Two Uchiha

The Uchiha Clan Residence, once the Main Camp of the clan, was no longer as lively as it had been many years ago. The streets were somewhat deserted.

Most of the clan members lived in the village's bustling districts, and compared with the old-fashioned standalone homes, young people preferred high-rise apartments with property management.

A father and son walked along a moss-covered stone path, passing through winding corridors before arriving at a courtyard deep within the residence.

A young Uchiha girl was tending to the courtyard's cleanliness. Upon seeing the father and son, she bowed slightly.

"Lord Fugaku."

The three-year-old child in the man's arms curiously examined the sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl. The tear-trough lines beneath her eyes were particularly striking. He then turned his head to look at his father.

"Is Teacher at home?" Fugaku asked.

"She is." The girl smiled sweetly and said, "Grandma the Clan Head just finished her daily training and is waiting for guests. I'll go inform her right away."

Grandma?

The little boy naturally pictured the kind face of a kindly old grandmother.

As she spoke, the girl tossed aside her broom without waiting for Fugaku to answer and cheerfully ran into the house.

She returned shortly afterward and motioned for the father and son to follow her.

They passed through a deep, secluded corridor and stepped across slightly aged wooden floorboards. As one shoji door after another slid open, they arrived at a solemn dojo.

Various swords, blades, and ninja tools lined both sides of the dojo. A huge hanging scroll bore a single character: "Thunder."

The three-year-old boy already recognized many characters.

Thunder startles Heaven and Earth, awakening hibernating dragons and snakes; rain fills the fields, softening the grasses and trees.

The little poem was still somewhat beyond his understanding. He only