When Sora Uchiha returned to the clan compound, it was already eight in the evening.
The compound was quiet and deserted, with only a handful of security team members patrolling the streets.
After a long day of work, Sora Uchiha was tired and wanted to go home and rest early. But halfway there, someone stopped him.
The man wore the standard Uchiha clan uniform. His hair stuck out in spikes, and his eyes were sharp as an eagle's. Sora knew him: Yashiro Uchiha, a hardliner within the Uchiha Clan.
"Sora, the clan leader wants to see you," Yashiro Uchiha said.
Sora Uchiha glanced up at the bright moon hanging in the sky and said with some resignation, "At this hour?"
"Yeah. Everyone in the clan knows you joined the Anbu." Yashiro Uchiha's eyes held a complicated look.
Two years earlier, Sora Uchiha had used the Summoning Technique to defeat all his peers in the clan. Fugaku Uchiha and the other leaders had begun to take notice of the boy, and even relations with Kagami Uchiha's branch had improved considerably.
Though the leaders were still disappointed that he hadn't awakened the Sharingan, they were nonetheless satisfied with his extraordinary strength.
So, on the very day Sora Uchiha joined the Anbu, they received the news.
Their feelings were complicated. Many among the Uchiha leadership were dissatisfied with the clan's current position, and calls for reform had begun to surface.
At this critical juncture, Sora Uchiha had joined the Anbu, an organization personally controlled by Hiruzen Sarutobi. They feared that Sora Uchiha would go from being the next "Fugaku Uchiha," as they had hoped, to the next "Kagami Uchiha."
Sora Uchiha was clever enough to grasp the implications at once. He nodded.
"Okay, I'll go now. Are you coming with me?"
Yashiro Uchiha shook his head. "You're all they need." With that, he disappeared into the night.
Sora Uchiha thought it over, bought a few small things, then headed to the clan leader's residence.
Fugaku Uchiha's residence.
Sora Uchiha's knock broke the stillness of the night. Before long, someone opened the door from inside: a graceful, middle-aged woman.
"Auntie, I'm here," Sora Uchiha greeted her respectfully.
Mikoto Uchiha nodded and apologized. "Sora, I'm sorry to ask you to come over so late. I'd originally planned to call you in the morning, but Fugaku wouldn't agree."
"It's no trouble, Auntie. I wasn't doing anything anyway."
Led by Mikoto Uchiha, Sora Uchiha entered the house. In the living room, a middle-aged man sat on a floor cushion. The warm light fell across his sallow face, lending him an imposing air.
"Where's Itachi? I don't see the little guy," Sora Uchiha asked, glancing around. Whenever he visited, the three-year-old Itachi was always full of energy.
"Itachi's asleep," Mikoto Uchiha explained. "He played until he was exhausted today."
"I see." Sora Uchiha sighed, pulled a handful of candy from his pocket, and set it on the table. "Then Itachi will have to wait until tomorrow to eat these."
"You always bring Itachi candy whenever you visit," Mikoto Uchiha scolded. "You'll spoil him and give him cavities."
Sora Uchiha shrugged. "If you want to get by in life, you need a little sweetness."
"Fine, fine. You're still a child yourself." Mikoto Uchiha muttered, "All right, you two talk. I won't disturb you."
With that, Mikoto Uchiha went into the bedroom.
After Mikoto Uchiha left, only Sora Uchiha and Fugaku Uchiha remained in the living room.
Honestly, looking at Fugaku Uchiha's stern, unsmiling face made Sora Uchiha nervous. For some reason, it felt just like being called in by a teacher.
"Clan leader," Sora Uchiha greeted him respectfully.
Fugaku Uchiha nodded slightly and pointed to the other side of the tea table. "Sit."
Sora Uchiha obediently sat cross-legged opposite Fugaku Uchiha. Fugaku Uchiha poured him a cup of tea, and its rich aroma wafted through the air.
Sora Uchiha thought, No wonder he's the clan leader. Besides being strong, he's far better at brewing tea than my cheap old man.
"Sora, how was your first day in the Anbu?" Fugaku Uchiha asked.
If Sora Uchiha had been an adult, Fugaku Uchiha would surely have gone through the usual motions, having a heart-to-heart before getting to the point. But Sora Uchiha was only twelve, so Fugaku Uchiha got straight to it.
"It was all right. Pretty tiring," Sora Uchiha replied honestly after thinking it over. "I killed a reconnaissance shinobi from an enemy country."
He'd only said the bare minimum. He was in the Anbu now, after all, and couldn't casually reveal the details of his mission.
Fortunately, Fugaku Uchiha had no intention of probing the matter further. He took a sip of tea, his eyes sharp as needles as he stared deeply at Sora Uchiha.
"Sora, you're the only one of your generation in the Uchiha Clan with such exceptional talent. Do you still remember what you carry on your shoulders?"
"I remember. I carry the revival of the Uchiha Clan on my shoulders. Don't worry, clan leader. I won't become like my grandfather. My heart will always be with the Uchiha." Sora Uchiha spoke calmly, displaying a maturity far beyond his years. That maturity was one of the things Fugaku Uchiha valued in him.
"Someday, the title of Hokage will belong to the Uchiha, too," he added.
"It's enough that you feel that way," Fugaku Uchiha said with a nod. "Your sudden entry into the Anbu has caused some panic in the clan. I called you here today to reassure them."
"I understand." Sora Uchiha nodded slightly. The clan's fears were obviously that he had pledged his loyalty to Hiruzen Sarutobi. After all, he was descended from Kagami Uchiha, and in the hardliners' eyes, Kagami Uchiha was a traitor to the Uchiha.
"By the way, Momosuke mentioned that you seem to have created a jutsu of your own?" Fugaku Uchiha watched Sora Uchiha with a faint smile.
Sora Uchiha thought that his cheap old man had clearly been unable to resist running over to the clan leader to brag. What a childish guy.
"Yes, I did create one. It's called Uchiha's Glory, a jutsu exclusive to the Uchiha. I'll write it down sometime. If you're interested, clan leader, you can learn it."
Ever since the system rewarded him with Uchiha's Glory, his understanding of the technique had reached the pinnacle.
In principle, anyone with the Mangekyō Sharingan could learn the technique.
In terms of jutsu rank, it should be at least an S-rank technique.
"Hmm? I can learn it?" Fugaku Uchiha was taken aback. He'd only asked casually, never expecting an answer like that.
"Yes. You'll see when the time comes." Sora Uchiha smiled mysteriously, offering no explanation. I'll give you a big surprise then.
Speaking of Uchiha's Glory, Sora Uchiha suddenly remembered something.
Strictly speaking, this jutsu required a Mangekyō Sharingan, Fire Release, and a sword. When he'd killed the Sunagakure shinobi, he'd used a tree branch in place of a sword, so the technique's power had been greatly diminished.
In other words, he was missing a weapon that suited him.
Thinking of this, he looked at Fugaku Uchiha sitting across from him and put on an ingratiating smile.
"Um, clan leader, could I choose a suitable weapon from the Uchiha Clan's treasury?"
"Hmm? What kind of weapon?"
"A sword. Preferably a Kusanagi Sword."
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