Banquet

It's not the cloying sweetness, but a perfectly balanced, refreshing sweetness. The dumplings have a soft, chewy texture, and the sweetness of the sauce and the slight bitterness of the matcha blend beautifully on the tongue.

She blinked, didn't say anything, but took her second bite much faster than the first.

Yugito looked at her and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips, "Looks like some people like it too."

Uchiha Hikari pretended not to hear and continued to concentrate on eating the dumpling in his hand.

Uchiha Jun sat opposite her, holding a cup of hot tea, watching the scene before her with a smile in his eyes— Chino wolfed down her third skewer of dango, Yugito ate her matcha yokan elegantly but without hesitation, and Uchiha Hikari ate her dango with her head down, occasionally raising her eyes to glance at the crowd around her.

The afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the leaves onto the wooden tabletop, and a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers from the flower shop across the street.

In the distance came the cries of vendors and the laughter of children.

Such peaceful days were unprecedented for Uchiha Hikari.

As evening approached, the setting sun painted the sky over Konoha with a warm orange-red hue.

The shops along the commercial street gradually lit up, making the whole street look especially warm and inviting in the twilight.

The air was filled with the mingled aromas of families preparing dinner—the smoky scent of roasting meat, the rich flavor of soup, and the sweet fragrance of fresh vegetables.

Yugito and Chino had already returned to the residence that Uchiha Jun had arranged for them within the Uchiha Clan Grounds. Chino had spent the afternoon exploring and her energy was completely depleted, Yugito took her back to rest first.

So on the way home, only Uchiha Jun and Uchiha Hikari remained.

They walked side by side on the road back to the Uchiha Clan Grounds, the setting sun casting long shadows that overlapped on the ground.

Warm yellow lights shone from the houses lining both sides of the street, and from time to time, voices and laughter could be heard coming from inside—the sounds of families sitting together eating dinner.

Uchiha Hikari walked slowly, his gaze fixed on the windows with lights on.

"What are you thinking about?" Uchiha Jun noticed her gaze and asked softly.

Uchiha Hikari was silent for a few seconds before speaking, "... Is this how the people in these houses live every day?"

"What?"

"Work during the day, go home in the evening, eat and talk with family... and then continue the next day."

"That's true for most people," Uchiha Jun said.

Uchiha Hikari gazed at the brightly lit street scene ahead, his expression unreadable, neither envious nor anything else.

"... Light."

"Um?"

"From now on," Uchiha Jun said softly, "You can also have this kind of life, not just fighting all the time, not just carrying hatred all the time—you can also have... a place you can go back to."

Uchiha Hikari stopped in his tracks.

She turned around and looked at Uchiha Jun.

The afterglow of the setting sun flowed between them, and the calls of birds returning to their nests drifted from afar.

The lanterns on the street corner had just been lit, their faint Kakko swaying gently in the wind.

"... The 'place you mentioned where we can go back to'," Uchiha Hikari's voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something, "Where is it?"

Uchiha Jun looked at her.

Her eyes held expectation, unease, and a complex emotion he couldn't quite decipher.

Uchiha Jun took a step forward, reached out, and gently, very gently, grasped Uchiha Hikari's wrist—not with force, but with a gentle, inviting gesture.

"Home."

Uchiha Hikari was stunned.

She did not pull her hand away from his.

After a long while, she lowered her head, her bangs obscuring her expression, but Uchiha Jun could see that her shoulders were trembling slightly.

"...I never imagined," Uchiha Hikari's voice was a little hoarse, "That I could have a home."

"You can think about it now," Uchiha Jun said gently. "No rush, take your time."

Her fingers curled slightly in his palm, then slowly and tentatively grasped his fingers in return.

Very light, very careful.

Uchiha Jun gripped her hand tightly and said nothing more.

The two walked hand in hand towards the Uchiha Clan Grounds's territory in the twilight.

The following morning, at the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

When Uchiha Jun woke up, the sunlight outside the window had already shone into the room through the paper windowpane.

Uchiha Jun pushed open the window, and the morning air, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, rushed in. People were already active on the streets of the clan compound—clan members who had gotten up early for training, housewives who were preparing to go to the market to shop, and a few children chasing and playing in the alleys.

Uchiha Jun leaned against the window, watching this scene with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

The image of walking back to the clan's territory with Uchiha Hikari yesterday evening is still vivid in my mind.

Uchiha Jun shook his head, suppressing these emotions for the time being.

Just then, a Ninja Cat jumped down from the roof, perched on the windowsill, and carried a letter in its mouth.

"Hmm?" Uchiha Jun took the letter, opened it, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

The letter was written by Uchiha Fugaku, and was written in a respectful and earnest tone. It stated that Sasuke Uchiha's full moon celebration was at noon, and he earnestly requested Uchiha Jun to attend and preside over it.

"A full moon celebration..." Uchiha Jun stroked his chin.

He put the letter away and left the room.

In the courtyard, Yugito was sitting on the veranda, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, looking languid.

Chino was still asleep inside.

"Good morning," Yugito greeted casually.

"Good morning." Uchiha Jun sat down next to her. "What are the plans for today?"

"Nothing special," Yugito said, taking a sip of tea. "But judging from your expression just now, is something the matter?"

"Yes, Uchiha Fugaku is holding a one-month celebration for his son and asked me to host it. Let's go together," Uchiha Jun said casually.

This full moon celebration was certainly not as simple as just throwing a banquet for Sasuke Uchiha.

Since Uchiha Jun reorganized Konoha and transformed the entire Konoha into a Uchiha Clan "one-man show," various ninja clans, under pressure, have handed over some of their family's secret techniques and other resources.

However, under Uchiha Jun's leadership, they also made a fortune. Putting aside everything else, it was at least dozens of times better than during the reign of the Third, when even top-tier clans like the Ino-Shika-Cho needed nearly 80% of their members to perform missions just to support themselves.

During this period, the mortality rate of ninjas in all major ninja clans also dropped sharply.

After all, an A-Rank Mission used to require several Jonin to work together to ensure that no one would die.

However, due to practical factors, an A-Rank Mission often requires one or two Jonin to work together to ensure they don't starve to death.

The low bounty for the mission is one thing, but Konoha also takes a cut, so when several Jonin work together, the money they each receive after the mission is not much.

Since Orochimaru came to power, the Uchiha Jun's reputation from the Third Shinobi World War and various revenue-generating industries have benefited from this.

The percentage of revenue from 'ninja missions,' which used to be the main source of Konoha's fiscal income, has been continuously reduced, while mission rewards have been increasing thanks to the influence of celebrities.

In this way, even if several Jonin carry out A-Rank Mission together, each person will receive 10-20% more money after the mission than they would have earned if they had carried out the mission alone.

Moreover, the safety level is maximized, since there are now fellow village ninjas of equal strength who can be trusted by your side.

Therefore, this full moon celebration was more for the Uchiha Clan than for Sasuke.

What they wanted was for the various ninja clans to 'show their loyalty'.

From early morning, the entire Uchiha Clan Grounds came alive with activity.

Red ribbons and lanterns were hung at the entrance to the clan's territory, and the road leading to the Uchiha Fugaku residence was swept clean.

The women of the clan started working in the kitchen early in the morning, preparing all sorts of dishes for the feast—grilled fish, rice balls, miso soup, tempura, and various snacks and drinks specially ordered from Konoha's commercial district.