Uchiha Jin leaned back, expression calm.
He was, in truth, a wealthy man now—the annual dividends from the Uchiha Group alone were in the hundreds of millions.
And yet this girl still dared to look down on him?
His uncle could endure it. His aunt? Absolutely not.
He immediately started bickering with Ayame again—only to lose, as always.
To be precise, he had never once won against her.
---
Teuchi let out a hearty laugh.
"Jin-kun, so you've really become a Jōnin? That's wonderful news—we need to celebrate!"
"I'm closing shop tomorrow. Come by at noon, Jin-kun. I'll prepare a full feast just for you!"
Teuchi wasn't unaware of Jin's circumstances. He knew Jin had lost his parents early and had never been treated kindly by the Uchiha clan.
Teuchi had practically raised him. To him, Jin was like family—like a son.
Now that Jin had finally achieved something worthy of pride, Teuchi refused to let him celebrate alone.
He hadn't known until today—so he hadn't acted earlier.
But now that he did, he wanted to do everything he could.
Uchiha Jin fell silent for a moment.
He genuinely felt moved.
Kazama, Aya, Fugaku—they all approached him with some degree of personal interest or benefit in mind.
But Teuchi and Ayame?
They had always treated him with sincere kindness—never asking for anything in return.
In this cold village, besides Shisui, only this father and daughter cared for him without ulterior motives.
He took a deep breath.
"…Alright. It's a promise."
"I'll look forward to your cooking tomorrow, Uncle Teuchi. I'll bring the wine."
---
Itachi's mind was blank.
Watching Jin teasing Ayame so casually, talking, laughing, and fitting in with the villagers—he felt as if reality was bending.
How?
He was still a child, but as the heir of the Uchiha, he already understood the clan's situation very well.
The Uchiha had a terrible reputation in the village.
Most of the clan avoided leaving their compound entirely—let alone mingling with villagers.
Interaction with outsiders was rare, cold, and strained.
But Jin?
Jin was… liked. Accepted.
Itachi couldn't comprehend it. This scene shattered everything he believed.
---
"Uncle, four deluxe braised-rib ramen!"
At that moment, Minato Namikaze walked in with his three students and sat at the counter beside Jin and Itachi. His warm smile lit up the shop, radiating a gentle, approachable aura.
With their arrival, the small restaurant suddenly felt crowded with energy.
"Oh, Minato!" Teuchi grinned. "Right away!"
Ayame hurried to take their order—until she glanced back and spotted Jin still sitting comfortably at the counter.
Her eyebrow twitched.
"Jin! Do you not see we're busy? Stop eating and help!"
"…Seriously?"
Jin sighed, but he got up without resisting and went to the kitchen.
Teuchi made the ramen, Ayame served the customers, and Jin prepared the side dishes.
He even tossed a huge bundle of garlic toward Itachi.
"Itachi, peel the garlic."
Itachi's eyelid twitched.
But he didn't argue. He quickly finished his meal and quietly helped as well.
---
Minato and his students watched this scene in surprise.
Two Uchiha working at a ramen shop... was not something you saw every day.
Especially Itachi.
Minato knew him—Kushina and Mikoto were close friends after all—so he couldn't help asking:
"Itachi, who is that man?"
Itachi answered softly:
"My teacher. His name is Uchiha Jin… the only member of the clan to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"My father asked me to become his apprentice today. After that, my master brought me here. I don't really understand anything beyond that."
Minato blinked.
As someone close to the Hokage's circle, he knew of Uchiha Jin more than most. It made perfect sense that Fugaku would entrust his son to such a talent.
What he didn't expect… was how naturally Jin interacted with Teuchi.
Was this man really Uchiha?
Aside from Obito, Minato had never met another Uchiha who willingly talked to villagers, much less helped in a shop.
---
"Minato-sensei, Uchiha Jin was in the same class as me," Obito said, arms crossed. "But we weren't close. He used to be totally average—bottom of Class B. Who would've thought someone like him would awaken the Mangekyō?"
Obito scowled, jealousy simmering.
"But I'm not losing to him. I'll awaken the Mangekyō too—just watch!"
Obito's voice shook with stubborn pride.
Even if he ranked last… it was still the bottom of Class A.
But Jin?
A nobody from Class B—a dropout-tier Uchiha—suddenly awakened the Mangekyō and became a clan genius overnight.
How was Obito supposed to accept that?
Kakashi took a sip of soup and added casually:
"I've seen that Uchiha here before. He ate here often seven or eight years ago."