Spring Festival, First Shrine Visit

Early in the morning, Uchiha Makoto yawned as he groggily walked out of his house.

Today was the first day of the new year. According to shinobi world customs, they were to worship their ancestors before making their first shrine visit—the first worship of the gods in the year.

Unlike ordinary people of the shinobi world, the Uchiha Clan had always done both at once.

It couldn't be helped. Their ancestor was a bona fide "god" with his own shrine. Worshipping their ancestors was practically the same as making their first shrine visit.

Thus, for the Uchiha, material matters during the new year were secondary. This spiritual yearning to worship their ancestors was what mattered most.

Look, my ancestors were descendants of sages! And we even have a genealogy!

You don't, do you?

The Uchiha held their rites at Naka Shrine. Naka Shrine had been renovated in recent years, expanding its interior two or threefold and becoming even more solemn and dignified than before.

By the time Uchiha Makoto arrived at Naka Shrine, quite a few clansmen had already gathered there.

Some of them had already begun praying to their ancestors, hoping that everything in the coming year would improve.

When Uchiha Makoto looked up, the first thing he saw was the memorial tablets of the Uchiha's past generations of ancestors. Of course, those tablets were supposed to be here.

At the center of Naka Shrine was a portrait of the Uchiha progenitor. Unfortunately, the painting was somewhat distorted, making his features impossible to see clearly. Two thousand years had already passed, so later generations could only imagine what he had looked like.

Among the memorial tablets, the most central, foremost, and eye-catching one was Madara Uchiha's oversized, luxurious tablet with gold trim.

Although he had defected and made life difficult for the Uchiha ever since, he had once brought the clan enough status and power. Besides, he was already "dead," so with the First Hokage's tacit approval, Konoha had not interfered with the Uchiha's worship of Madara.

And so the rites had continued as before—except for the ritual implement used in ancestor worship.

Originally, the Uchiha's ritual implement for worshipping their ancestors had been the Uchiha War Fan, symbolizing the clan head's authority and legitimacy.

Now, that treasured artifact had been taken away by Madara Uchiha and was still lost somewhere outside, leaving the Uchiha with no choice but to use other old relics in their rites.

For example, an extremely ancient black magatama necklace—borrowed from the shrine dedicated to Indra.

It was highly likely to have once belonged to Indra himself, more than sufficient for use in the ritual.

Every year during ancestor worship, the Uchiha clan head would represent the clan in praying to their forebears, after which the elders would address the Uchiha clansmen.

This year, it was Uchiha Setsuna. He was the current representative of the Uchiha hawks.

After being educated under Senju Tobirama, he had improved considerably. He no longer dreamed of killing the Hokage and slaughtering the daimyo, though he remained fanatically devoted to expanding Uchiha influence.

During the rite, Uchiha Fugaku wore the magatama necklace and loudly recited the sacrificial prayer, while the four elders joined in softly with strange, crane-like voices.

Below them stood Uchiha Xuan. As Uchiha Kagami's son, he was qualified enough to serve as an attendant here.

With a solemn expression, he stood beside the incense burner and watched everyone step forward to pray.

When it was Uchiha Makoto's turn, he too respectfully offered incense as he had in past years, silently making his wish.

By the time the entire process was over, it was already morning, and growling sounds had begun to come from the crowd.

Yet few people left, because according to custom, they would next get to taste the ancestral old-style rice cakes.

This differed from the shinobi world custom of drinking rice cake soup, but none of the Uchiha cared.

On the contrary, they took this distinctive tradition for granted and even enjoyed it.

The Uchiha present were not, as outside rumors claimed, all walking around with their Sharingan activated, eyes wide as they scrutinized every person present.

After all, who liked being surrounded by a dense sea of red eyes?

They found it uncomfortable too!

Besides, there were no outsiders here, so naturally they did whatever made them comfortable.

Uchiha Makoto picked up a rice cake and listened to several elders chatting as he ate.

Suddenly, he looked up and noticed Uchiha Xuan standing not far away.

Sensing his gaze, Uchiha Xuan looked up, recognized Uchiha Makoto, and greeted him with a smile.

Seeing Uchiha Xuan feeding rice cake to little Shisui, Uchiha Makoto could not help thinking, Look at that overwhelming stay-at-home-dad vibe. He looks like a little widower whose wife just died!

But aloud, he smiled at little Shisui. "Shisui, look what your uncle brought you."

As he spoke, Uchiha Makoto pulled out a rattle drum he had bought on the way and shook it.

Hearing the sound, little Shisui toddled over on his short legs and reached out to take the rattle drum.

Just as the little fellow was about to return to Uchiha Xuan, Uchiha Makoto casually scooped him up and swayed him as he walked toward Uchiha Xuan.

It was obvious that Uchiha Makoto genuinely liked the little fellow in his arms.

Uchiha Xuan smiled. "You bring gifts every day. At this rate, Shisui might become closer to you than he is to me."

Uchiha Makoto kept swaying the little fellow, completely unconcerned.

"Hahaha, as long as Shisui likes them."

Laughing, Uchiha Makoto gently poked little Shisui's chubby cheek.

Just then, one of the little fellow's free hands reached out. Uchiha Makoto looked down and saw little Shisui blinking up at him with big eyes.

"What is it, Shisui?"

Little Shisui said nothing, merely reaching toward the rice cake in Uchiha Xuan's hand.

Understanding, Uchiha Xuan handed the rice cake to Uchiha Makoto.

Uchiha Makoto took it and held it before little Shisui. Little Shisui broke into a happy smile, grabbed the rice cake, and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Eat slowly. Don't choke."

Watching this, Uchiha Xuan casually said, "You like children so much. Have you really never considered having one yourself?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Uchiha Xuan regretted them.

He knew he was about to get scolded again.

Uchiha Makoto shot him a sidelong glance without saying anything.

He was only fifteen. Have a child? Have your damn head!

Hmm... wait...

Uchiha Makoto raised his head. When had Naruto and his wife gotten married in the original story again?

They graduated from the academy at twelve, then spent three years chasing Sasuke during Shippuden. After those three years, that second-rate idiot joined Akatsuki, then came the Fourth Shinobi World War, and they became heroes of the war at seventeen or eighteen...

Mm, so they had probably married at around eighteen, definitely no older than nineteen?

Hiss...

Uchiha Makoto bared his teeth. Fine, I was the odd one out.

After glancing again at the cowering Uchiha Xuan beside him, Uchiha Makoto picked up a rice cake and asked as he ate.

"Did you finish handling the clan's business assets like I told you?"

Thinking of the expressions on Konoha's higher-ups' faces before he went to the Land of Demons, Uchiha Makoto had felt certain it was in the bag. Yet Uchiha Xuan shook his head.

"No. We had already settled everything, but two days ago, they backed out without changing a single term."

"Hm? What happened?"

"I'm not sure, but they paid us the breach-of-contract fee immediately as well."

Uchiha Xuan explained.

"I see. Then keep them for now. They might be useful in the future."

Uchiha Makoto smacked his lips, not thinking too much of it.

"Hard to say."

With a grave expression, Uchiha Xuan explained, "Prices had already risen sharply these past few days because of the new year. But even now, prices are still rising unusually fast!"

Hearing that, Uchiha Makoto frowned. Had those Uzumaki already begun making their plans?