"Master Cangjie, who lives in the Uchiha Clan Compound, is a renowned maker of Ninja Tools. In his youth, he once crafted Ninja Tools for the Second Hokage. Now that he's getting on in years, he occasionally makes a few tools for the clan."
Since their mission rewards had been issued early, they agreed with their teacher, Genma, on where to have dinner that evening, then headed to the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Although Chiyu had taken Yue home once in the past six months, he had only gone as far as the gate. Now that he was inside, he finally understood just how much Uchiha Fugaku had been enduring.
As they walked along the damaged stone-paved streets, Chiyu saw the worry etched between the brows of the Uchiha around them. When they noticed he wasn't wearing a clan crest, wariness immediately appeared in their eyes.
These were ordinary members of the Uchiha Clan, and many weren't even Ninja. The fact that they looked at him with such suspicion gave him an idea of the treatment they faced whenever they left the compound.
They were all Konoha Villagers, yet they seemed like strangers from two different worlds. It all stemmed from the clan's mass relocation six months ago.
No matter how high-minded the Third Hokage's reasons sounded, the fact remained that the Uchiha Clan had been pushed to the most remote corner of the village, far from its center.
What if you didn't want to move? That was easy for Danzo to handle—he was well-practiced at it. Did you remember how the White Fang died?
Public opinion was a powerful thing. From the moment they stepped outside, they had to face a steady stream of gossip. Over time, even the best of people could grow depressed, until they eventually had no choice but to submit to the village's orders.
And Uchiha Fugaku's role in all this had been almost nonexistent. That was what Chiyu had learned from Grandma Momoka.
Grandma Momoka had given her assessment of the Uchiha Clan's current leader.
"Not enough to preserve what's there, and no power to break the deadlock!"
That was the only time Chiyu had heard her assess a clan leader. It hadn't been a flattering judgment.
Though Chiyu could feel the scrutiny of those around them, he remained calm. But Uchiha Yue regretted bringing him here. Perhaps she shouldn't have.
Overcome with guilt, she let her Sharingan show in full view of everyone. At thirteen, awakening the Sharingan was considered a fine talent.
A hand gently brushed her forehead, partially covering her eyes. Chiyu smiled at her.
"Come on, Yue. I'm curious to see how skilled the Ninja Tools master you mentioned is. And don't forget, we still have dinner plans with Iruka."
Sensing the meaning in Chiyu's eyes, Uchiha Yue took a soft breath and calmed herself. The reddish tint in her eyes faded, and she smiled and nodded. The two of them hurried toward the end of the street.
Watching Uchiha Yue and Chiyu walk away, the Uchiha behind them began to chatter. After all, the sisters' father wasn't a member of the Uchiha Clan, and they had lived outside the compound when they were young.
The sisters had always felt somewhat estranged from the Uchiha Clan Compound.
At the far end of the compound, a massive rack of weapons filled two-thirds of a dilapidated house. Ninja Tools were neatly arranged across it.
Chiyu picked up a Kunai and flicked it lightly with his finger. A long metallic ring sounded, confirming its exceptional quality.
As he surveyed the Ninja Tools around him, Uchiha Yue walked toward the room behind the counter. A moment later, her somewhat respectful voice came from inside. The person she was speaking to clearly had some standing.
"Yue, don't make a fuss. The clan's been using up a lot of Ninja Tools lately, and the ones those people in the village provide are all ordinary junk. For now, these can only go to the clan elders and elite Ninja."
A rough voice rang out, suggesting a blunt personality. Thinking of how the man had once made Ninja Tools for the Second Hokage, Chiyu admired how vigorous he still sounded at his age.
Just then, heavy footsteps sounded behind the counter. The door opened, and an elderly man with graying hair emerged, followed by Uchiha Yue, who was still smiling apologetically.
The old man impatiently waved his hand. "Yue, even if you give up the chance to upgrade your Rain Cutter, it still won't do. Not a single thing in here is for sale. I'm the Uchiha blacksmith now."
"Weren't you the one who helped the Second—uh, the Second Hokage, back in the day?"
Uchiha Cangjie realized for the first time that the Sharingan could develop farsightedness. Otherwise, why would the Second Hokage appear right before him?
It might sound a little sentimental, but whenever Chiyu took advantage of his resemblance to the Second Hokage to receive special treatment, he felt deeply grateful to Tobirama Senju.
But at that moment, Chiyu felt even more keenly the difference between the Third Hokage's and the Second Hokage's abilities as leaders.
When it came to wariness toward the Uchiha Clan, the Second Hokage had the Third Hokage beat by a mile. Yet apart from a few hardheads, the Uchiha didn't harbor much hatred toward the Second Hokage.
By contrast, the Third Hokage had joined forces with Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu. Together, the four of them had ultimately plotted the clan's destruction. It was a thoroughly lowbrow scheme.
The other Ninja Villages must have been delighted.
After Yue explained, Uchiha Cangjie still looked at Chiyu with suspicion. Chiyu knew his Ninja Tools were as good as secured.
As Chiyu picked out Ninja Tools, in the heart of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Fugaku sat in the clan leader's residence, lost in thought as he studied a photograph.
It showed Chiyu and Uchiha Yue entering the compound side by side. In these troubled times, every outsider who entered the Uchiha Clan Compound was recorded.
But someone had recognized Chiyu's face, so they hurriedly submitted all the information they could gather to Uchiha Fugaku.
"His face alone makes it obvious where he comes from. And he even teamed up with one of our clan members to complete a mission. Why wasn't I told about this sooner?"
Uchiha Fugaku suppressed his anger and opened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, coldly staring down at the person below him. Only when the man began to tremble uncontrollably did he finally deactivate his Sharingan.
"Find out everything about him as quickly as possible—his identity, his upbringing, all of it. Tell the clan's intelligence officers that we're not cut off from the outside world. I won't tolerate this happening again."
After Uchiha Fugaku sternly reprimanded his subordinate, he waved him away. The man withdrew in trepidation. The Sharingan's ranks were strict, and facing someone with even one more Tomoe brought immense pressure.
Once his anger had settled, Uchiha Fugaku looked at the photograph in his hand, a hint of wariness in his eyes. The Second Hokage had left that feeling of oppression in him.
When he was a boy, he'd followed his father to a clan meeting and seen Tobirama Senju. The man had walked into the Uchiha meeting alone and taken a seat, yet not a single person had dared to object.
Well, Uchiha Setsuna had objected. They'd conspired to revolt in the morning, and that afternoon, Tobirama Senju had knocked him unconscious. Not one person nearby had dared to utter a word of protest.
If he could help it, he truly didn't want to see a second Tobirama Senju rise to power.
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