Chapter Seventy-Four: Yao's Herbal Decoction

The next morning.

Uchiha Li yawned as he climbed out of bed early. Today, he planned to seek out Fugaku Uchiha to discuss paying a visit to Minato Namikaze. The reason for bringing Fugaku along, rather than going privately, was that this visit was meant to be as public as possible, a show for the village and the Third Hokage. He wanted everyone to know about it, to draw the eyes of every faction in the village.

He had no choice—because of the Third’s immense prestige, since taking up the position of acting Hokage, no one in the village had dared to voice the need to return the office to its rightful holder. Though he’d publicly questioned the Third once before, taking advantage of the Cloud delegation’s visit to express his hope that the Third would step down, the Third had simply pressed the issue aside with the statement, “The village will decide.” It was clear the clans and villagers still trusted the Third, given how long he’d led Konoha.

But this time, he would seize on another failure of the Anbu to break that trust, to force the Third to resign. All of this, however, depended on persuading Minato. As the Fourth Hokage, Minato held the highest authority in the village, and it was only fitting that he should deal with the Anbu’s negligence.

It wasn’t that Uchiha Li was overly cautious; rather, this approach would help him remain hidden. Until he and Terra possessed absolute power, Uchiha Li intended to remain a parasite within Konoha, developing steadily before finally making a stunning impact.

There was another matter for which he needed Fugaku’s help. To ensure the smooth continuation of his research into gene technology, he required financial support. After much thought, no one seemed more suitable than Fugaku, who, as clan head, controlled most of the clan’s assets.

“All I do is for the clan, Lord Fugaku. Please understand…” Uchiha Li murmured, apologizing in advance to Fugaku with practiced ease.

Sometimes, he wondered if he was being too opportunistic—seeking Fugaku out when he needed something, ignoring him when he didn’t. But Uchiha Li could swear it wasn’t intentional; it was simply the way of the world. The fault lay not with him, but with the world itself.

At that moment, Yao’s voice came from outside the door. “Li, come out and have breakfast!”

Pulled from his thoughts, Uchiha Li shook his head and stepped out of his room.

At a glance, he saw Yao carefully placing a jar on the table. Whatever was inside steamed gently, clearly just cooked. Knowing this was a medicinal meal Yao had prepared for him, Uchiha Li quickened his pace and sat at the dining table.

He picked a casual topic and asked, “Aren’t you going to work? You could’ve just left this on the table for me.”

Since joining the police force, Yao usually left very early. For her to be home at this hour was unusual.

Hearing this, Yao hurried to set the jar down, a trace of annoyance in her voice. “It’s all because of your health. Otherwise, would I still be here?”

Her words made him pause, regret filling his heart. Clearly, Yao was still worried about his weakened state—why did he have to bring it up again?

Pressing his lips together, Uchiha Li quickly said, “Don’t worry, I’m really fine. Just a few days’ rest and I’ll be fully recovered.”

Yao was unmoved, replying coolly, “It’s not for you to say whether you’re better. That’s my decision.”

“Alright, alright, you’re in charge.”

Unable to refuse her concern, Uchiha Li agreed earnestly. Then, pointing at the jar, he asked curiously, “So, after getting up so early, what did you make?”

At this, Yao’s face softened with a gentle smile. “It’s a special secret recipe. The book said it’s highly nourishing.”

Her eyes glimmered with mischief—even a hint of excitement—which left Uchiha Li puzzled, but he thought nothing more of it. “Really? Then I’ll have to try your cooking.”

He pulled the jar closer and gave it a gentle shake. The sound of broth sloshing inside put him at ease. His guess from last night was probably right—it was some sort of chicken broth.

He knew his own body best. His so-called weakness was merely the aftereffect of overusing the Mangekyō, hardly something that could be cured by soup or herbal remedies. But since it was Yao’s heartfelt effort, he’d drink it for her peace of mind.

Without hesitation, he removed the lid, ready to dig in.

But at that moment, a powerful, fishy stench wafted out.

Caught off guard, Uchiha Li nearly vomited up last night’s dinner. Forcing himself to suppress the urge, he quietly replaced the lid and said seriously, “Yao, I suddenly don’t feel hungry. Maybe I’ll have it later.”

Yao’s expression turned fierce. “Didn’t you promise me yesterday you’d cooperate? Are you going back on your word?”

Seeing this, Uchiha Li tried to soothe her. “Of course not! I’ll drink it, I promise. Just… what exactly did you put in this?”

He truly couldn’t understand how a simple soup could emit such a malicious odor. Was it really a medicinal meal—or a lethal concoction?

Yao smiled and counted on her fingers. “Goji berries, pig kidney, oysters, bull’s… well, anyway, I put in everything the book said was helpful.”

“What?!”

Listening to her list, Uchiha Li nearly fell off his chair. Even without knowing what else she’d added, just those four ingredients were enough to make anyone’s imagination run wild. Who knew what kind of book she’d found—physical weakness and, well, other sorts of weakness were completely different things. How could she confuse the two?

Now he truly regretted it. Why hadn’t he asked before agreeing yesterday? No matter what, he couldn’t drink this!

Taking a deep breath, Uchiha Li said, “Yao, my body really is fine. Maybe you should use other ingredients—this isn’t for treating weakness.”

He wasn’t trying to go back on his word; he just wasn’t sure he could handle what was in that jar. Joking aside, even after a year, he was only fourteen. At his age, with no questionable habits, how could he possibly be “weak” in that way?

Yao, however, was having none of it. She picked up the jar, opened the lid, and with a resolute look said, “Absolutely not. The book was very clear—if a man’s body is weak, he needs this.”

Without giving him a chance to protest, she produced a spoon from who-knows-where, scooped up a portion, and held it to his lips with a smile. “Li, be good now. Take your medicine…”