Night had fallen, and Konoha lay shrouded in silence.
Naka Shrine sat deep within the Uchiha Clan's territory, backed by verdant mountains and facing the clear waters of the Naka River. The shrine's ancient, solemn buildings bore the Uchiha crest carved into their eaves, and the vermilion torii gates reflected a cold glow beneath the moonlight. Thick moss covered the shrine's roof, and the marks of time were clear on every plank. A breeze stirred the wind chimes before the shrine, their crisp notes mingling with the gentle sway of the shimenawa by the entrance. A faint sandalwood fragrance lingered in the air.
"Tap, tap, tap..."
The moonlight spilled over the shrine's stone steps like water. A tall figure led a child by the hand, their footsteps crisp as they slowly approached from afar. The stone lanterns lining the steps cast a faint glow, illuminating their shadows as they made their way toward the shrine beneath a flurry of falling cherry blossoms.
"Do you know what this means, Qing Xuan?"
"Of course I do."
"Once you've made your decision, there's no turning back."
"This is the path I'll take!"
"..."
"Could you stop clutching my clothes?"
"Damn it! Don't let go! This place is so creepy, it's terrifying! Why do we have to travel at night through the middle of nowhere? Couldn't they hold the meeting on clan grounds? Why pick such a remote place..."
"Shut up!"
Inside the shrine, the Uchiha had begun to gather in the meeting room.
They wore dark clan robes, their expressions solemn and grave. The distinctive red gleam of the Sharingan shone in every pair of eyes, silently proclaiming their identity and power.
The clan members spoke in low voices, their words tinged with restrained tension and anticipation. A murderous air filled the room, as if even the wind had stopped moving.
A boy hurried in and, without hesitation, quietly took a seat in a corner of the back row.
His black hair was slightly tousled, with a few loose strands falling across his forehead. The tips curled faintly, like crow feathers ruffled by the wind. A glint of metal showed through his hair—the Leaf symbol on his forehead protector flickering in the firelight. His features were handsome, his brows and eyes carrying the spirited air of youth, yet his expression held a composure beyond his years. His dark eyes were deep as night, and a sharp glimmer occasionally flashed in his pupils, as though he could see right through people.
It was Shisui Uchiha, who had hurried over to the gathering after finishing his talk with Itachi.
He concealed himself in the shadows of the corner, silently listening to the others' discussion.
"Lord Liuyun's son?"
A kunoichi sitting diagonally ahead suddenly exclaimed. She instinctively gripped the cord of her shuriken pouch, and its metal clasp jingled in the darkness.
The three clan members nearby all turned toward her, their Sharingan gleaming in the shadows. But she seemed not to notice at all, murmuring to herself in awe.
"Lord Liuyun actually has a descendant still alive? That's wonderful!"
"I heard he's six now, and exactly like Lord Liuyun was as a child..."
A clan member seated beside her spoke softly, his voice quivering with barely contained excitement.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort rang out.
"I heard they found that child on the border of the Land of Wind, along with an elite Sand shinobi."
A ninja with a thick beard deliberately raised his voice. He ran a finger over his left eye. "What do you think is in young master Qing Xuan's eyes—the Uchiha Sharingan, or a Sand shinobi's puppet curse mark?"
"The child was taken straight to the Hokage by Senju Nawaki as soon as he arrived in the village." Homura Uchiha's aged voice suddenly came from the front row.
He was one of the few elders left from the era of Madara Uchiha. Now, he was also the spokesman for the conservative faction. Ordinarily, he shouldn't have involved himself in disputes among the younger generation, but this time he spoke up.
"How many foreign spies have ever entered the Hokage Building and come out alive? And this one's a Uchiha, no less."
"Exactly." Another aged voice came from beside the ceremonial table on the far right.
"Liuyun's sword must not be allowed to gather dust." Setsuna Uchiha sat cross-legged, wiping Qinglu on the ceremonial table. Firelight flickered across his face in the blade's reflection. "That blade has drunk the blood of hundreds of Sand and Stone shinobi."
Water seeped through the cracks in the stone, each drop striking a soft, uneven beat. The radical elder, who had once confronted the Third Hokage, set down the silk cloth and picked up a kunai. He repeatedly scraped it against Qinglu's scabbard, the tapping startling the swallows nesting in the rafters.
The kunai's tip bore a crooked inscription: "In the year of so-and-so, in the month of so-and-so, I led the Uchiha in a glorious revolution!"
Shisui subtly adjusted his posture, letting the shadows conceal him more completely. He noticed a particular spot on the scabbard where the Leaf symbol should have been carved. The indentation had been deliberately ground away. The relic of a hero from the Third Shinobi World War had, in the end, not escaped being branded anew with the radical faction's mark.
"Hmph!"
Homura Uchiha had naturally understood what the old man meant. He snorted and said, "If that child survived the Sand's pursuit, then his talent must be no lesser than Liuyun's."
Candlelight broke into scattered stars against the chains at Setsuna Uchiha's waist. The steel links that had once bound the Third Hokage's summoning beast gave a faint, mocking rattle. "Talent? Madara could control a Chunin with his Sharingan at six. But this child's eyes..."
He carefully returned Qinglu to its scabbard, then held the sword in both hands and gently set it on the ceremonial table. The Three Tomoe slowly unfurled in his right eye. "Have they ever reflected the Uchiha fan?"
Damn it! I can't stand this guy, pretending to be cultured when he knows nothing! The Three Tomoe gleamed in Homura Uchiha's eyes as well.
"Whether he's awakened his eyes remains to be seen, but they say the child's strength has already reached Chunin level!"
He met Setsuna Uchiha's gaze without backing down. "And I've heard the Third Hokage intends to take him on as a student."
"The Hokage wants to take a Uchiha as his disciple?" Yashiro Uchiha, who hadn't spoken until now, exclaimed, his hands trembling slightly. "Since the Second Hokage established the Police Force, this is the first time in decades that a Uchiha has formed such a connection with the Hokage faction!"
At those words, the breathing of the dozens of clan members in the room suddenly grew heavy.
The chains at Setsuna Uchiha's waist hissed like a snake tasting the air. The old man snorted and barked, "What good will that do?"
As he spoke, his gaze suddenly shifted to the corner, the Three Tomoe in his eyes brimming with malice. "Shisui, tell me—which matters more, Uchiha blood or an opportunity granted by the Hokage?"
Cold sweat trickled down Shisui's back. He recognized this chakra fluctuation. Three months earlier, during a border patrol mission, Elder Setsuna had used the same pattern of ocular power to make two arguing clan members suddenly draw their blades on each other. Now, the same fluctuation appeared in the young ninja beside him, like chakra threads controlling a puppet.
Just then, the door to the secret chamber swung open. Outside air flowed in, stirring a faint breeze. Qinglu trembled in the breeze and rang out with a clear, piercing note.
"Sorry, I'm late."
Fugaku Uchiha strode in from outside, leading a six-year-old boy by the hand. His gaze was fierce and his face dark, and not one clan member dared meet his eyes as he looked around the room.
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