Chapter 262 Celebration [Combined Chapter]

Several people discussed the Pool of Blood from their own perspectives for a while, and Uchiha Eider suggested going to buy some things to celebrate the fact that they had survived another year safely and successfully.

Ling never contradicted his peers on such matters, so he readily agreed, "Do I need to go to the casino again? To be honest, I don't have a penny on me now."

"Hey, do we still need to talk about money in our relationship?" Uchiha Yingji smiled strangely and moved closer to Ling. "Although I just proposed it, I have a very comprehensive range of things here. You just need to take out the good things you have in stock."

"The good stuff I stockpiled?" Ling tilted his head. "The only normal food I have is the bird food for Yata and Sanzu. The rest are mostly herbs and military pills... You don't want to celebrate with those, do you?"

"Stop pretending! I'm talking about wine! Wine! Didn't you go to the Iron Country? I don't believe there's no good wine from the Iron Country in your scroll! Hand it all over!"

"Eh? But——"

"No buts, watch out!" Uchiha Yingji decisively snatched the ninja tool bag from Ling's back, "Don't even think about hiding anything from me!"

"No, Eida, wait—"

"There's nothing to wait for. Just sit here and wait for me to prepare the meal!" Uchiha Yingji wiped his nose proudly, "I'm not bragging, but when it comes to cooking, I'm the best among my generation, maybe even the best among my clan! Just wait here!"

Ling wanted to say something, but was suppressed by Uchiha Masaki, "Alright, alright, you know Yingsi is a weakling and a heavy drinker. I will take care of him from now on. Don't be reluctant to give up your good wine."

"What a good wine from the Iron Country - I haven't tried it yet." Uchiha Kenji's eyes lit up, and he ran over with his small plate of sour plums, "Eiji, I want to soak sour plums in my wine! I also want sour plum kernels in my rice!"

"I know, I know - forget about the sour plum rice. You're just wasting good wine by drinking like this, Kenji-kun."

"No way, I can hold my liquor much better than a newbie like you! I'll drink it all!"

"If you say that again I'll put chili in your rice!"

"…I was wrong, don't do that."

Listening to the farce coming from the kitchen, Ling finally found a chance to sigh and answered Uchiha Masaki's words, "It's not that I don't want to, but those are the strong liquors we drank together last time. With Yingsi's alcohol tolerance, there will be problems."

Uchiha Masaki's mouth twitched slightly, and he obviously understood that his best friend was flattering him by saying that he could drink one glass. "It's okay, I'll watch him and let him eat something first and take the hangover medicine... Compared to that, have you thought about what to do during the truce?"

"Well, if nothing unexpected happens, we should continue to practice, right? Does Masaaki have any plans?"

"Well, I want to go to the depths of the Nanga River to see if there are any garrisons left by the Senju... But this is likely to cause a fierce conflict between the two tribes, so I'm still a little unsure."

"A stationing point? Then after notifying the tribesmen, let's clear the forest near our side. That way, the other side won't be able to say anything." Ling chuckled, "And remember to count me in during this rare opportunity to stretch your muscles during this truce."

Uchiha Masaki looked up at Ling, and then retracted his gaze after a moment, "Then let's notify you before the end of the year, and find some tribesmen after the end of the year... I thought you would object to this."

"Well, although I want to reach a peaceful situation with the Senju clan, I am an Uchiha after all, and so are you... right?"

"Ha...you're right, we are Uchiha."

During the brief time that the two were talking, Uchiha Kenji was finally dragged out of the kitchen by the collar of his neck by Uchiha Yingji, who could no longer tolerate him, and he strictly ordered the two to keep an eye on this guy who was only nagging and causing trouble around him.

Uchiha Kenji himself swore to God that he was just trying to add sour plums to the pot and was definitely not in the way.

Because of his words, Ling and Uchiha Masaki moved their positions tacitly after a brief silence, sandwiching Uchiha Kenji in the middle and began to look for new topics related to the battle.

And without Uchiha Kenji's interference, Uchiha Eiji's movements became faster, and the tempting aroma soon wafted out from the direction of the kitchen.

Ling sniffed slightly, and it was hard to tell whether his expression was heartache or anticipation. "Yingsi, this guy, actually used that kind of wine to make wine steamed buns... If it doesn't taste good, I will definitely blame him for a few days."

"Wine steam?" Uchiha Kenji also twitched his nose. "Now that you mention it, it does smell like wine and seafood... Do you usually store seafood in scrolls as food?"

"Well, that guy just has a craving for food..." Uchiha Masaki poured himself another cup of tea, "But what puzzles me the most is that we are together almost all day, but I have no idea when he bought these things."

The direction of the discussion among them gradually shifted to how powerful Uchiha Eiji would be if he shifted some of his obsession with food and focused on combat.

So when Uchiha Eiji prepared the food and served it out, he was met with an expression of disappointment*3.

"What? You three, are you dissatisfied with me?" Uchiha Yingji put down the dishes and nodded at Uchiha Kenji and Uchiha Masaki, motioning them to serve the dishes. "You are so united, are you saying something bad about me behind my back?"

"Haha...we just think that Eida could actually be stronger in combat."

"Hmm? Not so good, right? My on-the-spot reaction is actually very slow." Uchiha Eiji stretched his shoulders, sat down at the table, and lowered his voice. "So even though your suggestion of cooperating with the Senju makes me feel a little uncomfortable, I am still looking forward to the arrival of peace - I have already thought about what I will do when the time comes."

"Oh?"

“When the time comes, I will open a izakaya in the upper reaches of the Minamiga River, and then advertise it widely, making my shop famous in the ninja world - but I won’t sell it to the Senju, hahaha!”

Ling: ...What childish behavior.

But before Ling could say anything, he heard Uchiha Yingji complaining to Uchiha Masaaki why he was only given such a small wine glass - and he even set fire to his wine to remove the alcohol.

"I can bear to take care of a drunk, but I can't bear the vomit of a drunk." Uchiha Masaki put down the wine glass without allowing it to be refused, "And this degree is enough for you who just drank one glass - no, one gulp."

After a brief silence, Uchiha Eiji raised his hand to stop Uchiha Masaki from sitting down, "...You better squat on the floor and eat. There is no place for you at the table. You are not worthy of sitting at the same table with me and eating my cooking."

Uchiha Masaki didn't care. He turned around and sat down next to Uchiha Kenji. "Yes, yes, I'm not worthy. You take the hangover medicine first. Let's eat something first and then-"

"Sure enough, the wine soaked with sour plums is great! Of course the wine is great too!" Uchiha Kenji started to get excited again, "Cheers! I wish we can live another year hahahaha - hiccups! What are you waiting for! Raise your glasses!"

Ling also smiled and raised his glass, "Well, I hope we can all survive another year intact."

Uchiha Eiji cursed and threw the hangover medicine into his mouth, then raised the cup, "How can it be one year? It should be at least ten years, right?"

"You guys..." Uchiha Masaki raised his hand to his forehead and raised his glass, "Forget it, whatever, I'm bolder than you, I wish us a long life."

"Hahaha - Masaki, you are daydreaming. How can a ninja die of old age? Hahaha!" Uchiha Kenji laughed, "But I like it! Cheers!"

"cheers--!"

The four young Uchiha were all smiling, simply feeling grateful and happy for being alive, but as expected, Uchiha Eider, who had a poor alcohol tolerance, was the first to [die] after just a few bites. If Uchiha Masaki hadn't been keeping an eye on him, he would have probably fallen directly into the rice in front of him.

Uchiha Kenji laughed loudly on the spot, but he didn't laugh much before he simply slid under the table, and his breathing was quite even.

Uchiha Masaki, who had just sent Uchiha Eiji away, looked at Uchiha Kenji, who was also a puddle of mud, and couldn't help but sigh, "Did you mix alcohol into the knockout drug?"

"So I tried to stop you from the beginning?" Ling held the wine cup and took a sip, "But you didn't listen."

Uchiha Masaki looked at his wine glass, which was almost full after taking a sip, and silently picked it up and placed it next to Ling's hand, then moved the chair away and dragged Uchiha Kenji out, "I just hope that I don't have to take care of three drunks in the end..."

Ling poured the wine in the glass into the wine pot beside him and smiled, "Don't worry, it's just one pot."

Youlu also poked his head out from Ling's collar, "Huh, I've already learned my lesson for letting this kid get drunk, so you just need to take care of those two drunks - kid, I want to eat that steamed clam, feed me now."

"Yes, yes, steamed clams, right?"

Watching Ling put down the wine cup and start feeding the cat, Uchiha Masaki felt a toothache again - damn, he forgot there was a tailed beast here.

Fortunately, Youlu had no intention of teasing Yashu. After tasting every dish, he yawned and climbed on top of Ling's head to take a nap. This also made Uchiha Yashu's tense nerves relax a lot. However, after finishing the meal, he still insisted on going downstairs to open another room next door for Ling and Youlu, under the pretext of "not letting drunkards disturb Ling's rest."

His determination was not shaken even when Ling Jiangyoulu picked him up and pinched his paws to act cute.

Feeling the door being closed in front of him without hesitation, Ling shook his head helplessly, "I've never seen you show off your power, Xiaoyou, but I'm still so scared... Isn't that too much?"

"What are you talking about? This kid's reaction is normal, right?" Yalu didn't feel offended at all, "It's you who is too abnormal."

"Alas, but they are not used to it now. What will I do if peace comes in the future and I bring your family back?" Ling was distressed. "Willn't there be a big fight?"

Youli tilted his head and asked, "Why did you bring them back?"

"Because, don't I hope that humans and tailed beasts can understand each other and live in harmony?" Ling chuckled and opened the door with the key. "If we want to understand each other, then living together is definitely the best choice..."

"That kind of thing can't be rushed. To be frank, most of us don't have a good impression of humans as a whole." Youlv swung his tail, "Although I'm still pursuing the old man's words, I'm not as anxious as before. So if it's for me, you don't need to rush yourself. After all, there's still plenty of time."

"Hehe...but I don't have that much time. Humans have short lives, and ninjas have the shortest. I have to keep pushing myself to do things."

Ling held Youlu in his arms, holding its front paws with both hands, and said gently, "Even if I try to prolong my life, I will still leave before Xiaoyou. I hope that before that, Xiaoyou can see the world that the Six Paths Sage hopes for, so that Xiaoyou will no longer be reborn again and again just for this empty ideal...

As for me, I want Xiaomata to be able to live the life he likes according to his own wishes, such as becoming someone else's psychic ninja cat, or just being a simple house cat, or being a tailed beast feared by the world. These are all good.

Of course, the most important thing is my own selfish desire. I want to be the most important person in Xiaoyou's heart, second only to the Sage of Six Paths, or even more important than him... I hope I can become the most difficult part to give up in your long life."

Youlu turned over his belly, staring at Ling in a daze. After a while, he pulled out his claws, turned over, hugged Ling's hand and began to grind his teeth, "You actually want to surpass the old man's status, you are dreaming... And you can see that it is very tiring to live for others like me. You don't need to learn from me."

"Life is not satisfactory for nine out of ten times. If you don't want to live a better life, how can you persist?" Ling chuckled, "And I didn't follow Xiaoyou. It's just my habit to fulfill other people's expectations. For me, as long as you are willing to smile at me in the end, I have received the best reward.

I am just a madman obsessed with power and fighting. It is because you are by my side that I can understand emotions and bonds and live like a human being... Besides, didn't my ancestors break their promise to Xiao again?"

"It was she who broke the appointment, not you."

"I know, but shouldn't the younger generation follow the wishes of their ancestors?" Ling held Youlu up and buried his face in its warm, furry belly. His voice became a little muffled. "Besides, I promised Xiaoyou that I would let Xiaoyou see a world where humans and tailed beasts live in harmony. I like you so much, how can I bear to let your hopes be dashed again?"

He snored a few times in his throat but didn't say anything.

Instead, Ling, after sucking the cat for a while, raised his face, lowered his eyebrows, and pinched Youlu's soft paw pad with a look of regret, "Hey, Youlu, I really, really want to see you."