The next day.
The morning sunlight filled the Uchiha Clan Compound with life and energy.
Uchiha clan members emerged from their homes in twos and threes. Some swept their courtyards, while others opened their shops, and the compound gradually grew lively.
A large portion of the Uchiha Clan consisted of ordinary civilians.
Though they bore the Uchiha name, they were not shinobi.
A descendant would not necessarily inherit their parents' abilities, and the Uchiha could also have children with no talent at all.
The Uchiha did not forbid marriage with outsiders, but children born from marriages within the clan were more likely to possess talent.
That was how a clan gradually grew stronger.
All the combat personnel had been deployed last night, and many civilians in the compound knew about it.
Many of those fighters were their friends and relatives.
Before they returned, everyone had been worried.
After all, combat meant casualties.
Fortunately, everyone had returned safely yesterday.
All morning, the civilians discussed what had happened in low voices.
But combat personnel generally did not tell them such things. It would only make them worry, so it was better left unsaid.
The younger generation naturally knew nothing at all.
"I'm full! I'm going to find Nii-san, Sister Saori!"
Sasuke jumped down from the dining table and called out to the family servant taking care of him—Uchiha Saori.
Saori had grown up in Fugaku's household and treated Sasuke as her own younger brother.
"Hey! Sasuke, be careful!"
Saori shook her head helplessly.
Five-year-old Sasuke was lively and restless. His favorite things were practicing shuriken with his brother or going out to shoot arrows.
Getting scared silly by that wild boar last time was too embarrassing. This time, I'll definitely make Nii-san see me in a new light with my Shuriken Throwing Technique!
His little legs carried him to Itachi's door.
"Nii-san! Nii-san!"
"Let's go practice throwing shuriken!"
Sasuke called several times, but there was no movement from inside.
Nii-san should be awake by now, right?
"Sasuke, don't disturb your brother!" Mikoto's voice came from behind him, and his ear was already being tugged.
"Ah, Mother, it hurts... it hurts..."
Mikoto released Sasuke's ear and said irritably,
"Itachi didn't sleep at all last night. Go practice on your own."
Sasuke looked aggrieved, his lips jutting out so far that he could have hung an oil gourd from them. "Nii-san is finally resting at home."
Mikoto sighed softly and stroked Sasuke's hair. As she looked toward Itachi's room, her eyes were full of love and complicated emotions.
Itachi had spoken with Fugaku for a long time yesterday, and Mikoto had listened from the side the entire time.
Itachi spoke of his friend's death, and how his father had only cared whether he had awakened his Sharingan.
He spoke of joining the ANBU and how much pain he endured every day.
He spoke of how his father had never asked whether he was tired, only demanding that he complete mission after mission.
He spoke of traveling through time and space, and of the Uchiha Clan's complete extermination.
Fugaku finally understood just how much agony Itachi had endured inside, and he also learned of the Uchiha Clan's fate two years from now.
Father and son opened their hearts to each other. Itachi cried until his eyes reddened, and after Fugaku went to sleep, he quietly told Mikoto, "I was wrong."
"Rustle..." The door opened, and Itachi, dressed in pajamas, appeared in the doorway.
"Nii-san!" Sasuke happily ran over and hugged Itachi's arm.
"Why didn't you sleep a little longer?" Mikoto asked worriedly.
A trace of gentleness showed on Itachi's face. "I can't sleep anymore, Mother. I'll sleep tonight."
Mikoto nodded and rose to head toward the kitchen. "Then I'll make you something to eat."
Sasuke tilted his head up at Itachi, only to find that his brother seemed somehow more alive than usual.
"Nii-san, Nii-san, let's go practice throwing shuriken together!"
Itachi crouched down. Thinking of how, in the original future two years from now, Sasuke would become completely alone, emotions Sasuke could not understand flickered in his eyes.
He gently touched his forehead to Sasuke's. "All right. I'll practice shuriken with you today."
A blush rose on Sasuke's face, and he ran outside a little shyly.
"Then, Nii-san, I'll go get the shuriken!"
Watching his retreating figure, the indulgence in Itachi's eyes became resolve.
Sasuke, this time, I won't let you grow up alone.
By the time Zhengye woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
But he did not get out of bed. Instead, he lay there reviewing what he had gained last night.
[ Ding, Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Fugaku's fates have changed. Lottery draws obtained x6 ] [ Ding, gained the approval of Uchiha Mikoto and Fugaku. Lottery draws obtained x2 ] Current lottery draws: 8
Zhengye had no plans to save them up. He wanted to see what good things he could draw this time!
His consciousness sank into the prize pool as he silently said, Draw!
Golden light burst forth from the prize pool!
Zhengye's spirits lifted. Something good had come out!
1 Shuriken (pack of 10) 2 Healing Soldier Pill — Common — Restores stamina, single-use 3 Mental Attribute Point — Fine — Mental +1 4 Smoke Bomb — Common — Releases smoke to obscure vision, single-use 5 Healing Talisman — Fine — Slowly self-heals (1%/day), permanent; loses effect when damp but can be dried 6 Flying Thunder God Kunai (Imitation) — Fine — Marks any object; touching the kunai allows instant movement to the marked location; distance ≤10 km; 3 one-way flights 7 Steel Wire (30-meter roll) — Common — Used for traps and restraint, single-use consumable 8 Memory Sand — Rare — Makes another person lose memories from within the last hour, single-use
Zhengye's attention lingered briefly on the Memory Sand before he took out the Flying Thunder God Kunai (Imitation).
Its design was exactly like the Ninja Love Sword used by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
A range of ten kilometers was not particularly far, considering it was only a Fine-grade item.
Moreover, the farther the Flying Thunder God traveled, the more chakra it consumed, whereas this one had no cost.
Of the other items, only the Healing Talisman and the mental point were useful. He casually stored the remaining ordinary ninja tools in the prize space without paying them much attention.
He already had two of these talismans. If he got injured, he could see whether their effects stacked.
Thinking this, Zhengye used the mental point first.
[Strength 5, Agility 4, Constitution 4, Mental 12 → 13]
A cool current flowed in from the top of his head, and Zhengye could not help sighing comfortably.
The exhaustion he had spent last night quickly recovered, and the ocular power of his Mangekyō Sharingan increased somewhat as well.
After washing up, Zhengye bought some food in the Uchiha Clan Compound and wandered around while eating.
"Zhengye, fresh-baked sesame cakes! Want two?"
Uncle Uchiha Hand-Burn called out warmly.
Zhengye smiled and took out his wallet. "Then I'll take two."
"Come again anytime."
Biting into the savory, fragrant sesame cake, Zhengye's eyes shone brightly.
It was Uchiha clan members like these who formed the entire Uchiha Clan together.
After I intervened, the clan shouldn't be exterminated, right?
"Fourth Elder! The Third Hokage has notified us that the high-level meeting will begin in an hour."
"The clan head is waiting for you to go over together."
Dongyou, who had been the first to align himself with Zhengye yesterday, flashed before him and reported.
Zhengye nodded. "I'll head over right away."
"Yes."
He let out a breath and looked over the compound, where cooking smoke curled into the air.
A new round of confrontation is about to begin.
Before you continue