The Feast at Hong Gate? Executioners?

Danzo listened to his subordinate.

He was informed that Uchiha Genmei had returned to the village safely.

Holding the written intelligence provided by the Cloud Village over half a month ago, along with the notice Uchiha Setsuna had just given him, he waved his hand to dismiss his subordinate.

After a long while.

Bang!

He slammed his fist onto the desk.

With a ferocious, snarling roar, he shouted:

"How is this possible! It would be one thing if the Cloud Village failed, as the Feudal Lord's subsequent accountability would keep the Raikage from acting rashly."

"What kind of trash is Uchiha Setsuna?!"

"The route was clear, and the arrangements were perfectly laid out!"

"How could he still fail?!"

"That evil brat!"

"So what if he has a Mangekyo?!"

He took several deep, ragged breaths.

He forced himself to calm down.

His heart was filled with gloom.

Sharingan... Mangekyo...

Kagami...

I will endure for now, brat; we shall see.

Meanwhile.

In the Uchiha compound, at Setsuna's residence.

Uchiha Setsuna sat kneeling in the main hall, having finished listening to Uchiha Rai's report.

He took out Naka's report scroll.

He remained silent for a long time.

He spoke indifferently:

"That brat has some skill; consider him lucky that he wasn't cut down by Naka."

"The trouble now is that woman; she actually awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan."

At this, Setsuna paused.

He looked at the grey, lifeless eyeball in Uchiha Rai's left socket.

He said in a hoarse voice:

"To think you had to lose an eye just to escape, Rai; it is truly terrifying!"

Touching his own left eye, Uchiha Rai spoke with lingering fear:

"Indeed, that woman's ocular jutsu is far too overbearing."

"Those surging Yellow Springs Water—to touch it is to die!"

"Susanoo was completely useless; the areas it touched seemed to wither and die, piercing straight through my defenses."

Having said this, he picked up his tea and took a sip to soothe the fear in his heart.

Slowly setting the tea down, he continued:

"Fortunately, the moment I felt something was wrong when I touched that water of death, I immediately activated Izanagi."

"Otherwise, Lord Setsuna would not be seeing me tonight."

Thinking of his left eye, Uchiha Rai's expression turned gloomy.

Uchiha Naka, who had been listening from the side, suddenly spoke up.

He said with some frustration:

"Lord Setsuna, what do we do now? We have already suffered casualties, which is equivalent to tearing off the mask with the neutral faction."

"We were already at odds with Lord Kagami's faction, and now this."

"Will a civil war break out directly?"

Hearing this, Uchiha Setsuna set down the report in his hand.

With a calm expression, he said:

"Do not worry. That fellow Hi-no-Kaku is no longer the demon of the Warring States period he once was, not since Madara left and he took over as clan head."

Uchiha Setsuna paused there, his tone dripping with disdain as he continued:

"He has lost his backbone and only thinks of living a peaceful life. He will surely try to smooth things over at the clan meeting in five days."

"And now, it goes without saying, he is certainly busy trying to find ways to handle the compensation for the fallen subordinates."

Having said that, he raised his gaze, his words slipping out like the hiss of a viper:

"After the clan meeting, I will find an opportunity to meet with that brat, and then, Naka, you will directly activate your ocular jutsu to kill him."

Uchiha Rai, standing to the side, spoke up with some surprise:

"Do you not need me to provide backup, Lord Setsuna?"

Uchiha Setsuna stared into his eyes and shook his head:

"Rai, I will give you a new eye. Once you have it implanted, it will likely take some time to adapt before you can form a stable combat capability."

"By then, with Naka hiding nearby, that ocular jutsu of his, which is as fast as light, will be more than enough."

"Understood!"

The next day.

Morning.

At Uchiha Genmei's house.

The handsome young man, having finished washing up, walked over to the dining table.

He couldn't help but fall into deep thought as he watched the graceful figure busy in the kitchen.

How did things end up like this?

Chiri had woken me up first thing in the morning, naturally went to the kitchen to cook, and I had naturally nodded and gone to wash up.

"Ta-da!"

"Here is a breakfast bento to keep you full of energy after you finish eating!"

Uchiha Chiri brought the dishes over and set out the bowls and chopsticks.

She pressed her hands together, just about to say "I'm digging in," when Genmei's voice interrupted the ritual.

"Wait, Chiri, set out one more plate."

Lowering her clasped hands, the girl tilted her head, looking somewhat puzzled:

"Add a plate?"

Uchiha Genmei didn't mince words; he waved a hand toward the rafters.

"Matatabi, come down and eat."

Hearing this, the girl wondered, Matatabi? Who is that?

She looked up toward the rafters in confusion.

A small blue cat with black markings stretched its back and leaped down with agility.

The cat looked at Genmei, its face scrunching up, before it hopped onto the dining table.

The girl looked at the cat, then back at Uchiha Genmei, and said with a sigh:

"Geez..."

"Genmei, even though everyone in the clan likes cats, it is not okay to let a cat eat on the dining table."

"A cat this pretty shouldn't just eat human food; you have to use specialized cat food."

Uchiha Genmei heard the girl's complaint and smiled slightly.

He said with a smug look, "This is no ordinary cat."

"Not an ordinary cat?"

"She is the Two-Tails, right, Matatabi?"

Watching Uchiha Genmei tilt his head and look at the blue cat with that smug expression, the girl's eyes widened:

"The Two-Tails? She is the Two-Tails? Wait... she? Tailed beasts have genders?!"

Matatabi heard their words.

She let out a cold snort:

"Hmph!"

"Impudent brats."

Annoyed, she leaped in front of Genmei and stretched her neck to snatch the miso soup off the dining table.

With a slurp, she gulped down a large mouthful.

"Ah! What have you done, Matatabi!"

After a warm and joyful breakfast.

The young man and the young woman, inseparable, went to work at the Military Police Force together.

Five days later.

Because the atmosphere within the clan had become increasingly tense, today's clan meeting at Naka Shrine was uncharacteristically quiet.

Everyone seemed to be enduring something, and after listening to the wishy-washy nonsense from Uchiha Koh.

The meeting dispersed in an unremarkable fashion.

Uchiha Genmei strolled slowly into the village to an unremarkable barbecue restaurant.

He ordered some grilled meat.

He had just sat down in a private room.

Someone sat down beside him.

"Lord Genmei, tomorrow that old geezer Setsuna will likely invite you to his home to discuss clan affairs."

"He plans to have me launch a surprise attack at the banquet to kill you, My Lord."

Upon hearing Uchiha Naka's intelligence.

Uchiha Genmei scoffed inwardly.

A trap?

An ambush?

"If I didn't have your intel, I would never have gone to meet him."

"But hearing this, I'm going to go tomorrow after all."

"Make the arrangements; tomorrow, more than half of the men at the scene must be ours."

After a moment of thought, Uchiha Genmei beckoned him closer.

"Right, I have a task for you. Do it well—come closer."

After a brief whisper.

Uchiha Naka took his orders and left.

The next day.

At the hour of twilight, the setting sun was like blood.

Uchiha Genmei was on his way to Uchiha Setsuna's residence.

He turned into a small alleyway.

The figure of Uchiha Naka emerged.

"A Shadow Clone, very good. You didn't give yourself away."

"Is the item ready?"

Uchiha Naka's Shadow Clone took out a clay jar and handed it to Uchiha Genmei.

He hesitated, saying:

"My Lord, must we really do this?"

"Rest assured, I will handle the aftermath."

"Watch for my signal later."

Thinking of the god-like, demon-like abilities of the man before him.

He felt at ease and dispelled the Shadow Clone.

Uchiha Genmei took the clay jar and strode swaggeringly into Uchiha Setsuna's mansion.

Guided inside, he pushed open the door and entered.

He swept his gaze across the room.

He ignored the surrounding ninjas closing in on him.

He strode over to the sofa in front of Uchiha Setsuna.

He sat down with a heavy, imposing air.

With a calm expression, he said:

"Well then, old man."

"What did you want to say by calling me here?"