Chapter 12: Will i Die if i Brag?
"Can you cook?"
"What did you say, sir? I didn't hear you clearly." The woman looked at Su Xiuyu in disbelief. Being asked about cooking in the middle of a bloody battlefield was the last thing she expected.
"I asked if you can cook." Su Xiuyu feigned impatience, his eyes flickering to the surrounding Uchiha. He needed an excuse—any excuse—to keep the woman and child alive.
"Yes! Yes, I can cook! And I'm good at it!" The woman nodded vigorously, realizing she hadn't misheard.
"Then from now on, you'll follow me as my servant. Take care of my daily life and meals." This was the only way he could think of to save them.
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!" The woman was so overwhelmed that she was about to kneel and kowtow to him.
"No need. Get up, clean the blood off your face, and take your child with you." Su Xiuyu gave a simple order.
"Yes, sir." She wiped her face, smearing away the blood, then picked up her child from the cradle.
By now, the flames had begun to die down. The Blood Pond Clan's stronghold had been completely destroyed, leaving behind only the mother and daughter that Su Xiuyu had spared. But they weren't actually members of the Blood Pond Clan. They had been taken in by a kind-hearted person from the clan while wandering outside. That old man, the one who had sheltered them, had perished in the battle—reduced to dust along with the rest.
The Uchiha clan said nothing. Since Su Xiuyu had already decided to treat them as servants, it was difficult for anyone to object. Letting them go freely would have been unacceptable, but taking them in as servants? That was a different matter. Besides, Su Xiuyu was now seen as one of their own, and the Uchiha were always tolerant of their own.
On the way back, Su Xiuyu learned the woman's name—Rei. In the Warring States Period, only noble families had surnames, so Su Xiuyu didn't question it. Rei simply called him "Sir," showing the utmost respect, never bothering to ask whether his surname was Su or Uchiha.