Uchiha

Early the next morning.

Hyuga Hiashi went to Root to visit Danzo.

"Lord Danzo, thank you very much for your help yesterday." Hyuga Hiashi bowed to Danzo in gratitude.

Danzo still wore the same expressionless face. "No need to thank me. After all, we made a deal."

Hyuga Hiashi requested, "Lord Danzo, could you give me some time regarding Hyuga Clan shinobi taking positions in Root? I need time to persuade them."

Danzo naturally knew Root's reputation outside. Although Root was slowly changing, such changes could not be accepted by others overnight.

Moreover, Danzo had not intended for Hyuga Hiashi to immediately have Hyuga shinobi join Root.

"Fine, but do not make me wait too long."

"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Danzo. Then I'll take my leave first."

After Hyuga Hiashi left, he hurried without pause to the Hokage Office to find Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hyuga Hiashi reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Lord Hokage, the Hyuga Clan's reforms have succeeded, and the impact has been minimal."

Hiruzen Sarutobi set down his pipe and said with a smile, "Very good, Hiashi. Lead the Hyuga Clan well in the future, and work hand in hand with us to build Konoha together."

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

The streets of Konoha.

Neji proudly puffed out his little chest and asked Uzumaki Menma and the others, "Have you noticed anything different about me?"

Uzumaki Menma and the others looked Neji over. "Doesn't seem like anything changed. What's up? You and Hinata looked so miserable yesterday, so why are you so happy today?"

Neji pointed at his bare forehead and said irritably, "The bandage! Didn't you see I'm not wearing a bandage on my forehead today?"

Uzumaki Menma curled his lip. "So what? None of us are wearing bandages either. What's so special about that?"

Neji's little face flushed red. "You... I..."

Last night, so that his friends could see his change, Neji had specially asked Hyuga Hiashi to help remove his Caged Bird Seal.

After all, the method of removing the Caged Bird Seal was held by only a handful of main family members.

And Hyuga Hiashi was one of them.

After the Caged Bird Seal was removed, Neji felt completely relaxed, as though his soul had been purified.

And when Hizashi Hyuga saw the Caged Bird Seal vanish from Neji's forehead, he had hugged Neji tightly and cried tears of excitement.

Neji had thought his friends would notice the change in him, but not a single one of them had.

Neji sulked by himself.

Hinata stepped forward to console him. "Brother Neji, everyone thinks it's a good thing that they never noticed the seal on your forehead. Because in everyone's hearts, you were never bound by the Caged Bird Seal."

Neji stared blankly at Hinata.

Up ahead, Uzumaki Menma and the others turned around and urged, "Neji, Hinata, what are you standing around for? Let's go!"

Neji broke into a brilliant smile.

"Coming!"

The group of eight walked through the streets of Konoha.

The people along the street had long grown used to seeing Uzumaki Menma and his group.

Uzumaki Menma suddenly spotted someone vaguely familiar at the dango shop ahead.

"Sasuke, look at that person. Is that your brother?"

Sasuke looked in the direction Uzumaki Menma was pointing, his face practically spelling out the word happiness.

"Brother!"

Sasuke rushed straight to Itachi, who was in the dango shop.

Besides Itachi, there was another black-haired, black-eyed boy sitting beside him, who looked several years older than Itachi.

Itachi's close friend, Uchiha Shisui.

When Itachi saw Sasuke, he smiled and asked, "Sasuke, why are you here?"

"I'm playing on the street with my friends." After answering, Sasuke politely greeted Shisui. "Brother Shisui."

Shisui rubbed Sasuke's head. "Hello, Sasuke."

At that moment.

Uzumaki Menma and the others followed Sasuke into the dango shop.

The moment Choji saw the dango, his stomach let out an uncooperative growl.

Shisui smiled and asked, "Are you all friends of Itachi's little brother?"

"Yes!"

"Since that's the case, it's our first meeting, so I'll treat you to dango."

Choji immediately perked up. "Can we eat as much as we want?"

Ino reproached him, "Choji, that's very rude!"

Shisui said generously, "It's fine. Eat as much as you can!"

Ten minutes passed.

Shisui's expression gradually began to stiffen.

Everyone else was fine.

But this kid Choji ate far too much.

Still, considering Choji's build, it was understandable that he could eat.

But what was going on with that child named Hinata?

She had eaten nearly twice as much as Choji.

His earlier boast of "eat as much as you want" was making Shisui's heart ache now.

Luckily, he had just received his mission reward, or this would have been embarrassing.

The dango shop owner was grinning so widely that his mouth nearly reached the back of his head.

A huge order had actually come in today.

However, the shop was running low on glutinous rice for making dango.

"Customers, we've run out of glutinous rice. I'll go get some right away, so please wait a moment."

"Wait!" Shisui hurriedly stopped him.

"I think you've all eaten about enough, right?"

Uzumaki Menma and the others all said they had eaten enough.

When Hinata also said, "I'm full," Shisui let out a sigh of relief.

But seeing Hinata's still-unsatisfied expression, why did it feel like she could keep eating no matter how much more was brought out?

After mooching a meal of dango off Shisui.

Shisui and Itachi had to go accept a mission, so they left first.

Uzumaki Menma and the others continued wandering through Konoha's streets.

Half a month later.

Inside Hiruzen Sarutobi's office.

Danzo sat across from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had called Danzo here today to discuss the Uchiha Clan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi advised, "Danzo, could you ease up a little on the surveillance of the Uchiha Clan? Watching them around the clock is pushing them too hard, and it may backfire."

Danzo frowned. "Have you forgotten the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Uprising? The only ones capable of controlling the Nine-Tails are the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan!"

"During the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Uprising, the Root agents you dispatched monitored every member of the Uchiha Clan. You should understand perfectly well that the Uchiha Clan had no opportunity to release the Nine-Tails then!"

"The Uchiha Clan are all evil people. There is no doubt about that! Therefore, we must guard against any accidents they may cause in the future!" Danzo said firmly.

"Then was Kagami evil too, Danzo?"

Danzo's eyes flickered as he recalled that man who had inherited the Will of Fire, the man who had repeatedly used his Sharingan to help him escape difficult situations during the war, a man whose presence had brought immense peace of mind.