Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Madara Uchiha, riding the Nine-Tails, roamed freely through the vast forests of the Land of Fire. After a week of traveling day and night, he calculated that he should be able to return home in three more days. At that time, he was sure that the precious gift of the Nine-Tails would bring his mother, Hasi, a great surprise.

"Snoring~ Gurgling~"

However, the rumbling in his stomach interrupted Madara Uchiha's daydreams about a bright future. Remembering that he hadn't eaten all day, he reached into his pack and rummaged around, only to find that the dry rations he had prepared were all gone.

"Looks like we need to find a place to resupply."

With the Nine-Tails in his grasp and no longer burdened by worries, Madara Uchiha thought for a moment, then stopped the Nine-Tails from its arduous work. He glanced into the distance and happened to see twinkling fireflies, which immediately filled him with joy.

"Don't move from here, I'll go buy some dry food."

Given its enormous size, the Nine-Tails' sudden appearance in a populated area would only cause unnecessary panic. Therefore, Madara Uchiha gave the bloodshot-eyed Nine-Tails the order to wait where it was and chose to go alone.

Having already been controlled, the Nine-Tailed Fox dared not disobey. It immediately tucked its tail in and squatted down, behaving like an obedient husky.

"You did a great job, I'll bring you one later too~"

Seeing Kurama's cooperation, Madara Uchiha nodded in satisfaction, changed into inconspicuous clothes, and ran towards the direction of human habitation, arriving at his destination in no time.

This was a small town with a sizable population. It was dinnertime, and every household had their windows open to cook. The enticing aroma of food wafting out made Uchiha Madara, who had been eating dry rations for months, even hungrier. After a few twists and turns, he finally found a restaurant that was still open.

"Boss, bring me all your signature dishes."

Having obtained what he desired most, and in a great mood, Uchiha Madara decided to enjoy himself. He immediately spoke to the beaming shopkeeper...

"Alright~ How many people are in your party, sir?"

This restaurant has quite a few signature dishes; ordering them all would be like starting a feast. Seeing that only Uchiha Madara was there, the owner, out of caution, immediately asked…

"Well, there are only two of us. The other one is outside town. I'll pack some for him and take him over after I finish eating."

Just as he was about to say that he was alone, Madara Uchiha remembered that Kurama was still waiting outside the town, and on a whim, he held up two fingers.

Taking advantage of a brief moment while talking to Uchiha Madara, the boss sized up the black-haired man before him, his narrow, thieving eyes carrying a strange glint.

"The guest looks unfamiliar; is he from out of town?"

His gaze lingered subtly on Madara Uchiha's handsome face for a moment, then swept over his worn-out clothes, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.

"Just passing by."

Madara Uchiha frowned upon hearing this. It's just a meal, why is this boss being so long-winded? Is he worried that I'll dine and dash?

"Oh, you're a traveler. I'm so sorry, but we have a rule here: you have to pay after you order."

The shopkeeper immediately understood. How could this poor-looking traveler possibly order such a large meal? He must be trying to dine and dash. But he wouldn't fall for it!

"Ha! I've never heard of the rule of paying before eating."

Sensing his boss's intentions, Uchiha Madara gave a displeased sneer.

"I'm sorry, this is a major transportation route, and there are always too many travelers coming and going. Inevitably, there are some unruly individuals. This is just a small business, so please bear with me."

Without showing any dissatisfaction, the boss bowed respectfully, his words perfectly tactful.

"You're so long-winded. Do you think I need your little bit of attention?"

Although Madara Uchiha was displeased, he expressed his understanding. As he spoke, he reached into his backpack behind him and began rummaging around. The more he rummaged, the darker his expression became. The observant shopkeeper immediately noticed his distress, a flash of disdain crossing his eyes.

Another scoundrel trying to dine and dash. Luckily, I had the foresight to recognize him, or I would have suffered a huge loss.

At this moment, Madara Uchiha was in an extremely awkward situation. He had been living a life of hardship and had not realized that he had already spent all his money. Now, he probably didn't even have a single copper coin left.

"Sir?"

"I...I think I forgot to bring any money. Can we finish this first and I'll have my friend pay later?"

Madara Uchiha remembered that Kurama's head still had a backpack filled with camping supplies, and at the bottom was the scroll that Gin Uchiha had given him when they parted.

Knowing my cousin's usual habits, he'll probably put some money inside, and then use a clone to go out and retrieve the package when we eat.

"hehe."

The restaurant owner had no idea what he was talking about. The flattering smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cold laugh. He waved his hand dismissively at Uchiha Madara.

"Get out of here! I've seen plenty of guys like you. You have hands and feet, but you don't go to work. All you do is think about cheating and swindling."

"you!"

Madara Uchiha was so angry that he almost ground his teeth to powder. However, his pride as a strongman prevented him from attacking a commoner. He could only glare hatefully at the shopkeeper and leave without looking back.

"Wait a minute~"

"What is it?"

Suddenly, before Madara Uchiha had even stepped out of the restaurant, he heard the owner's voice behind him and turned around in confusion.

Could it be that this person is intimidated by my domineering aura and is preparing to treat me to a free meal?

"Hey buddy, you've got a good-looking face. How about having a few drinks with me? You can order whatever you want to eat."

The boss, who had just been cold-faced, now wore a strange smile. His thieving eyes brazenly scanned Uchiha Madara's handsome face, and he couldn't help but lick his blackened lips.

Unexpectedly, this boss was also someone who found a unique way of doing things, ignoring the waterway and choosing the land route instead.

"Gab-boom!"

To his utter astonishment, someone dared to openly flirt with him. After a brief moment of bewilderment, Madara Uchiha was so angry that his eyes turned red, and he lost control of his footing, leaving a large footprint on the restaurant's threshold.

Even the hot mom from Harbin has never said this to me!

"what!"

The boss, who was intimidated by Madara Uchiha's aura, realized he had almost hit a brick wall when he saw this scene. He screamed in fright, and his already overdeveloped anus was not properly secured, causing him to urinate and defecate in an instant.

"What bad luck."

Uchiha Madara, who was covering his nose, immediately lost his appetite and the will to punish the civilian who had offended him. He cursed under his breath and then vanished from the spot in an instant.

"Never mind, let's go back and get the money first."

Madara Uchiha, whose good mood had been largely ruined, lost the urge to continue shopping and decided to go back to Kurama's place to find the money before coming back for dinner.

However, just then, a hooded figure approached. Madara Uchiha frowned; judging by his skills, this guy was no ordinary person. He then watched the figure with great vigilance.

"Don't get me wrong, I just noticed you seemed to be having some trouble, so I wanted to ask if you needed any help."

A grown man's voice came from under the hood, his two green eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny and a strange calculation.

"Who are you?"

Undeterred by the other party's well-intentioned words, Madara Uchiha asked coldly,

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not the same as that boss from before."

It was obvious that this mysterious hooded man had witnessed everything that happened after Madara Uchiha entered the restaurant.

"You charlatan, I don't need your help."

Seeing that Madara Uchiha was unmoved by reason, the mysterious man took off his hood to show his sincerity, revealing his true face, which was an ordinary middle-aged man.

His slightly dark face carried a hint of shrewdness, his eyes were a rare green, and his muscular body exuded an aura somewhat familiar to Madara Uchiha.

"I am a bounty hunter."

"Bounty hunter? I'm not on anyone's wanted, what do you want with me?"

Upon hearing the other party reveal their identity, Madara Uchiha frowned in confusion. Could it be that Tobirama Senju was being dishonest and had put a bounty on his head in the black market?

"Bounty hunting is just one of my professions; I am also a very honest loan shark."

A loan shark?

Madara Uchiha then realized that this guy was actually a loan shark coming to his door!

"I don't need it!"

Madara Uchiha, who wasn't actually short of money, directly rejected the sales pitch from this strange fellow.

No, you need to.

The loan shark bounty hunter didn't want to give up on Uchiha Madara, such a valuable client.

Just now at the restaurant, the aura that suddenly burst forth from Uchiha Madara made Kakuzu, who was eating noodles and watching the show at a roadside stall, feel a chill. This seemingly poor man was no ordinary person and was very likely a fallen ninja from a large village, or a rogue ninja.

No matter which one it is, as long as you connect with it, you're guaranteed to make money.

So when Madara Uchiha came out, he followed him immediately. He first struck up a conversation with him as a bounty hunter. If the other party was a rogue ninja, he would definitely feel guilty, so he would take him down and take him to the black market to exchange for money.

However, after Kakuzu revealed his identity, Madara Uchiha not only showed no remorse but was also extremely impatient. This indicates that the other party was definitely a ninja from a major ninja village who had fallen into trouble for some reason, and Madara's other identity could come in handy.

"If you have any valuables you can use as collateral, the interest rate is only 300%. Don't miss this opportunity!"

Kakuzu, who was following closely behind, relentlessly pushed his sales pitch, making the already annoyed Madara Uchiha even more irritable.

"Aren't you annoying? I've already told you I don't need it!"

"Since there's no collateral, we can sign a contract, but the interest rate will be increased to 500%."

Thinking that Madara Uchiha was in trouble, Kakuzu gritted his teeth and generously relaxed the loan terms. If someone who truly needed the money saw this, they would be kneeling down in gratitude.

"roll!"

Completely annoyed, Madara Uchiha's eyes flashed with a crimson light, and a chilling aura of power emanated from them for a moment. He unleashed a simple Sharingan genjutsu, preparing to teach this annoying guy a lesson.

"Forehead"

Kakuzu, caught off guard by the illusion, stood frozen in place, his green eyes instantly dimming. Seeing this, Madara Uchiha didn't bother to say anything more and turned to leave.

At this moment, in Kakuzu's sea of ​​consciousness

"idiot!"

After being glared at by Madara Uchiha, Chongming was pointing his finger at Kakuzu's nose and unleashing a barrage of attacks.

"You money-grubbing bastard, you dare mess with just anyone?"

Recalling his unbearable past, the Seven-Tails wished he could crack open Kakuzu's skull to see if it was a defense or something else entirely.

"My Lord Divine Beast, who exactly is he, and why are you so wary of him?"

Kakuzu, who had been scolded without even knowing why, wasn't angry. Instead, he asked with curiosity,

"That guy is an Uchiha. I fought him before, it was about even."

Nanami was taken aback for a moment, then stated the fabricated facts in a very calm tone.

It's a 50/50 split; Madara Uchiha cut it into five pieces in five minutes.

"The Uchiha are from Konoha."

Kakuzu was also taken aback. Mentioning Konoha brought back the unbearable memories of being almost sent away by the Wood Dragon.

"Forget it, I can't afford to offend them."

In reality, Kakuzu, having broken free from the genjutsu, watched Madara Uchiha's departing figure with some regret. It seemed he wouldn't be able to earn that money.

"Fortunately, there's a guy with a pretty high bounty hiding in this town, so we managed to cut our losses in time."

Kakuzu's visit to this place was not accidental. He had received information from the black market that there was a ninja in this town with a bounty on his head, but his whereabouts were unknown. He had been investigating for the past few days. As for Uchiha Madara, he just happened to be there.

Meanwhile, Madara Uchiha, who hadn't gone far, suddenly noticed that the already sparse number of pedestrians on the road had dwindled considerably, and those remaining were hurrying along. Their strange behavior piqued his curiosity, and he immediately stopped a passerby.

"Hey, what happened?"

The man stopped was a middle-aged man with a kind face. He first looked at the unfamiliar Uchiha Madara with surprise, and then spoke.

"Young man, are you from out of town?"

"A passing traveler."

"Sigh~ You'd better leave before it gets dark. Ghosts appear here every month at the end of the month."

Upon hearing the mention of ghosts, the middle-aged man's eyes filled with terror, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"A ghost? What did he do?"

Having never seen a demon before, Madara Uchiha decided to get to the bottom of it.

"When night falls, ghosts will abduct people who haven't gone home yet."

As the middle-aged man spoke, he nervously checked the sky. As the sun slowly sank in the west, he didn't bother to explain further to Uchiha Madara and started running towards his home.

Madara Uchiha didn't press the matter further. Instead, he watched the setting sun with great interest, wanting to see just who this so-called demon really was.

Why aren't you home yet?

Just as Madara Uchiha was waiting for night to fall, an old man passing by called out to him.

"I was just passing by."

Madara Uchiha gave a curt reply, displaying an indifferent attitude, and ignored the old man completely.

"Seriously, come with me!"

Seeing Madara Uchiha in this state, the old man panicked and grabbed him, leading him towards a courtyard.

Not wanting to cause any more trouble, Madara Uchiha thought for a moment and decided not to resist, but followed the old man back to his home.

Upon arriving at the old man's house, Madara Uchiha surveyed the not-so-shabby dwelling without saying much. The old man glanced at the still-setting sun outside the window, patted his chest with lingering fear.

"You're so young, don't lose your life."

"Are there really ghosts?"

Madara Uchiha raised an eyebrow and asked curiously,

"So you knew!"

"I just found out too."

"Phew~ Then I'll tell you all about it."

Seeing Madara Uchiha's curious expression, the old man first sighed, then got up to make him a cup of tea. After sitting up straight, he slowly began to speak.

"I used to be the mayor of this town, but I've retired and am enjoying my golden years."

"Oh?"

Unexpectedly, this unassuming old man in front of him was once a local official. Uchiha Madara took a sip of tea and realized that it was indeed not something that ordinary people could afford.

"Our town is a vital transportation hub in the Land of Fire. It was once very prosperous, but five years ago, demons suddenly appeared in the town, and it gradually fell into ruin."

When the old man spoke of the town, his eyes shone with pride, but when he mentioned ghosts, he became just like the middle-aged man before, filled only with fear.

"Have you all seen that ghost?"

"I've only seen his silhouette, never his face."

The old man shook his head.

"Those who have seen the ghost's true face are all dead."

How did you know he was dead?

How can you be sure the kidnapped person is dead if you don't even know what a ghost looks like?

There is wreckage.

The old man paused, a look of deep terror appearing on his face.

"The remains, mixed with excrement, of those abducted people, eaten alive by demons!"

eat human?

Madara Uchiha frowned and immediately began to guess the true form of the demon. In his mind, those who ate people were nothing more than wild beasts, so the true form of the demon was most likely some kind of powerful wild beast.

"Could it have been done by a wild animal?"

With this in mind, Madara Uchiha put forward his own conjecture.

"No, not a wild beast, that ghost, he was dressed and could speak human language."

Cannibalism!

Madara Uchiha was now in a panic. Even in times of war, cannibalism was not common, let alone in times of peace. How could anyone eat their own kind?

"Didn't you seek help, like from ninjas?"

After a moment's thought, Madara Uchiha asked, "If it were truly a heinous incident of cannibalism, this town should have issued a mission seeking the help of ninjas."

"We looked for it before, but it disappeared. It's most likely been eaten."

As the former mayor, the old man naturally knew everything about the town. When the kidnapping incident first occurred, they had issued a mission, and ninjas came to carry it out.

"You've been here before? From Konoha?"

If a Konoha ninja went missing, Madara Uchiha felt he had to pay attention to the matter.

"Konoha? There was no Konoha back then. The one who accepted the mission was a wandering ninja."

It has only been four years since the founding of Konoha, and the time when the demon appeared was just before the founding of Konoha. At that time, the ninja system was still very chaotic, and many ninjas from small clans wandered around, accepting some insignificant small tasks to make a living.

"After Konoha was established, did you hire anyone?"

Madara Uchiha breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that it wasn't a Konoha ninja who had been eaten.

"Yes, we have issued a Rank B mission. The Konoha ninjas arrived in town today and should be investigating clues about the demon now."

The old man took a sip of tea, a hint of relief appearing on his face. The strength of the Konoha ninjas was evident to all; this time, they should be able to completely eradicate the demon scourge.

"ha?"

Madara Uchiha's heart tightened upon hearing this; he wasn't ready to deal with his fellow Konoha natives.

"Could you tell me who these ninjas from Konoha are?"

"I remember him as a middle-aged ninja who looked like a monkey, and he was with several teenagers."

the other side

In a courtyard specially prepared by the current mayor, Sarutobi Sasuke sat solemnly on the tatami mats, while six excited-looking kids knelt before him—these were Uchiha Gin's "beloved students."

"Hiruzen, did you gather any intelligence during the day?"

Sarutobi Sasuke was the first to ask his eldest son, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

As an elite Jonin-level ninja, Sarutobi Sasuke didn't need to accept this B-rank mission. However, due to the homework left by Senju Tobirama, he had to take these children with him on a mission that wasn't particularly dangerous.

"Chief Sarutobi, I've assigned some combat missions to the children, but I'm really too busy to do so. I'll have to trouble you to supervise and escort them."

Tobirama Senju, who was diligently working at his post, spoke apologetically to Sarutobi Sasuke, who had been summoned.

Actually, this white-haired guy just wanted a few days of peace and quiet. Uchiha Gin had taken over as clan leader because Uchiha Izuna was on maternity leave, leaving the energetic F6 unsupervised.

As the village head, Tobirama Senju's workload tomorrow is so heavy that even his shadow clones can't keep up, let alone teach his students. So he has no choice but to assign them an extra homework assignment, with the powerful Sarutobi Sasuke as their protector.

"Father, I..."

When asked the question, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face tightened, and he was about to speak when...

"When in public, address others by their official titles!"

"Roger that, Captain Sarutobi. We investigated during the day and found that the owner of the biggest restaurant in town is suspicious."

"Oh? What's the problem?"

"Everyone says he likes to eat people, especially young men, and I think that's a very important clue."

Hiruzen Sarutobi solemnly reported the gossip he had heard that day to Sasuke Sarutobi, which made his father's blood pressure soar and his fists harden.

"Phew~ Good, do you have any other information?"

Forcibly suppressing the urge to enforce family discipline, Sarutobi Sasuke turned to ask the other children.

"No~ No~"

The other members were all on their first mission and had absolutely no concept of intelligence gathering.

It seems that the Konoha Academy is imperative. The qualities of a ninja must be cultivated from a young age; otherwise, having strength alone will only harm oneself.

"Um... I have some information, but I'm not sure if it's actually intelligence~"

Uchiha Kagami hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand.

"Okay, Jing, go ahead."

Seeing Uchiha Kagami's nervous little face, Sarutobi Sasuke revealed what he thought was a kind smile. This was Mr. Gin's nephew, and he had to protect him well.

"Before us, there was another ninja who received the same mission, but he went missing."

"Is that all?"

Sarutobi Sasuke already knew this information from the town mayor, so it wasn't exactly reliable intelligence. However, Uchiha Kagami's ability to uncover it was already beyond his capabilities.

"I also discovered that the missing ninja's name is Kagami." (End of Chapter)