"Sigh, and I was all ready to go home and hold my granddaughter~"

Sighing softly as he faded the rotating three tomoe in his eyes, a look of helplessness appeared on Uchiha Rucha's aged face.

"Congratulations, Brother Rucha. You could say this is a withered tree meeting spring, experiencing a second youth."

Uchiha Hi no Ki, walking over from not far away, smiled and offered his congratulations.

"Brother Hi no Ki, stop making fun of me. Don't I know how much I'm worth?"

Uchiha Rucha shook his head with a bitter smile.

As colleagues who had both served in the prison, their private relationship had always been quite good, and they would often gather to drink at Uchiha Daro's barbecue restaurant.

"Are you free today? Let's go have a drink."

Uchiha Hi no Ki's smile did not fade as he invited Uchiha Rucha to gather that evening.

"Just the two of us? Who else?"

"Let's call Brother Gin as well, and also Jiro... sigh."

How could a gathering be complete without their good buddy Uchiha Gin? As Hi no Ki spoke, he mentioned another friend they were familiar with, but his expression instantly turned gloomy.

"Don't be too sad. It's been so long; you should let go of the matter of Jiro's sacrifice."

A flash of sadness crossed Uchiha Rucha's eyes. He raised his hand to pat the shoulder of the silent Uchiha Hi no Ki, speaking to comfort him.

"If I had gone along on that mission, perhaps Jiro wouldn't have sacrificed himself, or at least he wouldn't have ended up without even a corpse left."

Uchiha Hi no Ki, his face full of remorse, had tears in his eyes, his veins bulging as he clenched his fists tightly. It was clear that he had been immersed in the grief of losing his good friend for all these years.

"Cheer up. If Jiro knew in the afterlife, he certainly wouldn't want to see his best friend so decadent."

"I couldn't even protect Jiro's remains; what right do I have to call myself his best friend?"

Uchiha Hi no Ki wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, his heart filled with guilt toward his friend. He hadn't even managed to keep safe the adult magazines that Jiro had treasured for years.

That detestable adult magazine thief!

I will definitely bring you to justice!

The day he recovered the mementos, he would definitely burn those unspeakable magazines at Jiro's grave, allowing his friend's thirsty soul to find peace.

This was also the reason why Uchiha Hi no Ki had refused promotions within the clan for so many years, insisting on remaining on the front lines of the Konoha Police Force.

Otherwise, based on his seniority and connections, he would have long since mixed into the clan's upper echelons and become a widely respected enforcement elder.

As the sun set, the residents of the Hidden Leaf Village, who had toiled for a day, welcomed a rare moment of leisure. Villagers in groups of three or five flocked to the Hidden Leaf commercial street, looking for food to comfort their stomachs.

The ninjas who had been running missions all day also put down their kunai, changed into ordinary clothes, and blended into the marketplace to enjoy the joy of life outside of work.

Daro's Barbecue Restaurant, this old shop with over twenty years of history, was still packed. Many residents who had grown up eating here were regulars; it could be said that if they didn't eat here for a day, they would feel miserable all over.

"Daro, find us a spot."

Uchiha Rucha and Uchiha Hi no Ki, who had been walking together after the clan meeting ended, pulled open the shop door and greeted Uchiha Daro, who was sitting at the cash register, with smiles.

"You guys! Rare guests, rare guests! Aji! Hurry up and clean up our usual spot."

Uchiha Daro at the cash register waved his hand with a smile. Advanced in age, he no longer had the energy to stay in the back kitchen; he had now retreated to the second line, acting as a hands-off boss.

After his younger brother suddenly "sacrificed" himself a few years ago, Uchiha Daro had been depressed for a long time, and the bustling shop had been closed to guests for quite a while.

Just when everyone thought he wouldn't be able to walk out of the grief of losing his brother, he had unexpectedly opened the shop again, and his drive was much higher than before.

Not only did he wave his hand to expand the scale of the shop, but he also opened several branches in the Land of Fire, and business was extremely hot.

Recently, there was news that he was preparing to open a shop in the Land of Waves, thousands of miles away from the Land of Fire, and it was to be his largest investment in a storefront, with him and his wife going to oversee it personally.

"Just the two of you?"

Uchiha Daro, leading the two toward the back of the shop, turned back to ask.

"We also invited Brother Gin."

Uchiha Hi no Ki shook his head and said. He had already sent a Shadow Clone to invite Uchiha Gin; based on the time, he should be arriving soon.

"You invited Gin too!? Then I have to go have a word with the supplier later."

Upon hearing that Uchiha Gin was coming, Uchiha Daro's expression suddenly froze.

The stock of large kidneys in his shop was running low; he had to get the goods fully stocked to be prepared for any unexpected needs.

Bang, bang, bang—

"Who is it?"

Accompanied by a rhythmic knocking, Senju Itama, wearing an apron and already preparing dinner, poked his head out from the crack in the door.

"Hi no Ki?"

Seeing the middle-aged man standing outside the door, he blinked in confusion. His beautiful black eyes then swept over the man's empty hands without a trace, and his delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Daring to come to the door without bringing anything?

"Is something the matter? We didn't cook dinner tonight, you know."

Secretly hiding the kitchen knife in his hand behind his back, Senju Itama spouted nonsense with a straight face.

"That's perfect, let's all go together."

Uchiha Hi no Ki's Shadow Clone was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled and issued the invitation.

At this moment, Uchiha Gin, who was lying dead inside the house, heard the familiar voice and also leaned over with curiosity.

"Oh! A rare guest, Brother Hi no Ki~"

Pressing down the black-and-white head stuck in the door crack, Uchiha Gin ignored the soft grumbling of Senju Itama beneath him and greeted Uchiha Hi no Ki with a smile.

"Brother Gin, you didn't attend today's clan meeting, so you must not know the good news about Brother Rucha's promotion, right?"

"Promotion? Oh, oh, oh~ indeed, I didn't know."

Hearing this news, Uchiha Gin scratched his head in confusion, and a flash of imperceptible realization crossed his dull, lifeless dead-fish eyes.

It seems the little cousin couldn't wait to go enjoy wealth and glory~

"To celebrate Brother Rucha being promoted to Head Elder, I set up a table at Daro's today; it just so happens we can all gather together."

"Good, good, good, no problem."

Only a fool would pass up a free meal. Uchiha Gin immediately agreed to the matter and casually patted the small head of Senju Itama beneath him.

"Go call Hikari; we're going to eat something good tonight~"

"Since the message has been delivered, my mission is complete. See you later."

The task of delivering the message was complete, so Uchiha Hi no Ki, as a Shadow Clone, had no meaning in continuing to exist; he raised his hand and ended his own short life.

"Sigh... are you all going to leave one by one?"

Watching Uchiha Hi no Ki disappear into white smoke, Uchiha Gin shook his head with a look of emotion.

Because he knew that on this trip, besides his little cousin, there were quite a few acquaintances who would also be leaving together.

Before long, Uchiha Gin, wearing a white-striped yukata and chewing on a strawberry-flavored lollipop, squatted alone at the entrance, waiting for the remaining two women.

"Women are such a hassle..."

By the time the lollipop in his mouth had completely melted, the two women still showed no signs of coming down. Uchiha Gin had no choice but to pull out an orange-yellow lollipop, preparing to continue with another one.

But before he could even tear open the packaging, a black hole the size of a palm appeared beside his ear.

A cool breeze carrying a faint fragrance swept past. A soft black hand reached out from the different dimension and, with lightning speed, snatched away the lollipop that was emitting a sweet and sour scent.

"Uh, Sister Wang, haven't you already been fed today?"

Looking at his empty palm, Uchiha Gin asked with some helplessness.

"You guys are going to eat something good, and I want some too."

"Alright, alright, who told us that we're all family now~"

Listening to the cold voice ringing in his ear, Uchiha Gin curled his lips and reached back into his bag, pulling out a few more lollipops of the same flavor and tossing them into the black hole.

"Hmph hmph~"

From the satisfied humming sound of the other party, one could tell that Wang Liang was very satisfied with Uchiha Gin's answer.

"Slurp~"

In the Shadow Realm, Kaguya, with her dark skin and dressed in a white kimono, licked a sweet and sour lollipop with a look of satisfaction on her face.

Thinking of how Uchiha Gin had just acted for the sake of his family, for some reason, a strange palpitation suddenly arose in her heart.

Her white eyes narrowed into slits, and the inexplicable light flickering within them held a meaning that was impossible to fathom.

"This descendant is truly pleasing, much stronger than those two rebellious sons."

Stomp, stomp, stomp—

"Aiya, you two have finally come down; any later and the sky would have been dark!"

Uchiha Gin, who had been bored to the point of squatting on the ground counting ants, twitched his ears and grumbled without turning his head.

"Gin, how is my new yukata?"

Uchiha Hikari's sweet voice rang out. Uchiha Gin turned his head out of curiosity upon hearing this, and his eyes were met with two beautiful figures.

On the left, Hikari had shed her usual serious combat clan attire and changed into a pink yukata with a cherry blossom pattern base; the slightly tight yukata outlined the young girl's fine figure, making it curvaceous.

As his gaze traveled from the fair, slender calves faintly visible beneath Uchiha Hikari's hem all the way down, Uchiha Gin's pair of lifeless, dead-fish eyes immediately gained a spark of spirit.

It was actually...

Bare feet!

Bare feet are the best!

"Gin, can you stop staring at me like that?"

Feeling Uchiha Gin's burning gaze, Uchiha Hikari, who hadn't worn a yukata in a long time, blushed slightly, bit her red lips, and asked shyly while twisting the corner of her sleeve.

Her bare feet, wearing platform sandals, curled up unnaturally, and her jade-like toes, resembling silkworms, flushed red in sync with their owner.

This made Uchiha Gin, this veteran connoisseur, itch with desire.

Grasp!

"Thanks for the treat!"

Upon witnessing such beautiful scenery, Uchiha Gin immediately gave Uchiha Hikari a thumbs-up to show his gratitude.

"Hmph! Curly-haired baboon! What about me, what about me!"

Seeing Uchiha Gin's gaze fixed on Uchiha Hikari beside her, Senju Itama, who had also changed into a yukata, put her hands on her hips in anger and gave a jealous, cold snort.

"You... my goodness!"

Reluctantly withdrawing his gaze, Uchiha Gin shifted his attention to the black-and-white-clad girl beside her, a look of amazement flashing in his eyes.

"Tsk tsk tsk, as expected of the pure Senju bloodline, the bosom is also inherited in the same vein."

Having grown accustomed to seeing Senju Itama in simple loungewear, seeing her suddenly change into a yukata that accentuated her figure was unexpectedly quite a unique flavor.

It was still the black-and-white color-blocking base that the girl liked, and the well-arranged patterns gave a strong visual impact.

It set off her already proud figure to be even more magnificent, such that even the future fully-grown Tsunade would be slightly inferior.

Because her figure was taller than Hikari's, the yukata couldn't completely cover those long, slender legs; if they were exposed to the air like that, she would definitely catch a cold.

And so, the owner of these legs had a flash of inspiration and added a pair of tight, glossy, silk-thin black stockings, which reflected a delicate, oil-like luster under the white lights, making them even more alluring than before she had dressed.

"Slurp~ Honestly, if I had known there was food at home, I wouldn't have gone out!"

*﹃)……(.)(д)(End of chapter)