Uchiha

Yin Jie's answer did not entirely satisfy Uchiha Fugaku, but he did not dwell on it. He merely assumed that, having grown up in the Land of Rain, Yin Jie had yet to develop a sense of belonging toward the Hidden Leaf Village.

The two continued onward.

Before long, they passed through the broad bluestone-paved road and turned onto a somewhat narrower street.

Of course, "narrow" was only in comparison to the bluestone road they had just come from.

It could still easily accommodate more than ten people walking side by side.

Rows of pale wooden fences stood neatly aligned along both sides of the street.

Clusters of pink cherry blossoms bloomed in the gaps between them, like drifting clouds scattered throughout the view.

Their delicate petals had opened slightly, as though they were freely displaying their beauty to everyone passing through the street.

Then, a gentle breeze swept by, sending petals fluttering and even dancing through the air. They intertwined and twined around one another before gracefully drifting down, forming a dazzling rain of flowers.

A faint fragrance permeated the air, fresh and pleasant, soothing and intoxicating. It was not overpowering, yet it was enough to enrapture anyone who caught its scent.

When Fugaku led Yin Jie around another bend, the sight before them sent ripples through Yin Jie's heart, despite how accustomed he had been to all manner of "prosperous" sights in his previous life.

This was the central district of the Hidden Leaf Village, not far from the village's landmark structures, the Hokage Building and Hokage Rock.

Yet the Uchiha Clan District occupied a vast stretch of land in this place where every inch was worth a fortune.

Then Yin Jie quickly came to a realization.

At this point in time, the Uchiha Clan District had not yet been pushed to the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village because of the Nine-Tails.

So, as one of the Hidden Leaf Village's original shareholders—and its second-largest shareholder at that—occupying a prime location in the village center was only natural.

The first thing that came into view was an enormous red torii gate at the end of the road ahead, so massive it looked huge even from a great distance, with an incredibly spacious plaza beneath it.

Beyond the plaza stood rows of orderly yet closely connected "villa" courtyards.

They were built in a traditional Japanese style, with black tiles and white walls. Beneath every eave hung the Uchiha Clan's fan crest.

Maple trees stood scattered throughout the district. Every autumn, their fiery red leaves resembled frozen flames, dyeing the entire Uchiha Clan District in the Uchiha's signature scarlet hue.

Uchiha clansmen dressed in dark clothing moved through the district. Beneath their black hair were pairs of black eyes, some calm and others sharp, with flashes of striking crimson occasionally passing through them.

This was the Uchiha Clan District in Year 36 of the Hidden Leaf, home to the Hidden Leaf Village's foremost ninja clan.

"Lord Fugaku!"

"Captain Fugaku!"

"Fugaku!"

Greetings that seemed aloof but brimmed with warmth surrounded Fugaku and Yin Jie as they entered the Uchiha Clan District.

From the reactions of the Uchiha clansmen, it was clear that Uchiha Fugaku was greatly popular within the clan and had an excellent relationship with every clansman.

Naturally, Yin Jie, the freshly recovered "newborn cub" of the Uchiha Clan, was not ignored by the others either. After greeting Fugaku, every clansman who passed by offered Yin Jie the kindest smile they could manage.

At the same time.

Two deep gazes from a pavilion deep within the Uchiha Clan District crossed a considerable distance, fixed intently upon Fugaku and Yin Jie as they walked through the district.

"So this is the little fellow? Yashiro did well this time! And Fugaku too!"

An elderly man dressed in black robes spoke calmly. His temples and hair were gray-white, and his forehead was lined with many wrinkles. His aged voice echoed continuously through the pavilion.

"Mm..."

The middle-aged man sitting across from the elder, elegantly brewing tea, nodded in agreement.

"You are right. We do not know which clansman left behind this child's bloodline, but discovering him and returning him to the clan is a great contribution to the family! What's more, this child is an undisputed genius!"

The middle-aged man paused briefly before continuing, undisguised praise in his voice. "Awakening his eyes at six years old... that should have broken our clan's record, shouldn't it?"

"Yes! Awakening his eyes at six years old! And with an unprecedented three tomoe at that!" The elder's tone could not help but carry a trace of awe.

As the Uchiha Clan's Great Elder, Uchiha Zong was now past sixty years old.

Yet it was precisely because he had lived long enough that he understood more clearly than anyone just how formidable Yin Jie's talent was.

After the previous clan head, Uchiha Kagami, "disappeared" during a secret mission, many Uchiha clansmen of his generation—those who should have become the clan's backbone based on their strength—also met with various accidents while carrying out missions for the village.

It could be said that the Uchiha Clan had nearly suffered a generational gap at that time.

The younger clansmen had yet to mature, while the older generation was gradually growing old.

Thus, Uchiha Zong, who had long stopped involving himself in family affairs and had been peacefully enjoying his retirement at home, could only helplessly step forward once more. Together with Uchiha Xuan, the middle-aged man seated across from him, who had hastily taken over as clan head, he stabilized and supported the entire clan.

Through the efforts of the two men, the Uchiha Clan gradually emerged from its predicament and weathered that difficult period of growing pains. The clan's overall strength returned to its former level and even slightly surpassed it.

It was worth mentioning that Uchiha Fugaku was the nephew of Uchiha Xuan, the current Uchiha Clan head.

Meanwhile, Yin Jie's Brother Yashiro came from the same branch as Great Elder Uchiha Zong.

During the Warring States Period, their branch had served under Uchiha Izuna, fighting other ninja clans under his leadership.

The famous hardliner Uchiha Setsuna, who had once incited the clansmen to rebel and was arrested and imprisoned by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had also come from this branch.

"So, we must nurture him well and strengthen his sense of belonging toward the clan!"

Uchiha Zong concluded this way to Uchiha Xuan.

Uchiha Xuan did not hesitate in the slightest and nodded directly, because that was his thought as well.

"Perhaps he can also awaken those legendary eyes, just like those two lords back then."

"The Mangekyo..."

Hope flickered in Uchiha Zong's eyes. His voice grew quieter and quieter until it was nearly inaudible.

Silence returned to the pavilion.

However, after Uchiha Xuan left, Uchiha Zong sat alone in the pavilion. After pondering for a long while, he let out a long sigh.

There was one matter he had not told Uchiha Xuan.

As the only living Uchiha who had personally seen those brothers and followed one of them, he was astonished to discover that Yin Jie bore a striking resemblance to the two of them in their youth...