Konoha Village, Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage stared blankly at the report in front of him.
Just days ago, he had been thinking, If only Uchiha Natsuki weren't around.
And now, sitting right on his desk, was Uchiha Natsuki's application to leave the village on a journey.
The Uchiha were still, at least nominally, part of Konoha. For a long-term trip outside the village, the Hokage's approval was required.
After all, Natsuki had once been a jōnin.
The excuse he gave was amusing—he claimed he needed to travel and gather inspiration to develop new dishes.
It sounded ridiculous at first, but in truth, it was strangely convincing. The Uchiha were in the midst of rapid growth, thanks largely to massive financial gains. And the mastermind behind [Chinese Cuisine] was most likely Natsuki himself.
There was no way to refuse. The Third Hokage couldn't find a valid reason to reject it. The ninja world was gradually stabilizing.
Except for the Land of Water, which was embroiled in its own internal strife, most nations were focused on developing their economies.
And for Natsuki to actually submit an application showed respect. Even if he slipped out without permission, there was little the Hokage could do.
—
At the Uchiha compound, Natsuki was packing his things, completely unaware that the casual excuse he'd written had been taken seriously.
Traveling in this world was convenient, thanks to storage scrolls.
Since he knew Fire Style, cooking food on the road was easy enough. Unfortunately, he lacked Water Style, so he had to stock up on drinking water.
Because he would be gone for a while, he invited Naruto and Sasuke to eat ramen with him at Ichiraku's.
When Naruto learned that Natsuki was leaving, he almost lost his appetite.
To Naruto, Natsuki was the most important person in his life. Two years ago, Natsuki had brought light into his world. Since meeting him, everything had changed for the better.
Not to mention, he had even become Natsuki's student. And now, so soon, his teacher was leaving.
Naruto's eyes turned red, tears threatening to fall.
Natsuki hadn't expected him to be so attached.
Patting his head, he said, "Don't worry. I'm only leaving the village for a while, not forever."
"You and Sasuke are still laying your foundation. Learn well at the academy. You'll need that knowledge in the future. I'll try my best to return before your graduation."
Naruto wiped his eyes and nodded seriously.
Beside him, Sasuke felt a faint pang of jealousy at how reluctant Naruto was to part with Natsuki.
But then he reminded himself—Natsuki was his teacher too, even closer to him than Naruto. With that thought, he was reassured.
Unlike Naruto, Sasuke wasn't surprised. Natsuki had told him earlier, so he was already prepared.
Leaning closer, Natsuki whispered to Naruto, "Naruto, I've given Sasuke your training plan. When I get back, you'd better be able to show me results. If there's anything you don't understand, ask your Uncle Fugaku, alright?"
Naruto hadn't expected Natsuki to make even these arrangements. Deeply moved, he nodded over and over.
Sasuke, meanwhile, felt a spark of excitement at the thought of acting as Naruto's teacher again.
—
The next day, at Konoha's village gates.
Natsuki's shadow stretched long across the ground.
Behind him stood a crowd of people seeing him off—mostly Uchiha restaurant owners. As vice clan leader, Natsuki had solved countless problems for them.
The happiness of the Uchiha people had risen dramatically.
From the Hyūga clan, both Hiashi and Hizashi came as well. After all, the Uchiha had handed over control of the police force to them, and Natsuki had once saved the Hyūga from a near-catastrophe.
Their growing cooperation had drawn the two clans close, like family.
Up on the village wall, the Third Hokage watched Natsuki's departing figure. Oddly, he felt a sense of relief.
—
On a stone pillar, several hazy figures flickered into view.
"Leader, this jutsu of yours is amazing. Talking across such distances—it's true art, hm!" a voice said in an exaggerated tone.
No one else responded.
At the forefront, a man with rippling Rinnegan eyes—Nagato—spoke calmly.
"We still need more people to achieve our dream."
His words set the tone of the meeting.
Konan followed. "To realize the plan, we also need vast resources. Kakuzu, you're in charge of finances. What's your idea?"
From within a cloud of darkness, Kakuzu's voice rumbled. "With our strength, we could sweep through the entire black market. But lately, I've noticed another place—perhaps overflowing with money."
"The Land of Rice Fields, Otogakure. That nation is filled with restaurants serving something called [Chinese Cuisine]. Who knows how much wealth it has generated—and its source lies in the Sound Village."
At that, Sasori scoffed. "Do you not realize that's Orochimaru's territory?"
"Orochimaru? Just a beaten dog," Kakuzu sneered.
Because Itachi had cut him off early, Orochimaru never joined Akatsuki. The group had no clear understanding of his abilities.
To them, the once-notorious sannin had become little more than a fading shadow.
From between two plant-like halves, Zetsu spoke. "Orochimaru isn't much, but Otogakure houses Uchiha Itachi, a Mangekyō wielder, along with over a hundred Uchiha elites."
"Right now, Otogakure is not a place you can just waltz into."
Kakuzu fell silent. He had lived since the Warring States era, and he knew full well how dangerous Mangekyō Sharingan could be.
Seeing him quiet, Zetsu added, "Even if we can't go to Otogakure, we can approach someone else—Uchiha Natsuki."
"Who's that?" Kakuzu asked. He hadn't heard of this late-blooming star of the clan.
"Uchiha Natsuki, current vice leader of the Uchiha, a Mangekyō Sharingan wielder. He defeated the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, Killer Bee, leaving the Hidden Cloud humiliated."
"He's a late bloomer compared to Uchiha Itachi, who awakened his Mangekyō at eleven. Natsuki awakened his at twenty. But his true strength lies in his business genius."
"The [Chinese Cuisine] spreading through the world likely originated from him. In Konoha, every Uchiha is involved in it. The clan is now overflowing with wealth."
Konan, her face calm in the flickering light, silently weighed the information. Until now, she had only known of Natsuki as another Mangekyō wielder.
She hadn't imagined that the wildly popular [Chinese Cuisine] sweeping the ninja world might be his creation.
If they could recruit Uchiha Natsuki into Akatsuki, what an asset he would be.
Damn that Zetsu. How much information has he been hiding?
"Perhaps we should try bringing him into the organization," Konan said aloud.
Zetsu chuckled. "As it happens, Uchiha Natsuki just left Konoha. He's out traveling now—easy to find."
"Everyone else, continue scouting for suitable members. Konan, go meet Uchiha Natsuki," Nagato ordered, bringing the meeting to an end.
The phantoms vanished into the air.
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