Love-Struck Uchiha

Back home, as soon as Qingguang returned, he saw Yashiro sitting by his doorstep, scratching his head repeatedly, blushing from time to time.

"Yashiro, why are you here? Is there something you need from me?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Yashiro immediately looked up. Seeing Qingguang, he seemed to have found hope and rushed forward, tightly grabbing Qingguang's hand.

"Qingguang, I... I have something I need your help with." Yashiro stammered, his heart filled with extreme nervousness.

But more than that, there was anticipation, his eyes filled with longing for the future.

Seeing Yashiro's state, Qingguang smiled knowingly, "Is it something related to Akiya-nee?"

"How did you know!?" Yashiro's body trembled, he could hardly believe it.

"For Yashiro-bro to show such a demeanor, I don't think anyone other than Akiya-nee could be the cause?" Qingguang teased with a smile.

Yashiro quickly waved his hands, but soon slumped dejectedly, "Sigh, Akiya and I were doing so well. Although we haven't known each other for long, we truly love each other. We were already planning to get married."

"But during the few days you were gone, Akiya told me her parents don't approve of this marriage, simply because I'm an Uchiha."

"Tell me, if I were to move in with her family and change my surname to Inuzuka, would her parents agree then?"

Hearing this, Qingguang was completely stunned.

O.o?

Bro? Do you even hear yourself? Besides Obito, how can there be another extreme love-brained person like you in the Uchiha clan?

"Ahem, Yashiro-bro, big brother, let's not talk about changing surnames for now. That's something that would happen after you marry into her family, ah, I mean, move in."

"But the key issue is, their parents won't even allow you two to marry. How can you change your surname then?"

Hearing Qingguang's words, the despair on Yashiro's face deepened. His eyes even unconsciously activated his Sharingan, tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked up at the evening sky at a 45-degree angle, as if mourning his dying love.

"If I can't be with Akiya in this life, then what's the point of living..."

This display of infatuation made Qingguang feel ashamed, fearing he might do something irrational later.

"Yashiro-bro, don't rush. I have a plan. Calm down first."

Yashiro suddenly turned around, his knees bending, and knelt before Qingguang, "Qingguang, your Yashiro-bro has never begged anyone in his life. This is the only time. My love depends on you."

Tears glistening, Qingguang felt a bitter ache in his heart. How did he get involved in something like this?

It took a considerable amount of time, until nightfall, for Qingguang to finally calm Yashiro down and send him home.

The next morning, Qingguang arrived at Uncle Shifang's house.

As expected, Mikoto had already left for training. Only Uncle Shifang was still in the courtyard, humming a jaunty tune with a hint of a soldier's swagger.

"Uncle Shifang, has Mikoto been taking the herbs I gave her recently?" After sitting down, Qingguang's primary concern was Mikoto's recent condition.

Shifang nodded, "Herbal medicine? That girl personally boils the herbs you gave her every night when she gets back?"

"I was wondering why she insisted on boiling it herself instead of letting the maids do it," Shifang said meaningfully.

Qingguang could only respond with an awkward laugh.

He then quickly got to the point, relaying the events of the previous night between Yashiro and Inuzuka Akiya to him.

"Akiya's parents, if I remember correctly, her father is the current elder of the Inuzuka Clan responsible for training Ninja Dogs."

"Could it be because cats and dogs don't get along?"

Almost all Uchihas, if they become ninjas, sign a contract with the Ninja Cat Clan. This is already a family tradition, and Yashiro was no exception.

Qingguang shook his head, "The possibility is slim. I think it's more likely due to the village and clan relations that Akiya's father is wary."

Within Konohagakure, only the Hyuga Clan prohibits inter-clan marriage. All other bloodline or secret technique clans do not enforce this rule.

Although most people marry members with little to no blood relation to avoid suspicion, many still marry outside the clan.

"Because they're wary of the Uchiha?" Shifang mumbled, recalling his years.

He realized that the clan members he knew either married within the clan or married civilians.

There had never been a case of an Uchiha marrying into another ninja clan; this was the first for Yashiro.

However, since the Uchiha had never had restrictions in this regard, he hadn't thought much of it.

"Hmph, the mere Inuzuka Clan dares to object to an Uchiha?"

"Why doesn't Yashiro just find someone else? Why hang himself on one tree?"

At this moment, Shifang felt Yashiro was too spineless. He himself had married for love after an arranged marriage, but sadly, Mikoto's mother died early, leaving him alone ever since.

"Then why haven't you found someone else, Uncle Shifang?"

"My heart only holds her, there's no room for anyone else." Looking up at the sky, Shifang seemed to still see the gentle face of his former lover.

"Uncle Shifang, you are also an Uchiha. If you expect Yashiro to find someone else, that's impossible," Qingguang sighed.

Only then did Shifang realize that most Uchihas were devoted lovers. He also sighed, "Then what can be done? If that Inuzuka Akiya wasn't a Konoha ninja, we could have just brought her here. But they're in the same village, what can we do?"

"It's just hard on that child Yashiro."

Seeing that he had successfully evoked Shifang's sympathy for Yashiro, the time was right. Qingguang seized the opportunity, "Uncle Shifang, I have a plan."

"But I'll need your help to pay a visit to the Clan Head."

"Oh? What's your plan?" Shifang was also intrigued at this moment; he didn't want such an excellent Uchiha as Yashiro to be disheartened from now on.

It was also to prevent similar tragedies from happening to the Uchiha in the future.

The two discussed for a long time in the courtyard until the afternoon.

Qingguang and Shifang visited the clan head, Fugane, together.

"Elder Shifang, Qingguang, why have you two come?" Seeing that it was these two, Fugane was overjoyed internally.

Ever since the tragedy of his close friend Kagami, Shifang had stopped participating in any of the clan's decisions. It was only with great difficulty that he had spoken up at the last clan meeting.

As soon as he got involved, he came up with the idea of having Qingguang take over that hot potato, proving he was an old fox not easily found.

As for Qingguang, Fugaku had been trying to win him over for months.

Although Qingguang had made the Police Department's situation vastly different from before, he himself had not yet shown any intention of joining his Neutral Faction.

What troubled his son Fugaku was that Qingguang's actions were genuinely for the good of the Uchiha, leaving him in great turmoil and unsure how to approach the matter.

Now, Elder Shifang and Qingguang visiting together, could it be that they both intended to join his Neutral Faction?