Night fell.
Beneath the crescent moon, the evening breeze stirred. A butterfly fluttered past a streetlamp at the corner, and swaying tree shadows let the coolness of night seep through.
At the Uchiha Clan head's residence, Mikoto had already prepared dinner. Itachi sat quietly beside her, using chopsticks to pick up a dango and gently feed it to Sasuke. Sasuke spat it out, then flailed both little hands and kicked up a fuss.
"Creak—"
The study door slowly slid open, and a group of Uchiha filed out, holding their heads and looking utterly miserable.
Several elderly men, seemingly battered by a storm, supported one another as they followed.
Damn it! That brat from Liu Yun's family was far too talkative. From afternoon until now, they'd sat there hungry, listening to him spout nonsense.
He'd churned out one argument after another, but hardly any of them were actually useful. The whole thing had been either classical prose or convoluted talk that made their heads ache...
One moment he was going on about "the best strategy is to thwart the enemy's plans," the next he was waxing lyrical about "outsmarting the enemy." He'd started by reminiscing about the Uchiha ancestors' glorious achievements, then ended up shouting that it was time to make the Uchiha great again!
He'd gone on and on, leaping between ideas so quickly that even the Body Flicker Technique couldn't keep up!
There was no denying the kid had a real gift for writing and knew how to express himself. His language was polished and fluid, his wording concise without being cumbersome, and his style elegant without being pretentious.
At the crucial moments, he always knew how to draw people in with contradictions and conflict. He kept building anticipation, making every Uchiha feel completely immersed, then stacked one climax on top of another until nobody could tear themselves away. That was how a little meeting had dragged on until now...
After the whole discussion, everyone realized with a start that, after all that heated debate, the decision they'd reached was simply this—to spend the entire clan's resources throwing a lavish birthday party for the clan head's second son, Sasuke Uchiha!
No one objected. It was only a birthday party, after all, and the Uchiha had plenty of money. Besides, the proud Uchiha couldn't stand anyone saying they were inferior to the Hyuga! But what everyone really cared about was that Qing Xuan clearly had more to say than he was letting on. Even Elder Shana, who was usually so shrewd, had realized he must be plotting something behind the scenes. He just refused to come out and say it.
The clan's elites knew full well that this seemingly simple birthday plan was likely connected to the delegation from the Land of Lightning, which was due to arrive soon—and might even involve the Hyuga Clan. Everyone present was a seasoned schemer. Did he really think a few pretty words could fool them? They'd tried to probe for the truth indirectly.
But the kid refused to play by the rules. He'd buried his own agenda in a stream of nonsense and immediately started talking circles around them! The stalemate had dragged on until they simply couldn't take it anymore.
Enough! We're done listening. Just tell us what needs doing when the time comes.
Qing Xuan, you can take your time discussing it with the clan head! We're sitting this one out!
We're off!
Watching his clan members trudge away with their spirits crushed and their steps dragging, Fugaku rubbed his aching forehead.
He'd just been hit by Qing Xuan's indiscriminate wordplay too, and now his own mind was a tangled mess.
"Uncle, don't forget to take me along when you visit the Hyuga tomorrow."
The malicious smile on Qing Xuan's face made Fugaku shiver. His gaze drifted involuntarily to Sasuke, whom Itachi was feeding dango, and he let out a long sigh.
"Qing Xuan, about this..."
"Sasuke is my little brother."
Qing Xuan's little face was stern and serious. His tone even held a hint of challenge. "Do you think Sasuke isn't good enough for the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan?"
Fugaku's expression grew even more troubled. "Leaving Sasuke's own wishes aside, a marriage between the Uchiha and Hyuga faces plenty of obstacles. Many people will oppose it, and even the Hyuga main family won't agree!"
Qing Xuan shrugged. "You don't need to worry about that, Uncle. If the plan goes smoothly, I can guarantee nobody will object. As for Sasuke..."
He glanced at Sasuke, who was doing his best to refuse the dango. "Would he turn down a wife he gets for free? Especially when she's the eldest daughter of the Hyuga main family—she's more than good enough for him! Besides, he'll inherit the clan head's position one day. The Hyuga have no sons, so he'll have both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans. What reason would he have to say no?"
Fugaku paused and gave it some serious thought. If all of that was true, Sasuke would be getting an incredible deal! Why would he refuse?
Seeing Fugaku's expression gradually soften, Qing Xuan raised an eyebrow, thinking the matter was as good as settled. "And it's not like I'm asking you to do anything special. I'm only suggesting we throw Sasuke a birthday party. You're just taking me to visit the Hyuga tomorrow. That's easy enough, right?"
"All right..." Fugaku nodded. He was about to say more when a figure suddenly appeared before them.
Black clothes and arm guards, a short blade strapped to her back, half a white mask, and short chestnut hair—she looked like a ghost in the cold wind.
It was Ling, who had been following Tsunade all this time.
"Lord Qing Xuan!"
When she saw Qing Xuan, she parted her lips slightly. Her cool voice carried a trace of urgency, but she seemed to have trouble saying what was on her mind.
Fugaku gave a cold snort and went back inside. After talking all evening, he was hungry too, and he wanted nothing to do with Tsunade's affairs.
The night over Konoha spread like spilled ink. Lanterns at the street corners swayed gently in the evening breeze, scattering orange light across the stone-paved road. A wooden pushcart serving drinks creaked as it rolled along. Copper bells hung beneath its eaves, ringing clearly with each movement, like musical notes scattered by the night breeze.
Earthenware wine jars lined the elm counter, wisps of rice-scented steam drifting from their mouths. Iron kettles simmered over a few charcoal braziers. The rising steam made their lids bob gently, tapping out a steady rhythm in the quiet streets.
The canvas awning over the stall had grown heavy with night dew. Drops occasionally fell from its edge, leaving dark circles in the dirt around the low stools. Several worn wooden benches, polished smooth with use, surrounded a small brazier. Pacific saury grilled over the coals, oil bubbling on their skins and crackling softly in the fire. The skins gradually curled and turned golden, their charred fragrance mingling with coarse salt and drifting into the damp night air.
The intermittent sound of a shamisen came from the mouth of the alley. By now, the night was deep, and all the customers had already gone.
The paper lantern hanging from the cart's shaft spun in the night breeze. Its light flowed over the banner, making the words "Moon Drunk" flicker in and out of view. In the distance, the outline of the Hokage Rock blended into the darkness. Only when a patrolling ninja leaped across the rooftops did a kunai flash with a cold glint, quickly swallowed by the warm scent of wine.
Qing Xuan hurried over and paid the owner by lantern light. Then he looked at Tsunade, who was still sprawled across the wooden counter, dead drunk, and shook his head in exasperation.
"I thought Uncle gave her plenty of money this morning. How did she manage to rack up this much debt?"
Ling, who had followed him, scratched her head. Behind her mask, she looked terribly embarrassed. "Well... this morning, after we finished shopping, Lord Tsunade suddenly got upset, so..."
"She went gambling again?"
The girl before him said nothing, silently confirming it. Qing Xuan's face darkened.
"Liu Yun... Liu Yun, don't go! I miss you so much..."
The drunken woman's slurred words came through in sobs. Qing Xuan glared at her.
A gambling addict didn't deserve any sympathy!
"Haku, go to my room and get the erhu!"
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