Chapter 6

Uchiha Senichi froze for a moment, then raised a hand to stroke his chin.

"The clan head's position? I'm not all that interested. There's too much to manage, too heavy a burden on your shoulders. You have to bear the rise and fall of the entire clan. My temperament isn't suited to that chair."

He paused before adding, "As for that kid Fugaku, he'll do well enough. He's just a little young, and sometimes too soft when handling matters. Other than that, there's nothing major to criticize."

To become deputy captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, he relied not only on strength that ranked among the Elite Jōnin, but also on a sharp mind.

He simply liked pretending to be muddleheaded and could not be bothered to wear all his cleverness on his face.

Of course, he understood the Third Elder's meaning perfectly well.

But he knew himself. He truly was not cut out for the job of calling the shots.

"Mm."

The Third Elder answered indifferently and did not pursue the matter further.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Uchiha Senichi rose to take his leave.

He then turned toward the First Elder's home and handed over two prescriptions as well.

"These two are a small token from Yan," he explained. "The Body-Tempering Medicinal Bath prescription is for Mikoto, while the Nourishing Medicinal Bath prescription is for you. This formula can nourish the body, eliminate old injuries and hidden ailments accumulated over the years, and even prolong one's life. Please accept it. The Third Elder has already taken his copy."

Because of Mikoto, his family had always been close to the First Elder.

Naturally, that also had much to do with Uchiha Senichi's high standing in the clan and his straightforward nature, free of convoluted schemes.

"That's thoughtful of him. Then I won't refuse."

After hearing him out, especially upon learning that the Nourishing Medicinal Bath could dispel old injuries, the First Elder beamed so widely that his wrinkles bunched together.

He accepted the prescriptions and examined them carefully before raising his head.

"That child Yan is quite impressive."

Changing the subject, the First Elder asked, "By the way, the clan head has brought Fugaku to see me several times recently. From the looks of it, he wants Fugaku to succeed him. He even seems to want to match Mikoto with Fugaku. What do you think?"

"Uh..." Uchiha Senichi paused, utterly baffled. "Is it appropriate to discuss something like that with me? It wouldn't be right to ask me to make the decision, either, would it?"

He was muttering to himself inwardly as well.

Why had the Third Elder asked him about this just now too? Why were they all coming to him with this kind of question?

He truly had no desire whatsoever for the clan head's seat!

"What's inappropriate about it?" The First Elder slowly took a sip of tea and said unhurriedly, "As the deputy captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, you hold real power. Your opinion carries weight when it comes to choosing the clan head."

"Besides, the clan head's position concerns the Uchiha Clan's future. Isn't it only natural to hear what you think?"

He set down his teacup and looked at Qianyi.

"Also, Mikoto has grown so close to Yan. Have you really not noticed at all? Ever since she met Yan, she has become increasingly resistant to the idea of marrying Fugaku. She is my only granddaughter. No matter what, I have to consider her feelings at least a little, don't I?"

Uchiha Senichi was stunned and took a long while to recover.

"What?"

He stared at the First Elder in disbelief. "You can't be serious, can you? My Yan is barely over a year old. Him and Mikoto?"

No matter how he thought about it, something about this was wrong.

Were children these days maturing this early?

Images of Mikoto spending time with his youngest son over the past half year suddenly flashed through his mind.

Along with the two times Yan had specifically told him to prepare medicinal bath ingredients for Mikoto as well.

No matter how he looked at it, there was something hard to put into words here.

The First Elder had no idea what he was thinking and merely smiled as he countered, "He can create such heaven-defying prescriptions at barely over a year old, on top of everything he has done since birth. Do you really think he is an ordinary one-year-old child?"

He was a monster through and through.

A monster with a future that no one could stop.

As long as he did not die young, this child would certainly reach heights no one had ever reached before—and bring the Uchiha Clan along with him.

The First Elder had even seen in Uchiha Yan a shadow that surpassed Uchiha Madara.

That was the true reason he was so hesitant about Mikoto and Fugaku's marriage.

Compared with **unremarkable Fugaku, he now wanted to place his bet on Uchiha Yan.

With Mikoto and Yan already having feelings for each other, this had enormous potential.

As for whether Yan could grow up safely, the First Elder had never worried about that.

With Uchiha Senichi, his biological father, standing in front of him, along with the Third Elder and himself, if they still could not protect one child, they might as well stop pretending to be anything at all.

"Uh... that's true. That brat really can't be treated like an ordinary child."

Uchiha Senichi smiled and scratched the back of his head.

Though he still felt that discussing Mikoto and Yan's marriage now was rather absurd.

After all, there was a full twelve-year age gap between them.

Still, it was better to let Yan make the decision himself.

He did not seem able to make decisions for Yan anyway.

What if Yan himself was willing?

"It's better to let Yan and Mikoto decide for themselves. It wouldn't be right for us to interfere."

Uchiha Senichi made his stance clear to the First Elder. "In any case, I don't object. Meixin probably won't have any objections either. She has always liked Mikoto."

"Mm."

The First Elder nodded in satisfaction. "Then let the children sort it out themselves. We won't interfere."

Uchiha Senichi sighed and said, "I'll keep Fugaku's side in check for now and see what Yan and Mikoto themselves want."

"I reckon the two of them will settle the matter within three to five years."

In truth, he had another plan—over those three to five years, he could also see whether Yan would soar into the heavens or, like everyone else, quickly fade into obscurity.

"I have no objections." Uchiha Senichi smiled.

At Uchiha Yan's home.

"What? The First Elder wants to match Yan with Mikoto?"

After hearing her husband, Meixin froze.

"That's more or less what he meant." Qianyi nodded. "He beat around the bush, but that was his intention through and through. Put simply, he has taken a liking to our Yan's talent and abilities and wants to place his bet early."

"What do you think? There's quite a big age difference between them, isn't there?"

Meixin found it amusing instead. "What's wrong with that? I think Mikoto is quite good."

"She's beautiful, has a great figure, a good personality, and outstanding talent. She's more than worthy of our Yan."

"Of course, it still depends on what Yan himself wants. As parents, we can't make that decision for him."

Besides, even if they told him what to do, that brat might not listen.

"Mm."

Inside the Hokage Office.

The moment Danzo entered, he got straight to the point. "Hiruzen, you should know about the Uchiha matter by now, right?"

The Third Hokage held a smoking pipe between his lips, glanced at him, and nodded. "Mm, I heard. The Uchiha Clan truly is the Uchiha Clan. Geniuses are appearing one after another."

Danzo snorted, his tone sharp. "No matter how many geniuses they have, rebellion is rooted in the Uchiha's bones."

"Hiruzen, you know how our teacher evaluated the Uchiha Clan back then and what policies he established. I want to bring that brat named Uchiha Yan into Root for training. What do you think?"

The Third Hokage rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Not a chance."

"He is Uchiha Senichi's son, and he's only one year old. Do you think they would agree?"

Had Danzo gotten water in his brain?

What was the point of bringing up something so obviously impossible?

If the Uchiha Clan truly agreed, then they would not be the Uchiha Clan. He would not need to worry about them growing stronger, either.

But Danzo did not see it that way. His face darkened. "Then are we supposed to sit and watch as they produce another genius? I have a feeling this brat is even more outrageous than Uchiha Madara was as a child. Who knows what he will grow into in the future?"