Evening, in the land of the Uchiha clan.
Kingsu took a deep breath, filled with confidence, and pushed open the door to the first house.
"Ninjutsu: Long-lasting technique!"
"Ninjutsu: Lottery technique!"
...
As the moon set and the sun rose, Kingsu walked out of the last house at the end of the alley, his face glowing with satisfaction. He had spent the entire night moving from house to house, but his energy and fighting spirit hadn't waned. In fact, he felt even more invigorated.
"This technique is really something," Kingsu muttered to himself, excited about his increased efficiency and strength. As he strolled down the street, munching on a cake his wife had prepared, he looked ahead with determination.
"Wives on the other side of the street, here I come~"
Suddenly, two cats blocked his path—one with long hair and the other with short fur.
"Meow~ Meow~"
"Huh?" Kingsu looked at them closely. "Hina? Tianhu? What are you two doing here?"
These cats weren't ordinary strays; they were ninja cats from the ruins of the empty zone who worked closely with the Uchiha clan. Their leader, Granny Cat, was an important ally, supplying the Uchiha with ninja tools and information in exchange for protection and funding.
Tianhu, the short-haired cat, licked her paws and narrowed her eyes. "What, we can't visit our partners' territory? Meow~"
Kingsu scratched his head, feeling a little awkward. "Of course, you're always welcome. It's just... you don't visit often, so I was surprised to see you here."
Hina, the long-haired cat, leaned in, her expression mischievous. "Kingsu, you've done well, making the clan prosperous and all. But you didn't notice something big happened, did you? We ran all the way here for it. Now that you're the head of the Uchiha family, shouldn't you treat us to a nice drink of wood-ten-polygonum juice as a welcome?"
Wood-ten-polygonum, a plant from the Actinidae family, was something like catnip, and it had a similar effect on ninja cats.
Kingsu laughed and nodded. "Of course, how could I say no?"
He led the two cats to a nearby store. As they entered, the shopkeeper, who was just putting on her shirt, smiled brightly at him.
"Kingsu! Finally, you're back! I was just getting dressed, but forget that, let's go inside."
"Hold on, I need to get some drinks first. Actually, give me a whole box of wood-ten-polygonum juice."
The shopkeeper giggled and went to the back to retrieve a box of the drinks. Just as she handed it over, Hina swiftly jumped up and grabbed the box in her mouth.
The shopkeeper stared in awe. "Wow! What a strong little kitty!"
Kingsu chuckled. "These two are important guests of the Uchiha. You'd better get dressed properly; I'll visit another time."
...
Kingsu and the two ninja cats sat on a roadside bench while the cats eagerly drank from the bottles.
"Gulp...Gulp..."
"Ah, this is so delicious, meow~"
"Yes, yes, I'm so buzzed now, meow~"
Kingsu watched with a smirk. "You two didn't come all this way just for drinks, did you? There's something Granny Cat wants to tell me, right?"
Hina, having finished the last bottle, wiped her mouth with a paw. "Kingsu, it's about business. Ever since the Uchiha clan's downfall, you haven't bought any ninja tools from us in almost two years. Granny Cat's entire operation depends on the Uchiha clan's purchases. If you don't place an order soon, she won't be able to make ends meet, meow~"
Kingsu sighed in relief. "Ah, it's just about that. Easy fix. I'll place an order for a large batch of explosive tags right away. You can return to Granny Cat with this number," he said, gesturing with his hand. "Just follow the usual process—payment on delivery."
The cats' eyes sparkled with delight at the size of the order.
"Meow~ You're quite the businessman, Kingsu! Much better to work with than that old Fugaku."
"Granny Cat has been loyal, not selling to anyone else even after all this time. I couldn't let her down. Is there anything else? I need to get back to work; my schedule's tight."
Hina narrowed her eyes and meowed softly. "There's one more thing to give you."
With a puff of smoke, a scroll appeared in front of Kingsu.
"What's this? Is it from Granny Cat?" Kingsu asked, picking it up.
Hina shook her head. "No, this is from someone else in your clan. You should know who. Just make sure Sasuke doesn't find out, meow~ We're leaving now. The rest is between you and the one who sent it."
As the cats left, Kingsu stood in silence. One name echoed in his mind: Uchiha Itachi.
"Itachi," Kingsu murmured. "So, you've noticed what I've been up to."
With a deep breath, Kingsu slowly unrolled the scroll, bracing himself for what it might contain.
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