Uchiha Mirai's Scheme

Clan Head's Residence.

Inside an elegant room.

Wisps of incense slowly rose from the burner. Two cups of tea sat on the sandalwood table, steaming gently.

Uchiha Mirai reclined in a wooden chair, picked up one of the cups, and took a careful sip.

"Mm, good tea!"

Uchiha Mirai praised it without reservation, somewhat surprised by Uchiha Fugaku's skill at tea-making.

After all, during his three years in hiding, he had spent plenty of time drinking tea and amusing himself with birds.

It would be an understatement to say he had sampled a wide variety of teas.

At the very least, he had seen quite a dazzling selection.

Uchiha Fugaku's tea-making skills ranked among the best of them.

"As the clan head, when I have nothing to do, I can only pass the time by making tea. Over time, I naturally came to understand a little about the Way of Tea."

Faced with Uchiha Mirai's praise, Uchiha Fugaku chuckled and replied in a slightly modest tone.

If the other clansmen had seen this scene, they surely would not have believed their eyes.

Fugaku, who usually wore such a cold and aloof expression, actually had such a gentle and humble side.

Then, as though he had suddenly remembered something, Uchiha Fugaku's expression became slightly awkward.

He was no longer the clan head.

The current clan head was the young man sitting beside him.

"Making tea is good! It passes the time and tempers one's character. If every Uchiha clansman cultivated the habit of making tea like you, I wouldn't have to work myself so hard!"

Setting his teacup on the sandalwood table, Uchiha Mirai shook his head and sighed to Uchiha Fugaku in a tone almost like a superior lecturing a junior.

The awkwardness on Uchiha Fugaku's face deepened.

In terms of age, he was considerably older than Uchiha Mirai.

In terms of seniority, when he inherited the position of clan head, Uchiha Mirai had still been who knew where.

But thirty years east of the river, thirty years west.

Now, Uchiha Mirai was the clan head, and Fugaku had publicly relinquished the position to him.

Still, Uchiha Fugaku quickly adjusted his mindset.

Among the Uchiha, strength commanded respect.

There was no doubt that Uchiha Mirai was stronger than him.

Ever since Uchiha Mirai became clan head, the Uchiha Clan's situation had indeed improved. That was something Fugaku himself had failed to accomplish.

Besides, even his own son was running errands for Uchiha Mirai and no longer acknowledged him as his father.

What was there for him to be dissatisfied about?

More importantly, he had invited Uchiha Mirai over because he had an important matter to ask about.

"Mirai, have you made any plans for the clan's next move?"

Uchiha Fugaku considered his wording before looking seriously at Uchiha Mirai.

Under Mirai's forceful pressure, the Uchiha Guard Division's authority had increased considerably compared to before.

And because of the strike during this period, the villagers' view of the Uchiha Clan had actually improved significantly. That was something he truly had not expected.

It made him admire Uchiha Mirai's methods even more.

Perhaps, within his lifetime, the Uchiha Clan truly might be revived under Uchiha Mirai's leadership?

"The next move?"

Uchiha Mirai chuckled.

"Of course, we find the Uchiha Clan an ally."

"An ally?"

Uchiha Fugaku frowned slightly.

Hearing the word "ally" from Uchiha Mirai was beyond his expectations.

There was probably not a single villager in Konoha who did not know of the Uchiha Clan's reputation.

Some villagers even often used the Uchiha name to frighten disobedient children.

"If you don't eat properly, the Uchiha monster from the east end of the village will come and take you away to eat you!"

It was said to work remarkably well. No matter how naughty a child was, hearing the Uchiha name would scare them into obediently behaving.

"Mirai, are you sure you haven't made a mistake?" Uchiha Fugaku looked helpless. "With the Uchiha's reputation, can we really find something like an ally?"

Leaving aside outsiders, even getting the clansmen themselves on board would likely be extremely difficult.

Given Uchiha Fugaku's understanding of his own clansmen, once they truly formed an alliance, there would definitely be a whole crowd saying things like:

'What are you people supposed to be? What right do you have to form an alliance with the noble Uchiha?'

"'Hmph! Are you jealous of the Uchiha name? The mighty Uchiha need no allies!'—comments like that."

Just thinking about it made Fugaku's head ache terribly.

The Uchiha Clan's temperament simply wasn't suited to having something like allies!

"Hahaha, of course I know. But this ally isn't an ally in the ordinary sense."

Uchiha Mirai chuckled softly.

"Strictly speaking, it's an open scheme."

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."

Uchiha Fugaku looked at him seriously.

Uchiha Mirai gave a soft laugh. "The Hyuga Clan will be holding a birthday banquet for the eldest daughter of the main family in three days. I assume you know about it?"

"Of course I know. But they didn't invite us Uchiha."

Uchiha Fugaku frowned.

The Hyuga and Uchiha had never gotten along. More than half of Konoha's ninja clans had been invited to the main family's eldest daughter's birthday banquet, yet the Uchiha alone had been left out.

Still, that was only normal. The Hyuga naturally leaned toward the Hokage faction, and their clansmen often competed with the Uchiha for the title of Konoha's number one clan.

It was perfectly normal for Hyuga Hiashi not to invite the Uchiha.

"Could it be that the ally you mentioned, Mirai, is..."

Uchiha Fugaku suddenly seemed to recall something and stared at him in astonishment.

But the Hyuga and Uchiha were at odds. There was no possibility of an alliance at all, was there?

Wait, Mirai had just said it was an open scheme. What did that mean?

"You'll find out when the time comes."

Uchiha Mirai offered no explanation. He picked up the tea on the table and took another sip.

Fugaku's thoughts were as tangled as a ball of yarn a cat had played with. Countless guesses flew through his mind as he continuously tried to discern Uchiha Mirai's intentions.

With Uchiha Mirai's methods, he wouldn't do anything meaningless.

What exactly was he planning?

Seeing that Uchiha Mirai had no intention of explaining—

Uchiha Fugaku shook his head with a sigh, rose to his feet, and prepared to leave.

"In that case, I won't disturb you any longer."

He had only taken a few steps when Uchiha Mirai's lazy voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"One more thing."

His raised foot froze in midair. Uchiha Fugaku immediately turned around, his breathing catching slightly as he stared solemnly at Uchiha Mirai.

Mirai had suddenly called him back just as he was about to leave.

Could there be something extremely important?

Uchiha Mirai set the nearly empty teacup down on the rosewood table.

"Remember to add some goji berries next time you make tea. I've been feeling so much older lately... Sigh..."

"..."