The Uchiha Clan's Unusual Behavior

"I know."

Chiyue shrugged and pointed at himself.

"But I have Uchiha Clan blood. To certain people, that alone is enough.

Whether I return to the Uchiha Clan isn't important. In fact, if I don't return, those people will become even more unscrupulous."

"..."

Was it really that serious?

Minato didn't know.

But he believed Chiyue wouldn't be on guard for no reason.

There was no love without cause, nor was there hatred without cause.

Some things simply couldn't be explained clearly.

"That's all I have to say. Once the village's notice comes through, we'll officially become a chunin team. From then on, we can take on higher-ranked missions instead of being stuck with C-Rank Missions."

I'm done. Do either of you have anything to add?

Chiyue looked at Uchiha Mikoto, then at Minato.

Uchiha Mikoto smiled and shook her head, indicating that she had nothing to add.

Chiyue's decision was her decision.

If neither of you has anything to say, what could I possibly add? That's it, then.

After hanging around Chiyue for so long, Minato had long since given up struggling.

"Is the news true?"

At the Uchiha Clan Head's residence, the elderly Uchiha Clan Head fixed his cloudy gaze on the clansman who had come to report.

Uchiha Fugaku, the young clan head, sat beside him and watched quietly.

Yagami Chiyue?

He remembered that person.

As the young clan head, Uchiha Fugaku would eventually take over the entire Uchiha Clan, so he was fairly familiar with the clan's affairs.

Yagami Chiyue's father had been the Yagami Clan's last remaining male heir, while his mother had been a member of the Uchiha Clan.

After Chiyue's father died in battle, his mother had tried to bring him back to the Uchiha Clan.

After all, Chiyue had Uchiha blood.

Unfortunately, his eye-catching silver hair had drawn the dislike of many clansmen, and the two Hawk Elders had firmly refused.

So the matter had been dropped.

Uchiha Fugaku still remembered the first time he saw Chiyue. Back then, Chiyue had merely been a silver-haired little brat.

"Clan Head, the news is true. Yagami Chiyue carries the bloodline of our Uchiha Clan, and his bloodline is extremely pure. At such a young age, he has already awakened his Sharingan—and it is a Two-tomoe Sharingan. He can undoubtedly become a genius of our Uchiha Clan."

Judging by his age and Sharingan, Chiyue's bloodline was indeed pure.

But judging by that striking silver hair, Chiyue didn't look like someone with Uchiha blood at all.

After all, the Uchiha Clan had never seen such a case before.

Even when they married outsiders and produced clansmen with unusual hair colors, those colors were mostly brown or purple.

Silver hair was unprecedented, a first of its kind.

"They refused to allow him to return to the clan when he was young, yet now they want to win him over. How could that possibly be easy?"

The Uchiha Clan Head spoke in a hoarse voice.

He began coughing, a mocking smile hanging on his aged face.

Seeing this, Uchiha Fugaku hurriedly helped his father catch his breath.

"Father, no matter what, Uchiha blood flows through his veins. Now that he has awakened the Sharingan, we should bring him back."

"Cough, cough!!"

The Uchiha Clan Head waved a hand as he coughed.

After catching his breath, he snorted in dissatisfaction.

"Let the people who opposed it back then handle this matter."

Whoever opposed it, whoever goes!

You people got to play the villains, and now you want this old man to grovel for him.

No chance!

At the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage asked an Anbu member:

"Has there been any movement from the Uchiha Clan?"

"Lord Hokage, no one from the Uchiha Clan has gone to look for Yagami Chiyue."

The Anbu ninja responsible for monitoring the Uchiha Clan answered truthfully.

"No movement?"

Had that old fellow changed his ways?

The Third Hokage was skeptical.

He believed the Uchiha Clan had definitely received the news and would find a way to win Chiyue over, hoping that he would return to the Uchiha Clan's embrace.

"Thank you for your hard work. Go rest."

The complete lack of movement from the Uchiha Clan was rather strange.

However, the Third Hokage currently had little time to worry about the Uchiha Clan.

As long as they didn't cause him trouble at a time like this, that was enough.

As for lifting the surveillance on the Uchiha Clan, that was impossible.

Even if he agreed, Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura would not.

The village notice came quickly. As expected, the three of them had been promoted to chunin and bid farewell to their genin status.

What surprised Chiyue was that after the team's promotion, the village did not rush to assign them a designated mission.

"Let's go eat barbecue. My treat!!"

After learning that Chiyue's group had become chunin, Kushina happily sought them out and suggested they go out for a meal to celebrate.

When it came to delicious food, Kushina had never forgotten the Akimichi Clan's barbecue.

"Wouldn't that be too expensive?"

Kushina had only treated them to barbecue not long ago. If she treated them again, wouldn't that be too embarrassing?

"How could it be? Sister Mikoto, I have lots of money!

Don't worry about eating me poor. Just eat as much as you want."

Hugging Uchiha Mikoto's arm and giving it a few shakes, Kushina walked ahead with her, leaving Chiyue and Minato to follow behind.

"Why do I feel like Kushina isn't very happy?"

Minato moved closer to Chiyue and lowered his voice.

"Why don't you ask her and find out?"

Chiyue responded.

I'm not falling for that. Are you trying to trick me again?

Minato warily leaped far away, even raising his hands in a gesture to make his attitude clear to Chiyue.

Trying to trick me?

No way!

I, Minato, have suffered enough losses already. I've learned more than enough from them. None of your little tricks, Yagami Chiyue, will ever work on me again.

"..."

I just said it casually. Did you really need such a huge reaction?

After ordering a pile of meat and drinks like fruit juice, Kushina planted both hands on the table and leaned forward, nearly bumping heads with Chiyue.

"What?"

If he hadn't reacted quickly, he and Kushina would have knocked heads.

"Chiyue, what present do you want for your ninth birthday?"

"A present?"

Minato reacted even more strongly than Chiyue, while Uchiha Mikoto tilted her head and began thinking.

If Kushina hadn't mentioned it, she would have nearly forgotten that Chiyue was about to turn nine.

What gift should she give Chiyue?

I want a present too. I'm almost nine as well.

Minato repeatedly signaled to Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto with his eyes, only for both of them to completely ignore him.

"Minato, are your eyes uncomfortable? Why do you keep blinking?"

Kushina even asked in confusion.

The smile on Minato's face instantly froze.

"Pfft~~~"

Chiyue couldn't help bursting into laughter.

Someone wanted a present so badly that he was nearly blinking himself cross-eyed, yet the others still failed to get the hint.

Patting Minato sympathetically on the shoulder, Chiyue thought for a moment before answering, "There's no particular gift I want."

"Is that so?"

Kushina frowned.

Without a target, preparing a gift would be rather difficult.

"Then I'm digging in."

"..."

People in this world were really strange. Before eating, they always had to announce, "I'm digging in."

Unfortunately, Chiyue didn't have that habit.