The Uchiha Clan could discuss it for eight days straight, day and night, and still come to no conclusion. That was perfectly normal.
After all, the opposition held the upper hand within the clan.
Put simply, Tobirama had been in power for over a decade, and during that time he had made the Uchiha lose faith in him. They simply couldn't believe Senju Tobirama would let the Uchiha Clan reap so many benefits.
Even though Kagami Uchiha had assured them again and again—and had been overjoyed when he heard about Yuya's plan, promising that if the Uchiha handled it, they would do a beautiful job—it made no difference.
Kagami might be highly regarded by Senju Tobirama, but many in the Uchiha Clan considered him a coward and a traitor.
He had some influence, but only among the moderates.
That was right: the Uchiha no longer had a Konoha faction devoted wholeheartedly to the village.
They had only the hardliners, who believed Konoha should grant them more power,
and the moderates, who thought they shouldn't go to extremes and should sit down to negotiate, taking things one step at a time.
The hardliners didn't believe Senju Tobirama would be so kind. The moderates didn't believe him either, but they figured that if the project succeeded, they'd gain a great deal; if it failed, they'd only lose some materials—and could finally give up on the Hokage for good. That wasn't such a bad deal.
Only Kagami Uchiha believed Senju Tobirama and Yuya wouldn't swindle the Uchiha.
But most of the clan didn't believe him.
Kagami was deeply disappointed. All he could do was watch his clan argue heatedly, without making any real progress.
Kagami wanted to get out and clear his head. He took his wife and their daughter, who was not yet a year old, for a walk through Konoha. As he chatted and laughed with his wife, Masako, he felt himself relax.
Masako carried Kagami's daughter, Jingxin Uchiha, as they walked along the streets of Konoha. She said softly to Kagami, "I used to wish you'd spend more time with me. Now that you're back, you want to do something for the clan and are so busy you can barely catch your breath. People in the clan have been talking about you a lot lately. I know what kind of person you are, but those aunts and uncles don't. So I think you should put the clan's gossip aside for now and get some rest. Didn't Lord Hokage give you a month off?"
Masako Uchiha blushed and said quietly to Kagami, "I was also hoping you'd come browse Commercial Street with me..."
Kagami and Masako were already married with a child. But in the Uchiha Clan—or in most ninja clans, for that matter—it was perfectly normal to marry and have children before falling in love.
Carrying on the family line came first. Romance could wait until after marriage and children.
Kagami readily agreed.
He'd already had plenty on his mind lately, and a stroll to clear his head sounded perfect.
So Kagami and Masako left their clan grounds and headed for Commercial Street.
The street was bustling, the exact opposite of how deserted it was during the day. Kagami smiled. "There are so few people here in the daytime, but at night it gets so lively."
Masako smiled warmly. "Of course. Everyone has to work during the day. We Uchiha have to work, too."
Kagami nodded. After walking a few steps, he caught a savory aroma.
"That smell... grilled meat skewers?" Kagami looked over and spotted the child behind the little stall grilling them. He frowned in confusion. "Is that... Shoyaki? Didn't his family run a pancake shop?"
Masako lowered her head and chuckled.
Kagami laughed, too. "All right, don't tease me. You know I was away for a year, and I haven't been out since I got back. How could I know everything that's happened?"
Masako nodded. "Shoyaki's family did run a pancake shop before, but now everyone has money to spend. Pancakes used to be cheap and filling, but that doesn't cut it anymore. Pancakes only have two things going for them: they're cheap and filling. They're nowhere near as tasty as meat skewers.
"And when they renovated the district, every household got a meter of space in front of their home to put out things, store odds and ends, or set up a little stall. So Shoyaki's family started grilling meat skewers. They're really good, too. Want to try one?"
Kagami readily agreed.
When they walked over, young Shoyaki Uchiha swallowed hard and asked Kagami, "Big Brother Kagami! D-do you want a skewer?"
Kagami nodded. "Two, please."
Shoyaki nodded and quickly handed Kagami two grilled skewers.
"How much?"
"One hundred ryo for two."
Kagami took out two coins and handed them over. Shoyaki immediately turned toward the house and yelled, "Mom! I sold two skewers! Can I have one for myself?"
A scolding voice came from inside. "You want to eat again?! You've already eaten all the stock we bought! And you still want more? Quit stuffing your face!"
A middle-aged woman rushed out, slipper in hand. But the moment she saw Kagami, she put on a smile and hid the slipper behind her back. "Kagami! You're back? When did you get home?
"You little rascal, hurry up and grill a few more skewers for your big brother Kagami! Don't charge him!"
Kagami hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, that's all right. I only got back a couple of days ago. Aunt Ryoko, why don't you and Uncle live in the Uchiha Clan Compound? Why move out to the East District?"
Ryoko Uchiha waved her chubby hand. "Oh, don't get me started. I couldn't stand the atmosphere in the Uchiha Clan Compound. Everyone was so gloomy, day in and day out. Since I moved here, I've been eating well and sleeping soundly. Sure, it's a little tiring, but nobody comes to my house every day to complain about this or oppose that.
"Hey, I'm only telling you this, Kagami. Don't tell anyone else."
Kagami managed a strained nod, then asked, "How are things out here? Is there anything you need help with?"
Ryoko's chubby face lit up. "There is! Plenty! Could you talk to the Police Force and ask them to stop coming and going every other day? I know this street is the entrance to the clan grounds, but it's also part of Konoha's East District. The Police Force fly over the rooftops in one group, then another group comes back. We can't do business like this!"
Kagami fell silent.
Seeing his expression, Ryoko quickly added, "I'm not saying they can't come at all. Just, maybe they could come less often. It'd make it easier for us to do business."
Kagami composed himself and nodded, then promised, "I'll definitely bring it up with them."
Aunt Ryoko was delighted. She insisted on giving them several skewers, but Kagami instead bought two sesame flatbreads, one for himself and one for Masako.
Before leaving, Kagami asked Aunt Ryoko, "Are there many Uchiha like you who've moved out?"
Aunt Ryoko nodded with a laugh. "Lots. Of course there are. Pretty much everyone who can move out has done so.
"Those factories are hiring every day now! My husband spends five days a week living at the factory. They provide room and board, and he earns two thousand ryo a week. That's a lot! If the factory hired women, I'd have applied in a heartbeat."
Kagami asked in confusion, "But what does that have to do with you moving out, Aunt Ryoko?"
Aunt Ryoko waved her hand in disdain. "How could it not? Think about it, Kagami. I earned all this money through my own hard work. If I still lived in the Uchiha Clan Compound, how much of it would they take from me every month?"
Kagami froze. A bolt of lightning flashed through his mind, and at last he understood what was wrong...
That boy named Yuya, who was always with Senju Tobirama...
Maybe he wasn't openly targeting the Uchiha the way Senju Tobirama did, but...
That guy was digging up the Uchiha's roots!
Or rather... he was digging up the roots of every ninja clan in Konoha...
Before you continue