Relocation Funds Canceled

As time passed, Yu felt the atmosphere within the clan grounds growing increasingly oppressive. He understood the reason: a month had already elapsed since the timeline for the relocation was finalized.

However, the relocation funds promised by the Konoha high-ups had yet to be issued. With the help of the ninjas' formidable labor, the new clan grounds were already more than half-built, and the deadline for the move was fast approaching.

Because the funds were delayed, many clansmen were deeply worried. The matter had been raised at several clan meetings, but whenever Fugaku went to ask the Hokage, he was always told to wait a little longer.

Over this past month, aside from his efforts to earn Malice Points and Gratitude Points, Yu's life had remained largely unchanged. If there was one exception, it was Itachi's attitude toward him.

Watching the silent Itachi following behind him, Yu couldn't help but feel that a rift had suddenly opened between the two brothers.

Yu had no idea how to bridge this gap. Whenever he tried to communicate with Itachi, the boy would either remain silent or simply offer a well-behaved nod.

Yet, this obedience felt different from before, as if Yu had lost one of his two personal "experience babies."

"Itachi! Are you dissatisfied with your brother lately?" Yu asked, feigning a casual tone.

"Ah! No, not at all! How could I be dissatisfied with Brother? You are so outstanding."

Yu turned around to look at Itachi, who wore a calm expression. "Is that really what you think, Itachi? But lately, I've felt as if I'm about to lose you as my brother!"

"Brother, stop joking! You are my brother, after all!" Itachi flashed a wide smile at Yu.

Yu stared straight at him. "Itachi, do you know? That smile of yours feels fake to me! If you were truly smiling, it would be a shy, genuine one; you would never face your brother with such forced composure."

Itachi flinched slightly under Yu's gaze. "Isn't this just how I smile?" he replied, feeling a bit guilty.

"That is exactly why I say it's fake—because that smile belongs to me, not to the real Itachi!"

Itachi was momentarily stunned by his brother's words; he suddenly wondered if his brother understood him a little too well.

"Itachi, I'll say it again: if you have any grievances, just say them. I won't blame you!" Yu gently tapped Itachi's stunned forehead.

Itachi looked at his brother, whose eyes were filled with tenderness, and felt a wave of complex emotions. He desperately wanted to voice his thoughts, but he knew his brother would have a hundred reasons to oppose him. In the end, no matter what, he could never win against his brother.

But were his own thoughts truly wrong? Was the arrogance of the Uchiha clan and their exclusion by the village really just the fault of the Hokage's faction?

He knew that Shisui had already entered the Anbu and had even been promoted by the Hokage into the Shadow Guard. Such trust clearly showed that the Hokage did not harbor the prejudices against the Uchiha that his brother claimed.

Everything was simply a result of the clansmen's own arrogance, which caused them to ignore the village's needs.

Watching the dazed Itachi, Yu sighed softly. He truly had no way to handle this silence. If Itachi were like before, arguing with him over everything, Yu could have prescribed a remedy; what he feared most was Itachi hiding his true thoughts.

Thinking this, Yu shook his head in disappointment. "It seems you no longer trust me as your brother, Itachi. I am very sad!" With that, Yu turned and began walking toward home.

Itachi stared blankly at his brother's retreating figure. Brother, I'm sorry. I cannot agree with your ideas, but you are still my brother.

Itachi whispered to himself before quickly catching up to Yu.

They hadn't walked far when they saw a large crowd of clansmen gathered around a village bulletin board, their bodies radiating a volatile energy, like gunpowder waiting to be ignited.

"How can they just cancel our relocation funds because the front lines are tense!"

"Even if the front lines are tense, why cancel it entirely instead of just delaying it? What kind of logic is that?"

"The high-ups never intended to compensate us. They've been lying to us all along!"

Watching the furious clansmen, Yu sneered internally. So, they've finally decided to show their hand, have they? Do they think they have the Uchiha clan cornered?

Yu didn't squeeze into the crowd; instead, he pulled the stunned Itachi and hurried toward home. However, they hadn't gone far when a commotion erupted behind them.

"Are you all gathering here to cause trouble?" A ninja wearing a Cat Mask suddenly appeared atop the bulletin board, shouting down at the angry clansmen.

"Hmph! Don't think that just because you're Anbu, you can shout at our Uchiha clan. Why did the village cancel our relocation funds?" A Uchiha Chunin angrily pushed out of the crowd to confront the Anbu ninja.

"Heh, this was a decision made by the Konoha high-ups. The reasons have been clearly stated above!" the Anbu ninja replied coldly.

"Bullshit! The war is tense, so you want us Uchiha to foot the bill? We haven't even been sent to the front lines, yet you expect us to bleed and suffer for nothing!"

"Hmph! Nonsense. The village is in a crisis, yet you don't think of the village's peace and dare to gather here to cause trouble. Do you want to be arrested for disturbing the peace?" The Anbu ninja glared at the Uchiha Chunin with cold, piercing eyes.

"Oh? Since when did disturbing the peace become the duty of the Anbu?" A cold voice drifted from behind the crowd.

The Uchiha clansmen surrounding the board stirred, quickly parting to clear a path.

"Young Clan Head!"

"Young Clan Head, this doesn't concern you, please go back!"

"Young Clan Head, you must stand up for us!"

The clansmen spoke over one another, sharing their grievances with Yu as he walked slowly toward them.

Because Yu had saved many Uchiha women and children during the Nine-Tails Rebellion, he already held high prestige among the common Uchiha. Combined with his display of power at the clan meeting and the subtle promotion by Uchiha Lieyang among the younger generation, he had earned the deep admiration of the clansmen.

Yu nodded to the eager clansmen and then looked up at the Anbu ninja on the board. "Are you planning to arrest my clansmen for disturbing the peace?" Yu asked coldly.

"Uchiha Yu, son of Captain Fugaku, I suggest you watch your attitude! Do not stir up trouble where there is none." The Cat-Masked ninja felt a surge of wariness toward the youth. He knew the results of the previous attempts by his colleagues to test this boy—none of them had returned.

"My attitude? My attitude is based on facts! Not only did the Konoha high-ups break their promise first, but now you are forcing false charges onto my clansmen. Do you think the Uchiha clan is easy to bully?"

Yu's stance undoubtedly harvested another wave of Gratitude Points from the clansmen; most of the Uchiha in the crowd looked at him with gratitude.

"Hmph, sharp-tongued brat. In times of crisis, you don't think about helping the village through its difficulties, but only about your own interests. This is exactly why your Uchiha clan is hated by everyone in the village."

"Brother! Let's go back! Please don't conflict with the village anymore!" Just as Yu was about to retort, Itachi tugged on his sleeve from behind.

Yu turned back and glanced at Itachi in silence. He really didn't want to say anything more about his foolish younger brother. The Konoha higher-ups were practically riding on their heads and defecating, yet he still wanted to avoid such conflict. Did he truly not realize whose seat he was sitting on?

Itachi felt a tremor in his heart under Yu's silent gaze; he pressed his lips together and clamped his mouth shut.

Yu turned his head back to look at the Anbu ninja once more.

"Hahaha! Sharp-tongued? I wonder who the truly sharp-tongued one is. It is clearly the negligence of the village higher-ups, yet you choose to blame it on my Uchiha clan. Was it us Uchiha who forced this relocation? If the village cannot provide the relocation funds as they promised, then my Uchiha clan simply won't move. We are living quite well where we are, anyway!" Yu said coldly.

The Anbu ninja fell into an instant silence.

"Hmph! That is not for your Uchiha clan to decide!" Suddenly, a cold, sinister voice drifted over.