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The Wufei Rabbit departed quietly.
In the blink of an eye, a week passed.
Konoha Village.
Lately, unsettling rumors spread through the village — whispers that the Uchiha clan secretly possessed three pairs of Mangekyō Sharingan and were plotting a grand conspiracy.
Panic grew among the villagers. Suspicion and hostility toward the Uchiha only deepened.
Yet the clan members themselves barely reacted. Such baseless slander was nothing new to them.
Right now, what truly occupied their attention was something entirely different.
Fitness.
Since Daohuo and others visited the Body Transformation Department, word of the training there spread quickly through the Uchiha compound. Soon, more and more clansmen applied for memberships.
Each day, the gym grew livelier.
If not for their duties at the Police Department, many Uchiha ninjas might have already abandoned patrols entirely to train under Duan.
---
At dusk, along the Konoha River embankment, Might Guy was running laps, warming up under the orange sky.
Since his crushing defeat at the Broken Hand Gym, Guy had reflected deeply. He'd redrawn his training plan, vowing to strengthen his body and one day challenge Duan again.
Though he now focused on building raw strength, his habit of running dozens of laps around the village remained unchanged.
Suddenly, a loud chant echoed from behind him:
"Meat — Change!"
Guy turned, startled, and saw a group of Uchiha ninja charging forward — each wearing white gym shirts and red shorts, shouting as they ran in formation. They passed him like a gust of wind.
Pedestrians along the riverbank stared, murmuring in confusion.
Guy frowned.
He recognized the uniforms — they were from the Body Transformation Department.
"Don't tell me… all of Uchiha's shinobi have joined the gym now?"
Watching their synchronized rhythm and sheer energy, Guy's fighting spirit reignited.
He clenched his fists, veins pulsing with youthful resolve.
"Burn! Youth!!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs and sprinted after them, his passion blazing anew.
---
Inside the gym, after finishing her cleaning duties, Samui wiped sweat from her brow.
"Are you tired from work lately? Your body can still handle it?" Duan asked, his tone unusually gentle.
"I'm not tired, Curator."
Samui smiled awkwardly, feeling oddly flattered.
Lately, Duan's concern for her had become constant — asking if she'd been sleeping well, if she felt sick, or if she'd had nightmares.
A strange warmth bloomed in her chest.
Could it be… was he about to confess to her?
Her heart beat faster at the thought.
Duan, however, watched her calmly. His gaze shifted to the crystal necklace around her neck — Tsunade's Death Necklace.
He'd given it to Samui over a week ago. Yet nothing had happened.
Could it be that the curse had not yet activated?
He decided to wait a little longer.
"Let's close early today. Get some rest," Duan said finally. "I'm going to visit a patient."
Giving Samui that instruction, he turned and left the gym.
---
He couldn't visit the sick empty-handed.
So Duan stopped by the nearby commercial street, buying a fruit basket from a stall.
As he walked along, he overheard two shinobi chatting nearby.
> "What's this Mangekyō Sharingan thing? Is it stronger than the Three-Tomoe Sharingan?"
"Way stronger. They say its power can even control the Nine-Tails! I saw the Kyuubi Rebellion myself years ago."
"Then what if the Uchiha use it to control the Nine-Tails again?"
"Relax. The village learned its lesson. The Jinchūriki is well-guarded. The Uchiha won't get another chance."
Duan's steps slowed.
"Control the Nine-Tails…"
He looked across the street — where a small, blond-haired boy stood outside Yakiniku Q, staring hungrily through the window.
It was Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
And surprisingly, no guards were around.
Though Duan had heard rumors of the "demon fox brat," this was his first time seeing Naruto in person.
He walked toward the restaurant.
Inside, patrons noticed the boy and began whispering.
> "That's the kid from the Nine-Tails night. Look at the whisker marks — just like the fox demon!"
"They say he's cursed. Wherever he goes, disaster follows."
"Someone should drive that monster away."
An employee, pressured by the complaints, grabbed a broom and rushed outside.
"Hey, brat! You're scaring the customers. Get lost!"
He hesitated to touch Naruto, waving the broom nervously — as if contact would bring bad luck.
"I-I'm sorry…" Naruto stammered, shrinking back, terrified and frozen in place.
Snap.
A large hand caught the broom midair — and broke it clean in two.
The staff froze.
"M-Mr. Duan…" he stammered, recognizing him immediately.
Duan was one of Yakiniku Q's top patrons, spending millions of ryō each year — a customer no one dared offend.
"For a child barely six years old, isn't this a bit much?" Duan's deep voice rumbled.
"But he's…" The employee stopped short, too afraid to finish.
"What is he?" Duan asked, his eyes narrowing.
The worker fell silent. He didn't actually know — he only hated Naruto because everyone else did.
"I see no demon here," Duan said flatly, resting a heavy hand on Naruto's messy blond hair.
"Uncle, y-you're so tall… and strong!" Naruto said, eyes wide in awe.
The boy wasn't afraid — just amazed.
"Are you hungry?" Duan asked.
"I'm not! I already had dinner!" Naruto said quickly — right before his stomach growled loudly.
Flustered, he covered it with both hands, cheeks burning red.
Duan turned to the clerk. "Bring the kid a deluxe barbecue set. Put it on my tab."
"Y-yes, Mr. Duan!" the clerk nodded quickly.
Naruto blinked in confusion. "Uncle… why are you buying me food?"
"You'll know later," Duan said. "Consider it payment in advance."
"Payment for what?" Naruto tilted his head.
Duan's expression darkened slightly.
"When the time comes, I'll need your help."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and left — the fruit basket still in hand.
If the Uchiha planned a coup, then the Nine-Tails' interference would only make things… more interesting.
Wouldn't it?
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