Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 118 The Kaleidoscope Within

Rasa was very interested in Yotsuki A's alliance proposal, as the Sand Village needed the information about Konoha.

During the last war in the Land of Whirlpools, the Hidden Cloud Village and the Uzumaki clan joined forces to capture the elite troops secretly dispatched by the Hidden Leaf Village. Most of them were ninjas from the Shimura and Sarutobi clans, with the lowest rank being Special Jonin, and there were also many high-ranking figures.

The Hidden Cloud Village must have obtained a lot of important information from this, something that even the Hokage's son sent by the Hidden Cloud Village could not match, as he did not know much.

If they could obtain information about Konoha from the Hidden Cloud Village, it would definitely make things much easier for them on the front lines.

Despite their continuous advance on that front over the past two years, they all know that Konoha's counterattack is not far off. The Third Hokage will not stand by and watch that defense line continue to fail; that will be the real test.

With this in mind, Rasa and Yotsuki A chatted happily, and the Jonin from Sunagakure looked at the three of them with more goodwill.

After finalizing the initial cooperation agreement, Tamura and his two companions left. Tamura did not immediately go to meet with Yekura, as that would seem too deliberate.

He wanted Ye Cang to come to him on his own initiative. He had already given the gift and was just waiting for Ye Cang to take the bait and come looking for him.

After wandering around Konoha for a while, as the sun set, Tamura Hao went to the Uchiha clan's territory again, and bought some ingredients and seasonings on the way.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing someone arrive carrying two large baskets of groceries, Uchiha Mikoto felt completely awful.

Is this despicable scoundrel really going to spend the night here?

"Miss Mikoto, this photo is for you. I hope you have sweet dreams tonight."

With a smile, Tamura Hao handed over a photo. He had taken some time to find a shop and borrowed the shop owner's equipment to have it printed. The quality was pretty good.

Upon seeing that photo, Mikoto Uchiha instinctively activated her Sharingan, her beautiful face contorting slightly, and a murderous intent erupted from her.

This despicable villain is threatening me, but more importantly, he's reminding me.

I really want to chop this bastard up!

Ignoring the girl's lack of sharpness in her killing intent, Tamura Hao carried his vegetable basket to the main hall, where Uchiha Retsuyo was, as was Uchiha Fugaku.

"What's wrong, Hao-jun?"

Fugaku Uchiha looked at the two large baskets full of vegetables with a puzzled expression. He wasn't surprised that this person had come again. Yesterday, the other party had proposed to stay at their Uchiha's place until the Chunin Exams were over.

But what's going on with this situation today?

"I learned a few cooking skills at the food court in our village, and I'm using that as payment for my accommodation here these past few days."

Tamura Hiroshi smiled politely.

"We're in for a treat today!"

Uchiha Retsuyo and Uchiha Fugaku both laughed, as they both vividly remembered the taste of the hot pot from last night.

Just from the smell, you can tell it must be good. Most importantly, I've never eaten it before, so there's a sense of novelty and anticipation.

However, that smile vanished the moment the girl walked in, as if it had never existed.

"I'll go prepare it then, Ms. Mikoto. Please come and help me out. It's too slow for me to do it alone, and you're more familiar with the kitchen over there."

After saying something to the girl whose face showed signs of turning dark, Tamura Hiroshi walked towards the kitchen.

Mikoto Uchiha hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she could only follow reluctantly.

"The Sharingan has too many side effects."

After his girlfriend left, Fugaku Uchiha finally let out a long breath, followed by sighs and sorrow.

It's a good thing that my girlfriend's Sharingan is evolving, but her personality has also changed drastically, as if she's become a completely different person.

The side effects were too great, making him worry about his future married life with Mikoto.

Don't make it so that after marriage, Mikoto puts kunai scissors or something under her pillow; that's too terrifying.

"It should get better after a while."

That's all Uchiha Retsuyo can say for now; he doesn't know whether his daughter's changes are good or bad.

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Arriving in the kitchen, far from the main hall, Uchiha Mikoto questioned in a low voice, a kunai appearing in her hand.

"Anyone who does something wrong must be punished, and this is the punishment for Miss Mikoto."

Don't worry, I, Tamura Hiroshi, keep my word. I won't do anything like that to you. You just need to be my body pillow for the next few nights.

Don't even think about killing me to silence me. I've developed a lot of those photos, and they're sealed away in other places. Once I'm dead, those photos will be revealed. Miss Mikoto wouldn't want a third person to see those photos, would she?

Tamura Hao revealed an evil smile, and at the same time, a photo appeared in his hand, causing Uchiha Mikoto's Sharingan to spin even faster.

He quickly snatched the photo and crumpled it into a knot, feeling both angry and remorseful.

Why did I provoke that bastard last night?

Now look what's happened; he's gotten himself into trouble.

Seeing the girl give in, Tamura Hiroshi's smile deepened.

Of course, he only dared to do this because it was the Uchiha clan. If it were the Hyuga clan, they definitely wouldn't have been able to do it. Those X-ray visions were too despicable, and they had quite a few servants among them.

In comparison, Uchiha Retsuyo was much more frugal. There were only him and Uchiha Mikoto in the house, and no servants. This made it easier for him and Mikoto to keep their little secret.

Next, the two worked together: Uchiha Mikoto washed the vegetables, and Tamura Hao wielded the knife to prepare them. They did the initial processing of the various ingredients before starting to cook.

He didn't make anything complicated, just some home-style dishes: sweet and sour fish, hot and sour shredded potatoes, braised pork, braised eggplant, etc., eight dishes and a soup, with rice as the staple food, which Uchiha Mikoto was quite good at.

Although she harbored deep resentment towards someone, looking at these ten dishes, Uchiha Mikoto had to admit that this bastard was quite good at cooking.

Or perhaps the food culture in the Hidden Cloud Village is far superior to that in Konoha, making her increasingly excited about that food and entertainment city.

Once the dishes were served, Uchiha Retsuyo and Uchiha Fugaku immediately perked up and felt even hungrier.

"Wasn't it the same hot pot as yesterday?"

Uchiha Retsuyo asked, "I thought it was the hot pot from yesterday."

"I've eaten too much hot pot before, so this is a good opportunity to change things up and let Ms. Mikoto learn how to make it so that she can cook it for her senior and Mr. Fugaku in the future."

Tamura Hao replied with a smile, and Uchiha Mikoto also gave a forced smile.

She did indeed use her Sharingan to secretly learn something just now. While she wouldn't say she did it better, replicating it exactly wouldn't be a problem.

"Then I'll be in for a treat from now on."

Uchiha Retsuyo also smiled, especially after seeing that his daughter's expression was no longer as cold and gloomy as before, his smile deepened.

As expected, the side effects of the Sharingan can be mitigated, and his beloved daughter was not completely changed.

Let's eat!

Tamura Hao gestured for the three to start eating, and the three of them didn't stand on ceremony. They picked up their chopsticks and ate the rice and vegetables, and the dishes quickly won over their taste buds.

Even Mikoto Uchiha was eating with great relish; it really was delicious.

The main reason is that the dishes are novel; I've never eaten this type of food before, which makes them more appetizing.

Tamura Hao silently ate five bowls of rice, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Retsuyo ate four bowls, and Uchiha Mikoto ate three bowls. As for the dishes on the table, they were all wiped clean, and even some of the broth was used to mix with the rice.

"Comfortable!"

Loosening his belt, Fugaku Uchiha let out a long breath. Although he was stuffed, he had indeed enjoyed the meal.

Mikoto Uchiha clutched her protruding belly in distress, realizing she had eaten three times the usual amount of food that day, and she was sure she would gain weight if she continued like this.

"Senior, I reported back to Lord Ai today. Lord Ai was very satisfied with the Uchiha's sincerity and decided to entrust the security work of the food and entertainment city in Konoha to the Uchiha. The Uchiha can obtain 10% of the total revenue of the food and entertainment city."

After taking a sip of water, Tamura Hiroshi revealed the matter that had been agreed upon.

"Only 10%?"

Uchiha Retsuyo was not satisfied with the profit-sharing ratio. After eating this meal today, he gained a deeper understanding of the authentic gourmet entertainment city. Once it was built, it would definitely make a fortune.

This is a good income; the more the better.

Tamura Hao was not surprised by Uchiha Retsuyo's dissatisfaction and greed, and calmly explained: "The Food and Entertainment City was founded by the Entertainment City Company, which hired our Kumogakure Village to assist in its promotion."

Fifty percent of the income is given to the daimyo of various countries, while our Hidden Cloud Village takes ten percent as employment fees and another ten percent to the local cooperative forces to help them solve some local problems.

The last 30% belongs to entertainment venue companies, and 20% of those 30% have invested in the research and development of various new dishes and games.

Overall, this is currently the most reasonable allocation method.

Of course, if you have the ability, you can go and communicate with the Daimyo's Mansion in the Land of Fire to discuss a new distribution ratio.

In the end, Tamura Hao shifted the blame to the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Fire.

If you're so capable, go and try to persuade the daimyo of the Land of Fire, and see if he's willing to give you some benefits.

"That is indeed the most reasonable way to allocate resources."

After a long silence, Uchiha Retsuyo had no choice but to accept this 10% profit.

He couldn't touch the 10% of profits from Yunyin Village, nor could he touch the 30% from the entertainment company. If he really angered them, they might withdraw their investment and quit, leaving him with nothing.

It's even less likely that we'll get that much profit from Daming Prefecture; it seems we really will only get this one-tenth.

Fugaku Uchiha wanted to say something, but he couldn't.

"One percent is not too little. Considering the size of Konoha Village and the villagers' spending power, if managed well, the monthly income could be at least 20 million taels."

Tamura gave an estimated figure, which made the two of them feel a little better.

"If that's the case, your Hidden Cloud Village has made way too much money."

Mikoto Uchiha had a different opinion. If 10% of the revenue came from each entertainment venue, then the Hidden Cloud Village, which earned 10% of the revenue from each entertainment venue, must have earned even more, definitely in the hundreds of millions of taels.

Uchiha Retsuyo and Uchiha Fugaku also realized what was happening, and their hearts sank.

"That's not how you calculate it. There aren't many cities in the world as prosperous as Konoha Village. Most cities' entertainment venues only generate a few million taels of silver in revenue."

Moreover, this money isn't so easy to get. The existence of an entertainment complex will inevitably affect the existing interest system in the area, and those who are envious and jealous might hire ninjas to sabotage it in secret.

The local forces can only resolve normal conflicts and disputes at most. When ninjas are involved, we, the Hidden Cloud Village, have to send people over to resolve them.

The costs of deploying ninjas and the compensation for casualties in battles all come from money.

In addition, compensation for the damage caused to the local entertainment complex is also being handled by our Hidden Cloud Village…”

Hearing about all the twists and turns involved, the three suddenly realized that this money was indeed hard to earn.

This explains why the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning agreed to let the Hidden Cloud Village take money from it; it was essentially a long-term, large-scale employment project.

While Kumogakure itself can make some money, it certainly doesn't make too much, as it remains under the control of the Daimyo's mansion in the Land of Lightning.

They chatted until late at night before Tamura Hao returned to his room from the previous night. Around 1 a.m., a figure quietly pushed open the door and entered; it was Uchiha Mikoto.

Compared to last night when she was only wearing pajamas, today she was fully armed, covering herself up completely, even wearing gloves.

"Miss Mikoto, come here!"

With a broad smile, Tamura Hiroshi lifted the covers, gesturing for the girl to lie down. He knew she would give in.

"You can't shock me again tonight."

With her crimson Sharingan glaring at a despicable bastard, Uchiha Mikoto made her request.

Being held while sleeping is fine, but she absolutely cannot be electrocuted again; the reactions she experienced last night made her feel ashamed and indignant every time.

"That's natural!"

Tamura Akira readily agreed, and he also disliked the pillow in his arms, which caused him to wet the bed several times every night.

He, Tian, ​​is a germaphobe; even if the other person is a beautiful woman, it won't work.

Seeing that someone answered seriously, Uchiha Mikoto secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then slowly walked over and finally lay down in the quilt.

Although she was embarrassed, she had no choice.

However, her body remained tense, and she gripped the kunai even tighter in her hand. If that despicable bastard dared to make any unusual moves, she would stab him immediately.

Fortunately, the other person simply held her in their arms and even fell asleep shortly afterward. There was no electric shock or removal of her clothes.

It was a little uncomfortable being pressed against, and my heart started beating faster instinctively.

After persisting for more than an hour, Mikoto Uchiha finally couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep.

She hadn't slept at all last night, and was kept tossing and turning in the latter half of the night, so naturally she couldn't sleep during the day either. Even as a ninja, she found it hard to endure.

Tamura Hao didn't really intend to execute Uchiha Mikoto on the spot. Although he could have done it, the aftermath would be difficult to handle.

Don't think you can get this guy under your thumb with photos now; there's a limit to what you can do, and if you go too far, things could really fall apart.

Not to mention that the Uchiha clan is known for its members being mentally ill; if they were to break down or even turn evil, the first to suffer would be themselves.

The strategy should be approached step by step.

After sleeping soundly until dawn, Tamura Hiroshi's biological clock woke him up naturally, but he felt a little uncomfortable because there was someone pressing down on him.

Looking at the girl who was clinging to him like an octopus, with even her drool sticking out of his chest, Tamura Hao regretted getting this body pillow.

I'm a germaphobe!

Frustrated, he pushed the girl off him, got up and went to the bathroom to clean himself, especially his chest which was covered in saliva. It took him a while to come out, put on his armor, and head to the front hall.

Uchiha Retsuyo had already sat down there, looking puzzled.

"Mikoto probably overslept today and hasn't made breakfast yet."

Seeing the boy approach, Uchiha Retsuyo said helplessly.

"Miss Mikoto didn't look too well yesterday, probably because she's on her period. Let her sleep a little longer, I'll go make breakfast."

Tamura Hao said something considerately, then walked towards the kitchen.

Uchiha Retsuyo, having nothing better to do, got up and followed along, wanting to see how those delicacies were made, as they were so different from what he used to eat.

After preparing and eating breakfast, Tamura Hao did not leave immediately, but instead asked Uchiha Retsuyo about some issues related to the Super Speed ​​Taijutsu.

Although he could borrow Kaguya's Sharingan power, he was not an Uchiha after all, and he was much less skilled in using it.

This was also one of the main reasons he infiltrated the Uchiha clan.

As for Uchiha Hikari, although that girl knows a lot, she doesn't know how to teach others, which is quite a pity.

Uchiha Retsuyo knew some information about the boy and was not surprised by his request for advice. In addition, since the two were now in a cooperative alliance, he did not hold back and pointed out the difficult issues. He even demonstrated the techniques, which greatly benefited Tamura Hao.

Tamura Hao, using Kaguya's Byakugan power, discovered that Uchiha Retsuyo had two Mangekyou Sharingan eyes in his abdomen, which were slowly absorbing Uchiha Retsuyo's chakra.

"Are you using this method to continuously nurture those eyes?"

Tamura Hao seemed to understand what Uchiha Retsuyo had done.

Although the Sharingan can be stored in nutrient solution, it is still not as good as the body of the person who has awakened it.

This continued until noon, after which Tamura Hiroshi went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

I bought a lot of groceries yesterday, enough for lunch.

Although Uchiha Retsuyo wondered why his daughter was up so late today, he didn't want to disturb her by going to her room.

Besides, my daughter didn't look well yesterday, so she should sleep a little longer.

Just as Tamura Hiroshi was about to finish preparing the meal, Uchiha Mikoto hurried over.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

Seeing his daughter fully armed, Uchiha Retsuyo was stunned.

Seeing that her father hadn't discovered that she was sleeping in someone's room, Uchiha Mikoto breathed a sigh of relief and quickly made up an excuse to get away with it.

"No...nothing, I just wanted to spar with Hao-jun."

The word "sparring" made Uchiha Retsuyo raise an eyebrow, realizing that his daughter hadn't gotten over the shock of the night before, but he didn't know what to say about it.

"He's in the kitchen!"

After saying that, Uchiha Retsuyo continued to think.

The alliance with Kumogakure was abrupt, and many of our previous plans had to be adjusted, especially our schemes against Senju and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Seeing that her father was no longer paying attention to her, Uchiha Mikoto hurriedly went to the kitchen. As soon as she entered, she smelled a delicious aroma and saw someone busy at work.

"Wait a little longer, there are only two stir-fried dishes left."

Tamura Hiroshi gave the girl a gentle smile, then continued with his work.

This demeanor and gentle smile stunned Uchiha Mikoto, making it hard for her to connect the boy in front of her with the despicable and shameless bastard from that night.

Why didn't you wake me up this morning?

It took her a while to come to her senses, and Uchiha Mikoto muttered something in a low voice, clearly dissatisfied.

When she woke up and saw that it was already noon, she was almost scared to death, fearing that her father or Fugaku-kun would find her sleeping there.

"Sleep is very important for women; it's not good to wake a beautiful young woman in her sleep."

Tamura Hiroshi still had a gentle smile, like a sunny young man.

This gentle smile and these words stunned Mikoto Uchiha once again, leaving her with a profound sense of separation.

Is this really that despicable and shameless bastard from the night before last?

"Which one is the real you?"

This person is quite complicated, which raises questions.

(End of this chapter)