The Great Elder Summons Him!

After playing with Kushina for a while, Li walked her home. It was already late at night, and his work was nearly done. He'd been busy all day. Even though he hadn't done much, he still felt tired. As he made his way home alone, the streets were utterly silent. Everything below the Military Police Force's headquarters fell under Uchiha jurisdiction, and outsiders wouldn't dare set foot there.

"Come out. Aren't you tired of following me around?"

Li furrowed his brow slightly and looked toward the wall beside him. Ever since he'd left the Military Police Force, he'd sensed someone tailing him. If he hadn't sensed any killing intent, he would've struck first.

Whoosh!

As soon as Li finished speaking, a masked ninja appeared before him and said coolly, "Mirai Uchiha, the Great Elder summons you. Come with me!"

Hearing the masked ninja, Li narrowed his eyes slightly. The Great Elder brought to mind the matter of Uchiha Lin earlier that day. If he wasn't mistaken, the Great Elder was probably hoping to recruit him. The thought gave Li an idea.

"Lead the way," Li said coolly, looking at the masked ninja.

Li's easy agreement caught the masked ninja slightly off guard. He'd expected to have to use some force, but he didn't dwell on it. He was only there to deliver a message. Having gotten Li's answer, the masked ninja turned and leaped onto the wall to the left. Li didn't hesitate and followed.

The Uchiha Clan's grounds were divided into two main areas. One, closer to the outskirts, was where lower-ranking clan members lived. The other, farther inside, was home to important members of the clan. Uchiha Hao, the clan leader, lived at the very center. Li had never met the so-called Great Elder. After running behind the masked ninja for a few minutes, they soon arrived at a courtyard. As soon as they stepped inside, Li saw an old man sitting leisurely by a small pond, sipping tea. He wore a loose black kimono, and before him stood a short black cedar table set with an elegant tea set.

"Great Elder, I've brought him," the masked ninja said, bowing slightly. Then he went to the Great Elder's side and whispered a few words to him.

"Mm, I know. You may leave," the Great Elder replied with a slight nod. Unhurriedly, he took a sip of tea and set his cup on the table.

At the Great Elder's command, the masked ninja vanished without a moment's hesitation, disappearing without a trace.

Li narrowed his eyes slightly. As the masked ninja left, Li hadn't been able to sense even a trace of his presence. That gave him pause. The man had probably let himself be detected earlier on purpose. Li had underestimated him, thinking he was nothing special.

"Heh, you must be Mirai Uchiha. Come sit," the Great Elder said with a chuckle, gesturing to a white cushion opposite him.

"Mm." Li didn't stand on ceremony. He went over and sat down across from the Great Elder.

The Great Elder's eyes lit up at Li's manner. Ordinarily, responding with nothing more than a simple "Mm" would have been terribly impolite. But to the Great Elder, it was only right. Following one's heart was the most basic principle a person should live by. Twisting one's behavior to conform to pointless formalities was, in his eyes, the worst thing one could do.

"You really do resemble Lord Madara," the Great Elder said, studying Li. His stern features carried a hint of Madara Uchiha's youthful appearance, as did his unruly black hair, swept slightly back.

Li had modeled his hairstyle after Madara Uchiha's. It was simple and easy to manage: each morning, he only had to sweep his hair back with his hand. It took hardly any time, and it was casual and carefree.

"Would you care for some tea?" The Great Elder casually looked away, took out another cup, filled it with tea, and slid it over to Li.

"Great Elder, it's getting late. Just get to the point," Li said coolly, waving a hand. He wasn't in the mood for tea. Besides, he'd never cared for it. He drank tea to quench his thirst. What was the point of pretending it was anything more?

Of course, Li was being so direct mainly because he found the Great Elder agreeable. When the Great Elder had asked him to sit, Li had deliberately given a brief response and then sat down without ceremony. He'd only done it to test the Great Elder's attitude. But the Great Elder hadn't gotten angry; he'd actually seemed pleased. That had given Li a better sense of his character—or, more accurately, a fairly good idea of which faction he belonged to.

"Heh." The Great Elder didn't take offense at Li's bluntness. Instead, it reminded him of Madara Uchiha in his younger days. This was exactly the attitude he wanted from Li: the mindset of someone who didn't take anyone else seriously. After a quiet laugh, the Great Elder's smile faded. He paused to consider his words, then asked, "Li, what do you think of the Uchiha and Konoha as things stand?"

Hearing the Great Elder's question, Li nodded slightly. Things were more or less as he'd thought. The Great Elder and his followers were probably dissatisfied with the Uchiha's subordinate position in Konoha. Back then, the Uchiha and the Senju had joined forces to establish Konoha. After deciphering the Uchiha Clan's Stone Tablet, Madara Uchiha's temperament had changed, and he'd wanted to lead the Uchiha into war once more. But most of the clan members no longer wanted to fight, so they rejected his proposal. Only a small faction supported him. Disheartened, Madara had angrily left them behind and walked away. That small faction he'd abandoned must have been the Great Elder and his followers.

"The Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan joined forces to establish Konoha with the hope of bringing peace to the world. But ever since the First died, the village has been suppressing our clan. The Uchiha and the Senju founded Konoha together. If the First was a Senju, then by the rules, the Second Hokage should have been one of us. But after Madara vanished, his fate unknown, following his battle with Hashirama Senju at the Valley of the End, the Senju Clan no longer had to fear him and began suppressing our clan. The Second Hokage was taken by the Senju yet again. And now, with our clan leader at the helm, our people are growing more and more accustomed to meekly accepting their lot. We've lost the dignity we once had as the Shinobi World's greatest clan. Even a little clan like the Hyuga dares to compare its Byakugan to our Sharingan, and even ordinary ninja dare to question the Uchiha in the name of Konoha's Hokage. It's intolerable!" As he spoke, Li slapped the table, splashing tea everywhere. The Great Elder was deeply stirred. He hadn't expected Li to have such insight at only six years old.