The Uchiha Clan Is Always Generous To Friends

"You're really slow. Is this the level of a Uchiha's ninja discipline?" Before Kuragami Uchiha and his two companions could say a word upon their arrival, a jōnin from the Mitokado clan spoke up in a provocative tone.

As his words fell, the two civilian-born ninjas who had intended to greet Kuragami suddenly froze, unsure how to react. After all, both the Uchiha and Mitokado clans were forces they couldn't afford to offend, even though they themselves were at least Jonin.

Kuragami Uchiha glanced at the speaker with a smirk of disdain, choosing to ignore him entirely. Instead, he turned toward the two civilian ninjas, his face wearing a warm smile as he extended his hand.

"I'm Kuragami Uchiha. It's an honor to be working with all of you on this mission."

The two civilian ninjas were a bit overwhelmed, never expecting the newly appointed clan head of the Uchiha clan, Kuragami Uchiha, who had made a name for himself during the Third Shinobi World War, to be so approachable.

"I'm Seiichi Nagai. Please take care of us during this mission, clan head Kuragami."

"I'm Ryuta Kuromu. With you here, I'm sure this mission will go smoothly."

"Not at all."

Kuragami replied with a smile. "Success in this mission will depend on all of us working together."

Itsuki Mitokado, the jōnin from the Mitokado clan, became visibly irritated when he realized that Kuragami and his group had completely ignored him. "Didn't you hear what I said? You're late and don't even have the decency to apologize?"

"As far as I remember, we're still within the agreed meeting time." 

Kuragami responded coolly while his gaze slowly turned cold.

Behind him, Inoka Uchiha and Saito Uchiha instantly activated their Sharingan and locked eyes with Itsuki Mitokado.

"Besides." 

Kuragami continued, the three tomoe in his eyes slowly spinning: "Didn't your elders teach you the basic courtesy of respecting the strong?"

Kaze Inuzuka, Hayate Gekko, and Yugao Uzuki had initially planned to greet Kuragami, but given the tense atmosphere, they chose to watch in silence instead. Meanwhile, the two members of the Hyuga clan stood with their arms crossed, observing with indifferent expressions.

"Alright, since everyone is here, let's move out." 

At this moment, Kakashi closed his book, stepped between them, and spoke calmly.

"Since Kakashi has spoken, let's go." Kuragami deactivated his Sharingan, and his smile returned.

Despite the somewhat unpleasant first meeting, the group followed Kakashi to the village gates to complete the necessary departure procedures.

Since the mission was not time-sensitive, they traveled at a steady pace. Based on intelligence reports, Orochimaru had recently been spotted near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Paddies, so their route took them northward.

During the journey, Kaze Inuzuka's ninja dog, Sumimaru, frequently trotted up to Kuragami's side.

"You've got quite the keen nose." 

Kuragami chuckled as he pulled out several pieces of raw meat from a sealing scroll and fed them to Sumimaru.

After devouring the meat, Sumimaru let out a satisfied bark and even licked Kuragami's palm.

"Huh? Is Sumimaru actually friendly to a Uchiha? That's unusual." Kaze Inuzuka commented with surprise. Though there was no major conflict between the Inuzuka and Uchiha Clans, the Inuzuka, who raised dogs, typically didn't get along well with the Uchiha, who commonly signed Summoning Jutsu with ninja cats.

"Probably because I'm one of the few in my clan who never signed a Summoning Jutsu with Ninneko. My summon is a hawk, so I often carry raw meat, which must have caught his attention." Kuragami explained with a smile.

"That makes sense." Kaze Inuzuka laughed heartily.

With that small exchange, the relationship between Kuragami and Kaze Inuzuka warmed considerably. The Inuzuka were simple people; win over their dogs, and you win over them, too.

Seeing this, Hayate Gekko and Yugao Uzuki also joined in, introducing themselves to Kuragami. Over time, everyone grew more familiar with one another, even the two Hyuga members, who initially carried an air of aloofness. Thanks to Kuragami's friendly initiative, they eventually joined the conversation. 

Meanwhile, Itsuki Mitokado and Menjin Mitokado, who had been hostile from the start, found themselves increasingly isolated.

By evening, the group arrived at Tanzaku Town, located in the northern part of the Land of Fire.

"It's getting late. Let's rest here for the night." Kakashi suggested.

No one objected, so Kakashi led them to a small inn. Just then, Kuragami suddenly spoke up.

"We can't get proper rest in a place like this."

"Hmph, we're on a mission. Who gave you the right to be picky?" 

Itsuki Mitokado sneered. "If you don't like it, you might as well go home."

Ignoring his provocation, Kuragami said: "Since fate has brought us together as a team, allow me to cover today's expenses. Kakashi, as the squad leader, do you have any objections?"

"Not at all." 

Kakashi replied without hesitation.

"Good." With that, Kuragami turned and walked toward the town center.

The others hesitated at first, especially the two civilian ninjas. However, seeing that Kakashi had followed Kuragami without hesitation, the rest of the group quickly caught up, leaving Itsuki Mitokado and Menjin Mitokado behind.

Kuragami led them to the most luxurious hot spring inn in the town, where he booked a private suite for each person. But he didn't stop there; after securing accommodations, he suggested they all go out for a proper meal.

Everyone thought that Kuragami would treat everyone to a barbecue restaurant in the town at most, but unexpectedly, Kuragami took everyone directly to the most luxurious restaurant in the town, a place usually reserved for nobles and wealthy merchants of the Land of Fire.

Even Kaze Inuzuka, who held a decent status in his clan, had never dined in such an extravagant venue. As for the two civilian jōnin, they lived frugally, saving every Ryo to buy new jutsu, so a place like this was beyond their wildest dreams.

Therefore, after everyone took their seats, they were naturally a little cautious.

At this time, Kuragami, who was sitting in the main seat, took the lead in raising his wine glass.

"Thank you all for accepting me as a teammate. Since we're here, let's relax and enjoy ourselves. The Uchiha Clan has always been generous to its friends." Kuragami said with a smile.

"You know what? That's true!" 

Kaze Inuzuka grinned, downing his drink. "I'll consider you a friend from now on!"

As everyone toasted, Kakashi finally spoke up.

"By the way, Kuragami, aren't you underage? Breaking the three ninja prohibitions this early isn't a great look."

"You, of all people, reading smut novels every day, have no right to lecture me." Kuragami retorted.

The group burst into laughter, and the atmosphere around the table became lively and warm.