Uchiha Band Forms!

A few more days passed.

Senya brought eleven clan members with outstanding looks and voices to an open area outside the clan compound.

Uchiha Izumi, at the front, stood behind Senya. The other five pairs of men and women stood in two columns on either side.

The five young women were all around fifteen to twenty years old, and the men opposite them were about the same age.

Izumi was the exception. Her voice was unique, and her singing and musical sense were clearly far stronger than the other five women's, so she'd been allowed to join the group at just thirteen.

Senya stood at the front and looked over the eleven people he'd selected. Each of the women had a different type: a little girl, a young woman, a gentle older sister, a mature beauty, a youthful beauty, and even a short-haired, handsome girl.

The men on the other side were just as varied, each with his own appeal: the boy-next-door type, the friendly big brother, the thoughtful little brother, the aloof, handsome guy, and a young man with long, lustrous hair. He looked somewhat delicate, but had a refined, scholarly air.

"You're the ones I picked from among the clan's young people who best fit my requirements. Your next task is to form a band. You'll need to get your dancing down. Uchiha Izumi and I will handle the singing, so all you'll need to do is provide backing vocals."

Just then, Uchiha Xiu, the man standing closest to Senya, spoke up.

"Vice Clan Head, is there any point in practicing this stuff? Isn't this the kind of work geishas do in the Land of Fire?"

Uchiha Xiu looked confused. He didn't understand why Senya had arranged all this. He knew Senya wouldn't have them do anything pointless, but the thought of dancing like a geisha still made him feel a little embarrassed.

After all, the Uchiha Clan cared far too much about appearances.

Senya heard him and couldn't help rubbing his forehead, feeling a little helpless.

It wasn't Uchiha Xiu's fault for asking. Senya had been so focused on finding people with good voices that he hadn't told them they'd have to dance. They were all ninjas, after all, and could master Taijutsu. He hadn't thought simple dancing would be difficult.

But they didn't know what kind of dance they'd be learning. When they heard the word "dancing," the only thing they could think of was geisha dances.

Senya took a sealing scroll from the pouch at his back, undid the seal, and set a small speaker on the ground nearby.

"Here's what I'll do. I'll show you a dance. This is the style you men will be learning. I'll demonstrate the women's style afterward."

He pressed the round button on the half-meter-tall black speaker beside him, and a driving beat began to play.

As the music built, Senya caught the opening notes and started singing. His body began to move with the rhythm.

(Note—Song title: Trap. Original singer: Henry Lau. The song is in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and English; you can find it on Bilibili.)

[Like a cat ↘ in a cage ↗]

[Like iron bars ↘↗ keeping me in, I can't escape ↘↘]

The young men and women watched Senya suddenly start moving for no apparent reason and thought it was a little strange at first.

But as his dancing and singing continued, some of the women began blushing and staring at him in a daze. His movements were clean, sharp, and powerful, and his voice was a delight to hear. Before they knew it, they were completely absorbed.

Among the men, Uchiha Xiu had the most extreme reaction. He'd already activated his Sharingan and was copying Senya's movements in sync. His copied dance wasn't much worse, but his singing was nowhere near as good.

"Uchiha Xiu! Dance all you want, but shut your mouth!"

Across from Uchiha Xiu, Uchiha Zhi snapped at him to be quiet.

Uchiha Zhi was an eighteen-year-old girl who looked rather petite, standing not even five feet three. Her long black hair was tied into twin tails.

Her cheeks looked adorably chubby, and even when she was angry, you could still see her delicate features and slender frame. The pair beneath her waist could only be described as "sausages."

"Got it, Sis Zhi."

Uchiha Xiu sensibly shut his mouth and continued learning the Vice Clan Head's dance moves.

The other men beside Xiu quickly caught on and activated their Sharingan to learn in sync, too.

Seeing them all start copying his moves, Senya had a sudden idea.

"You five, line up behind me and dance along."

Uchiha Xiu and the others beamed and moved into position, ready to dance.

At first, they hadn't thought Senya's dancing was anything special. But the longer they watched, the more they thought his moves looked cool. Come on, they were Uchiha. How could they not learn something this stylish and impressive?

As Lord Senya put it, "If you've got swagger and don't show it off, are you even an Uchiha?"

They immediately forgot their earlier doubts. They didn't care about anything else. Senya had given the order, so all they had to do was follow along.

Nearly four minutes later, Senya struck his final pose, and the men behind him did the same. The music gradually faded until it stopped.

Only then did Senya turn around and ask Uchiha Xiu and the others, "So, you'll be learning this kind of dance. Still think it's like a geisha's?"

They all shook their heads like rattles, answering in unison, "No! Not at all!"

Uchiha Xiu was so excited that he couldn't wait to ask, "Vice Clan Head, when will we get to use this kind of dance?"

Senya stepped forward and tapped Xiu on the head.

"What's the hurry? You're not complaining anymore, are you? It'll be a while yet. At the very least, not until next time. You won't be the stars this time, and your singing isn't good enough to perform onstage."

Senya's cold water doused their enthusiasm, and the men came back to reality.

Suddenly, Senya felt something wrap around his right arm. It was soft.

"Vice Clan Head, what about us? Don't the girls get a dance?"

The moment Senya turned his head, Uchiha Zhi was clinging to his arm, swaying it back and forth as she acted cute.

Looking into Zhi's lively, sparkling eyes, Senya found it hard to refuse. After all, he really had said he'd demonstrate the girls' dance once he'd finished showing Xiu and the others.

"Exactly, Vice Clan Head! What about ours? We want one too!"

The women all chimed in, voicing their requests. Even Izumi joined them, her cheeks flushed.

Facing this group of beautiful girls, Senya felt for the first time that being surrounded by beauties could be a burden.

Senya quickly formed Hand Seals and transformed into Uchiha Zhi.

"Fine. Activate your Sharingan and follow my movements. Then stand behind me."

Uchiha Zhi took her time walking behind Senya.

"Senya, why did you turn into me? Couldn't you have turned into Sister Yurisa instead? She's taller and has a much better figure."

Uchiha Yurisa stepped forward and pinched Zhi's cheeks with both hands.

"Zhi-chan~ What are you saying~?"

"I-I didn't say anything. I was complimenting Sister Yurisa on how pretty she is."

Only then did Uchiha Yurisa release her hands. She walked over beside Uchiha Zhi, her long, shapely legs moving gracefully.

Senya shook his head, feeling a little helpless. He picked one of the songs he'd prepared earlier and pressed the button.