Chapter 14 Cat in Smoke
After a moment of silence, a deep but gentle response came from Uchiha Hikaru.
"Just leave it at the door; I'd like to talk to them a little longer."
"Okay, Grandpa."
Uchiha Mikoto bent down as instructed and gently placed the warm teacup by the door.
As he got up, he couldn't help but add a sentence softly, his tone filled with concern and encouragement.
"Then you must remember to drink it, I'll come back to check later."
Her footsteps faded into the distance, like a wisp of tea fragrance gradually dissipating in the moonlit night.
Inside the room, Uchiha Fugaku shook his head, a mixture of helplessness and happiness on his face.
On the other side, Uchiha Anlan leaned against the kitchen door frame, urging them on.
"Big Orange, hurry up!"
"Okay, meow."
His contracted ninja cat, capable of anything but excessive action, was wearing a custom-made cat-themed Uchiha clan uniform, with the clan crest of a fan embroidered on its back, swaying constantly as it busied itself.
This chubby orange cat stood upright, its paws forming a mudra with a dexterity that seemed disproportionate to its size.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
With a soft "bang," three large orange clones, all dressed in their clan's attire, appeared in front of the stove.
The main body is in charge of cooking, while the clones work together seamlessly: one wields the knife with lightning speed to process the ingredients, one controls the heat, and the other is responsible for seasoning.
The iron pot bounced and flipped between the cat's paws, and flames leaped up to half a person's height, illuminating the orange cat's serious face.
"Sizzle—"
Chili peppers and garlic slices are sautéed in hot oil, and the rich aroma instantly fills the entire kitchen.
Anlan was not lying to Uchiha Mikoto about her cat's ability to cook.
His cat is an all-rounder when it comes to housework.
In no time at all, several delicious and visually appealing Chinese stir-fries were plated and served.
The orange cat dispelled its clones, stroked its whiskers smugly, and used its paw to push the last dish of stir-fried beef noodles in front of Uchiha Anlan.
"Please use it, Young Master Anlan."
Its round body stood upright, while its tail wagged happily behind it.
Uchiha Anlan sat down at the dining table, his gaze sweeping over the dazzling array of dishes on it—
The stir-fried green peppers and shredded pork are glossy and fragrant.
Mapo tofu looks incredibly tempting with its vibrant red color.
The stir-fried beef noodles were full of wok hei (wok aroma).
Uchiha Anlan picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of shredded meat covered in sauce, and put it into his mouth under the nervous gaze of the orange cat.
"Good, you've improved. My teaching has paid off. How should I reward you?"
Upon hearing this, the orange cat immediately straightened its round body. "No, no, it's all thanks to Young Master's excellent teaching. Besides, Young Master has been working hard in his cultivation lately, so he needs to replenish his strength, meow~"
It was modest in words, but its fluffy tail had already betrayed its true feelings, happily drawing circles in the air.
Anlan picked up another piece of shredded pork with green peppers with her chopsticks and chuckled, "Oh? That's true, the reward can wait until next time."
The orange cat's ears twitched, its round body suddenly froze, and the tip of its tail hung in mid-air, forgetting to wag.
Its paw pads rubbed helplessly against the wooden plank under its feet, and its voice suddenly dropped eight octaves.
"Um...actually..."
Anlan slowly picked up another piece of beef noodles with her chopsticks, pretending to be surprised.
"Perhaps you want a reward?"
"It's not a reward!"
The orange cat, its fur standing on end, jumped onto the dining table and hurriedly used its tail to smooth out the chopsticks that had been knocked askew.
"It's my right! We agreed last time that Anlan would teach me Fire Release ninjutsu..."
It suddenly fell silent, its two front paws nervously clasped together.
"So you wanted to see Anlan."
Anlan lightly touched the cat's nose with the tip of her chopsticks, watching as the cat's pupils instantly shrank to vertical slits.
"Why didn't you say so earlier? I'll have Anlan come as a teaching assistant tomorrow."
The orange cat's whiskers trembled with delicate arcs, and the whole cat seemed to shimmer as if it had been infused with chakra.
It pretended to be calm and licked its paws, but made a gurgling sound in its throat.
"It's mainly to exchange cultivation experiences, meow... not because I want to smell her scent."
"I know, I know."
Uchiha Anlan smiled.
The Ninja Cat Clan and the Uchiha Clan have a long-standing contract, these adorable little creatures.
Not only were they information brokers and weapons dealers for the Uchiha clan, but their soft, sweet "meows" were also a balm for the sensitive hearts of the Uchiha people.
Ayan was Anlan's partner with whom he officially signed a contract on the day he became a genin.
A silver-spotted cat with fur as white as moonlight, truly a fairytale cat among cats.
As for Big Orange, it was simply an uninvited "gift" that followed Anlan one day.
More than a decade has passed, and the big orange cat that used to cling to Anlan has long been trained to be obedient.
Since Anlan moved out of her grandfather's house and started living alone, Big Orange has been made the all-around helper at home so that she can spend more time with Ayan, taking care of all the laundry and cooking.
They were completely outmaneuvered.
After dinner, Big Orange neatly cleaned the kitchen until it was spotless.
Then, with a soft "thump," it returned to the territory of the Ninja Cat Clan.
The bathroom was filled with steam, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of cypress and herbs.
Anlan immersed herself in the hot water that Big Orange had prepared beforehand.
The perfect water temperature made him let out a satisfied sigh.
"Being a simp is really useful!"
The fatigue accumulated during the day seemed to be gradually drawn away from my limbs and bones along with the rising heat.
He leaned back, closed his eyes, and let his thoughts drift in the stillness.
The intermittent chirping of insects outside the window has become the most natural lullaby.
Suddenly, a loud "thump" rang out in the air. Anlan opened her eyes and saw an elegant figure gracefully landing on the edge of the bathtub.
The fur, a mix of silver and pale gray, shimmered with a soft sheen in the misty vapor.
Its long tail coiled around its paws like smoke and mist, with a few silver spots like stars at the tip.
Her emerald-like eyes, like cat's-eye stones immersed in a clear spring, shimmered with light, reflecting Anlan's figure in the bathtub.
"That stupid cat."
She spoke, her voice carrying the soft tone characteristic of felines.
"Just after returning to the clan's territory, he found me again and discussed tomorrow's plans, both openly and subtly."
Anlan's silvery-white beard trembled slightly, her tone revealing helplessness.
"For fifteen years, this idiot's way of trying to be nice has remained the same... frustrating."
"So, do you like Orange or not?" Anlan asked, her eyes half-closed.
"Young Master is joking again."
"I only see Big Orange as my older brother." Anlan said something quite "Liu Ruyan" as usual.
She gracefully flicked her tail, looked up at the crescent moon outside the window, and spoke with a hint of longing in her voice.
"What I yearn for is a powerful cat like the Two-Tails—the Tailed Beast Ball tears through the long night, and the Netherworld Fire burns the sky."
Anlan added softly, "So, Young Master Anlan, please don't always try to match me up with Big Orange. I don't want Lord Erwei (Two-Tails) to misunderstand in the future."
Looking at the melodramatic female-oriented novel "The Domineering Young Master Falls in Love with Me" that she had written in a moment of madness, which had poisoned her own cat, Anlan was speechless.
End of this chapter...