September 10, Year 25 of Konoha.
Today was the day the Uchiha Commercial Street renovation began.
After the Chiken Clan Head argued his case with reason,
he successfully persuaded everyone in the clan to join the Shopping Street project within a week.
For now, the construction team had been outsourced to Konoha's engineering corps.
This left the Third Hokage grinning from ear to ear. It was a massive project—an entire street.
The Uchiha really were fucking rich!
The ceremony stage was set up at the entrance to the Uchiha Clan Grounds, and the Shopping Street would be built nearby.
Not only would this allow people to visit without disturbing the Uchiha clan members' rest, but it was also the best location in the village.
After all, Konoha had been built around the clan grounds of both the Uchiha and Senju Clans.
Choosing the very center of the village was definitely for the convenience of fleecing—no, for the convenience of customers shopping and spending.
Quite a few people had come to attend the ceremony today.
Although the major clans were not particularly fond of the Uchiha,
they still had to give the Third Hokage some face.
"The Hyuga Clan has arrived!" Fugaku, who was in charge of receiving guests, called out loudly.
This was the task Chiken had assigned him.
Of course, he understood that this was an opportunity his father had given him to practice interacting with the major clans.
After all, he was a man who would become Clan Head in the future.
"This way, Clan Head Meitoku."
After exchanging a few words with them, Fugaku led the Hyuga clan members, all dressed in white kimono, toward the ceremony stage.
Among the Hyuga crowd was an exceptionally beautiful little girl whose gaze kept darting about.
Uninterested in the ceremony, she seemed to be searching the Uchiha Clan Grounds for something.
"What's wrong, little sister? Are you looking for someone you know?" Her brother noticed her distraction and asked.
"Nothing, Hizashi. I'm just curious about what the Uchiha Clan Grounds look like inside." The girl answered expressionlessly.
"Why does it seem like you're so interested in the Uchiha? Did you fall for someone in there?" her other brother asked.
Her two brothers looked exactly alike.
Upon hearing her other brother's words, the girl immediately retorted, "Hiashi, you're awful. I said it was nothing."
Hyuga Hiashi studied his younger sister with interest.
There was nothing wrong with his sister except that she was too headstrong, always giving people a cold and distant impression.
Wanting to cheer her up, he teased, "Tell me the truth. If you really have your eye on some little Uchiha brat, I can definitely settle things with the family...
"If he refuses, I'll tie him up and bring him back to the Hyuga Clan."
"I'm not! I didn't! Don't spout nonsense!" The girl immediately shook her head in a triple denial.
Seeing this, Hiashi decided to press harder. "Nao, don't be so quick to deny it. As your brother, I have to take good care of you."
Hizashi, standing nearby, could not bear to watch his twin brother keep teasing their sister.
So he reminded him, "Brother Hiashi, we're almost at the ceremony stage."
Hearing that, Hiashi had no choice but to stop.
He wondered why his twin brother was so utterly unromantic.
The other Hyuga clan members merely took the three siblings' conversation as a joke.
The little princess of the Hyuga Clan liked some Uchiha brat?
That was even more laughable than the eldest young master of the Senju Clan liking men.
"Hello, Clan Head Chiken." Hyuga Meitoku, the current head of the Hyuga Clan, greeted Chiken.
"This way, Clan Head Meitoku." Chiken politely guided the Hyuga group to their seats.
Although the Uchiha and Hyuga were both clans of ocular techniques and had never gotten along well,
the people present were all heads of major clans.
If they did not give each other face, would they not become a laughingstock?
Meanwhile, at the Uchiha Clan Head's home.
Shin was in his room, putting on an Uchiha coat.
Looking at himself in the mirror, his medium-length hair, spiked up into sharp angles, made his teeth ache. "The Uchiha should just rename themselves the Funeral Love Clan..."
"I've been tying my hair for so long and still can't get it straight. With hair like this, even a master stylist wouldn't be able to do anything..."
After venting for a while, he still picked up his headband and obediently tied his hair up.
"Shin, are you ready yet?" Aoko sounded extremely impatient outside the door.
"I'm ready, Mother." Only then did Shin leisurely walk out of his room.
"If it weren't for Father, would I have gotten up this late?" Shin began passing the blame to Chiken.
The night before, father and son had discussed today's ceremony schedule for quite a while.
Having talked until deep into the night, he certainly would not admit that he had simply slept in.
"Enough. Don't blame your father. He got up early to prepare for the ceremony."
Shin looked speechlessly at the heavens. "Is there no justice?"
Aoko quickly patted her "adorable" youngest son.
Then she urged, "Stop fooling around. The ceremony starts at ten. If your father sees you arriving late, you won't have an easy time from now on."
With no other choice, Shin followed his mother out the door.
But a certain idea in his heart was stirring restlessly.
Wearing an "innocent" smile, he suggested to Aoko, "Mothe—ah, Mother, have you ever seen a palm technique that descends from the heavens?"
At the Uchiha Commercial Street groundbreaking ceremony, Chiken and the Third Hokage were exchanging pleasantries.
Suddenly, Chiken spotted members of the Senju Clan amid the crowd.
They held their heads high as they followed Fugaku toward the ceremony stage.
"Third Hokage, please excuse me for a moment." Chiken politely bid him farewell before striding toward the Senju group.
The Third Hokage watched this grand scene with an utterly unmoved expression, though he even felt like laughing.
Why else would Chiken be hurrying off to find the Senju Clan?
Nothing good could come of it.
If anyone was to blame, it was their eldest young master for being such a disappointment. Only when he won back their dignity would the grudge between the two sides finally be considered settled.
"Well, well, aren't these the esteemed members of the Senju Clan? Your arrival truly makes these humble Uchiha Clan Grounds shine!"
Chiken's voice arrived before he did.
The strange, mocking tone in his voice made every Senju clan member want to turn hostile on the spot.
"Ah, Brother Chiken. It has been too long, it has been too long. This elder brother has disturbed you today," Senju Kagerou, the leader of the Senju group, returned in the same tone.
Representatives from the other clans had started paying attention to this grand scene the moment the Senju entered the venue.
Right now, they felt as comfortable as eating watermelon in an air-conditioned room on a scorching summer day.
Being able to witness this show between the Uchiha and Senju with their own eyes, they all inwardly sighed that the trip had been worthwhile.
Chiken was nearly choked speechless by Kagerou calling him little brother.
Wasn't Kagerou only a few years older than him? Did the Senju have no shame?
Sorry, the Senju Clan had declared that their eldest young master had already thrown all their shame away.
Now, they wanted to drag the Uchiha down to hell with them.
"Brother Kagerou, you jest. The Uchiha Clan may not have much, but we do have plenty of room to stay. How about you stay here tonight, Brother Kagerou, and we reminisce properly about the wonderful days of the past?"
Wonderful days of the past? The days when the entire village laughed at them, more like!
Naturally, Kagerou could hear the hidden meaning in his words, and the smile on his face immediately widened. "Sure. As it happens, none of us Senju have eaten breakfast yet. This elder brother really will be troubling you today."
Chiken immediately wanted to curse.
Were these Senju really going to be this shameless? They were planning to bring the whole family over to freeload a meal!
The members of the other clans all inwardly cried out in delight at the sight.
The way these two spoke was downright dignified and grand.
Yet every word between the lines dripped with mockery.
For a moment, even the air at the venue seemed to grow cheerful.
Before you continue