Chapter 89
"Haha! The east side may be holding back for now, but the south side’s locked in fierce fighting!" boomed a loud voice as a brawny Uchiha man thumped his chest with pride.
"Uchiha Zō!" an elder’s stern voice cut through the chatter. The old man on the other side of the courtyard wore a grave expression as he called out the man’s name.
At once, Zō’s demeanor shifted. The boisterous bravado vanished, and he straightened up with uncharacteristic restraint.
"Hey!" Zō leaned down to Saitama’s ear and whispered, "That’s my old man. Really a nosy old guy... totally unreasonable!" As he said this, his expression softened into something almost childlike in its innocence.
"How about you, Saitama?" Zō asked in a lower, more relaxed tone.
"Me? Depends on the clan’s arrangements. I’m pretty flexible," Saitama replied, glancing at him curiously.
"Oh, really? I was thinking of teaming up with you. We could call ourselves the ’Uchiha Twins’—crush it together on the battlefield against the Sand!" Zō grinned, his words youthful and naïve despite looking to be in his twenties. Still, his sincerity made both Saitama and Ran feel comfortable around him.
"If there’s time, sure. No rush," Saitama said with a smile.
"Come on, let’s grab a seat. Looks like the meeting’s about to begin."
Following Zō’s lead, Saitama walked toward the seating area reserved for jōnin.
The seating arrangement was simple—thin cushions laid in concentric rings around a central set near the shrine square, indicating the hierarchy of the clan members.