Night Talk

The campfire lit up a small patch of ground. Qianyu, whose body had almost fully recovered, turned the spit in front of him. By then, they had reached the border of the Land of Rivers.

With no merchant caravan slowing them down on the way back, they would be back in Konoha by the day after tomorrow at the latest. So Qianyu once again put his impressive appetite to work.

To Uchiha Shisui's astonishment, he took a grill and seasonings out of a Sealing Scroll, then pulled a cleaned goat from another one.

Goat meat from the Land of Rivers was plump and juicy. After being slowly roasted, the outside was crisp while the inside remained tender and juicy. The evenly distributed fat was rich and fragrant, without being greasy.

Of the goat, Uchiha Yue claimed both front legs, while Qianyu took both hind legs. Iruka and the others got the rest.

Once everyone was full, Qianyu leisurely took out another goat and began roasting it. By the time it was ready, the food in his stomach had almost finished digesting.

As everyone went to rest, Qianyu hummed a little tune no one else recognized, cheerfully brushing oil over the meat. He felt uneasy going to bed with an empty stomach.

Just then, the faint sound of footsteps rang out. Uchiha Shisui came over and sat across from Qianyu, watching his practiced grilling technique.

Perhaps because of the history between the Uchiha and Senju Clans, Shisui felt an extra measure of curiosity about Qianyu. He wanted to know what Qianyu thought of the village's situation, but didn't know how to bring it up.

"Shisui, ever since I met you, you haven't really smiled once." Qianyu picked up a small knife and made a few slashes in the goat meat. The skin and flesh parted, and fat sizzled as it dripped down.

"Maybe the Anbu isn't right for someone like me. I'd be miserable if I had to keep this up every day." As he turned the spit, Qianyu joked.

"It's not so bad, actually." Perhaps Qianyu's relaxed tone had rubbed off on him, because Shisui sounded a little less subdued. "As long as you don't join one of the special divisions, it's no different from being an ordinary Ninja."

Qianyu just smiled. He couldn't discuss the Anbu in depth, or it would become another headache.

After a brief silence, Uchiha Shisui couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. "Qianyu, what do you think about the relationship between the clan and the village?"

As soon as he said it, Uchiha Shisui regretted it. He had only known Qianyu for two days, and he'd already let the conversation get too personal.

"They depend on each other." To Uchiha Shisui's surprise, Qianyu answered him. "Shisui, don't look at me like that. I'm the only Ninja of my generation from the Senju Clan who still carries the clan name."

Qianyu offered Uchiha Shisui a particularly succulent rib. "The village was originally formed by bringing different clans together, led by the Senju and Uchiha."

"In that sense, there would be no Konoha without the clans. But without Konoha, those clans would still be waging war against one another."

"However..." Qianyu's tone suddenly grew much more serious. "The clans may have earned credit for founding Konoha, but they absolutely must not place themselves above the village. Especially as the village gradually takes in more and more Ninja from civilian backgrounds, the clans' importance within it has already diminished considerably."

"Two of the Konoha Sannin aren't clan Ninja. That was the first time civilian Ninja in Konoha had surpassed clan Ninja, especially—"

Qianyu looked at Uchiha Shisui's attentive expression and continued slowly, "The Senju Clan disbanded and merged into Konoha. Their bloodline has helped produce a steady stream of talent among the village's civilian Ninja."

"At a time like this, if certain clans cling tightly to the power they hold and refuse to let go, they'll breed resentment. There are only so many positions, after all. The capable rise and the inept fall. What gives some people the right to hold on to those positions forever?"

By this point, Uchiha Shisui had completely discarded his previous assumptions. The boy, Senju Senba, was clearly like him—a person who placed the village above his clan.

With a hint of warmth in his voice, Uchiha Shisui asked, "So you also think the clan should make way for the village's development instead of standing still?"

"Like the Senju Clan behind you, for example?"

Qianyu's fingers paused as he cut the meat. So not only was the other guy bad at reading expressions, he only heard what he wanted to hear, too.

Had he completely missed the words "depend on each other"?

Qianyu popped a slice of meat into his mouth and quietly looked at him. "Shisui, do you think you could get the Uchiha Clan to disband?"

At Qianyu's question, Uchiha Shisui froze for a moment, then quickly shook his head. He couldn't even get them to stop complaining for a few minutes, let alone make them disband.

"Exactly. The idea is lovely, but reality is harsh." Qianyu shrugged and picked up a hind leg to gnaw on.

"But the Senju Clan was able to go that far for the village. Why...?" Uchiha Shisui couldn't understand, and asked what was on his mind. The Senju and Uchiha Clans had joined hands to establish Konoha. So why couldn't the Uchiha do the same?

"Because the Senju had a clan leader named Hashirama Senju. His decision became the clan's future." Qianyu stated the real reason the Senju had disappeared: nothing more than having the bigger fist.

After hearing Qianyu bluntly explain the key to the clan's dissolution, Uchiha Shisui silently lowered his head. There was no one like that in his clan.

Even keeping the current situation under control was difficult for their clan leader, Fugaku.

So power was still what they needed? With power, could he change his clanmates' minds? Could he use it to make the village and the clan coexist peacefully?

At the thought, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared in Uchiha Shisui's eyes. With his agitated emotions, it spun wildly, occasionally trembling, but in the end it returned to normal.

Sensing the abnormal Chakra fluctuations across from him, Qianyu knew Shisui had gone to an extreme. Uchiha Shisui clearly believed that dismantling the clan was the solution.

Qianyu shook his head. His belief that the Uchiha Clan was an unstable factor grew ever firmer. Their ideas were too extreme. Couldn't they find a middle ground? Didn't they know how to negotiate?

Still, Qianyu had witnessed what a genius was that day. A few words from him had actually made Uchiha Shisui's Three-Tomoe Sharingan react.

If Shisui awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan early, would that bring disaster upon the Uchiha Clan ahead of time?

While Qianyu's thoughts wandered, Uchiha Shisui's emotions settled down as well. He stood and bowed deeply to Qianyu.

"Thank you for clearing things up for me, Qianyu. Don't worry, I won't let a single word of our conversation get out. It's late, so I'll get some rest."

Watching him walk away, Qianyu's lips twitched. He didn't care if his words reached the Third Generation's ears.

His views—placing the village above the clan—would clearly earn Hiruzen Sarutobi's approval, so Qianyu hadn't given it a second thought.

He'd talked too much just now. He might as well have another bite. Qianyu's mouth watered as he gazed at the tempting roast goat.