Shisui's Request

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed quietly.

Itachi Uchiha stood before the surveillance screen, his brows tightly furrowed.

Xiu had not gone on a mission for half a month. He rarely even left the house, spending most of his time eating, drinking, and having fun.

With the clan meeting coming up the day after tomorrow, he could not help growing anxious.

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At this clan meeting, his father would resign as clan head and a new clan head would be elected.

If the new clan head turned out to be a radical, with an unstable factor like Uchiha Shu in the mix, the clan might end up in an even more uncontrollable situation than before.

Just as Itachi Uchiha was fretting.

At the hot spring inn, Xiu lounged on a sunbed, wearing heart-shaped sunglasses. He basked in the sun while enjoying the fruit Uchiha Izumi fed him.

The low table beside them was piled with all kinds of fruit and pastries.

"Here, ahh~"

Uchiha Izumi picked up a peeled grape and brought it to Xiu's mouth, her fair little finger lightly curled upward.

Xiu opened his mouth and swallowed the grape in one bite, letting out a sticky little hum.

"You two sure have it easy..."

A familiar voice suddenly came from nearby. The two followed the sound and discovered that Shisui had appeared in the courtyard at some point.

Shisui stood with his arms folded, leaning against a pillar by the veranda, his tone carrying an indescribable hint of envy.

"Brother Shisui." Izumi greeted him politely. Because of Xiu, she and Shisui had become fairly acquainted as well.

"Pfft..." Xiu casually spat out the grape seed and lazily raised an eyelid. "Let me see, which poor relative did this one crawl in from? Where's security? Who let him in?"

"Poor relative is a bit much, isn't it? And where would this place even get security? Aunt Hazuki let me in."

Shisui smiled helplessly, already accustomed to Xiu's thunderous way of speaking. "Sorry, I've been busy lately and haven't congratulated you on moving in."

At that, Xiu pushed his sunglasses up onto his forehead, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Mm, I accept the sentiment. Anything else?"

"Well..." Shisui scratched his head, his smile somewhat awkward. "Can we talk alone?"

"Come inside."

Xiu rolled his eyes, casually removed his sunglasses, and got to his feet before heading inside.

The two entered a quiet tea room. Uchiha Izumi brewed tea for them, then rose and left the room, gently sliding the door shut behind her. Her movements were gentle and serene throughout, every bit the tender grace of a proper Japanese lady.

Shisui glanced toward the door, his expression turning somewhat strange.

By Shinobi World custom, when the man of the house entertained guests, the women of the household were indeed supposed to prepare tea and attend to them. But considering that she was Xiu's older sister, was this not a little too formal?

"Go on. What is it?"

Xiu's voice pulled Shisui's attention back.

"Oh, right..."

Shisui came back to his senses, looking slightly conflicted. "It's like this. The clan meeting is the day after tomorrow. Everyone in the clan has already been notified. At this meeting, the captain will step down, and everyone will elect a new clan head."

"Ever since our last conversation, I've been thinking about how to change the clan members' views through gentler means..."

"You want to become clan head?" Before Shisui could finish, Xiu understood his intentions. "You want to use the authority and prestige of the clan head to push your plan openly and legitimately?"

"That's right!" Shisui nodded repeatedly. "I think this is a good opportunity. If I act in the name of the clan head, the resistance should be much smaller."

"There's nothing wrong with that in theory." Xiu raised a brow. "So you want me to attend this clan meeting and support you as clan head?"

"Uh, yes. Could you...?"

Shisui looked at Xiu sheepishly. "Over the past few days, I've visited some clan members and gained the support of a few of them. If I have your support too, I'll have a much better chance!"

"If certain radical clan members get elected, the relationship between the clan and the village will probably worsen even further. So I really don't want to, and can't, miss this opportunity!"

Shisui's tone was pleading. With both hands resting on his knees, he solemnly lowered his head toward Xiu.

"Please, Xiu!"

"Sure."

"Huh? You agreed?" Shisui raised his head in surprise, never expecting Xiu to agree so readily. Then delight flashed through his eyes. "That's great! I was worried you might throw me out..."

"Why would I throw you out? I'm an Uchiha too. Once the conflict truly breaks out, I won't be able to stay out of it either, will I?"

Xiu shook his head. "Since you're willing to shoulder this responsibility, I naturally have no reason to oppose you."

Shisui looked confused. "Then what about the captain before..."

"He gave an order. You made a request. How are those the same?"

Xiu sneered. "To be honest, I already had a problem with him. The fact that I didn't take the initiative to attack him was already me sticking to my moral bottom line. And that guy actually dared to make the first move against me?"

"But what if things turn out as you said? What if the captain doesn't step down, and I can't change anything? What will you do then?" Shisui could not help asking.

"Words are useless. Broken bones make the best textbooks. Whether it's those lunatics in the clan or those scheming people in the upper ranks, if I can't talk them into submission, can't I beat them into submission? And if I can't beat them into submission, can't I beat them to death?"

Xiu spoke casually. "No matter what the process is, the outcome is already decided. So why should I waste effort on pointless things?"

Hearing that, Shisui immediately revealed a sunny smile, as though some knot in his heart had been untied. "Then helping me isn't pointless, right?"

Seeing Shisui's radiant smile, Uchiha Shu turned away and spat. "Is this Konoha-style friendship? Disgusting..."

"Huh?"

Shisui's smile froze.

"Fine. I'll be there on time. If there's nothing else, don't interrupt me while I'm enjoying life."

Xiu braced a hand on his knee and started to stand, but Shisui hurriedly grabbed him.

"Wait a moment! Shouldn't we make more preparations? What if I fail to become clan head..."

"Relax. With your reputation in the clan, you'll definitely get elected! Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to discuss it with you in the first place."

Xiu shook off Shisui's hand and firmly pressed a hand onto his shoulder. "You have to believe in yourself! If even you can't do it, then everyone else will be even more hopeless. I believe you can definitely win over the clan members with your powerful personal charm!"

"Really?"

Shisui immediately grew a little embarrassed. He had not expected Xiu to think so highly of him.

"The clan members I visited earlier said the same thing. I just never had much confidence. But now that even you say so, I don't feel nearly as nervous."

Watching him grin foolishly, Xiu silently rolled his eyes.

This idiot doesn't seriously think someone can become clan head just by having good character and a good reputation, does he?

Not good. Judging by that expression, he really does think so...

Whatever. The result will be the same anyway~