Chapter 304: Exchange of Identity [Combined Chapter]

Uchiha Akihiko looked at the young man in front of him, who had regular features and short dark brown hair. After a while, he snorted and laughed, "I was wondering why you wanted to buy a luxury item like Nishijin Ori, which is not prohibited. It turns out that your ultimate purpose was to meet someone in private?"

"Well, don't say that. Sasuke and I have a legitimate partnership."

"Ha, so the others are the ones you're meeting with inappropriately?"

Ling suddenly felt helpless, "Zhao Yan, if you are really dissatisfied, you can take Xian Si to do things next time... I didn't even act with you this time, you can't vent your anger about Guan Hong on me."

Uchiha Akihiko sneered again, "Am I crazy or is the clan crazy? Now we are letting the two of you do the mission together and wasting resources?"

Ling looked even more helpless, and after a light sigh, he spoke, "Honestly, Akihiko, if you want to complain to me, can you wait until I've dealt with things here? I don't mind, but Sasuke is a guest who came from afar..."

"Humph, I'm not childish enough to complain to someone if I'm wronged," Uchiha Akihiko said as he walked out. "Don't forget to come over tomorrow to discuss the return visit - remember to bring your unmotivated brother with you."

"Yes, yes, yes - I'm taught you." Hearing the footsteps of Uchiha Akihiko going away, Ling breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Sarutobi Sasuke, "Sorry, I made you laugh."

"Ah... No, it's okay. I can see that you two have a very good relationship. It's a very enviable relationship between colleagues." Sarutobi Sasuke did not hide the twitch at the corner of his mouth. "It's just that I have a new understanding of your status in Uchiha... Should I say that you are a hidden talent?"

"Haha, that's really a compliment." Ling didn't intend to discuss this topic in depth, and just leaned back in his chair leisurely. "The closer it gets to the end of the year, the busier people are. Let's not waste each other's time - let me see how the goods are first?"

Sarutobi Sasuke raised his eyebrows slightly and put the sealing scroll in his hand on the table, "I have already informed Hagoromo and promised that they will fight the Senju next year. I have done everything you asked, but are you... ready to deal with my troubles?"

"Of course, but we still need to make some preparations - try to lead people to the surrounding small countries. As long as we can get a free hand from the Senju, I will remind the tribesmen to carry out the diffusion collection mission in the surrounding areas. Given the personalities of our two tribes, it won't be difficult to clash... Wow, you really got so many haori."

Sarutobi Sasuke folded his arms and leaned back, "It's okay. I took advantage of my status to accept a small bribe. You don't need to make up for the subsequent money. Just help me deal with the problem as soon as possible next year. I don't really want to drag it on."

"Really? I'll accept it with pleasure." Ling chuckled and rolled up the scroll again. "But I'm very curious. According to the report from the tribesmen below, Sasuke has been waiting for me here for three days. With your status... aren't you a little too leisurely?"

"Ah, those matters have been handed over to the tribesmen. I can't do everything myself, right?" Sarutobi Sasuke stood up with a smile, "But now that I have handed over to you in person, I should leave - after all, I left the team secretly."

Ling waved his hand and said, "Then I won't see you off. After all, I think you should have planned your return route in the past few days."

"Oh, you are so cold to your partners. Is it because I, your secret date, am too legitimate?"

Hearing Sarutobi Sasuke's half-joking, half-testing words, Ling raised his eyebrows slightly, and his attitude became more casual, "Well... how should I put it? Most of the people I met privately who were not so proper were those who were discussing cooperation one second, and could be open and honest with each other the next second - after all, some things are more convenient to let the opponent do them. If you want to be one of them, I personally don't mind."

Sarutobi Sasuke: ...The unfair transaction partner is your enemy?!

And Sarutobi Sasuke's silence obviously pleased Ling, so much so that the corners of his mouth visibly raised two degrees, "Don't worry, our relationship will never become improper at least until the transaction is completed - Uchi Bo has always had a spirit of contract.”

"No, I don't want to develop an improper relationship with the Uchiha..." Sarutobi Sasuke shook his head, came back to his senses, turned around and walked out, "After all, that sounds extremely tricky - there are connections with the black market."

"Okay, we'll talk later when we're free." Feeling Sarutobi Sasuke's chakra quickly fading away, Ling couldn't help but raise his hand and pinch his brows. After a long while, he laughed out loud, "Really? You told people that 'even I have free time'... doesn't that mean you can't have any free time?"

"It's because you always take the initiative to do things for yourself." Youlu popped his head out from Ling's collar, looking at the scroll on the table with his eyes of different colors, "I know about the haori, but what is the Nishijin haori?"

"Ah, it's a kind of very expensive, but flashy fabric for a ninja." Ling reached out and took the scroll, then stood up and walked out. "Because I was given more than I expected, if Xiaoyou likes it later, I'll get a few pieces to use as a cat bed for you."

“Is it a soft material?”

"No, if I have to say, it's kind of hard... but it's very smooth."

"Would it be suitable as a cooling pad?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure. After all, there are big differences between humans and animals in judging temperature."

Youlu shook his ears, and after a moment asked another question that had troubled him for days, "Who is the person you said you liked the other day? You even dared to guarantee that she could accept the existence of the tailed beasts... Do I know her?"

"Hmm...or rather, you should be quite familiar with her, Mata-chan—but I'm still not quite sure about her feelings, so I'd better delay revealing her identity for a while, ok?"

Youlu did not avoid Ling's attempt to get away with it by being nice and coy, "Huh... Okay, but you must tell me first. I also want to see what other people besides you who can accept the tailed beasts are like - by the way, that guy can't be too rough to realize that we are tailed beasts, right?"

Ling immediately chuckled, "Well - although it is indeed a bit rough, I guarantee that she is absolutely aware that you are tailed beasts."

Youlu tilted his head and thought carefully. After struggling for a while without any result, he gave up decisively, grabbed Ling's hair and climbed onto his head, put his paws in his hands and lay down, sweeping Ling's neck with his tail, "Go back quickly, although I feel safe curled up in my little pocket, but I also want to stretch my body occasionally."

"Okay, is there anything you want to eat?"

"The wine last time was pretty good..."

"Well, it depends on whether Yugu still has any stock..."

The man and the cat's shadows were lengthened by the gradually dimming sunlight. They talked about light topics and walked away leisurely, revealing a different kind of leisure in this chaotic world.

However, just like Ling's teasing words - [Isn't this completely unavailable?] - this unique leisure did not last long. After returning home, Ling immediately found Ban who was busy in the kitchen and planned to talk to him about the various changes that needed to be paid attention to due to the change of identity.

But before he could open his mouth, Ban forcefully drove him out of the kitchen, complained, "Brother, please don't make trouble in the kitchen," and then locked Ling outside the door.

So much so that after a brief moment of confusion, Ling began to think seriously about when he had lost his prestige in his brother's heart, to the point that his brother now dared to kick him out before he had even finished speaking.

[But, at least it's a good sign, right? After all, as the future clan leader, he still has to make his own decisions... Well, although there is a little psychological gap, Madara has taken a crucial step. ]

Ling shook his head helplessly and did not try to go in again. [I will talk to Madara later. I should also pay attention to the change of my identity and not delay Madara's growth.]

After dinner, Ban was found by Ling again and realized what stupid thing he had done earlier. His little face turned as red as a sunset cloud, and he finally just promised in a low voice that he would pay more attention to it in the future.

"That's good. If you make any mistakes, just correct them actively after they are pointed out. There's no need to feel embarrassed. After all, everyone makes mistakes sometimes."

Ling reached out and rubbed the top of Madara's head, smiling with satisfaction, "And Madara is now beginning to speak and act with dignity, and has even stepped out of the constraints I once put on you. This is a huge improvement."

Madara's face turned even redder when he heard this, he subconsciously lowered his head, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists, "I'm not as good as my brother said... Compared to my brother at that time, I was simply terrible.

It’s clearly my responsibility, but I always subconsciously want to rely on my brother... If I think about it carefully, Wen Shu and I are no different. "

"I am more skilled than Madara only because my father has taught me these things carefully since I was a child. If Madara could learn from a young age like me, he would be better than me now."

Ling stood up and sat next to Ban, raised his hand to hook Ban's shoulders, and put his forehead against his brother's. The smile on his face was somewhat helpless, but also tinged with apology, "If I really want to say it, I should apologize to Ban...

After all, your brother was so arrogant back then, which is why you had to rush into things that you are not familiar with and are not good at... I'm sorry, you must feel very confused to be asked to take on so much all of a sudden, right?

I actually pushed all the responsibilities that I should have shouldered onto my younger brother... Oh, I am such an incompetent brother."

Madara's eyes moved upwards and met the silk band used to blindfold Ling. His already thin lips pursed immediately. After a long silence, he lowered his eyes again. He did not refute Ling, but raised his hands to hug Ling back.

From now on, it's his turn to protect his brother.