(A.N: Hey guys we were only at 65 powerstones this week, It is really really low, becuase we once reached 150, please tell me if there is any reason for this steep decline TT )
***
Kaida and Shisui started working on adding a new gate in the backyard. Cutting the fence and installing the gate with some screws was hardly a task a ninja couldn't handle in an hour. Especially since Kaida insisted on adding some seals, like a concealment seal and a hardness seal.
Since he didn't know many advanced security seals, he decided to do the bare minimum. The concealment seal would help hide the gate, so unless someone specifically looked for it, they wouldn't find it—particularly since it wasn't on the main road. It was unnecessary, but since it was free, there was no harm.
The hardness seal simply increased the durability so the bear wouldn't break the gate accidentally.
After the gate was installed, Kaida let the bear inside. It sat nearby, watching them work and occasionally trying to help, like moving the pieces of fence they had cut or cheering them on.
'I don't regret bringing him with me one bit,' Kaida thought, watching its antics.
"If you guys are done, come inside. The food is ready," Yomi called.
"Guah!" The bear was the most excited at the mention of food.
"You just ate; are you still hungry?" Kaida asked. Though he hadn't given the bear quite as much as it might usually eat, it wasn't a small amount either.
"Guah!" The bear nodded enthusiastically, showing its hunger.
"Fine, I'm sure Aunt made plenty for you too," Kaida said, at which the bear's excitement faltered.
"Don't worry; we'll arrange something afterward," Shisui said, patting its head.
"Guah," the bear roared happily.
As the three of them went inside, the intense aroma of food filled the air.
"Guah," the bear cried, and though there was a language barrier between it and Kaida and Shisui, they both understood it wanted to eat whatever Aunt Hae had cooked.
"Don't worry, I made some for you as well," Hae said, bringing a large plate outside. It wasn't the usual bear food. Something white was piled under pieces of chicken, which were covered in a sauce made with honey.
"I hope you like it," Hae said, giving her usual motherly smile.
The bear jumped for joy before running toward Hae. She was startled but, seeing neither Kaida nor Shisui moving, knew she was safe. As expected, the bear stopped a little distance away, sitting and waiting for her to place its food down.
"Good boy," Hae said, setting the food on the ground. The bear took a bite and was immediately startled by the flavor.
"Guah!" Though none of them actually understood the words, its expression made it clear how much it liked the food.
"Aunt, we're hungry too," Kaida said.
"Of course. The food is ready; let's go inside."
Kaida and Shisui entered, where Yomi was almost done setting up food on the dining table.
"Go and clean up quickly while we finish the final preparations," Hae said.
"Yes, Mom."
"Okay, Aunt."
After a quick bath, both Kaida and Shisui came back.
"Let's eat! And why don't you guys also tell me about your journey?" Hae suggested, knowing that since it wasn't a mission, they could share the details.
…
"What? 32 million! No, that's not important. Who gave you permission to bet anyway?" Hae asked. Kaida could almost see a red aura of anger around her. He activated his Sharingan to check if this sudden rage had somehow awakened her chakra, but it wasn't the case. Sadly, it was just an illusion he could see, reflecting Hae's anger. Worse news came from Shisui.
"No, Mom. I was sure Kaida would win the match, and there was no way we would lose our money. Even Jiraiya-sama placed a bet with me…"
"Enough with the excuses. You're not getting any breakfast tomorrow," Hae said.
"Yes, Mom," Shisui replied dejectedly.
"Now about the bear's name. We can't keep calling him 'Bear.' Do any of you have suggestions?" Hae asked.
"Pochi," Kaida said.
"Chibi," Shisui offered.
"Both of you have terrible naming sense. He's not a dog," Hae said.
"How about Kenta?" Yomi suggested.
"Hmm, Kenta. Good suggestion as usual, Yomi," Hae said.
"Mine was good too," Kaida mumbled under his breath.
"Alright, it's settled. His name will be Kenta. Kaida, let him know. Also, about his food—I can't cook that much every day, not with running the bathhouse as well."
"No worries, Aunt. I was thinking of arranging a restaurant contract for it."
"That'll be costly," Hae noted.
"Well, money isn't something we're short on," Shisui said with a cheeky grin.
"Add two days to your room time as punishment," Hae said. Shisui was about to say something when she added, "Am I clear?"
"Yes, Mom," Shisui replied with a pout that didn't suit him at all.
'Well, no matter how powerful you are, Mom is always the one to fear,' Kaida thought, chuckling along with Yomi.
"Alright, regarding the food, you and Shisui can go discuss it, but keep the cost under 1 million a year. If it exceeds that, no matter how cute the bear is, he's going back to the wild," Hae said.
Kaida nodded in understanding. Even 1 million was a stretch, only acceptable because of their increased earnings.
…
After eating, Kaida and Shisui headed to a nearby restaurant to arrange food for Kenta.
"Hello, boss. We'd like to discuss something with you," Shisui said, approaching the counter where the owner was seated.
"I don't do discounts, even if you're a Jonin," the owner replied, recognizing Shisui immediately.
"We don't need one, sir. We'd like to place a bulk order for food: 50 kilos of meat and 10 kilos of rice, twice a day, with different flavors occasionally," Kaida explained.
"Hmm, doable, but it won't be cheap—2000 Ryo per serving," the owner said after some quick calculations.
'1.5 million… it's pricey but reasonable,' Kaida thought.
"Boss, we're considering using your restaurant for a year. But if the price is that high, we can't afford it," Kaida said.
The owner pondered this, then did some further calculations before saying, "1400 per meal. I can't go below that. Take it or look for another place."
"No need; that's fine. Can you start delivering food from tomorrow?" Shisui asked.
"Of course, I can even start today if you'd like," the owner replied confidently.
"Alright, then I'll deposit the advance tomorrow. Would a month's payment suffice?" Kaida asked.
"Of course."
"Then we have a deal," Kaida said with a big smile.
…
"You're better at this than I am," Shisui admitted.
"Thanks, brother. Now, why are we heading in this direction?" Kaida asked.
"Oh! I forgot to mention, the clan head wants to see you. He asked me to bring you by after you'd rested. Since we're already here, let's get it done."
"He's not your clan head anymore, brother," Kaida chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah," Shisui replied dismissively.
…
"Good evening, Fugaku-sama," Kaida said, bowing slightly.
"Good evening, Kaida. I'm very impressed with your performance in the Chunin exams. You did well, improving the reputation of both the village and our clan."
"Thank you, clan head," Kaida replied.
"I also heard you almost defeated Itachi?" Fugaku inquired.
"That was only because it was a friendly match. I used my excess chakra to my advantage. In a real battle, things might go differently," Kaida said, not trying to be modest—it was the truth, and Fugaku knew it. Itachi hadn't shown his true capabilities in the exams, knowing well the risk of exposing all his skills to potential enemies.
"Well, I'll leave that to you. But as clan head, it would be shameful if I congratulated you with just words. Here," Fugaku said, flicking a paper towards Kaida, who caught it without issue.
"This…?" Kaida asked, genuinely shocked by the reward.
"I heard that, although you're quite powerful for your age, you know very few jutsu—unusual for someone with your talent. I wanted to give you some jutsu, but since I didn't know which ones you'd want to learn, take that instead," Fugaku explained.
As Kaida looked at the paper in his hand, he saw it was worth 1 million contribution points. No matter how impressed Fugaku was, wasn't this too much?
"Clan head, this is 1 million contribution points," Kaida said, wondering if Fugaku had made a mistake.
"Hahaha, yes, I know. Do you know why I'm so pleased to give you this reward?" Fugaku asked.