Fugaku Uchiha stepped forward and gently stroked Naruko's golden hair. "All right. What matters is that you recognize your mistake and learn from it."
"Don't let me catch you doing anything this reckless again." He turned to his eldest son beside him. "Itachi, take Naruko home. Make sure she gets there safely."
"Yes, Father." Itachi Uchiha nodded slightly, walked over to Naruko, and motioned for her to follow.
Naruko looked at Itachi, then cast a worried glance at Sasuke, who still stood with his head lowered behind his father.
As if sensing her gaze, Sasuke lifted his head and gave her a faint smile, strained but trying his best to reassure her. He silently mouthed, "I'm fine. Go."
Naruko bit her lip. Knowing that staying would only complicate things further, she finally followed Itachi Uchiha out of the brightly torchlit courtyard, looking back again and again before disappearing into the night of the clan compound.
Once Naruko had gone, Setsuna Uchiha could no longer contain himself. His displeasure was plain on his face. "Fugaku! You're just letting her leave?"
"Trespassing on forbidden grounds is a serious offense, and you're brushing it aside as a mere 'prank'? What regard do you have for the Uchiha's rules? For the dignity of our ancestors?!"
Fugaku Uchiha turned to face the aggressive First Elder. The gentleness gradually faded from his face, replaced by the composure and unquestionable authority of a clan head.
His voice remained quiet, yet everyone heard him clearly:
"Elder Setsuna, what would you have me do? Detain her? Interrogate her harshly? Even punish her under our clan's rules?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the police officers' varied expressions. "She is the Fourth Hokage's only daughter, the beloved child of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki."
"Thanks to Lord Minato's strong support,