Konoha's Band

Yamahuku cobbled together a band from the streets. It was a small band of only seven people, with no suona players—just gongs, drums, and two horns.

Qingcheng frowned and asked softly, "Does anyone here know how to play the suona? Can anyone perform funeral wailing or recite eulogies?"

The bandleader was Juchi Yunye, a greasy man in his thirties whose belly had already begun to swell with a slight beer gut.

Hearing Qingcheng's words, Yunye looked embarrassed and forced a smile. "Clan Head Uchiha, we usually handle weddings. This is our first time preparing something for the deceased."

Qingcheng sternly rebuked them, "Look at yourselves. You have absolutely no business sense. How many weddings does Konoha hold in a year? And how many ninja die?"

Then Qingcheng smiled. "Work for the Uchiha Clan from now on. I guarantee you'll earn money until your hands go limp."

Yunye smiled and said, "We are willing to follow Clan Head Qingcheng and join the Uchiha Clan."

Qingcheng said seriously, "Replace your horns with suonas. Also, prepare a eulogy for me. We're going to the Uchiha cemetery."

Yunye looked confused. "How are we supposed to write a eulogy? We don't know how. But as for funeral wailing, we can barely manage to cry."

Qingcheng smiled. "Just praise the deceased's achievements, then finish with 'may the departed rest in peace.'"

Yamahuku also arranged for some guards to fetch lilies from the Yamanaka Clan's flower shop.

Then the group marched grandly toward Konoha Cemetery.

Along the way, villagers who saw the imposing procession led by Uchiha Qingcheng began to talk. "Are they getting married? Why have they prepared such a huge display?"

Some villagers said, "They're heading toward the cemetery. They should be going to mourn the dead of the Uchiha Clan."

Some ninja laughed. "This Uchiha Clan Head is really too outrageous. He's making such a grand spectacle just to mourn the dead."

At Konoha Cemetery, a beautiful girl dressed in white wept before her father's gravestone. Tears covered her face as she said, "Father, were you really murdered? Can the Third Hokage still be trusted? I never want to see Sarutobi Asuma again."

Clang! Dong-dong clang! Clang!

Just then, Kurenai Yuhi turned her head and saw a massive procession approaching amid the beating of gongs and drums. At its head was Qingcheng, dressed in a Feather God Robe.

Qingcheng also saw Kurenai crying at the grave and thought to himself, She must have heard Shimura Ken's words. A seed of doubt has already been planted. Shimura Ken's dying testimony carries tremendous weight.

Qingcheng thought to himself, No one doubts the words of someone on the verge of death. That is common knowledge. Especially when Shimura Ken was willing to drag the Sarutobi Clan's ninja down with him even in death, making his words all the more convincing.

Qingcheng saw that many civilian ninja had already begun to doubt the Konoha higher-ups. They no longer trusted them as blindly as before.

The clan ninja were even shrewder. They had never trusted the Third Hokage much, and now they trusted him even less. Even though the Shimura Clan had produced a scapegoat, once the seed of doubt was planted, it would be difficult to erase.

Qingcheng said to Yunye, "Stop for now." The band members stopped beating their drums, while the men scattering paper money halted as well, clutching the paper offerings in their hands.

Yunye smiled and asked, "Clan Head, is there something wrong with our procedure?"

Qingcheng waved his hand and said seriously, "It's not your problem. Wait here for me."

With that, Qingcheng walked over to Kurenai Yuhi and greeted her with a smile. "Did you come to visit the grave yourself, Miss Kurenai?"

Kurenai Yuhi watched the dashing man walk straight up to greet her as though they were already familiar.

She was also rather stunned. From far away, she had seen this grave-visiting procession playing festive music and scattering white paper money. It looked neither like a wedding nor a funeral.

Then Kurenai Yuhi gave a polite reply. "Clan Head Qingcheng, is there something you need?"

Qingcheng smiled. "You came to mourn Senior Kurenai Yuhi empty-handed. Would you like some white lilies?"

Hearing that, Kurenai Yuhi smiled and replied, "I'll pass. I'll be leaving soon." As she spoke, she spread her hands, refusing him as tactfully as she could.

Seeing how firmly Kurenai Yuhi was refusing, Qingcheng thought to himself, She seems to have misunderstood. She thinks I'm here to sell something. I only came over to strike up a conversation.

Qingcheng smiled again. "Miss Kurenai, I'm not here to sell anything. I simply feel that, as his daughter, you shouldn't come to visit your father empty-handed. That would be unworthy of the care your parents showed in raising you."

Qingcheng's words gave Kurenai Yuhi a start. Looking embarrassed, she said, "I misunderstood just now. Thank you for reminding me. I truly shouldn't have come empty-handed."

Kurenai Yuhi turned to Qingcheng, gave him an awkward smile, and said, "Could you sell me a lily, Clan Head Qingcheng?"

Qingcheng handed her a lily directly and smiled. "You are the most filial girl I have ever met. If Senior Kurenai Yuhi knows in the afterlife, he will be deeply moved."

Qingcheng said warmly, "This flower is a gift. We're all neighbors from the same village, so using the word 'sell' is far too formal."

Kurenai Yuhi found Qingcheng's manner gentle and hospitable. He was nothing like the Uchiha Clan of rumor—so cold and arrogant.

Kurenai Yuhi said gratefully, "Thank you so much. I always thought the Uchiha Clan was difficult to deal with, but today I discovered that all Uchiha are warmhearted."

Hearing that, Qingcheng sneered inwardly. Isn't that all thanks to Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo? They constantly spread propaganda throughout Konoha that the Uchiha Clan controlled the Nine-Tails to launch a coup, that the Uchiha Clan wanted to rebel.

Qingcheng grumbled inwardly, Especially since the Uchiha Clan took over the mess that was the Police Force—the biggest scapegoat department in Konoha. On top of that, the Uchiha Clan is poor with words and full of people who are not good at speaking. After having so many labels pinned on them, they still put on arrogant faces and say, 'Our Uchiha Clan is simply that outstanding.'

Seeing Qingcheng's dark expression, Kurenai Yuhi suddenly remembered something and immediately apologized. "I'm sorry. I forgot that your entire clan suffered such a disaster. I accidentally brought up something painful."

Qingcheng merely waved his hand and smiled. "That happened long ago. The Uchiha Clan has not been wiped out yet. Sasuke and I are still alive. We will definitely rebuild in the future."

Kurenai Yuhi looked at Qingcheng's sunny smile and thought to herself, Qingcheng-kun is so strong inside. If my entire clan had been wiped out, I would definitely have broken down in despair.

Kurenai Yuhi smiled softly and said, "Qingcheng-kun, thank you for the lily. Next time, I'll treat you to barbecue."

Qingcheng smiled. "Miss Kurenai, since you're treating me to barbecue, I'll give you a luxurious memorial service."

Qingcheng looked at Yunye and said seriously, "Yunye, get started. Send Senior Kurenai Yuhi straight to heaven."

At those words, Kurenai Yuhi's pink eyes widened. She asked in bewilderment, "Qingcheng-kun, what do you mean by a memorial service? And what is this nonsense about sending him straight to heaven?"

Qingcheng smiled. "It means mourning for your deceased family member on your behalf, so they can rest easy below."

In an instant, more than a dozen band members followed Yunye to Kurenai Yuhi's gravestone. They began beating gongs and drums while the suonas blared long and loud. Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo!

Seeing this, Kurenai Yuhi looked even more embarrassed and said resentfully, "Isn't this music a little too festive? It sounds exactly like a wedding."