Etiquette × The Children

The etiquette crash course was so grueling that Izuna wanted to run away.

But the stubborn streak he had as a modern college student, and the almost obsessive focus he had honed by reaching third place in the world at rhythm games, were not so easily overcome by a little hardship.

He might complain and grimace in private, but he would never give up.

Since he had decided to go, and had promised Madara and Hashirama that he would prepare properly, he would do his very best—even at all this fussy etiquette he disliked most.

Less than three days later, when Izuna once again sat upright before Uchiha Emiko, his posture had undergone a complete transformation.

Every movement was precise and fluid, as though measured with a ruler.

His back was straight as a pine, the angle at which he raised his arms was just right, and his fingertips held each object with a gentle, steady grip.

Even his slightly lowered lashes and the faintest hint of a smile at the corners of his lips were impeccable.

He was like a carefully calibrated instrument.

He held out the freshly brewed tea to the Third Elder with both hands, steady and composed. His voice was neither loud nor soft, clear and even. "Third Elder, please enjoy your tea."

Elder Emiko took the tea bowl and let her gaze rest on Izuna for a moment.

She gave an almost imperceptible nod.

She knew perfectly well what the old people in the clan had been whispering and fretting about lately.

"A complete change in temperament," "suspicious origins," "forgetting his roots"—as far as she was concerned, it was all nonsense.

She didn't care about any of that. She looked only at the attitude and results of the person before her.

So far, this child had not disappointed her. That was good.

Besides, she had lived for so many years and seen all kinds of people. She had her own way of judging them.

She could tell that, deep down, this child was exceptionally proud.

The arrogance of believing there was nothing he couldn't learn was etched beneath almost every seemingly docile gesture he made.

Hmph... Elder Emiko snorted inwardly, lifting the tea bowl for a sip.

That spirit really did mark him as one of their Uchiha.

No matter what he had been through or what he had forgotten, this arrogance, rooted in his blood and ability, could not be faked.

She was just about to comment on today's practice when the hand holding her tea bowl paused. Her keen ears had caught some exceedingly faint rustling outside the courtyard wall.

Elder Emiko stopped what she was doing.

Izuna was still kneeling in the proper posture after serving the tea. Seeing the Third Elder stop, he looked puzzled and asked softly, "Third Elder, what is it?"

Was there something I didn't do well enough?

Elder Emiko didn't answer. She simply set down the tea bowl slowly, raised her head, and looked toward the wall on one side of the courtyard.

A faint, almost imperceptible smirk appeared on her usually stern, rigid face—a rare sight indeed.

The next second—

A fuzzy little black head cautiously poked up over the wall, its round eyes peering nervously into the courtyard.

Then came a second and a third... yellow-haired, brown-haired, one with braids, one with a Ninja Dog on top...

In just a few seconds, more than a dozen little heads had popped up along the wall.

They were crowded together like a row of little sparrows that had silently settled on a power line.

Izuna: "???"

He turned in astonishment toward the wall that had suddenly "grown" so many heads.

Without thinking, he summoned the immoral map, which instantly unfolded in his mind.

Good grief! With the courtyard he was in at the center, the surrounding alleys, trees, and rooftops were packed with no fewer than twenty or thirty little green dots representing allies.

The vast majority were clustered at the foot of the wall, while a few were trying to climb it by standing on one another's shoulders.

They were his Konoha "little tails"!

And who else could the one in front be, peeking around with the most nervous expression of all, if not Uchiha Takuma?

The one beside him, smiling innocently and harmlessly while looking around, had to be Uchiha Hinata! There were children from the Inuzuka Clan, the Akimichi Clan, the Nara Clan, and the Yamanaka Clan... Even that little one from the Hyuga Clan, who always wore a stern expression, had come!

For days, the children had been unable to find their favorite big brother or teacher Izuna to sing and play with them. They had long since grown frantic.

As a member of the clan who was also good at hiding and gathering information, Uchiha Takuma had been the first to catch scraps of information from the casual chatter of some young clan ninja: "Lord Izuna is undergoing special training with the Third Elder."

He and Hinata put their heads together, made full use of their ninja intelligence-gathering skills, and soon pieced together the gist of it.

Lord Madara had locked Izuna away to learn the troublesome etiquette that only old fogies cared about!

How could they stand for that?!

When the children heard, they immediately united in outrage.

Led by Takuma and Hinata, the little ones sneaked and skulked their way over. Although they were conspicuous to the adults, they still managed to reach the wall outside the Third Elder's secluded courtyard.

They had planned to take a quiet look and see whether they could "rescue" Izuna, or at least say hello.

But they were also curious about the etiquette lessons and wanted to know what their big brother or teacher Izuna had to learn.

And so they had produced the comical sight before him: a row of little heads peering curiously over the wall.

In the courtyard, Izuna looked at the little faces on the wall, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Third Elder Emiko looked away from the wall and at Izuna's face. Her teasing smile grew a little more pronounced, though it was still faint.

"Giving advance notice and making proper arrangements for visitors to avoid abruptness and rudeness are also important parts of noble etiquette," she said slowly. Her tone was calm, but for some reason, Izuna felt his face grow hot.

"Boy, it seems you still have much to learn."

She set down her half-finished tea, brushed off her sleeves, and stood.

"All right." Elder Emiko resumed her usual solemn, unruffled expression. "That will be all for today. See that these 'little guests' are properly taken care of. Be on time tomorrow."

With that, she paid no further attention to Izuna or the little heads on the wall, half of which instantly ducked out of sight. She turned, walked steadily into the inner room, and closed the door.

Izuna was left alone in the courtyard as a burst of irrepressible little cheers rose from outside the wall.

Izuna didn't care about etiquette anymore. The Third Elder had left, anyway. He vaulted straight over the wall and landed among the children.

"Big brother Izuna!"

"Teacher! We came to find you!"

"Are you all right? Did they lock you up?"

Izuna watched the little ones pop back up and all start talking at once. Both amused and helpless, he asked, "How did you all end up here?"

The children pushed and shoved one another until they finally sent Takuma forward.

Takuma was a little embarrassed and scratched his head. "We haven't seen you for days... We heard you were here learning... learning that..."

Hinata picked up where he left off with a beaming smile. "Learning something very important. We were worried Lord Izuna was working too hard, so we came to cheer you on!"

The other children all nodded, looking eagerly at Izuna.

Looking at their little faces, full of genuine concern, Izuna felt the frustration and weariness brought on by his etiquette training instantly smooth away.

He crouched down and patted the head of the Akimichi boy nearest him, his voice growing gentle. "I'm fine. I'm just learning some... well, rules you need to know when you go to a big city. Thank you for coming to see me."

"Then are you done learning, big brother Izuna? Can you play with us now?" That was what the children cared about most.

Izuna glanced at the tightly closed door to the inner room and thought about the Third Elder's parting words. He smiled and shook his head. "Your 'teacher' got out of class early today. But we can't play here. We'd disturb the Third Elder's rest."

He stood and clapped his hands. "Come on, I'll take you to the open space beside the training ground!"

"Hooray!" the children cheered.

Izuna led the little chattering procession away from the Third Elder's courtyard, marching along in force while trying not to make too much noise.

When they reached the mouth of the alley, he instinctively looked back.

The last rays of the setting sun gave the quiet courtyard a warm golden outline.

Izuna smiled, turned around, and strode after the children.

By the time that day's "extra practice" chorus session was over, Izuna had seen each child safely home, and he returned alone to the Uchiha residence, it was already dark.

Madara was reading documents in the study. He looked up when he heard Izuna arrive.

"You're back?"

"Mm." Izuna nodded and sat down on the cushion across from Madara. His posture was still a little casual, but his back was naturally much straighter, no longer slumped as it had been before.

"The Third Elder... let me come back early today." Izuna rubbed his nose.

Madara raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" He could more or less guess why. How could the commotion the children had caused have escaped his notice?

He simply hadn't expected the Third Elder to let Izuna go so easily.

"She said I 'still have much to learn.'" Izuna repeated the Third Elder's words without a trace of dejection, sounding thoughtful instead. "She's right. Just getting the outward form right isn't enough... But I was really happy the children came."

Madara looked at Izuna's gentle smile and set down the scroll in his hand, a hint of amusement entering his eyes.

"Etiquette is armor you use to protect yourself, not a shackle," Madara said slowly. "Just remember what you should use it for. That's enough."

Izuna was momentarily taken aback, then nodded firmly. "I understand, Madara."

It wasn't about becoming someone else. It was about better protecting himself, presenting himself, and achieving his goals on that particular stage.

"The children... didn't cause you any trouble, did they?" Madara asked.

"Of course not. They're adorable." Izuna smiled. "They just don't know the rules. I told them this time, but I don't know how many of them will listen."

"Continuing tomorrow?" he asked.

"Continuing," Izuna answered without hesitation, his eyes clear and bright. "The Third Elder was right. There's still a lot to learn. But..."

He stretched, his bones cracking softly. "I got out of class early today. What a bonus! Madara, is dinner ready? I'm starving!"

Watching his younger brother instantly return to his "usual self" and holler about being hungry, Madara felt the last trace of worry in his eyes fade away.

"It's in the kitchen. Go get it yourself."

"Okay!"