Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

The relationship between Uchiha Taiga and Yugito Nii was somewhat unique.

Nominally, she was Uchiha Taiga's subordinate, as she had agreed to this arrangement herself that day.

However, in their actual day-to-day interactions, there wasn't such a strict hierarchical divide.

Yugito Nii still maintained her pride. She never spoke to him in a subservient manner and would even occasionally snap back at him.

Uchiha Taiga didn't mind. After all, she was a Jinchuriki, a powerhouse even when looking at the entire ninja world, so she deserved a corresponding level of respect.

Furthermore, she was a woman—a beautiful one at that—so it wasn't hard to understand her slightly tsundere personality.

Fortunately, Yugito Nii had a clear understanding of her position.

She had agreed to the role of a servant to take care of his daily needs, and she never slacked off in this regard.

So, even if she had a sharp tongue, her actions still prioritized Uchiha Taiga. Both of them were well aware of this delicate balance, and neither tried to break it.

Take their daily life, for example.

When Uchiha Taiga woke up in the morning, Yugito Nii would already have breakfast prepared.

It wasn't a lavish feast, but it was exquisitely made.

A bowl of miso soup, a dish of pickled vegetables, a grilled fish, and a bowl of white rice.

After Uchiha Taiga finished eating, he would push his bowl and chopsticks aside, get up, and head to the river to fish.

Yugito Nii would stay behind to clear the table, wash the dishes, and then go about her own business.

When he returned at noon, lunch would already be set on the table.

If he went fishing in the afternoon, she would follow him to the river and sit nearby to watch.

When they returned in the evening, dinner, bathwater, and a fresh change of clothes would all be perfectly prepared.

Uchiha Taiga was basically living a life where he barely had to lift a finger, having his meals served and clothes prepared for him, and neither of them felt there was anything wrong with this.

Uchiha Taiga secretly sighed in admiration; this was the best thing about women in the ninja world. What he especially hadn't expected was that Yugito Nii was actually so domestic, taking care of people with such methodical expertise.

On this particular day, Uchiha Taiga was walking back to his residence, carrying his fishing rod and an empty bucket.

His expression was dark, the corners of his mouth turned down, and his brows were furrowed into a tight knot. His entire being exuded a strong negative aura. The empty bucket swung back and forth in his hand, making a hollow sound.

Seeing him, the pedestrians on the street instinctively avoided him one by one.

Some hurriedly bowed in greeting, some stepped aside to clear the path, some lowered their heads and pretended not to see him, and others simply ducked into nearby alleys.

They were all terrified of offending this young man, afraid he might take his bad mood out on them, and even more afraid that accidentally angering him could lead to the annihilation of their village.

It wasn't surprising that the people of Kumogakure were so tense. The truth was, every time Uchiha Taiga walked by, he wore basically the exact same expression.

Going out with an empty bucket and returning with an empty bucket—for an avid angler, this was nothing short of torture.

As proud as Uchiha Taiga was, he naturally couldn't be happy about it.

Under these circumstances, the people of Kumogakure also grew anxious. After all, in their minds, this was the ruthless monster who would destroy their entire village over the slightest disagreement. Naturally, he had to be treated with extreme caution.

Uchiha Taiga ignored them, continuing his walk back with a dark expression.

His pace wasn't fast. Only after he had walked far away did the villagers dare to breathe a sigh of relief. Some patted their chests, some wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and many muttered quietly among themselves before dispersing.

Returning to his residence, Uchiha Taiga leaned his fishing rod against the door and placed the empty bucket on the ground.

The bottom of the bucket was bone dry, without a single drop of water.

He glanced at the empty bucket, looked at it again, and then a third time, before snorting and turning his face away.

Yugito Nii poked her head out of the kitchen. She also glanced at the empty bucket, then at his expression, and her mouth twitched slightly.

"You clearly can't catch any fish, so why do you still go every day?"

Her tone was flat, but she couldn't hide her curiosity. "Aside from wasting time, is there any point to doing this?"

Uchiha Taiga sat down on the tatami mat, crossing his legs and folding his arms over his chest. He looked up at Yugito Nii, his expression as serious as if he were about to discuss a major life event.

"You don't understand. This is my lifelong pursuit."

Yugito Nii gave him a look but didn't say anything.

She turned back into the kitchen, brought out a cup of tea, placed it in front of him, and then sat down opposite him.

She didn't press the issue any further, knowing that even if she asked, she wouldn't get a meaningful answer.

Uchiha Taiga picked up the teacup, took a sip, and set it down. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, producing a series of popping sounds.

"Come here and massage my shoulders."

Yugito Nii's face flushed slightly.

At first, she had refused, and refused quite firmly.

But Uchiha Taiga had merely given her a look, and the meaning behind that look was obvious... 'Are you trying to back out of what you promised?'

Left with no choice, she could only blush and try her best, clumsily massaging him.

Over time, as she did it more often, she grew accustomed to it, and her technique even became quite skilled.

Yugito Nii stood up, walked behind Uchiha Taiga, knelt down, and placed her hands on his shoulders.

Her fingers applied slight pressure to his acupoints, rubbing, kneading, pressing, and pushing with smooth and natural movements. Her technique was indeed much better than when she first started, with just the right amount of pressure and a steady rhythm.

Uchiha Taiga closed his eyes and let out a comfortable sigh.

"Mhm... that feels good... really good..."

The voice squeezed out of his throat, carrying a lazy sense of contentment. He leaned back slightly, his head almost resting against Yugito Nii's chest.

He hummed and groaned, acting as if he were enjoying some top-tier service.

"Don't worry, when I have time, I'll give you a massage too. I guarantee I'll have you squealing."

Yugito Nii's face turned red, the flush spreading from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.

She bit her lip, her hands not stopping their movements, but her heartbeat quickened significantly.

'This guy is like this every time, groaning so loudly as if he's afraid others won't hear him.'

Her fingers trembled slightly, but she quickly steadied them.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from the doorway.

Judging by the sound, it was several people, and their footsteps were heavy.

Uchiha Taiga opened his eyes and looked toward the door.

Raikage A walked in.

The left sleeve of his shirt hung empty. His complexion was much better than it had been a few days ago, no longer as pale, but the dark circles under his eyes were still heavy, clearly indicating he hadn't slept well recently.

Behind him followed over a dozen Kumogakure ninja, paired up to carry large chests. The chests were heavy, and the ninja walked carefully, beads of sweat seeping from their foreheads.

Uchiha Taiga raised an eyebrow but didn't get up, remaining seated on the tatami mat.

Yugito Nii withdrew her hands, stood up, and stepped to the side, the blush on her face not yet fully faded.

Raikage A glanced at Yugito Nii, then at Uchiha Taiga, his expression unchanging.

He raised his right hand and made a gesture behind him.

The ninja carried the chests in one by one, placed them on the ground, and then retreated to the side in unison, kneeling on one knee.

There were six chests in total, neatly stacked on one side of the room.

"Is everything sorted?"

Uchiha Taiga's voice was casual.

Raikage A nodded, his face calm.

"Yes. All the Ninjutsu and Sealing Jutsu the village has accumulated since its founding are right here."

He walked over to the nearest chest and opened the lid with his right hand.

Inside the chest were neatly stacked scrolls. Some were very new, with pristine white paper.

Others were quite old, their edges yellowed and brittle.

The labels on the scrolls bore various names, such as Lightning Style: Lariat, Lightning Style: Raikage Armor, Lightning Style Armor, Lightning Sealing Formation, Eight Gates Sealing Barrier... densely packed, too many to count.

Uchiha Taiga stood up, walked over to the chest, casually picked up a scroll, unrolled it to take a look, and then set it down. He picked up another, unrolled it, and set it down again.

"Not bad."

He turned around and looked at Raikage A.

"I am very satisfied that you people of Kumogakure can recognize reality."

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a hint of a smile.

Raikage A remained silent. His gaze lingered on Uchiha Taiga's face for a moment before shifting to Yugito Nii.

Yugito Nii stood to the side, her head bowed, also remaining silent.

Raikage A's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, no words came out.

He turned and walked toward the door. Reaching the threshold, he stopped without looking back.

"Yugito."

"Yes."

"I leave the rest to you."

Yugito Nii's body trembled slightly.

She looked up at Raikage A's back. Her lips parted as if to speak, but ultimately, she only gave a soft murmur of acknowledgment.

If one looked closely, it wouldn't be hard to notice that her cheeks were already completely flushed red.

Uchiha Taiga felt there was a hidden meaning behind their words.