Uchiha Clan Compound

Chiba felt the sensation of blood gradually filling his body. It was the final contribution of the dried-up corpse on the ground, and it had also replenished some of his chakra. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Incidentally, his blood reserves had now reached one-fifth of their capacity. In other words, a Kage Level fighter who was nearly there could replenish about one-tenth of his blood reserves.

"That was the Flying Raijin Technique. Was it cool?" Uchiha Chiba rarely got the urge to show off.

Minazuki Kokona gave a cool nod, then spoke as if humoring him. She even clapped her hands. "Cool. Ah, so cool. That's great. Ah..."

Chiba: "Don't love me if you're just going to hurt me.jpg"

"So, your clan welcomes you like this. What are you going to do?" Minazuki Kokona asked calmly. The little girl definitely wasn't as innocent as she looked. She thought about a lot of things, and considered them carefully.

"Then let's go see what the Uchiha Clan wants. I don't think this is anything unusual. After all, my parents died in the war, and I was a pawn abandoned on the battlefield... Now I've returned with military achievements. And although my reputation in Konoha doesn't match Orochimaru's or Hatake Sakumo's, plenty of people know who I am..." Uchiha Chiba paused. He formed Hand Seals and casually tossed out a fireball, burning the dried-up corpse to ash.

Then

he continued, "Either they need my strength, or... they don't want me getting too close to the people at the center of Konoha's political power. But how could they control me?"

Minazuki Kokona blinked and watched Uchiha Chiba's back as she followed him. A strange emotion flashed through her limpid eyes. No one knew what the little girl was plotting.

At the farthest edge of Konoha Village, in the area known as the village's gateway, lay the Uchiha Clan Compound.

It was an area shrouded by the passage of time and lush greenery, surrounded by tall, dense woods. Branches and leaves intertwined overhead, allowing sunlight to filter through only in scattered patches, as though a mysterious veil had been draped over the land.

"It's so big. Much bigger than the Yuki Clan Compound." Minazuki Kokona looked at the vast Uchiha Clan Compound stretching beyond sight before them, her feelings complicated. (In reality, this was because there were so many trees.)

"That's because the Uchiha Clan Compound isn't just the shrine. The central area is where the Uchiha live." Although this was Uchiha Chiba's first time here since crossing over, his experience watching anime and reading novels in his previous life made it easy enough to explain.

Then

two Uchiha Clan members approached Uchiha Chiba.

"Lord Chiba, we've been waiting for you for quite some time on the elders' orders," the two Uchiha Clan members said respectfully. The Uchiha Clan admired strength, and Uchiha Chiba had earned some renown during the Second Shinobi World War. They wouldn't look down on him just because he was young.

"Please."

Uchiha Chiba and Minazuki Kokona followed the two Uchiha Clan members into the compound.

Two enormous stone pillars stood at the entrance to the compound, carved with the ancient Uchiha Clan Crest and runes. The ravages of time had left them somewhat weathered, but they still radiated the majesty of the past.

Following a winding path deeper into the compound, they passed rows of traditional Japanese buildings. The wooden structures gave off a faint scent of sandalwood, while the black roof tiles gleamed coldly in the dim light.

In the courtyards, delicate stone lanterns stood in silence. Their flames had long since gone out, yet they seemed to speak of past glories. Murals on the walls depicted the history of the Uchiha Clan. Their battles, their honors, and their past of blood and tears were all captured in the brushstrokes.

At the northern end of the compound stood the Uchiha Shrine. Its massive doors were shut, and fresh offerings had been placed outside. Inside, memorial tablets honored generations of Uchiha Clan members. Flickering candlelight illuminated their names, as if their spirits still watched over the clan's legacy.

The residents' district lay at the very center of the compound. Apart from a few tall buildings in the middle, the rest were low, traditional wooden houses. They said the tallest building was the Konoha Police Force, where the Uchiha Clan leader currently worked.

Uchiha Chiba looked into the distance.

A flash of deep blue light caught his eye.

To the east of the compound lay a tranquil lake. Its waters were clear but cold, like the deep, stern gaze of the Uchiha Clan. Ripples occasionally spread across the surface, as if recalling the Uchiha shinobi who had once trained their techniques here. Blades and water intertwined, transforming into legends long since buried by time.

"Lord Chiba, we've shown you around most of the Uchiha Clan Compound. We hope it has eased your longing for your family while you were on the battlefield," one of the Uchiha Clan members said with a smile. Then he exchanged a few words with the person beside him, though Uchiha Chiba couldn't make out what they were saying.

Meanwhile, the two of them—

"A sense of belonging..." Minazuki Kokona looked at Uchiha Chiba with a very strange, ambiguous expression.

"..." Uchiha Chiba fell silent.

You've got to be kidding.

I was practically dying on the battlefield, and not one person cared about me.

My predecessor was sent to the battlefield by this very clan of so-called blood relatives. And they think I missed my family?

Are they crazy?

Then

while Chiba remained silent, one of the clan members approached him and said respectfully, "Lord Chiba, you're free to do as you please from here. After all, this is your home too. Just remember to go to the Uchiha Shrine in three days. The elders will be waiting for you there."

They watched the two Uchiha Clan members walk away.

The sun sank toward the horizon, its golden light seeming to turn crimson as it spilled across the land.

The two of them stood quietly where they were.

"Where are we going?" Minazuki Kokona tilted her head, her voice calm.

"How would I know..." There wasn't a single memory of living in the Uchiha Clan Compound in Uchiha Chiba's predecessor's mind. Was he supposed to walk all the way back to Konoha Village? That would take hours. Was this a joke?!

Suddenly,

a gentle voice sounded behind Chiba.

"Is... is that little Chiba?"

Uchiha Chiba turned around.

An old woman with white hair looked at Uchiha Chiba before her in disbelief.

"It's me, but... who are you?" Uchiha Chiba couldn't seem to remember her.

"Me? I was your family's only neighbor back then. I remember the year your parents hurriedly left the Uchiha Clan Compound with you... Sigh. Not long afterward, word came that they had both died in the war. After that, I went looking for you, but..." The old woman could only give a bitter smile.