Standing up with a yawn, Uchiha Jin led the way out of the courtyard.
Uchiha Itachi followed, slightly stunned.
Even after becoming his teacher, Jin was still this lazy?
Aren't teachers supposed to be strict, serious, and dignified?
But now that he had acknowledged Jin as his teacher, even if Itachi didn't understand his behavior, he knew he had to show respect.
He quickly trotted after Jin. The two of them passed out of the Uchiha district and entered Konoha's commercial sector.
As they walked, the expressions of nearby villagers changed instantly.
"That's… an Uchiha…"
"Move aside! Don't run into them!"
"Right—avoid eye contact!"
Whispers spread. Faces paled. Fear and wariness filled their eyes.
Itachi's expression darkened. His small hands clenched at his sides.
Their gazes stabbed like needles. It hurt.
He couldn't understand it. Was it truly just because they were Uchiha?
They hadn't done anything wrong.
Since he was young, he had rarely left the clan's territory for this exact reason—he couldn't stand the villagers' stares.
To him, the world outside the Uchiha compound was hell.
"…Teacher, why must we leave the clan?" Itachi finally asked, voice low and uneasy.
Jin rolled his eyes. "To get food, obviously."
"But—" Itachi wanted to argue.
There were restaurants inside the compound too. Why leave the safety of home just to eat?
Before he could finish, Jin interrupted.
"Enough. Just follow me. When it comes to food, nothing else is more important."
Without another glance at the boy, Jin continued forward.
Itachi: "…"
He wanted to resist… but Jin had spoken, and this wasn't Uchiha territory. He swallowed his discomfort and followed.
They soon arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.
"Yo, Jin-kun!"
Teuchi greeted them warmly. "Brought a kid along this time? What'll you two have?"
Jin gave the counter a friendly tap and smiled. "The usual for me. Itachi, what do you want?"
Itachi froze.
He wasn't used to interacting with strangers. His throat tightened.
"I… I…"
After several long seconds, he still couldn't get a word out.
Jin sighed and explained to Teuchi with a helpless smile:
"Sorry, Uncle Teuchi. Itachi's barely ever left the clan, so he's shy. Give him a soy-rib ramen. Kids need meat to grow."
Teuchi chuckled, nodded, and turned to prepare the order.
A moment later, Ayame came rushing out, indignation written all over her face. She slapped Jin on the shoulder.
"Jin! You're unbelievable! It's one thing to always eat here for free, but now you're bringing a kid too? Are you trying to bankrupt us?!"
Jin didn't even flinch. He had practically grown up eating here, and he and Ayame had been bickering since childhood.
He calmly lifted a shoulder and continued eating.
"Ayame, let me educate you."
"The man sitting before you is Uchiha Jin—recently promoted to Special Jōnin, and a hero of the battlefield."
"So first of all, show some respect and call me Master Jin."
He tapped the counter confidently.
"I'm currently taking missions that start at 600,000 ryō. I have money. So if anything, you should be flattering a big-spending customer like me."
Ayame crossed her arms with a cold stare.
"Oh? Master Jōnin, huh? Then where's the money?"
Jin froze.
Based on his battlefield performance, his bonus should be quite high—around two million ryō.
The problem?
War was still ongoing. The village hadn't issued the payments yet.
And as for his new role as Police Force Captain and Uchiha elder—he'd only just started. His salary was nowhere in sight.
So at this moment… he was flat broke.
He coughed lightly and looked away.
"A-anyway… the mission rewards haven't been distributed yet. I'll get paid after the war."
Ayame burst into laughter.
She slapped him on the back again, but this time mockingly.
"So, Master Jōnin—you're still broke."
"Shut up!"
Jin slammed the counter in frustration.
This was humiliating!