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

As night falls, the whole town becomes quiet, with only the occasional barking of dogs coming from the alleys proving that the place is not deserted.

Sarutobi Sasuke, who was waiting at the temporary resettlement site, glanced at the sky and waved to interrupt the F6 members who were whispering among themselves.

"It's almost time, let's go."

According to the mission details, every month-end night in this town, several people mysteriously disappear, and the next day, abandoned corpses and remains are found on the outskirts of the town, stinking and looking horribly gruesome.

Although the person who issued the mission repeatedly emphasized that the man-eating culprit was an indescribable demon, the experienced Sarutobi Sasuke believed that the culprit was some kind of humanoid beast. He thought that the wandering ninja who disappeared a few years ago probably lost his life because he was not skilled enough.

"Father, Captain Sarutobi! Do you have any tactics in mind?"

On his first mission, Hiruzen Sarutobi was excitedly rubbing his fists together, eager to prove himself to his father.

"That's right, that's right~"

The other little ones nodded eagerly, their tense little faces filled with anticipation.

"You must follow my lead."

Feeling a little uncomfortable being stared at by the children, Sarutobi Sasuke looked away and hesitated for a moment before giving instructions.

"receive!"

The alluring moon hung high in the sky. Sarutobi Sasuke led a few children into the darkness, wandering through the town's dark alleys, searching for suspicious figures. However, after searching for most of the way, they couldn't find a single ghost.

"Hiruzen, come here."

Sarutobi Sasuke thought for a moment and decided that wandering around aimlessly wasn't a good idea. He had heard that the killer was elusive and his methods of concealment and speed of movement were certainly impressive, so he waved to the few little ones who were peeking around.

"Captain Sarutobi, what are the plans?"

The little ones immediately stood at attention, waiting for orders.

"Next, we'll split up. You'll be in groups of three, each keeping watch near one of the town's two main gates. If you spot anyone suspicious, do not act rashly; send a signal immediately."

As they spoke, Sarutobi Sasuke took out several signal flares from his backpack and distributed them to the group.

"yes!"

Next came the group formation. Without hesitation, Danzo approached his childhood friend Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the two hit it off immediately. Then, they both turned their attention to Kagami Uchiha, who was being entangled by Koharu Utatane.

"Kyo-kun, please take me with you. I'm just a weak medical ninja~"

With her little mouth pouting, Koharu Utatane tugged at Kagami Uchiha's arm in a coquettish manner and said in a sweet, coquettish voice.

"Xiaochun, there's a difference between boys and girls, everyone's watching."

Looking at the tearful Koharu Utatane, Kagami felt a cold sweat break out on his back. If he didn't know the girl's true nature, he would have fallen into her trap.

How can you say that? Aren't we good friends?

"Mirror, join our team!"

Just as Koharu Utatane was pestering him relentlessly, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura approached and extended an invitation in a very sincere tone.

"I was right first."

Xiaochun, who was switching dorm rooms, immediately became unhappy. She turned her head and glared at the two of them with a fierce look in her eyes.

I'm here to hook up with rich guys, so you lot better stay out of my way.

"That's not right. Team formation must be based on voluntariness. Jing, our team needs you!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and reached out his hand towards Kagami Uchiha.

"I'm sorry, Xiaochun."

Uchiha Kagami gave Koharu Utatane an apologetic smile, then shook hands with Hiruzen Sarutobi and joined their group.

"You, Danzo, just you wait!"

The cooked duck flew out of her mouth, and Koharu Utatane was furious. She immediately warned Danzo Shimura.

"Huh? What does this have to do with me? I didn't say a word!"

Unaware that he was the innate scapegoat, Shimura Danzo was inexplicably warned by Utatane Koharu. He scratched his head in confusion, looking utterly innocent.

Now that Hiruzen Sarutobi's three-man team had assembled, Koharu Utatane had no choice but to form a temporary team with Homura Mitokado and Torifu Akimichi, who dared not utter a sound.

"Alright! If nothing happens, meet here before dawn."

Having witnessed the process of the little ones forming a team, Sarutobi Sasuke's evaluation of his son rose even higher. He never expected that this kid would have such leadership qualities.

"yes!"

Upon receiving the order, the little creatures immediately transformed into several black shadows and scattered in two directions.

Sarutobi Sasuke watched the little ones leave, still feeling a bit uneasy. He then formed hand seals and slapped the ground, and two mischievous little monkeys jumped out of the white smoke, scratching their ears and cheeks as they observed the novel environment.

"Please keep an eye on them for me. If anything unexpected happens, please let me know immediately."

"Squeak squeak squeak~"

The little monkeys didn't nod immediately after receiving the order. Instead, they stretched out a hand to Sarutobi Sasuke. Understanding the command, he rummaged in his backpack, pulled out a banana he always carried, and handed it to the two little monkeys.

"Chirp chirp~"

The monkeys, having received their reward, nodded excitedly, clutching their bananas, and leaped off in the direction the smaller monkeys had gone.

"Phew~ This should be fine now."

Sarutobi Sasuke finally felt relieved and slowly disappeared into the darkness to begin his search.

Although this is only a B-rank mission, failing to complete it will result in a drop in Konoha's evaluation score.

"Monkeys, huh?"

Sitting across from the former mayor, Madara Uchiha took a small sip of his fragrant tea, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

If there are no surprises, the Konoha ninja who came to carry out the mission is most likely Sarutobi Sasuke, the head of the Sarutobi clan, and the children he brought with him are probably some of Tobirama Senju's disciples.

So, Jingzai is here too.

No, he has to take care of this.

As a member of a branch of the clan head's lineage, Uchiha Kagami held considerable weight in Uchiha Madara's heart, especially since he was the most valued child of his cousin. If anything went wrong, how would Madara explain it to Uchiha Gin?

"Thank you for the tea, I won't bother you any longer."

Worried that something might happen to Uchiha Kagami, Uchiha Madara greeted the old man and got up to leave.

"Wait! Are you crazy? Did I just tell you everything for nothing?"

The old man immediately became anxious. He had just told Madara Uchiha so much about demons, just to remind this young man not to throw his life away in vain.

"Don't worry, I am a ninja after all."

To reassure the old man, Madara Uchiha revealed his identity as a ninja, but the old man was not convinced.

"You wandering bastards always like to call yourselves ninjas, just like that young man five years ago."

It turned out that the old man had mistaken Uchiha Madara for a wandering ninja, and then couldn't help but bring up the old story again.

"Claiming to be a ninja?"

This statement piqued Madara Uchiha's interest.

"That's right. Five years ago, that young man claimed to be a ninja from the Land of Grass, but he still ended up being devoured by demons."

It turns out that the missing ninja from five years ago came from the Land of Grass. Madara Uchiha didn't have a deep impression of that country, only that it was said that their ancestors were once rich, but their family fortunes declined and they never recovered.

Madara Uchiha stroked his chin, then sat back down.

"What's his name?"

"His name is..."

"My name is Kagami! I'm a ninja from the Land of Grass. I heard you have a mission assigned to you?"

A thin, ponytailed young man stood before the old town mayor, awkwardly adjusting the worn-out sword at his waist. His pale face held a hint of expectation.

"Are you a ninja?"

These past few days, the old town mayor, who had been troubled by the recent ghost stories, looked the young man in the red shirt up and down, his old face full of suspicion.

"Genuine product, guaranteed! Don't believe me? Just look!"

Feeling that he was being questioned, the young man named Vulcan immediately drew his sword from his waist and struck the table next to him, causing the exquisite square table to collapse instantly.

"Heh heh~ How about it?"

Vulcan sheathed his sword and asked smugly,

"Three thousand taels!"

The old mayor stared at the broken table, his eye muscles twitching.

"Huh? Wasn't it supposed to be ten thousand taels?"

I said the table!

"."

"Remember, I will only pay you seven thousand taels after the deed is done."

The old mayor, seeing that the ninja in front of him didn't look like a typical ninja and didn't seem like he could pull out three thousand taels of silver, decided to give it a try and ultimately assigned him the task.

"Does it include meals? I have a big appetite~"

Unexpectedly, he had turned misfortune into a blessing, and the young man named Vulcan asked excitedly.

Could this guy be a freeloader?

The old mayor rubbed his temples, a slight headache on his face, and after considering his options, replied...

"The world is not at peace right now, so I can only provide you with one meal a day. If you can't complete the task within three days, you'll have to go back to where you came from."

"Even one meal is fine, let's eat!"

Wiping away the glistening drool from the corner of his mouth, Vulcan urged impatiently. The old town mayor had no choice but to make the arrangements.

"Delicious! Delicious! I'll have another bowl!"

"Wow, that's an incredible amount of food!"

Standing in a restaurant, the old town mayor stared dumbfounded at the young man who had made such a whirlwind of activity.

"Mayor, he's already eaten his third bucket of rice. At this rate, the money you give me for food won't be enough!"

The restaurant owner standing nearby was equally astonished, his mouth agape. In all the years he had run his restaurant, he had never seen anyone who could eat so much. Even the Akimichi ninja who had passed by earlier did not have such a large appetite.

"Is there no food left?"

Finding that the owner hadn't come to refill his rice, the young man named Vulcan regretfully patted his flat belly.

"That's all! You've eaten everything in the kitchen, how am I supposed to operate today?"

The boss's face turned ashen. This raggedly dressed fellow had devoured all his stock in one go. If the old mayor hadn't stopped him, he would have already dumped the whole pot on him.

"Sigh~ I only managed to eat about 60% full."

The young man pursed his lips, stood up, and stretched. This was the most he had eaten in a while.

"Young man, if you're just someone who freeloads, I hope you admit it sooner rather than later, and don't try to stand out."

How could a normal person eat like that? This young man must have been starving for a long time, and he probably only took on the mission to get a full meal.

"I'm very strong!"

Wiping his mouth, the young man remained confident.

"In that case, it'll be the end of the month in a couple of days, so I'll leave the ghost matter to you."

"Wrapped up~"

And so, the young man came to freeload every day, and his astonishing appetite attracted the townspeople to come and watch. The God of Fire was not reserved at all and greeted the people with a smile.

"Big brother, are you really a ninja?"

A young boy mustered his courage and asked the god of fire, who was eating.

"What, it doesn't look like it?"

Vulcan glanced at the child, but didn't put down his bowl. He continued chewing his food diligently, taking a moment to ask a question.

"Aren't all ninjas dressed in fancy equipment, breathing fire and spraying water all the time, and swinging their hands around like crazy?"

The boy, recalling the ninjas he had been fortunate enough to meet, returned home filled with longing.

"Hiccup~ I'm sorry, I'm a ninja from a remote, impoverished area."

After letting out a burp, Vulcan was not ashamed of his downfall; instead, he readily admitted it.

"A remote, impoverished area?"

"My hometown, the Land of Grass, the people there aren't very strong, but they're always causing trouble. They won't let you do this or that, it's really a headache~"

While picking his teeth, Kagami complained to the boy, showing no airs of a ninja whatsoever.

"Can you really defeat a demon?"

The boy stared at the Vulcan for a long time, then suddenly asked a question.

"ha?"

"My father, the town's night watchman, was a man who was eaten by a ghost."

It turns out that the boy was also one of the victims of the ghost. His father was kidnapped by the ghost while on his way to work. His mangled body was later found on the outskirts of the town, and the boy became an orphan.

"Oh, I see."

Looking at the boy's hateful expression, a strange look flickered in Vulcan's eyes, and he muttered to himself in a low voice.

"That's really..."

"Big brother, you must get rid of the demon!"

"Ha~ Of course."

Vulcan quickly reverted to his unreliable self, lazily yawned, and casually nodded.

Soon, three days passed, and the day the ghost appeared finally arrived. The old mayor gathered some of the town's able-bodied men in his courtyard. Everyone was armed with iron weapons and ready for battle, while the young ninja named Kagami sat calmly to the side, drinking tea.

"Time is almost up."

The old mayor was extremely nervous because his position was in jeopardy due to the frequent disappearances. If he couldn't resolve the ghost problem soon, he would have to resign.

Aren't you going to leave yet?

The old town mayor asked the fire god beside him in a deep voice.

"Whew~ One cough!"

Without further ado, Vulcan put down his teacup, stood up, and swaggered out of the courtyard, disappearing into the pitch-black night.

"I hope he's not a fraud."

As the other person's figure disappeared, the old mayor couldn't help but pray in his heart.

The pale moonlight filtered through the bare treetops, casting dappled shadows on the dark streets. At the town's gate, an indescribable darkness was silently approaching.

As it slowly stepped into the town's territory, the thick black covering its body rapidly contracted, transforming in no time into a tall figure. It began to wander aimlessly, its scarlet eyes scanning the tightly closed doors around it with a blank expression.

"Eat."

A hoarse and indistinct whisper echoed through the empty street as the figure endured an indescribable hunger, searching for its prey.

"Crunch~"

A sudden, jarring sound echoed through the empty street, instantly attracting the attention of the figure. It raised its head, sniffed the air, and a greedy smile spread across its face.

A familiar taste.

"Huff~ Huff~ Huff~"

The terrified boy ran through the dark alley. He was only worried about that unreliable ninja older brother, so he sneaked out in the middle of the night. However, he didn't encounter Kagami, but instead met another strange person.

When the other person turned to look at him, the boy instinctively felt fear and immediately turned and ran into the familiar alley, heading towards his home.

"Eat."

However, no matter how fast he ran, the devilish whispers still echoed in his ears. Enveloped by the aura of death, the boy eventually fell due to fear.

"Don't come any closer!"

The boy, whose legs were weak, found that he couldn't stand up no matter what he did.

"Eat."

The ghostly figure slowly approached, and only then did the boy smell a stench that almost made him vomit—the unique odor of rotting food.

At this moment, the boy was absolutely certain that the figure in front of him was the ghost that had eaten his father, but under the deep-seated fear, he could do nothing but tremble.

"eat"

Just then, a ray of moonlight shone down, and the dying boy finally saw the ghost's true face.

It turned out that the ghost was not the green-faced, fanged creature of legend, but a pale-faced woman. She was not beautiful, but not ugly. Her face was expressionless, her long hair hung down her shoulders, and she wore a faded gray robe. She was lifeless, like a corpse that had lost its life.

Move around!

The terrified boy thumped his trembling legs, trying to buy himself a chance to survive.

"eat"

There was no plot twist as in the novel. The pale-faced female ghost had already reached out her hands to the boy's face in the blink of an eye. Watching the other party's foul-smelling mouth slowly grow larger, the boy closed his eyes in despair.

"Da da da~"

However, just as the boy was sinking into despair, the sound of footsteps slowly approaching from the darkness behind him rekindled a glimmer of hope in his heart. He mustered all his strength and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Help! There's a ghost here!"

"Da da~ da~"

The owner of the footsteps paused briefly after hearing the boy's call, then disappeared with a click.

"So this is where it is~"

Just as the boy thought the person walking on the ground had met with misfortune, a familiar voice came from behind him. Hearing this voice, the boy excitedly turned around.

"Big brother ninja! Help me!"

"You, you! I told you not to wander around at night, why don't you listen?"

The Vulcan slowly emerged from the darkness, his face less nonchalant than usual, now bearing a complex expression. Looking at the boy slumped on the ground, he slowly shook his head.

"Eat."

The female ghost withdrew her hand from the boy, slowly stood up, and stared intently at the suddenly appearing fire god before her with her scarlet eyes.

"Phew~"

The boy, having survived the ordeal, breathed a sigh of relief. The appearance of the Vulcan had given him the courage to stand, and his trembling legs regained their strength. However, before he could get up, a faint, eerie voice suddenly came from behind him. Gone was the previous languor; only a chilling coldness penetrated to the bone.

"Are you hungry again?"

"That day, the young ninja named Kagami never appeared again. Also kidnapped was a boy from our town. Poor child, his father was eaten by a demon, and he didn't escape either."

The former mayor's eyes were filled with deep sorrow. He still remembered the boy's mangled body and the red strip of cloth he clutched tightly in his hand.

"Didn't you find the ninja's body?"

After listening to the former mayor's account, Madara Uchiha frowned slightly and asked a question.

"No, but there were pieces of his clothes, probably because he swallowed them whole."

The old man had a good impression of the ninja with the big appetite, it was just a pity that he died young.

"Strange, you said that the bodies of everyone who was abducted by the ghost would appear outside the town without exception, so why did the ninja's body just disappear?"

According to the old man's account, Madara Uchiha vaguely felt that the ninja was somewhat strange.

"Perhaps it was snatched away by a passing wild animal!"

Clearly, the old man didn't want to talk about this memory anymore, and his ashen face silenced Madara Uchiha, who was about to press for more information.

"You can sleep here with me tonight. The ninjas of Konoha are powerful and will definitely be able to help us eliminate the demon threat."

The old man pointed to the tatami mats nearby, inviting Uchiha Madara to rest there for the night.

"Thank you then."

Having made up his mind, Uchiha Dian nodded. The old man said nothing more, turned and went into the inner room, where a low snoring sound soon came from.

Madara Uchiha, who was sitting cross-legged, sensed that the old man had fallen asleep, slowly opened his eyes, and then disappeared from the room in a flash.

Town gate

Hidden in the alley, Hiruzen Sarutobi's squad was intently watching the street, afraid of missing any detail.

"Gurgle~"

Then, a hungry cry broke the tension between the three. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the one who spoke, calmly nudged Danzo Shimura beside him, who looked puzzled, and whispered...

"Danzo, I told you to eat more this afternoon, why won't you listen?"

"Huh? Hiruzen, it wasn't me!"

Shimura Danzo, who was being unfairly blamed, frowned and retorted in a low voice.

"If it wasn't you, could it be Jing?"

"It might be him."

Danzo, not wanting to take the blame for anything other than the monkey, immediately turned his attention to Uchiha Kagami behind him.

"Crunch~ Crunch~"

"Do you want some too?"

Uchiha Kagami, who was eating snacks, noticed the two looking at him and somewhat embarrassedly handed them the pastries he was holding.

He bought some snacks on the way while he was gathering intelligence during the day, worried that he would get hungry at night.

"Thank you, Godfather!"

Imagine, in the middle of the night, you're starving and can't fall asleep. At this critical moment, your roommate hands you a bag of snacks. Such a great kindness deserves to be called your godfather.

"You're too kind. What kind of relationship do we have? I have more if you need more~"

"Danzo! Look at yourself! Can't you learn from Kagami?" (End of Chapter)