Natural Energy Stops

Genkawa Uchiha did not look at these people again, heading instead toward the direction of his home.

Only after he had departed did the murmurs begin to rise once more.

"Damn it, look at that guy's attitude!"

"Accursed brat, one day I'll make him pay!"

"Truly a disgrace to the Uchiha."

Genkawa Uchiha ignored these voices entirely.

Having heard them since childhood, they no longer stirred any emotional fluctuation in him; he only found them laughable.

To expect him to harbor affection for such Uchiha, honestly, was truly asking too much of him.

If not for Shimura Danzō tonight, he would have had no desire to involve himself in this mess, which was precisely why he had walked away so decisively earlier.

Genkawa Uchiha returned to his residence accompanied by a trail of strange looks.

"Thankfully, there are no major issues."

His home was a courtyard, neither too large nor too small, a standard Japanese-style residence with a touch of elegance.

The courtyard was small, flanked by black-lacquered stone walls on three sides, with a low fence to the north enclosing a few withered bamboo stalks.

A stone lantern leaned in the corner, its shade cracked in half and covered in fallen leaves.

The bluestone path had been worn smooth, leading straight from the gate to a low tea room; a notch remained on the doorframe, carved by him with a kunai when he was four.

There was a pond in the courtyard, barely ten paces wide, the water shallow with white stones scattered on the bottom like carelessly tossed chess pieces.

No flowers, no koi, no decorations.

A string of faded wind chimes hung under the eaves, long since silent.

Everything appeared aged, and had suffered some damage due to the Nine-Tails incident tonight.

Fortunately, it was nothing serious; a little tidying and repair would suffice.

This courtyard, not to mention in Konoha, was considered quite decent even within the Uchiha Clan, as most ordinary Uchiha clansmen lived in standard two-story wooden houses or simple bungalows.

Courtyards like this one existed in only a dozen or so locations throughout the entire Uchiha Clan compound.

In this regard, he benefited from the lineage of his father in this life.

To put it simply, he and Fugaku Uchiha were relatives—cousins within the five degrees of kinship; their great-grandfathers were brothers, making them fifth-generation collateral blood relatives.

Strictly speaking, he was supposed to address Fugaku Uchiha as a cousin.

A distant cousin, of course, belonging to the clan head's branch.

Genkawa Uchiha's father in this life was a ninja of considerable talent, a Jonin in his twenties who had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, belonging to the clan's elite.

That was why he had left Genkawa Uchiha this courtyard, along with a fair amount of inheritance.

It was also because of this that after Genkawa Uchiha became an orphan, he had enough money to support himself, thus not needing the charity of the Uchiha Clan or the village.

Returning to his room and setting down his bag to tidy up, Genkawa Uchiha began to prepare a late-night snack for himself.

Regardless of what had happened earlier, since he had started, he would see it through.

Long-standing habits were like this; Genkawa Uchiha quickly calmed his mind, focusing on the task at hand as if the battle with the Nine-Tails and the gouging of Shimura Danzō's eye had never occurred.

Outside, it was still somewhat noisy, but that, too, could not affect him.

About half an hour later, the late-night snack was ready.

Two small side dishes and a small flask of sake—this was his midnight meal.

The dishes were simple, one meat and one vegetable.

As for the sake, it was not something someone his age should be drinking, but since he was an orphan, there was no one to stop him.

Moreover, this was a habit from his previous life, one he had picked up again after turning twelve.

After all, being alone sometimes felt quite lonely, and a little alcohol helped him sleep more soundly.

Just as he poured himself a cup, he heard a knock at the door. Genkawa Uchiha frowned slightly, but still rose to open it.

Unsurprisingly, Fugaku Uchiha was standing at the entrance.

Compared to when he had seen him earlier, Fugaku Uchiha's brows were now tightly furrowed, his face full of solemnity; one wondered if he had been frustrated by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Something the matter?"

Genkawa Uchiha asked directly.

Fugaku Uchiha was already accustomed to this attitude and did not waste words.

"Yes, there is indeed something I need to discuss with you."

The street outside was empty, but Genkawa Uchiha still stepped aside.

The two entered the courtyard one after the other without speaking. Once Fugaku Uchiha was led into the room, he caught sight of the two side dishes and the sake on the low table.

"You are still young, you shouldn't be drinking, and the Three Prohibitions for ninjas..."

Fugaku Uchiha's words were cut off abruptly.

"Are you here just to tell me this?"

Genkawa Uchiha picked up an extra pair of chopsticks and a small sake cup, placing them in front of Fugaku Uchiha.

Although he acted indifferent toward many things, even regarding the Uchiha Clan, it did not mean he lacked manners; he still maintained basic social etiquette.

After all, Fugaku Uchiha was, by definition, a guest.

As for Fugaku Uchiha, he did not mind Genkawa Uchiha's attitude.

There was a bit of an age gap between the two, yet they were of the same generation and even distant relatives. Thus, ever since Genkawa Uchiha's talent had been revealed, Fugaku Uchiha had long harbored the intention to properly nurture him.

However, after years of interaction, Fugaku Uchiha already understood Genkawa Uchiha's temperament; any anger he might have felt had long since passed, and he knew there was little he could do about it.

The current state of their relationship was essentially just like this.

Fugaku Uchiha sat cross-legged, poured himself a cup of sake, downed it in one gulp, and then looked at Genkawa Uchiha.

"The Third has promised me that once tonight's events pass and the village stabilizes, he will punish Shimura Danzō."

Genkawa Uchiha glanced up at him, continuing to eat his food in silence.

"Furthermore, you came into contact with the Nine-Tails tonight. I need you to tell me, was the Nine-Tails... truly controlled by a Sharingan?"

Genkawa Uchiha set down his chopsticks, looked at the solemn-faced Fugaku Uchiha, and spoke in a flat tone: "The Nine-Tails was indeed controlled by a Sharingan genjutsu. I have confirmed this."

"Damn it!"

Fugaku Uchiha slammed his fist onto the low table, causing the items on it to tremble.

"Take it easy, you'll have to pay if you break it. This is made of Black Gold Branch."

Genkawa Uchiha wiped the spot where Fugaku Uchiha had struck with his hand, his face full of disdain.

Fugaku Uchiha took a deep breath, ignoring the remark, though his face already showed signs of anger.

"To be able to control the Nine-Tails, the ocular power of that Sharingan must be immense. To achieve such a feat..."

He left the rest unsaid, but he already had the answer in his heart.

Mangekyō Sharingan!

Genkawa Uchiha feigned ignorance. "So, who do you think it could be?"

Fugaku Uchiha fell silent.

"It couldn't possibly be Madara Uchiha; the man has been dead for how many years now?" Genkawa Uchiha chuckled.

Fugaku Uchiha's expression grew even uglier. He let out a long sigh, poured himself another cup of sake, drank it, and only then looked back at Genkawa Uchiha.

"Once this matter gets out, the Uchiha Clan's position will become extremely passive. Compared to the issue with Shimura Danzō, the fact that the Nine-Tails appeared tonight and was controlled by a Sharingan is far more serious."

He stared intently at Genkawa Uchiha.

"You should understand what this implies."

Genkawa Uchiha leisurely sipped a cup of clear sake before looking at Fugaku Uchiha.

"And so, what are you trying to say?"

"Genkawa, stop being so willful. Your talent should not be buried. If you become powerful, you could certainly bring greater leverage to the Uchiha Clan."

The corners of Genkawa Uchiha's mouth curled up: "And then fight the village to the death?"

Fugaku Uchiha's expression shifted slightly: "It hasn't reached that point yet."

"So, your meaning is that once I become powerful, I should become a weapon for the Uchiha to use against the village?"

Fugaku Uchiha fell silent.

"How boring."

Genkawa Uchiha curled his lip. "You are like this, and the Uchiha Clan is the same. Arrogant yet oblivious, wanting to change the status quo but fearing the consequences, hesitant and indecisive—it's laughable."

"Genkawa..."

"Stop right there!"

Genkawa Uchiha raised a hand: "Finish your drink and head back. No one decides what I do—not you, and not the village."

"As for whether the Nine-Tails incident will affect the clan, that is for you, the clan head, to consider. I am just an ordinary clansman; such matters are not for me to decide, nor do I have any interest in them."

The atmosphere suddenly turned silent.

Looking at Genkawa Uchiha, Fugaku Uchiha seemed to have much to say, but in the end, nothing came out.

Ultimately, Fugaku Uchiha left, carrying the scent of sake with him.

After all these years, he knew Genkawa Uchiha's personality well; even if he were to issue an order as the clan head, Genkawa Uchiha would simply ignore it.

Such things had happened before, and every time, it left him in an incredibly awkward position.

Therefore, even though Fugaku Uchiha had arrived with much to say, seeing Genkawa Uchiha's attitude, he knew that saying more would be useless.

"Heh, the Uchiha... truly speechless."

With a soft chuckle, Genkawa Uchiha cast Fugaku Uchiha out of his mind, finished his meal and sake, washed up, and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

At one point in his sleep, Genkawa Uchiha's brow twitched slightly, as if he had sensed some change within his body, but he did not wake up.

If someone could see natural energy, they would have discovered that at a certain moment in the dead of night, the natural energy that had always been surging into his body suddenly stopped.