This process would only work if Uchiha Madara returned, subdued the village, and made the Uchiha the strongest clan once more.
But that was impossible.
Another possibility was for a new generation of Uchiha to rise to power and create a balance.
But then the village and the Uchiha would never truly be equals.
Besides, the Uchiha's arrogance wasn't something they could easily set aside. If the old man hadn't grown older, he wouldn't have put his arrogance aside to think things through.
He understood the Uchiha as well as he understood himself.
The Uchiha might decline and grow estranged from the village.
Whatever happened, as long as the problem remained unsolved, the Uchiha would inevitably clash with the village in the future.
When that happened, the Uchiha's strongest fighters would be on the front lines, and with Yan's talent, she would surely have a place among them.
The old man didn't want Yan caught up in a world full of scheming and deceit.
Yan was just a girl, after all. Perhaps finding her a good husband wouldn't be a bad choice.
As for the safety of the Uchiha clan, the old man wasn't worried in the slightest.
As one of the village's founders, the Uchiha were second to none in both reputation and strength.
The village might come into conflict with the clan, but it would never dare to actually attack.
Besides, the Uchiha were among the strongest in the Ninja World. Unless the Hokage was an idiot, how could he dare start a war with them at the cost of crippling the village?
Even if the Hokage was stubborn enough to do it, the Uchiha clan would surely see a wave of Mangekyou awakenings if he dared to start a war.
As an old survivor of the Warring States period, he knew where the Mangekyou came from.
They were the power of revenge granted by the gods to Uchiha who had lost their loved ones.
When the two sides were left gravely weakened, Konoha's leadership would certainly be the first to seek a truce.
All in all, the old man believed the Uchiha would never lose their legacy. At most, they might decline a little.
"Was this Jade Pendant around your neck a gift from him, too?"
"Mm."
"Can Second Grandfather have a look?"
"Here."
The old man ran his fingers over the Jade Pendant, then handed it back to Yan.
He'd known about this pendant for a long time. His granddaughter, Ten Ten, treasured it dearly.
He'd just noticed that it was harder than ordinary jade, almost like iron. It was clearly a rare kind of jade.
That boy, Uesugi Yayoi, had certainly put some thought into it.
"It's beautiful. Next time you have a chance, bring your friend to the clan grounds. Second Grandfather would like to talk with him."
"Second Grandfather, what are you planning?"
Yan grew wary and puffed out her cheeks.
"You've got a friend and now you've forgotten all about your grandfather. Don't worry, Little Yan. Second Grandfather won't give him a hard time."
The old man sighed, sounding wistful.
"Then promise me."
Yan eyed him suspiciously before holding out her little finger.
"Fine, let's promise."
The old man chuckled and held out his finger, too.
"The Hyuga Clan Blood you asked for. Besides mine, there's blood from two other members of the Branch Family.
I collected it while sparring with them."
Dusk was settling in. The clear moonlight cast a faint silver glow over the forest and across those Pure White Eyes.
Rin appeared quietly in the forest that night to meet Yayoi.
The quiet forest held only the faint chirping of insects. The trees swayed in the breeze.
This was the place and time they'd agreed on. Yayoi had scouted it beforehand; no ANBU patrolled here, and the Hokage wouldn't be spying on them in the middle of the night.
Rin tossed the test tube in her hand to Yayoi.
"Fresh material. You really know how to get things done at this hour, Rin."
In the still of the night, Yayoi caught the test tube. Looking at the bright red blood inside, he couldn't help saying this.
"Remember what you promised me. Otherwise, don't blame me for telling everyone."
Rin frowned at his words. Something about them sounded off, but she shook her head and let it go.
"Of course. But to truly undo the Caged Bird, I'll have to use someone from the Branch Family.
You know that. You'll only get the chance on the battlefield. Until then, you'll inevitably be marked with the Caged Bird.
I only collected this blood so I can study the material more quickly and thoroughly when the time comes."
"I know. You don't have to remind me."
At the mention of being marked with the Caged Bird, Rin grew agitated.
"Was there anything I should know when you collected the blood?"
Yayoi examined it for a moment, then looked away and put the test tube back in his ninja tool pouch.
"No. We were just sparring, and with my status, they won't give me any trouble."
Rin thought for three seconds before answering.
"Good. If we're exposed, we'll be in serious trouble."
Yayoi teased her.
He was a little curious about the special status Rin had mentioned, but they still had plenty of time together. He wasn't worried he'd never find out.
But the only answer he got was a pair of clear, white eyes.
"If you get any new material, we can meet here."
Yayoi shook his head with a laugh.
"See you."
With that, Yayoi left. Once he was beyond the Byakugan's maximum range, a cloud of smoke rose and he vanished in an instant.
Another Yayoi stepped out of the forest and took the ninja tool pouch. The one who'd just left had been a Shadow Clone.
The Shadow Clone was a ninjutsu developed by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. Unlike the ordinary Clone Technique, it could inflict damage.
After he'd gotten close to Tsunade, she'd noticed how much trouble it was for him to read, study, and experiment all at once. So she'd taught him the technique herself.
Since the technique divided the user's chakra evenly among their clones, it was best suited to ninja with large chakra reserves. As a Senju, Yayoi had enormous chakra reserves by nature.
Tsunade had no concerns about that and taught him the technique straightaway.
To be fair, the previous Yayoi hadn't needed or been suited to using Shadow Clones.
His body had still been growing, and he'd only just fused the two bloodlines within him.
Deep down, both bloodlines were filled with violence and bloodlust. He hadn't dared push his mind too hard before.
This year, he could feel that the two bloodlines within him had finally stabilized. Even if Tsunade hadn't taught him Shadow Clone, he would've gone to Yan and asked her.
With the relationship they had, she would definitely have agreed.
With the material Rin had brought him, Yayoi hurried home.
No one patrolled at this hour, but he couldn't rule out the possibility that someone might do something stupid. There was no harm in getting home as soon as possible.
Meanwhile...
"Tch. What a weird guy."
Seeing Yayoi leave without a backward glance, Rin spat.
Damn it, she'd gone to so much trouble to collect that blood.
But could he really break her Caged Bird?
Truth be told, Rin had little hope. She'd spent the afternoon thinking it over.
Setting aside the fact that the Caged Bird had been part of the Hyuga Clan's history for centuries, and had never been undone—
How could some unknown kid possibly break it? Even if he was a Senju.
But what good was being a Senju? What did he know that others didn't?
Even if she took it a step further and assumed he was a genius who managed to break her Caged Bird, what would become of her in the clan?
Would she still be able to stay in the clan—or even in the village?
Rin didn't dare think too much about it. In an instant, the future became utterly uncertain.
She was utterly lost, with nowhere to go. All she could do was drift aimlessly through time, waiting in silence.
It was like being trapped in endless darkness, waiting for an outcome that had already been decided: she was destined to lose herself in the darkness and become part of it.
Then a beam of light shone through, giving her hope.
A bird in a cage would never turn away, no matter how fleeting that light might be.
He was like a light, illuminating her as she wandered lost. That was why she trusted him.
Even if it might only be a lie.
Before you continue