Digging Up the Fourth Hokage and His Wife's Graves

"Of course, my ma—ah~" Setsuna turned her head with a look that said, How dare you even ask? Her face was full of resentment.

Then she noticed the baby bottle in Sasuke's hand and abruptly stopped speaking.

"Your ma...?" Sasuke smiled as he swung the bottle in his hand, then raised it high and looked down at the ground.

Smack~! Gone.

"No~!" As if she'd just watched the bottle hit the ground, Setsuna cried out. Then, in a flash of inspiration, she put on a fawning expression. "You bastard, of course I'm your favorite little Setsuna!"

After saying that, she scampered over to Sasuke's feet and rubbed against his calf, trying to butter him up.

"Pfft~" Sasuke nearly burst out laughing.

Seeing this, Setsuna climbed right up Sasuke's body, step by step, until she reached his shoulder. She affectionately licked his cheek, then breathed into his ear and said in a coquettish voice, "Master~~ can I have it now?"

!!! Sasuke shuddered and shoved the bottle's nipple into her mouth. "Here, here! Just don't use that voice with me!"

"Mm-mm~?" Setsuna made a few muffled sounds with her mouth blocked.

Then she pulled the bottle away from her mouth. Looking at the bottle, filled to the brim with milk, she blinked and asked hesitantly, "It's all for me?"

"It's all yours, all yours!"

"Master, you're the best!"

Reassured, Setsuna happily narrowed her eyes and began sucking noisily on the nipple.

Lifting her off his shoulder, Sasuke set her on the ground. His gaze flickered. "I'm going to put something in here."

"Go ahead~" Setsuna replied casually.

Just then, a Spore Clone sent two coffins into Tailed Beast Space, and they appeared beside Sasuke and Setsuna...

C-coffins?

"Pfft~" Setsuna's eyes widened and she spat out her milk. Then she snapped, "You bastard! Why are you bringing two coffins in while I'm eating?!"

"Huh~? Didn't I tell you first?"

Watching Sasuke's innocent expression, Setsuna felt her teeth itch with irritation. Helpless, she could only snort. "Hmph~!"

Then she turned her head away and quickly gulped down the rest of her milk.

Once she'd finished the bottle, she contentedly patted her stomach.

Turning around, she saw that Sasuke had already lifted the lids off the two coffins. Curious, she climbed onto his shoulder to look inside, then froze. "Minato Namikaze?"

She turned to look at the other one. "Kushina Uzumaki?"

She blinked, puzzled. "Master, why are you digging up their graves?"

Sasuke reached out and touched the bodies, looking quite pleased. "Not bad. They've been dead for more than ten hours, and their bodies still haven't gone stiff..."

Still haven't gone stiff?

Looking at the pair, whose appearances had been tidied by the undertaker and who seemed to be peacefully asleep, Setsuna couldn't help imagining something. Her body shivered involuntarily, and she asked timidly, "Master, y-you... you're not planning to...?"

"What are you thinking..." Sasuke flicked her forehead with his index finger.

"Ow~"

"Time in Soul Space is entirely under my control. I just want to preserve these two bodies. They might come in handy someday."

"Oh~" Setsuna immediately understood.

He closed the coffin lids. Time stopped flowing inside the two coffins.

Then, controlling things with his mind, he made two large pits, placed the coffins inside, and buried them. He put up tombstones to tell them apart, and the job was done.

"Relocating the clan grounds?"

"How outrageous!"

A few days later, at Naka Shrine.

When they learned that the clan grounds were to be moved to the edge of the village, the clan members voiced their indignation.

"During the Nine-Tails Incident, the higher-ups didn't assign us to fight the Nine-Tails. They were obviously afraid our Uchiha Clan could use the Sharingan to control it."

"Not only that, but now some people are even saying our Uchiha Clan caused the Nine-Tails Incident!"

"Driving us out to the village outskirts is just a way to restrict our movements!"

"Come to think of it, ever since the Second Hokage, our clan has been confined to a corner of the village. It's basically like they've isolated us."

"This time they're pushing us even farther away. The village suspects us!"

"Clan Head!" One of the clan members turned to Fugaku Uchiha, who sat silently with his eyes closed. "We don't accept this relocation. We should strongly protest to the higher-ups!"

"Clan Head, say something!"

Fugaku Uchiha opened his eyes. "I understand your indignation, but the other clans have accepted the relocation order. The Uchiha Clan can't insist on going our own way."

"But, Clan Head...!"

Fugaku raised a hand to stop them. "I'll negotiate the specific terms with the higher-ups, but we can only accept the relocation, and we must accept it. Go inform the others."

"That's all. Dismissed."

In the shadows.

Father was a little too weak in this life... Sasuke's Spore Clone sighed.

Construction of the new clan grounds was in full swing.

During that time, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi took power again.

A few months later, the Uchiha Clan moved to its new grounds.

Hazuki Uchiha, who hadn't lived on the clan grounds after marrying out of the clan, also moved back.

Of course, Uchiha Izumi came along with her mother...

April, Year 49 of Konoha.

Morning.

"Good morning, Clan Head, Mikoto. Taking Itachi to school?"

"Yes, Hazuki. You're taking Izumi to school too, right?"

"That's right. It's the first day at the Ninja Academy, and parents are expected to attend. It's the custom."

"Shall we go together?"

"Sure."

Today was the first day of classes at the Ninja Academy.

On the way, they ran into Hazuki Uchiha, who was taking Uchiha Izumi to school.

After the parents exchanged greetings, they headed to the Ninja Academy together.

"Good morning, Izumi-nee."

Sasuke, who was nearly nine months old, could already walk on his own and pronounce simple words fairly clearly.

Not only that, he also showed a keen eagerness to learn. He studied his characters diligently every day and could already write some simple ones. He'd become a famous prodigy in the Uchiha Clan—the kind of child other parents talked about.

"Mm. Good morning, Uncle, Auntie, Sasuke, and Itachi."

After greeting them, Uchiha Izumi stepped forward and took Sasuke's other little hand. She bent down slightly and said:

"Starting today, I'll be going to the Ninja Academy, so I won't be able to spend time with you every day. Be good at home, okay?"

"I know." Sasuke was thrilled to finally have some independence, though of course he couldn't show it. "I'll miss you."

He only says he'll miss Izumi. Who's even his family here...? Uchiha Itachi, holding Sasuke's other hand, puffed out his cheeks.

"Hehe~ good boy." Izumi's eyes curved into a smile. "I'll have a little time this evening. I can come see you."

"But now that I'm at the Ninja Academy, I'll have to train hard, so I can't play with you for too long."

"Mm." Sasuke nodded. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you keep training."

??? Make sure I keep training?... Izumi scrunched up her delicate nose and squeezed his little hand. "You little know-it-all."

Seeing this, Fugaku and Mikoto exchanged smiles, then turned to Hazuki. "Hazuki, we really have to thank your Izumi for looking after and teaching Sasuke all this time."

In their eyes, Sasuke's ability to speak and walk so early was thanks not only to his extraordinary talent and diligence, but also in large part to Uchiha Izumi.

After all, ever since the clan grounds were relocated, Izumi had spent much of her time taking care of and teaching Sasuke.

"It's mostly because young master Sasuke is clever." Looking at her daughter and Sasuke whispering together, Hazuki couldn't help smiling too.

She was very relieved that Izumi had been able to grow closer to the Clan Head's family through Sasuke.

Now that they were back with the clan, at least Izumi—whose bloodline wasn't entirely pure—wouldn't have to feel so awkward among the clan members or face quite so many cold stares...