A Family Is What Matters Most

Konoha's streets were filled with a peaceful, carefree atmosphere in the early morning.

Children heading to the Ninja Academy chased and played along the way. Their bright, lively laughter echoed through the streets and alleys, infecting passersby and shopkeepers alike. Smiles spread across everyone's faces—until two distinctive figures appeared and shattered the cheerful mood.

The conspicuous Uchiha Gunbai emblem on the back of their black robes was impossible to ignore. It seemed like the image of some demonic fiend, possessed of a strange power that could rob people of their smiles.

"We really aren't popular at all, are we?"

With his hands tucked into his sleeves, Sōken watched the wary glances of the passersby and the shopkeepers suddenly busied themselves. He shook his head and chatted with Shisui. "See, Shisui? Our clan's reputation is awful enough to rival that of a street-clearing tiger."

"If you know that, why insist on walking through the streets? Couldn't we go over the rooftops?"

Shisui sighed again and again.

It was partly because of the clan's abysmal reputation, and partly because of Lord Clan Head's awful sense of humor!

"What's the hurry?"

"Didn't you say we should go early and come back early?"

"I changed my mind. So what?"

Sōken stopped in the street. Beneath a utility pole stood a blond boy, head bowed as he scuffed the ground with his toe. Sōken waved at him. "Hey, Naruto!"

"Brother Sōken!!"

The blond boy looked up, saw Sōken, and ran over happily.

At this point, Naruto and the Uchiha really did share a similar predicament. Neither was welcome in the village.

The difference was that the Uchiha still had enough power to make people wary. Few dared spit at them openly. Naruto, on the other hand, was guaranteed to be met with hostility whenever he wandered the streets. The villagers made no secret of their dislike for him.

"What are you doing here? Hurry up and get to the Ninja Academy, or you'll be late and the teacher will make you stand as punishment." Sōken put a hand on the blond boy's head and ruffled his hair. It was already a tangled mess, though at least it was clean. He clearly washed it, but couldn't be bothered to comb it—or perhaps he didn't even know the concept of combing his hair.

"I'm waiting for Toka," Naruto replied loudly, full of energy.

"Waiting for Toka?"

"That's right. We agreed yesterday, when school ended, to meet here this morning."

"I see! Then take your time waiting. Toka likes to sleep in, so she'll probably be a while. If you get tired of waiting, head to the Ninja Academy on your own. There's no need for both of you to be late and get punished."

"It's fine. We promised to meet here, and I'm not afraid of having to stand as punishment!"

Naruto looked utterly fearless.

Sōken studied the boy for a moment. He really wasn't putting on a brave front. He genuinely wasn't afraid.

"You've got quite a lot of courage!"

"Hehe!"

Naruto scratched his head, embarrassed.

Compared with the cold stares and hatred he was used to, standing as punishment was a trivial consequence that posed no threat to him. In fact, since he had rarely been praised growing up, receiving a compliment now made him blush.

"Big brother!!!"

A familiar voice—one he'd heard enough to make his ears ache—rang out.

Sōken looked toward it, and sure enough, his precious little sister was charging at him like a cannonball.

"Toka, haven't I told you not to run around in the street?" Sōken grabbed his sister's head and manually brought the adorable little missile to a stop. "By the way, why are you up so early today? I thought you'd only just gotten out of bed."

"Grandfather woke me up!"

Toka smacked away the big hand resting on her head and used her slender, pale fingers to fix her messed-up bangs. Pouting, she huffed, "You're the one who's in the wrong, big brother! You promised to walk me to school this morning, but you didn't come home all night. You liar!"

"Sorry, sorry. Something urgent came up last night. How about I treat you to cake after school?"

"I want strawberry cake!!!"

"No problem. I'll get you strawberry cake—or just strawberries without the cake, if you want!"

After Sōken promised her all sorts of treats, a satisfied Toka sprinted off toward the Ninja Academy like the wind. Her little follower, Naruto, hurried after her at a jog, too preoccupied even to say goodbye to Sōken.

After watching his sister disappear around the corner, Sōken turned back. "All right, Shisui. Let's get moving."

With that, he leapt up and sped across the Rooftop Terraces.

Following close behind, Shisui tried several times to speak but held his tongue.

In the end, he couldn't keep it in any longer and asked, "Sōken, was all that dawdling earlier just so you could wait for Toka?"

"What else?"

Sōken shot back.

"Did you think I enjoyed going out of my way to be met with cold shoulders? I hate being treated like something filthy that people want to avoid, too. I'd promised Toka I would walk her to school, but, as you know, I was so busy last night that I couldn't go home at all. This was the only way to catch her for a quick word."

Hearing that, Shisui was at a loss for words.

"What? Shisui, do you think I care too much about personal matters?"

"No, not at all."

"Hmph! Whether you do or not, as far as I'm concerned, family matters most. Anyone who doesn't cherish their family is worse than an animal. When Toka was born, she was so tiny. I'd just returned from the battlefield, and I didn't even dare hold her. I was afraid I'd hurt her if I wasn't careful."

"I watched her grow up, little by little, and slowly learn to talk. Honestly... Shisui, I want even less than you do for the village and the clan to clash beyond reconciliation right now. I'm afraid an out-of-control battle will hurt Toka, Father, or Mother. I'm afraid that if Konoha is destroyed, Toka will have to wander from place to place with us. I'm afraid everything I'm doing will be for nothing..."

"But the more afraid I am, the more clearly I understand that this is no time to back down. Only if we're truly willing to fight for our lives, and show that we're ready to drag everyone down with us, while making those self-proclaimed fishermen understand that we desperate fish have the power to do just that, can we avoid reaching the point of mutual destruction!"

"So—"

"Shisui."

"Just don't hold me back!" The soft, airy voice drifted into Shisui's ears, light as a willow catkin.

Shisui shuddered.

He looked straight at Sōken's blood-red eyes. That serious expression made it clear he wasn't joking!

"I understand, Lord Clan Head!"

Shisui swallowed.

His heart rose involuntarily into his throat, and he silently prayed that nothing would go wrong with what came next.