"You're here, Haori."
"Elder."
Inside a house in one of the Uchiha Clan's estates, Haori looked at the old man before him and bowed slightly, though he was somewhat displeased.
He had just returned to the village and said goodbye to Kakashi and the others. He hadn't even made it home before someone brought him straight here.
The reason was simple: Uchiha Setsuna, the Great Elder, wanted to see him.
The situation couldn't help but remind him of the time he'd met Uchiha Fugaku several days ago.
Only that time, he'd received a brand-new main quest.
"Sit down. There's no need to be so formal."
Uchiha Satsu was pouring tea from a teapot. Beside him, a birdcage hung from a tree.
A pretty little bird hopped around inside, making him look like an ordinary old man.
When he saw Haori enter, he nodded slightly, indicating that he should sit. Then he spoke.
"Haori, do you drink tea?"
"Thank you, Elder, but I'll pass."
Haori shook his head. He didn't know why the elder had summoned him.
Besides, he didn't like the man. He hadn't forgotten how the elder had forced him to help promote the Uchiha Clan.
"Young people might not be used to drinking tea yet, but believe me, once you reach a certain age, you'll enjoy it."
Uchiha Satsu shook his head slightly, then took a sip of tea before turning his gaze to Haori.
"You did very well this time. Your deeds are being talked about all over the village.
"'The Sharingan Hero'—what a wonderful title."
"Thank you, Elder."
Haori was a little surprised to hear that. He hadn't expected word of his deeds on the front lines to have spread through Konoha already.
But on second thought, it made sense. Konoha had been caught in the middle of a coordinated assault, and had suffered heavy losses.
Whoever had completed that mission would have been widely praised to boost morale.
Besides, once the shinobi from the front lines returned, word would get out sooner or later. Konoha might as well promote it openly.
Haori also thought he'd guessed why the elder had summoned him.
"Unfortunately, you're not the only 'Sharingan Hero.'"
Uchiha Satsu set down his teacup and looked quietly at Haori.
"One of them is dead, and the other isn't even a member of the Uchiha Clan."
Just as Haori had expected, once his deeds spread through Konoha, another matter would inevitably come up.
Kakashi and Obito.
Giving another person the bloodline limit of one's clan was more than foolish. What Obito had done was beyond words.
People had always coveted the Sharingan, but the difficulty of adapting to it and the Uchiha's strength had kept most from trying to take one.
But now there was a successful example in Kakashi. More people would likely want to become the next "Kakashi."
Shimura Danzō, for instance, might well have been inspired by Kakashi's success.
"Elder, I'm sorry."
Haori thought for a moment. Then, as he had when he'd traded veiled words with Namikaze Minato behind enemy lines, he slowly replied,
"But I'm only a Chunin. Jonin Minato was there at the time, too, and he said he would visit the Uchiha at a later date."
"Is that so?"
Uchiha Setsuna continued to regard Haori calmly. After a while, he nodded.
"Then what do you think Konoha's stance will be? What about Namikaze Minato's visit to the Uchiha—and what will the clan head's position be?"
"Elder, I'm only a Chunin."
Haori frowned and emphasized it again.
Konoha's position was already fairly clear. Otherwise, it wouldn't have promoted his story so eagerly.
By making the matter a certainty first and discussing it later, Konoha would avoid losing the argument in the court of public opinion, whatever the final outcome.
If the Sharingan stayed with Kakashi, Konoha could claim it was "honoring the wishes of the deceased," avoiding the impression that it was taking the secrets of a bloodline clan.
If Kakashi lost the Sharingan, then the Uchiha would be seen as "completely disregarding the dying wishes of a hero," while Konoha could say it had respected the clan's choice.
With the moral high ground and public opinion on its side, Konoha would win either way. The Uchiha would be the only ones to lose.
Haori would never wade into such a mess. If there was a problem, it was Uchiha Fugaku's to deal with.
After all, Uchiha Fugaku was a madman who believed "fortune comes from sucking up to the higher-ups." He'd sent Haori to the battlefield without knowing anything about the mission.
And if that was his idea of filial devotion, he couldn't blame Haori for triggering a new main quest.
For a while, the two fell silent. Only the bird continued to chirp.
"It seems you don't want to discuss this any further, Haori."
After a long pause, Uchiha Satsu shook his head, looking a little disappointed.
He picked up his teacup and took a small sip before speaking in a low voice.
"I heard you showed extraordinary intelligence behind enemy lines. But if you don't want to say more, so be it.
"As you said, you're only a Chunin."
With that, Uchiha Satsu paused. His gaze grew stern.
"But there's something I need to tell you. No matter what you think, you belong to the Uchiha.
"Your strength, your bloodline—even everything you have now—was given to you by the clan.
"I hope that from now on, you'll consider things from the clan's perspective and put its honor first.
"You're a smart person. I think you understand what I mean."
After saying this, Uchiha Satsu picked up his teacup again. Haori frowned slightly.
This old man seemed more perceptive than he'd thought.
But Haori soon gave a carefree smile. Even if the elder was perceptive, it seemed he'd read him wrong.
"I understand what you mean, Elder. I've always been proud to be an Uchiha."
Haori nodded slightly, showing that he agreed with the elder.
"Good. I told you that you're a smart person. I hope you really do understand."
Uchiha Satsu smiled and spoke earnestly.
"Perhaps the clan has treated you unfairly in the past, whether in your life before or with this mission.
"But as a member of the Uchiha, you need to remain hungry. Only then can you keep moving forward.
"Now you can have everything you want, because the Three-Tomoe Sharingan is what you gained from this mission.
"And you can gain even more. You'll have a place at the clan council, too.
"But I hope you'll always remember what I've said: everything you have was given to you by the clan.
"The clan's honor and interests must come before everything else!"
"I'll remember that."
Haori thought for a moment, then nodded.
So Uchiha Satsu had come to put him in his place and offer him a "carrot" at the same time.
But there was a deeper motive, too: to firmly stamp him as a "hawk," wasn't there?
"Go on. You've just returned and need to rest, our clan's hero."
Uchiha Satsu kept smiling as he spoke to Haori, though he put a little more emphasis on the final words.
"Elder, I'll take my leave."
Haori also rose with a smile, but his gaze swept over the birdcage hanging from the tree nearby.
The bird inside had full-grown wings, yet it was trapped in the cage, able to chirp happily but never fly free. Haori paused for a moment.
Then he quickly looked away. The smile remained on his face, but his gaze had turned colder.