Time drifted by. Spring gave way to autumn, winter gave way to spring, and another cherry blossom season arrived.
Beneath the calm surface, undercurrents still stirred throughout the shinobi world.
The same was true within Konoha.
The Uchiha Clan had grown increasingly withdrawn, their gazes toward the villagers becoming ever colder.
The Konoha Police Force's enforcement had also become increasingly harsh. They arrested and detained people at the slightest provocation, wielding their limited authority at full force and frequently causing bitter conflicts.
Likewise, a small number of Uchiha Clan members had left the clan grounds.
After all, people formed clans to live better lives. Not every Uchiha was stubborn enough to fight to the death even after the village had issued an ultimatum...
Uchiha Mikoto ultimately did not move into Wuye's home, nor did she accept the substitute marriage arrangement.
Caught between the Uchiha Clan and the village, she watched helplessly as the divide between her clan and the man she loved grew wider and wider. Life had been difficult for her.
What saddened her even more was that many hardline Uchiha shinobi had demanded that she leave Hyuga Wuye, leaving her in an impossible position.
Gradually, even her visits to the Hyuga Clan to keep Wuye company became less frequent.
That day, having gone a full three days without seeing Wuye, she finally could not hold back any longer. Under the varied gazes of her clansmen, she left the clan grounds and entered the Hyuga Clan's territory.
Though the Hyuga Clan still had few intermarriages, it had long ceased to be the tightly clustered settlement it once was.
The walls around the clan grounds had been torn down. Newly established Hyuga households were no longer required to live within the clan territory and could choose to live wherever they