Haruto Saito muttered through gritted teeth, "That damn woman! She better not let me see her again!" Tsunade running away was something he hadn't expected at all.
The reason he had impulsively smashed up the ramen shop today was that he had assumed Tsunade would come to bail him out. He hadn't seen it as a big deal—after all, it was just property damage, something that could be resolved with money. He had even considered the possibility that Tsunade might try to use her help as leverage to make him use up one of his demands.
But he never could have imagined—
That shameless woman actually ran away! Was this her way of avoiding her gambling debt? She never had any intention of paying up!
"How long will it take for Lord Hokage to make a decision?" Haruto quickly asked.
"It's hard to say," Uchiha Mikoto shook her head. "It could be a day, or it could be ten."
"Hmm." Haruto snorted, then tossed his napkin onto the table, stood up, and stretched lazily. "If you're done eating, clean up and leave if you have nothing else to do."
He said this as he yawned, making it clear he was about to go to sleep.
"Of course, Haruto-san." Mikoto's voice was sweet, but only in tone. The moment Haruto turned his back, her smile disappeared, her small fists clenched, and she made a punching motion at the back of his head.
Back in the lounge, Haruto collapsed onto the couch, planning to sleep some more. He wanted to get a full rest and wake up before dawn to avoid messing up his internal clock.
Mikoto packed the dishes into the food container, wiped the table clean, and walked to the door. Turning back, she smiled. "Haruto-san, I'll be leaving now."
"Mmm…" Haruto, half-asleep, mumbled a response.
As soon as she stepped out, closing the door behind her, Mikoto's expression turned as cold as a winter storm.
She was seething but didn't know how to vent her frustration. The sheer intensity of her anger was almost terrifying.
Standing in the hallway, the two Uchiha guards exchanged nervous glances. They had been stationed outside the whole time and hadn't heard any arguing inside. So how did Haruto manage to piss off Mikoto yet again?
"That damn brat… treating me like a servant! You're so dead! So, so dead! Hmph!" Mikoto muttered as she stomped away with the food container.
—
Inside the lounge, Haruto slept soundly until the middle of the night. This time, he had gotten enough rest and felt refreshed.
Stretching out on the couch, he first opened his Reputation Exchange panel to check for any new items. Nothing particularly valuable stood out, though there were a few extremely good items—but they were far too expensive for him to afford.
Closing the panel, he sat up, washed up, and then sat cross-legged on the carpet, beginning his chakra training.
Haruto had never slacked off when it came to chakra control and refinement. Now that he had mastered the Strength of a Hundred technique, he immediately noticed an improvement in his chakra control—his precision had reached a new level!
—
Three days later.
It was now Haruto's fourth day in custody, and he was still being held. Even though he had food, comfort, and a luxurious room, he was still technically imprisoned. With Tsunade gone, there was no one to bail him out. Haruto had asked about it many times, but Uchiha Mikoto always gave him the same answer—they were still waiting for the Hokage's judgment.
Yes, Mikoto had been the one bringing him meals these past few days. Uchiha Fugaku hadn't shown up once.
That noon—
Haruto stood by the window, gazing outside. He was growing anxious. Being stuck here wasn't ideal. To most people, losing their freedom temporarily wasn't a huge deal, especially with such good treatment. It was the perfect time to train in seclusion. But for Haruto, it was different.
He needed to kill. He needed to hunt enemies. That was the only way he could grow stronger quickly.
"My dear Haruto-san, how have you been these past few days?" The door suddenly swung open, and Uchiha Fugaku strode in with a smirk.
Uchiha Mikoto followed behind him, closing the door before stepping forward and stopping near the couch.
"When are you letting me out?" Haruto turned around and asked bluntly.
"We've received Lord Hokage's decision," Fugaku said as he approached the window, still smiling.
"So I'm not being released?" Haruto's expression darkened. Fugaku hadn't directly said he was free.
"You can't just be let go," Fugaku replied. "Your actions at the ramen shop were too severe. You're a ninja, yet you acted without regard for the law. Although there were no irreversible consequences, you're still only a Genin—you don't have immunity for such offenses."
"Get to the point!" Haruto interrupted impatiently.
"You're sentenced to three years in prison," Fugaku said with a strange look on his face.
"The hell?!" Haruto cursed loudly. The punishment was way too harsh!
"Or… you can atone for your crimes," Fugaku added.
Haruto's expression turned dark as he eyed Fugaku's neck. He was seriously considering strangling him—couldn't he just say everything at once instead of scaring him like that?
"How do I atone?" Haruto asked quickly.
"Missions! You need to complete at least ten C-rank missions to make up for your crimes," Fugaku explained. "Until you're officially cleared, you'll be under supervision. The Hokage has decided that the Uchiha Police Force will be responsible for overseeing you!"
"So I do missions while you monitor me the entire time?"
"Not quite monitoring—you'll be the lead. Normally, Uchiha clan members can't just go out on missions without Hokage approval. But because of this arrangement, three of our members will accompany you."
"Understood."
"Decide now. Do you choose prison or missions to atone?"
"Obviously, missions!" Haruto rolled his eyes. Who the hell would willingly sit in prison for three years? He'd be fifteen by the time he got out!
"But…" Haruto added, "Ten C-rank missions seem excessive. Are there any linked or higher-level missions that can be done in a shorter time?"
C-rank missions were usually mundane—delivering messages, escorting minor nobles, and such. They weren't much better than D-rank tasks like finding lost pets. More importantly, they were time-consuming.
At half a month per C-rank mission, ten missions would take about five months. That was the best-case scenario—some C-rank missions, depending on travel distance, could last over a month.
Haruto wasn't about to waste half a year like that.
"There aren't linked missions," Fugaku replied.
Haruto frowned. "Annoying… that damn woman Tsunade really screwed me over by running away!"
"You could also choose to complete three B-rank missions instead," Fugaku suggested.
"Oh? Three B-rank missions count too?"
"Yes. Each mission carries a contribution value, and completing higher-rank missions grants more credit toward atonement."
"Great!" Haruto finally smiled. Three B-rank missions were way more manageable.
Unlike C-rank missions, B-rank ones weren't necessarily longer—they were just more dangerous. More importantly, most B-rank missions involved eliminating enemies.
That was exactly what Haruto wanted.
"I don't recommend it," Fugaku warned.
"Why not?"
"B-rank missions are for Chunin."
"Do you think I don't have Chunin-level strength?"
"You do!" Fugaku admitted, "But you lack experience."
"Oh well, I'll pretend I didn't hear your advice. Let's go—I'm free now, right?"
"Yes, you're on probation."
"Good…" Haruto started walking, then paused, looking back. "Hey… I can pick an A-rank mission too, right? One A-rank mission and I'm done?"
Fugaku's eye twitched.
This brat was insane!
From the couch, Mikoto scoffed under her breath, "Arrogant fool! Reckless idiot!"