Seeking Compensation

By the Naka River, things were unusually bustling today.

The once tranquil, harmonious grassland by the river was now a hive of activity. Ninja were immensely destructive, but they were equally skilled at construction.

Under the village's mobilization, quite a few ninja had taken on construction assignments.

Fire Release ninja cleared the weeds, Earth Release ninja leveled the roads, while Taijutsu Ninja carried massive boulders and logs back and forth.

On a nearby hillside, Uchiha Fugaku watched the busy ninja and imagined the new Clan Compound rising from the ground. A hint of anticipation appeared on his usually stern face.

As he envisioned the future layout of the Clan Compound, Uchiha Fugaku suddenly spotted Aozora and Itachi approaching from afar.

Upon reaching the hilltop, Aozora swept his gaze around and found that, besides Uchiha Fugaku, there was another Clan Member he recognized.

The man had short black hair, a black dot between his brows, and a long sword strapped to his back. He stood behind Uchiha Fugaku like an attendant.

Who else could it be but Uchiha Tekka, one of the Uchiha clan's new generation of geniuses?

Uchiha Fugaku's expression was exceedingly stern as he asked in a deep voice, "Uchiha Aozora, what are you doing here?"

Aozora frowned slightly. It seemed that his speech at the last Clan Meeting had thoroughly offended the Clan Head.

"Clan Head, I came specifically to see you. I saw the notice about relocating the Clan Compound, and I have some questions to ask," Aozora said calmly.

Uchiha Fugaku said, "What questions do you have? The notice was already very clear."

Seeing that Uchiha Fugaku did not welcome him, Aozora went straight to the point. "I did not come to oppose the Relocation Plan. I only came to ask how the Relocation Compensation will be distributed, and when it will be issued."

Uchiha Fugaku looked at him in surprise before sneering. "I thought you were merely shortsighted, but still had the clan's interests at heart. I never expected that you would go against your own wishes just for Compensation."

Aozora was not angered by Fugaku's words. "So what if I did? So what if I didn't?"

"Either way, Clan Head, you do not want me continuing to oppose the Relocation Plan, do you? Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"

Seeing Aozora's flippant manner, Uchiha Fugaku snorted coldly. "The Relocation Compensation will be distributed uniformly after the entire clan has relocated."

Aozora frowned. "After the relocation?"

"Yes!"

After answering, Uchiha Fugaku turned his gaze back toward the construction site in the distance.

Hearing this, Aozora's brow furrowed.

When he had first seen the relocation notice, Aozora had sensed something fishy. The Konoha High Command might be trying to get something for nothing.

After all, Konoha was truly at war with Cloud now. Food, military supplies, pensions—what did not consume money like water? How could the village still have money to compensate the Uchiha under such circumstances?

Once the relocation was complete, if Konoha simply denied it, what could the Uchiha do besides swallow this bitter pill?

Even if they did not deny it, they could simply say that the other clans had received no Compensation either. For the sake of peace, did the Uchiha still want it or not?

Taking it a step further, the village could claim that these were extraordinary times and ask the Uchiha for understanding. What choice would the Uchiha have then?

Clearly, this Compensation would never reach the Uchiha's hands.

Thus, Aozora said, "I urgently need the Compensation. If it is not issued, I will not relocate."

Relocation payments were always given before people moved. He had never heard of someone being paid after everything had already been torn down.

Konoha might be trying to get something for nothing. He could not stop the Relocation Plan, but he would never give up the benefits that were rightfully his.

"What?"

Uchiha Fugaku turned back and demanded, "What did you say?"

Aozora showed no fear as he met Uchiha Fugaku's eyes and enunciated each word. "If the Compensation is not issued, I will not relocate."

Hearing this, Itachi looked at Aozora in disbelief. "Brother Aozora, how can you do this?"

"Father has even refused Compensation in order to lessen the village's burden. Why are you forcing the village?"

Uchiha Tekka could not help revealing a look of contempt toward Aozora as well.

Aozora cast a disappointed glance at Itachi. It seemed everything he had said to him on the way here had been for nothing.

Faced with their confusion, accusations, and contempt, Aozora remained expressionless. "Then I have even more reason to collect my Compensation first."

"If the Clan Head takes the lead in refusing Compensation, whether the village will still be willing to compensate everyone after the relocation is another matter. But with the Clan Head setting such an example, would the remaining Clan Members still have the nerve to accept it?"

"Clan Head, you may earn a reputation for noble integrity, but what about the other Clan Members? Moving from Konoha City to the Suburbs means spending an extra half hour every day just to buy groceries. Do they still want this Compensation or not?"

Hearing Aozora's sophistry, Itachi wanted to refute him, but he could not think of any argument in the moment. His face turned bright red.

Uchiha Fugaku fell silent for a moment. "I did not consider this carefully enough."

"Father!" Itachi's eyes widened as he looked at his father in confusion.

Uchiha Fugaku waved a hand to stop his son's question, then said to Aozora, "I will keep it secret that I am refusing Compensation."

After a pause, he added, "I can also issue your family's Compensation in advance, but—"

"I understand the rules," Aozora said. "I will not spread the word."

After saying that, Aozora pushed his luck. "Can all of my Compensation be exchanged for equivalent-value Chakra Conductive Metal?"

Uchiha Fugaku looked at him with even greater disdain. "Fine. The Chakra Conductive Metal will be delivered to your home this afternoon."

"Behave yourself."

Only then did Aozora say, "Thank you, Clan Head!"

As he turned to leave, Aozora reminded him, "Does the village have an official notice regarding the Compensation? I only saw the notice about the Clan Compound. Do not let this turn out to be merely a verbal promise from a few elders."

Uchiha Fugaku fell into thought.

Itachi, meanwhile, glared angrily at Aozora's retreating figure.

Not long after Aozora left, Uchiha Tekka bowed and said, "Clan Head, I have something to take care of. I need to leave for a while."

Uchiha Fugaku nodded. "Go."

After Uchiha Tekka had left as well, Itachi asked, "Father, why did you agree to give Aozora Compensation in advance without negotiating with the village?"

With his hands clasped behind his back, Uchiha Fugaku said, "There is no need for the village to agree. I can advance the money myself."

"Aozora is Shisui's younger brother. Many people are watching his actions now. If he takes the lead in resisting the Relocation Plan, it will always reflect poorly on us."

After hearing that, Itachi's little face was still somewhat angry. "I see. Aozora is too inconsiderate of the bigger picture. He even promised me on the way here that he would not obstruct the Relocation Plan!"

Seeing his eldest son so angry for once, Uchiha Fugaku comforted him. "It is fine. Someone will teach him a lesson."

Itachi was puzzled for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Brother Tekka?"

Hearing that, Uchiha Fugaku looked at Itachi with satisfaction. "As expected of my son!"

On the other side, after securing his Compensation, Aozora experienced the mindset of a nouveau riche for the first time. Feeling light and buoyant, he hurried home with brisk steps.

Suddenly, he stopped. "You came."

"Yes, I came."

Uchiha Tekka suddenly appeared in a tree twenty meters away.

Aozora shifted his gaze toward him and said lightly, "You should not have come."

With his arms crossed, Uchiha Tekka leaned against the tree. "I had to come."

Without waiting for Aozora to respond, he continued.

"I misjudged you."

"A week ago, I thought that although you and your brother had different views, you both considered the clan wholeheartedly."

"But I never expected that I had misjudged you. You are actually a greedy petty man. I am ashamed to know someone like you."

"Someone like you is completely unworthy of being Uchiha Shisui's younger brother..."

Seeing that Uchiha Tekka could not stop talking, Aozora could not help complaining, "Brother, you have too many lines. You are ruining the expert aura I worked so hard to create."

As Uchiha Tekka stood there with a bewildered expression, Aozora shouted, "And do you think I want to be that idiot Uchiha Shisui's younger brother?"