Although Tekudō's origin was humble, his situation was very different from Sasuke's family. Both were descendants of vassals to great ninja clans, but the similarities ended there.
The Teku family were vassals of the Senju clan. Their ancestors were blacksmiths, repairing and forging swords for the powerful Senju ninja. After moving to Konoha, they established a prosperous weapons shop. In contrast, as vassals of the Sarutobi clan, the Umino family could only sell fish.
Ninja are a high-income class, and any business related to them, such as selling weapons, generates considerable profit. In their prime, the Senju clan was the wealthiest and most influential family in Konoha, and unlike the Sarutobi clan—who, according to Sasuke's memory, had been quite stingy with their vassals—the Senju were generous. The Teku family prospered alongside their lords, accumulating a small fortune and growing in number.
Unfortunately, with the gradual decline of the Senju clan, their patrons disappeared, and the Teku family business began to falter. Faced with this crisis, a large number of the Teku youth gave up their comfortable lives and made the drastic decision to become ninja.
Others became ninja to earn money by risking their lives. The Teku became ninja to spend money to protect theirs.
Tekudō, his capable general, was a perfect example. He had three large sealing scrolls tied to his waist, packed with all sorts of blades and throwing weapons. Although he didn't possess any of the valuable chakra blades, the sheer amount of steel he carried was overwhelming. On his other hip, his ninja tool pouch was bursting with several dozen exploding tags. While other ninja painstakingly saved up to get one or two, Tekudō used them by the dozen. He was the personification of material arrogance on the battlefield, a luxury no other low-ranking ninja could afford.
In mid- and low-level battles, there wasn't an abundance of sophisticated ninjutsu. Generally, a fight would begin with an exchange of kunai and shuriken to size up the opponent, followed by a clash of steel in close-quarters combat. Victory often depended on who had better equipment, better physical condition, and more skill. Mastering the rhythm and gathering intelligence were crucial in order to use a ninjutsu at the critical moment to avoid a fatal blow or end the battle. Of course, if you couldn't win, a tactical retreat was standard procedure.
But if the mission prevented retreat, there was no other choice. It was time to swallow a handful of Hyōrōgan and Blood-Stopping Pills and risk it all. The fight would become a brutal exchange of injuries, a battle of wills to see who would last until the end. It was said that the battlefield made you stronger, and it was true; such a cruel battle couldn't help but forge a shinobi. Those who didn't adapt were eliminated.
Tekudō had managed to survive to this day not only because of his captain's care but because of his own power, funded by his secret technique. If he unleashed the scrolls from his waist and executed his most powerful jutsu, Money Style: Tool Manipulation - Heavenly Blade Dance, even an elite chūnin could end up turned into a pincushion if they weren't careful.
Perhaps due to some blood memory from his blacksmith ancestors, coupled with the blessing of his wealth, Tekudō's talent for handling ninja tools was exceptional. Sasuke couldn't help but think of Tenten, from the future Konoha 12 generation, and also a filler character he remembered from his past life: a ninja named Tekuno, of a similar build, who was also a genius with weapons and traps. He vividly remembered Tekuno's temporary teammates: the jōnin Hayama Hakumo, the "eternal genin" Hoshikō Maru, and Uzumaki Naruto himself. Based on those memories, he had guided his own Tekudō's training in trap-setting, and the results had been surprising.
Though Tekudō always complained that setting traps took away time he could be spending with his "wives."
He had a peculiar quirk: he treated his weapons with obsessive care. He had given each one an affectionate name and cared for them as if they were his girlfriends. It was precisely because he had so many "steel girlfriends" that the charming and kind Chōmi had never managed to win his heart.
It was ironic. Chōmi, the girl who had effortlessly captivated the young Inuzuka, had been defeated time and again by Tekudō. In Tekudō's own words: "How could Chōmi be as cute as my girlfriends? She doesn't even compare to my 'wife,' the exploding tag, let alone my 'wife,' the Fūma Shuriken."
Even 'Bi-chan', his "wife," the chūnin-grade steel pot with whom he felt he had been unfaithful, was cuter than Chōmi.
Thinking about 'Bi-chan's' "infidelity" deeply saddened him. He felt their relationship was no longer pure. If it weren't for his captain's overwhelming power and the temptation of delicious food, Tekudō would never have allowed his 'Bi-chan' to cook soup for others. Every time the team enjoyed the meal, he felt as if they were "sharing his wife," which caused him great pain. It was a twisted mix of defilement and a strange, secret excitement, as if the act of sharing the food forged a deeper, more complicated bond with her.
That's why, after every meal, Tekudō personally took on the task of scrubbing. He would embrace his 'Bi-chan' and wash her over and over again. Each careful washing seemed to dispel the "infidelity" and the guilt he felt. Only when his "wife" was sparkling clean did he feel relieved, believing she had forgiven him. He would then sling her onto his back with renewed confidence, convinced she would block any attack from behind, as she had done on numerous occasions.
"Tekudō, why don't you let the girls handle the household chores?" Chōmi said after dinner, offering to clean up. As she mentioned the word "household," the normally strong-willed Chōmi blushed shyly.
But Tekudō, how could he let someone else touch his 'Bi-chan'? He scrubbed even harder, giving Chōmi no opportunity to interfere.
Seeing Tekudō reject his goddess again, Inuzuka Ryo felt a mixture of relief and rage, and he glared at him murderously.
Observing the complicated dynamic, which rivaled that of Kakashi's Team 7, Umino Sasuke felt the sudden urge to kick Ryo and force him to have his first kiss with Tekudō.
But before he could move, a shadow glided down from the sky. It landed softly on his shoulder. It was his summoning beast, a water bat. The bat let out a soft screech, a series of ultrasonic notes only he could understand.
"Trouble?"
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. His usual relaxed demeanor evaporated, replaced by an icy stillness and a murderous glint in his eyes.
He leaped to his feet, focused chakra into his soles, and zipped up the trunk of a giant tree. He pulled out a hand-made monocular and scanned the distance. Just as he feared, he saw the glow of fire and heard the echo of explosions less than three kilometers upstream, in the perimeter of the Aoba Squad's defense zone.
Without a doubt, exploding tags were being used. The battle had begun.