Two days later.
The combat personnel from the front lines returned one after another.
The first thing they did was bury the dead under Hiruzen Sarutobi's leadership.
In this localized war against Kirigakure, the Uchiha Clan accounted for a third of the casualties.
The rest were various support ninja and a large number of cannon fodder ninja.
The bodies of the fallen were covered in white cloth and laid out across the lawn.
Their relatives came to see them off one last time.
"Father, don't go!"
"Brother, Brother..."
"Rest in peace. I'll take care of your wife."
Heart-rending cries rose from all around.
Uchiha Tunan tied a strip of white cloth around his head and knelt before the bodies of Uchiha Genbo and Uchiha Nanako, his face silent and expressionless.
The key to a crying scene was not crying itself, but making others believe from the bottom of their hearts that you were deeply sorrowful.
Wailing yourself hoarse would not make you stand out.
A sorrowful atmosphere required a calm buildup, supplemented when necessary by contrasting expressions or actions.
Uchiha Tunan placed the cups he had prepared beforehand in front of Uchiha Genbo and Uchiha Nanako's bodies.
He then poured sake and tea into them respectively.
The tea was brewed strong, while the sake was the most fragrant kind he could find.
In an instant, the scent of wine and tea spread through the air, drawing many people's attention.
"Father, I always knew you were the kind of person whose words were harsh but whose heart was soft.
You never said anything warm to me.
But I knew you had given so much for me."
Uchiha Tunan gazed at his parents' bodies before him, his eyes filled with happy memories as he spoke in a calm, low voice.
"On the day of the Ninja Academy entrance exam, I was very nervous.
You kept a cold face and called me worthless, telling me not to disgrace you or the Uchiha Clan.
But I knew you were even more nervous than I was. Your palms were soaked with sweat.
The sun was scorching that day, and while I took the exam in the classroom, you stood outside the academy waiting the whole time.
When I told you I had passed, you merely said, 'Not bad.'
That night, you drank three pots of sake. Normally, you only drank one cup.
You always said a ninja had to stay clearheaded at all times, but that day, you got drunk.
After I started school, my grades remained terrible. Every day when you came home, you called me worthless, then taught me hand signs for extracting Chakra and how to throw kunai.
Your work was already exhausting every day, yet you still stayed up late with me.
You told me that ninja grew stronger through danger. To set an example for a worthless son like me—
you gave up your safe position in the Security Force and resolutely chose to go to the front lines.
You said that when you returned, if I was no longer at the bottom of the class, you would teach me Phoenix Sage Fire."
At this point, a stiff smile spread across Uchiha Tunan's face. He said blankly, "I not only awakened the Three Tomoe now—
I also secretly learned Phoenix Sage Fire. I only wanted to wait for you to come back and surprise you.
I wanted you to praise me and say that your child wasn't worthless."
By this point, Uchiha Tunan's voice had turned hoarse. He seemed to be desperately suppressing his grief, yet he still maintained that smile.
Two streams of tears overflowed uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes.
He wiped them away, rose to his feet, and began forming hand seals.
The surrounding people all turned their gazes toward Uchiha Tunan.
Uchiha Tunan's hands became a blur as he swiftly completed the final seal.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique."
His hoarse shout rang out.
Several fire serpents burst from Uchiha Tunan's mouth, shooting into the sky before converging and colliding.
The sudden commotion completely drew everyone's attention over.
After releasing Phoenix Sage Fire, Uchiha Tunan let his hands hang limply at his sides and said absentmindedly, "I'll never hear you call me worthless again. Let me drink with you for the first and last time."
With that, Uchiha Tunan tilted back his head and poured the sake from the bottle into his mouth.
Tears and spilled sake met beneath his chin and ran down Uchiha Tunan's neck, soaking more than half of his shirt.
The mourners were visibly moved by the sight.
Even those who had been crying their hearts out earlier now felt that, compared to Uchiha Tunan, they did not seem all that sad.
Fugaku Uchiha stood at the front of the Uchiha Clan's mourners.
At that moment, the sounds from Uchiha Tunan's side drew his attention.
"A genius like this actually emerged from the clan, and he treasures his family so deeply.
The clan should have focused on cultivating him, yet his heart leans toward the Hokage's faction."
The more Fugaku Uchiha spoke, the darker his expression became. Clearly, he was extremely dissatisfied with the arrangements made by the clan elders.
The Great Elder watched Uchiha Tunan's performance with deep eyes and whispered, "Don't be deceived by appearances. This child's caliber is far from ordinary. If he can grow up, I believe he will surely lead the Uchiha Clan to restore the glory of the Warring States."
Hearing this, Fugaku Uchiha gave the composed Great Elder a surprised glance before turning his gaze back to Uchiha Tunan and studying him carefully.
With a puzzled expression, he said, "But as soon as I returned, I heard the clan members discussing this child. They said he..."
The Great Elder smiled faintly and patted Uchiha Fujioka on the shoulder. "Fugaku, don't concern yourself with those things. You'll understand in the future."
Fugaku Uchiha nodded. He chose to trust the words of the highly respected Great Elder.
The Great Elder had always been accurate in judging people.
Uchiha Tunan had not finished his performance yet. Since both his parents had died, he could not favor one over the other and pour all his emotions onto his father alone.
Next was his mother, Uchiha Nanako.
"Mother, you always..."
Kakashi and Hatake Sakumo stood not far away, silently watching Uchiha Tunan.
"Kakashi, Tunan is a companion worthy of trust. You must cherish this bond."
"Got it." Kakashi replied indifferently, pretending not to care.
Yet a trace of concern showed in his eyes as he looked at Uchiha Tunan.
**Ding, obtained Kakashi's acknowledgment.**
Uchiha Tunan, who had been speaking from his heart, suddenly paused.
Kakashi... he had a long life ahead of him, but his strength in the later stages was only average.
He was not a good target to pursue. A bit of a waste, really.
Uchiha Tunan secretly shook his head. To him, Kakashi was simply too bland to be worth the effort.
He wondered when he would obtain Hatake Sakumo's acknowledgment.
Over where the Hyuga Clan's fallen were laid out, there were only a sparse few dozen people.
Hyuga Senrin knelt blankly before a body.
Because she was too far from the central area, Hyuga Senrin had not seen Uchiha Tunan.
Hyuga Senrin's father had been a reconnaissance ninja. At the start of this localized war, he had died on the battlefield.
Yet before today, no one had specifically told her of her father's death.
Hyuga Senrin's father was not particularly talented. He had only been a Special Chunin.
In a small localized war like this, the Hyuga Clan had not sent its elites to the battlefield.
Instead, they had dragged a group of cannon fodder like Hyuga Senrin's father along to serve as reconnaissance ninja.
"The powerful Main Family can live comfortably within the clan, while the weak Branch Family can only die on the battlefield.
Does a clan this filthy even deserve to be protected?"
Hyuga Senrin lowered her head and muttered, reaching her right hand beneath the long bangs hanging over her forehead and gently stroking the Caged Bird Seal.
Madness flickered in her eyes. There was none of the pitiful, delicate weakness she had displayed before.
The next moment, veins bulged across Hyuga Senrin's face.
At that moment, Hyuga Senrin awakened the Byakugan.
But because of the angle, no one noticed.
After the burial ended, the ninja who had participated in the war and the relatives of the fallen all gathered before the Memorial Monument.
Wearing the Hokage Robe, Hiruzen Sarutobi began his memorial address.
"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire shall continue to burn..."
Everyone had long since grown tired of hearing such speeches, but because of his status, they could only lower their heads and remain silent.
However, as Hiruzen Sarutobi continued speaking, his tone shifted, and new material appeared in his speech.
"Konoha has had three Hokage so far.
The Will of Fire has also changed in accordance with the times.
In summary, the core idea of the Will of Fire has remained unchanged, but every era has had a different emphasis.
I have summarized the emphases of these three eras.
The First Hokage's Will emphasized unity..."
Standing behind the Uchiha Clan crowd, Uchiha Tunan looked toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was speaking eloquently on the stage, with an excited and reverent expression.
Everything Hiruzen Sarutobi was discussing came from Uchiha Tunan's diary.
Not only had he plagiarized it, he had even copied several key points, though he only picked out minor details.
Even so, many people below gradually became engrossed in the speech.
Before you continue