The Fifth village Hokage:Uchiha Douhuan

Chapter 24: The Uchiha Clan Has Always Been Generous to Friends

"You're awfully slow. Is this the so-called ninja discipline of the Uchiha?"

As soon as Uchiha Douhuan and his group arrived, before they could even say a word, the jōnin from the Homura clan, Homura Ki, immediately launched into criticism.

The moment his words fell, two civilian-born shinobi, who had intended to greet Douhuan, suddenly froze in place, unsure of what to do. After all, whether it was Uchiha or Homura, neither were factions they could afford to offend—even as mere special jōnin.

Douhuan glanced at Homura Ki with a dismissive smirk before outright ignoring him. Instead, he approached the two civilian shinobi with a warm smile and extended his hand.

"I'm Uchiha Douhuan. It's an honor to be working with you all."

The two were momentarily stunned before hurriedly shaking his hand. They had never expected the new Uchiha clan head—a war veteran known since the Third Great Ninja War—to be so approachable.

"I'm Nagai Seiichi. Looking forward to working with you, Douhuan-sama."

"Kuroki Ryota. With you on board, I'm sure this mission will go smoothly."

"No need for formalities. It's teamwork that'll see this mission through," Douhuan replied with a smile.

Meanwhile, Homura Ki's expression darkened at being completely ignored. "Did you not hear me? You arrive late and don't even bother to apologize?"

Douhuan turned back, his expression instantly cold. Behind him, Uchiha Inaho and Uchiha Saito activated their Sharingan, their eyes locking onto Homura Ki.

"I believe we're still within the agreed-upon meeting time," Douhuan said coolly.

"And shouldn't your clan elders have taught you at least some respect toward those stronger than you?" As he spoke, the three tomoe in Douhuan's Sharingan spun slowly.

Inuzuka Kaze, Gekkō Hayate, and Uzuki Yūgao had originally wanted to greet Douhuan, but with tensions high, they hesitated to intervene. As for the two Hyūga clan members, they simply crossed their arms and observed coldly.

"Enough. Since everyone is here, let's get moving," Kakashi interjected as he put away his Icha Icha book and stepped between them.

"If Captain Kakashi says so, then let's go." Douhuan deactivated his Sharingan, his expression returning to a pleasant smile.

Though the initial meeting wasn't exactly friendly, the group nevertheless proceeded to the village gate to officially check out for their mission.

The mission itself wasn't time-sensitive, so there was no rush.

According to intel, Orochimaru had been spotted near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Fields, so their destination was northward.

---

On the Road

As they traveled, Inuzuka Kaze's ninken, Kuromaru, kept hovering around Douhuan.

"You've got a good nose," Douhuan chuckled, retrieving some raw meat from a storage scroll and tossing it to Kuromaru.

After gobbling it up, the black-furred ninken barked happily before licking Douhuan's hand.

"Huh? Kuromaru actually likes an Uchiha? That's a first." Inuzuka Kaze seemed surprised. "I thought your clan was full of cat lovers."

"Probably because I'm one of the few Uchihas who didn't sign a contract with the ninja cats," Douhuan replied with a smile. "Since my summoning beast is a ninja hawk, I usually carry raw meat with me. Kuromaru must've caught the scent."

"Ah, that makes sense." Inuzuka Kaze grinned, his impression of Douhuan visibly improving.

With that small interaction, Inuzuka Kaze warmed up to Douhuan significantly. The Inuzuka clan was simple—if you got along with their dogs, you got along with them.

Seeing this, Gekkō Hayate and Uzuki Yūgao also joined the conversation, further breaking the ice.

Even the two Hyūga members eventually lowered their guard and chatted briefly with the group, though they still maintained a degree of aloofness. Meanwhile, Homura Ki and Koharu Hayato, who had initially antagonized Douhuan, found themselves gradually sidelined.

---

By evening, the group reached Tanzaku Town in the northern region of the Land of Fire.

"It's getting late. We'll rest here for the night," Kakashi announced.

Nobody objected, so he led them to a small roadside inn.

Just as Kakashi was about to book rooms, Douhuan spoke up. "A place like this? How can we get proper rest here?"

"Hmph. We're on a mission. Who are you to complain?" Homura Ki sneered. "If you're unhappy, you can just head back home."

Douhuan ignored the provocation entirely and turned to the group instead. "Since fate has brought us together, I'll cover tonight's expenses. Kakashi, you have no objections, right?"

"Not at all." Kakashi readily agreed.

"Good." Douhuan then turned and began walking toward the town's center.

The rest of the group hesitated—especially the two civilian jōnin. But seeing Kakashi follow Douhuan without a second thought, they decided to go along as well, leaving Homura Ki and Koharu Hayato standing awkwardly behind.

Douhuan led them to the most luxurious hot spring inn in town, where he paid for individual suites for each team member.

But he wasn't done.

After checking in, he suggested they grab some food and drinks. Everyone agreed, expecting a standard barbecue joint.

Instead, Douhuan took them to the town's most upscale fine-dining restaurant.

The sheer opulence stunned the group. Even Inuzuka Kaze, who wasn't lacking in status, had never set foot in such a place. As for the two civilian shinobi, they were practically overwhelmed. Though they were jōnin, their earnings were meager due to the high costs of acquiring jutsu, so a place like this had always been beyond their reach.

As they sat down, everyone seemed hesitant—until Douhuan took the lead.

Raising his cup, he smiled and said, "Thank you all for accepting me as a teammate. Since we're together now, let's relax. The Uchiha clan has always been generous to its friends."

"Hah! Well said!" Inuzuka Kaze laughed and downed his drink. "I officially approve of you as a friend!"

After clinking glasses, Kakashi turned to Douhuan. "You do realize you're still underage, right? Drinking goes against the three shinobi taboos."

"Says the guy who carries Icha Icha Paradise around like a sacred text," Douhuan shot back.

The whole table erupted in laughter, and the night's atmosphere grew warm and lively.