"We should buy some vegetables and fruit. Shizuka and the others are still growing, so they can't live on flatbread and meat all the time."
"Sure."
"We should also buy some books, paper, and pens. Talking alone isn't enough; they need written materials to help them learn."
"There are still plenty in the clan compound. The Anbu didn't take everything."
"Then go retrieve some quietly. You run a bookstore yourself—how did you not think of that before?"
"It just didn't occur to me. What can I say?"
Uchiha Arashi and Uchiha Izumi walked down the street, talking in voices only the two of them could hear.
At the same time, they kept a close eye on their surroundings, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.
Along the way, they overheard plenty of people sharing their opinions about the Uchiha.
In the past, because of the Police Force, even when the villagers were full of complaints, they wouldn't dare voice them too loudly, afraid of angering that bunch of Red Eyes and provoking retaliation, even though the Uchiha would never have done such a thing. Now that the Uchiha were gone, everyone could finally speak freely.
"Good riddance! Those bastards deserved to die!"
"They were so arrogant all the time. So what if they had a good bloodline? If I had the Sharingan, I could do a better job than they did!"
"I heard they were planning a coup. Good thing they're all dead. Those people were far too dangerous."
"Imagine being wiped out by your own clan. Looks like they weren't even united among themselves."
"Whatever the case, good riddance!"
All over Konoha, from the main streets to the back alleys, people were saying nasty things about the Uchiha.
Uchiha Arashi was handling it well, but Uchiha Izumi was more deeply affected.
"Was the clan really so awful...?"
"Don't let other people's words get to you. Don't forget, the conflict between the clan and the village was fueled by the Konoha High Command. Maybe some clan members had bad tempers, but it wasn't all the Uchiha's fault."
Uchiha Arashi spoke in a low voice.
"I know... I just suddenly feel like the whole world hates the Uchiha..."
"If you really can't stand it, then go live somewhere that doesn't hate the Uchiha."
"Huh? You mean..."
"Leave Konoha and go somewhere else. There's bound to be a place that can take people like us in. Even within the Land of Fire, we can find somewhere to live."
"Sounds like you've already made up your mind."
Izumi's eyes lit up slightly.
"I have a few ideas," Uchiha Arashi said with a nod. "The Capital of Fire would be a good choice."
"The Capital of Fire... You mean the Daimyo?"
Izumi caught on quickly. After a moment's thought, she immediately figured out what he was getting at.
"Exactly. The Daimyo could become the Uchiha's patron. If you went there, he'd surely grant you his protection."
"How could that work? The Daimyo and the Kage are one and the same. If we sought the Daimyo's help, he'd only... Wait, why are you saying 'you'? What about you?"
Izumi suddenly stopped and turned to stare hard at Uchiha Arashi.
"Let me answer your first question. The Daimyo and the Kage aren't actually one and the same. Just think of it in terms of the relationship between the village and the Uchiha. The Daimyo is the highest authority in the country, yet he has a group of shinobi under him who don't obey his orders. If you were in his place, would you accept that?"
"I... I couldn't accept it. They'd be a source of instability. But I've never heard of the Daimyo and the Kage having a conflict..."
"Even if they did, they wouldn't show it. The Daimyo needs the Kage to provide military support. As long as Konoha doesn't go too far, the Daimyo can only keep enduring it—unless he finds a chance to strike a fatal blow and take the Kage's place."
"...I understand."
Izumi thought it over and decided his reasoning made sense. When you were weaker, you had to lie low. But if an opportunity arose, the Daimyo certainly wouldn't hesitate to bring the entire shinobi class under his control.
"Then what about what you said just now...?"
"I have to stay here. I need to keep an eye on Konoha and find a chance to take revenge."
Arashi answered succinctly.
"Then I won't leave either. I'll stay here with you."
Her resolve, shaken by the villagers' words, immediately solidified again when she remembered her hatred.
"What about Shizuka and the others? They're still young. They can't go on like this forever."
"They have to bear this burden. They're Uchiha too, with Uchiha blood running through their veins. Their parents and families were killed as well, so they have to avenge the people who did it!"
"I never expected you to be even harsher than me when you got serious."
"Hmph. That's not being harsh. It's called having unwavering resolve!"
"Fine, fine. Unwavering resolve. You're right. You said it."
"Besides, I don't think the days ahead will be too hard, will they? I've been watching your Shadow Space. It keeps expanding, and it's almost a world of its own inside. Other than having no sun or plants, it's not a difficult place to live... I'm really curious about how your ability works. You promised you'd tell me before, so don't lie."
Izumi's face was full of anticipation.
Ever since she awakened her Mangekyo, she had been able to see many things that had been invisible to her before.
She had been observing the Shadow Space all this time. The more she looked, the more wondrous it seemed. She had asked about it a few times before, but Uchiha Arashi had always brushed her off.
But the more he refused to tell her, the more curious she became. A few days ago, he'd managed to dodge her questions once again. Today, she had decided she wouldn't let Arashi brush her off, no matter what.
Uchiha Arashi smacked his lips, feeling that he really ought to tell her the truth.
"Actually, you could say it's a unique application of Space-Time Ninjutsu... Using natural energy as a framework and filling it with Yin Release Chakra, you can forge a whole new space within a shadow..."
It sounded simple, but in reality, he had created the Shadow Space by using the power of "recognition" to imitate the Shadow Realm of the Wandenreich.
In other words, he used chakra in place of spirit energy and made use of Yin Release's trait of creating form out of the formless.
But he couldn't make a new one right now.
Maybe he could after awakening the Mangekyo, but he hadn't even awakened the Sharingan yet. The Mangekyo was still a long way off.
If he really wanted to make one, he would have to borrow the power of "recognition," but accumulating it would take a long time. He had waited a full two years to create the space he had now. Unless he could gather the power of "recognition" faster, he would never waste that much time on it again.
His explanation immediately piqued Izumi's interest, and she wanted to try it right then and there.
Uchiha Arashi hurriedly reached out to stop her.
As if they needed to give everyone more reason to notice something strange about them.
"Let's buy the supplies first. We can talk about the rest when we get back."
He grabbed Izumi's hand and gestured with his eyes to remind her that they were on a busy street.
Izumi quickly caught on and stopped herself from doing anything rash.
She noticed that Arashi was holding her hand, and her face suddenly flushed a little.
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