Elder Setsuna: Where did you take the young clan leader?

The moon hung high on the branches, a gentle breeze rustling.

The cherry blossom tree swayed, its soft pink petals falling like rain.

Moonlight spilled onto the stone path. Though spring had arrived, the night air inexplicably carried a chill.

Perhaps it was yesterday's evening rain…

Hyuga clan compound, the main family's mansion.

Hyuga Hiashi stood in the courtyard, his Byakugan fixed on the cold moon in the sky, silent for a long time.

"Uncle Hiashi, my father once said that some people, though alive, are already dead. And some people, though dead, live on forever in the hearts of others…"

The words spoken by Ryuu Uchiha's son last night still echoed in his ears.

Hyuga Hiashi slowly closed his eyes. The leering face of that scoundrel became even clearer. He would never forget the man's insolent behavior when they first met.

Ryuu Uchiha! Is this your son? As ill-mannered as you!

After a torrent of curses in his mind, Hyuga Hiashi let out a sigh and slowly opened his eyes. His 360-degree vision swept over his brother, who stood behind him. The latter's expression, a mixture of wanting to die and sheer embarrassment, was impossible to hide.

A smile tugged at Hiashi's lips.

So Hizashi is dead?

Is social death also a kind of death?

What strange vocabulary…

Under the same moonlight.

Naka Shrine.

Silence descended like the night wind brushing past wind chimes, a continuous sound with no reply.

Assembly secret room.

Footsteps approached.

"Come, enter."

Fugaku stood before the door. This time, he didn't eavesdrop. Instead, he pushed Itachi's back as Itachi reached for the closed paper sliding door.

On the other side of the spotless paper door, it was utterly tranquil.

Even through the door, a heavy atmosphere lurked on the other side, making Itachi's skin tingle.

It was an unsettling atmosphere…

He didn't know what lay behind the door, but his keen senses told him it was incredibly oppressive.

"Itachi."

Itachi looked up. Fugaku urged him on.

He had no choice but to pull the door open.

It revealed a vast, spacious room, far larger than he could have imagined, already filled with people.

As no lamps were lit, everyone appeared as mere shadows.

Itachi finally understood the source of the oppressive feeling.

"We've been waiting for you for a long time, Clan Head!"

An aged voice, as if suppressing something, rang out from the crowd.

The other clan members remained silent, but their silence seemed to represent collective dissatisfaction, endorsing the elder's rude remark.

Fugaku's expression was calm. He simply gestured for Itachi to enter the room, then stepped over the threshold himself, closing the sliding door behind him.

In that instant, the darkness deepened.

A few figures, whose identities were unclear, stood up and simultaneously lit candles in the four corners of the room. Faint candlelight illuminated the interior.

Pairs of Sharingan, reflecting the light, filled the room.

At that moment, under the gaze of countless eyes, Itachi felt an unprecedented pressure.

"Did Qing Xuan endure this the first time he came here?"

Itachi thought softly to himself, his expression immediately growing solemn.

"Just sit there and listen."

Facing the clan members' scrutiny, Fugaku didn't even bother to activate his Sharingan.

He pointed to the very back row. People sat on the floor there, but only one spot was left empty.

Itachi walked through the crowd, passing the offering table. A clear ringing sound echoed – Elder Shana was tapping an old sword scabbard with a kunai.

Qing Xuan had told him this old man was a bit eccentric and that he shouldn't pay him any mind if he saw him.

So, Itachi walked straight past him, to the spot his father had indicated, and sat down quietly.

Seeing his son take his seat, Fugaku squeezed through the crowd to the very front and sat down opposite everyone.

"The regular meeting will now commence."

After Elder Homen, seated to Fugaku's right, announced this with a blank expression, he continued:

"Starting today, Lord Fugaku's son—Itachi—will also begin attending the regular meetings."

"My son is seven years old this year. Although he's already a Genin and qualified to attend meetings, he's still very young. I want him to understand the clan's current situation from a young age. This is my personal wish as a father, so I've brought him here. Please look after him."

Fugaku's words, spoken casually from the front, immediately drew gazes that swept over the direct descendant of the clan head, whose appearance resembled the Young Clan Head.

"Hmph!"

Elder Shana's voice, neither loud nor soft, echoed in the silent secret chamber.

Fugaku raised an eyebrow and looked at the old man, noticing he was still holding that broken sword sheath.

"What is it, Elder Shana? Do you have a problem with Itachi?"

Elder Shana respectfully placed the sword sheath back on the altar.

"Putting Itachi's abilities aside for now, we wouldn't refuse him entry to the gathering based on his looks alone."

Fugaku's eye twitched at this remark, making him want to stab the old man to death with a kunai on the spot.

But he couldn't.

"Then what do you want?"

Elder Shana turned his head, his Scarlet Eyes meeting Fugaku's without a hint of fear. "I just want to ask Clan Head Fugaku, where has Young Clan Head Qing Xuan gone!"

Elder Shana's voice carried a determined tone, the kind that demanded an answer no matter what.

He spoke word by word: "Why haven't we seen Qing Xuan since this morning?"

Under the watchful eyes of all the clan members, Fugaku felt a subtle pressure at this moment, yet his face remained calm and composed. "Qing Xuan? He's gone!"

"Gone?"

"Where to?"

"Who took Young Master Qing Xuan away!"

The entire secret chamber erupted into a clamor.

"Quiet!"

Elder Shana shouted. An unprecedented anger flashed across his face. He glared at Fugaku, then turned to look at Itachi.

He, who was always fond of schemes and tricks, felt enraged by his own suspicion.

"Why?"

He stood up, pointing a finger at his clan head, and angrily stated, "Can't the Uchiha Clan keep its hope!"

Fugaku looked up at the old man, seeing him genuinely angry for the first time.

Is he going to accuse me of being jealous of talent and driving away my excellent nephew because I fear he'll block Itachi's future path?

"He's just gone out to train with Tsunade for a while."

He frowned and explained, "After all, Konohagakure is too small compared to the entire ninja world. It's not bad for him to go out and see more of the world!"

Elder Shana sat down, as if the person who had just been on the verge of yelling at the clan head wasn't him.

The clan members retracted their Sharingan.

"Then, continuing from our last topic, the matter to be discussed is 'Submitting a petition to the Hokage regarding the isolation of our clan settlement.'"

As soon as Elder Homen finished speaking, all the participants immediately began to discuss.

Some believed they should adopt a hardline stance against Konohagakure; others thought they should calmly assess the situation and proceed cautiously; some were observing everyone's expressions, considering which side to support. Although their thoughts differed, everyone seemed actively engaged in the meeting.

It was as if nothing had happened just moments before.

Itachi looked at the scene with some bewilderment, then suddenly felt a gaze from behind him.

He immediately looked in the direction of the gaze.

It was Shisui.

Shisui also seemed unable to blend into the noisy atmosphere of the meeting, sitting quietly. Their eyes met in mid-air.

From his friend's smiling expression, Itachi seemed to sense his feelings.

Qing Xuan is gone?

This brother who suddenly appeared, came in a hurry, stayed for a moment, and then left in a hurry.

It was like a dream that appeared in his otherwise peaceful life. He woke up, and life had changed slightly, yet it felt as if nothing had happened.