The Blue Bird Would One Day Fly Free of Its Cage

Night fell.

The courtyard at Fugaku's home had been specially cleared out.

Fifteen young Uchiha women had already changed into the outfits Genya had described.

When Genya entered the courtyard, the sight before him made his eyes light up.

They stood in a row, wearing the black stockings and fitted skirts he had specifically requested, with exquisite fan crests embroidered on their cuffs.

Fugaku, Sosuke, Izumi, and Mikoto sat on a bench to one side, their expressions expectant yet somewhat nervous.

Sasuke tilted his head, staring in confusion at the strangely dressed older girls, with no idea what they were doing.

Genya walked up to them and took out the scroll containing the musical score he had written.

"Ladies, this is the score for 'Blue Bird,' the song we'll be performing. Take a look first and get familiar with the melody."

The girls gathered around curiously, passing the score among themselves.

Some began humming softly, their eyes gradually lighting up.

"This melody... it's so unusual!"

Uchiha Chinatsu spoke in surprise.

"It's unlike any song I've ever heard!"

"It's beautiful."

Uchiha Akari, a girl with a gentle air about her, spoke softly.

Just then, the door slid open, and Itachi returned.

He nodded to Genya, signaling that his report to the Hokage had gone smoothly.

But when he looked up and saw the scene in the courtyard, he froze for a moment.

Fifteen strikingly beautiful Uchiha women stood neatly before him in matching outfits; the sight alone was enough to stun him.

When Itachi noticed the style of their outfits, his sense of foreboding grew even stronger.

"Itachi, you're finally here!"

Genya's eyes lit up, and he hurried over to take hold of him.

"We were just waiting for you! Come look at the score. This performance won't work without you!"

Genya pulled Itachi in front of the girls, and Itachi felt fifteen pairs of eyes turn toward him at once.

He worked hard to keep his face expressionless, but a closer look would have revealed the redness creeping up his ears.

"What do I need to do?"

Itachi struggled to keep his emotions under control.

"Get familiar with the melody first."

Genya pressed another copy of the score into Itachi's hands.

While the girls studied the score, Genya walked over to Fugaku.

"Clan Leader, give me some genjutsu scrolls. I need to study a little. In a moment, I'll use genjutsu to teach them the dance moves directly."

Fugaku looked at Genya in surprise.

"You're going to learn genjutsu on the spot, too?"

"It's only a basic practical application of genjutsu. Nothing difficult."

Genya spoke confidently.

"It's mainly for transmitting information and images. It doesn't require very complicated chakra control."

Fugaku nodded and motioned for Mikoto to fetch the scrolls.

Mikoto soon returned with several scrolls detailing basic genjutsu. Genya took them, sat down cross-legged, and immediately began leafing through them at speed.

His three tomoe spun as he absorbed and understood the knowledge on the scrolls at an astonishing pace.

About twenty minutes later, Genya closed the last scroll and stood up.

"That should do it."

He walked to the center of the courtyard and addressed the girls.

"Ladies, you've more or less finished looking through the score, right? Now I'll transmit the dance moves directly to you through genjutsu. Relax, and don't resist my chakra."

The girls were a little nervous, but they nodded.

Genya's Three-Tomoe Sharingan gleamed with an eerie light in the darkness.

His hands rapidly formed hand seals.

"Genjutsu: Mind-Image Transmission!"

Waves of chakra spread outward, enveloping the fifteen women present.

The girls felt a series of clear images flood their minds.

Breakdowns of the dance moves, changes in formation, keeping time...

"This is..."

Uchiha Chinatsu opened her eyes in surprise and realized she had already instinctively memorized the basic moves of the entire dance.

"This is incredible!"

Another girl spoke excitedly.

"It's like we've actually danced through it once!"

Genya released the genjutsu.

"Now, let's all try it with the music."

Genya adjusted the simple sound equipment that had just been brought over.

The prerecorded intro to "Blue Bird" began to play.

The instrumental melody and rhythmic drumbeats instantly captured everyone's attention.

The girls glanced at one another, then began dancing to the music.

At first, their movements were still a little awkward.

Soon, the muscle memory transmitted through the genjutsu began to take effect, and their movements gradually grew smoother.

Fifteen figures danced in the courtyard.

Fugaku, Sosuke, Izumi, and Mikoto watched, utterly dumbfounded.

They had never seen a dance like this.

It possessed the distinctive power of the Uchiha while incorporating a graceful femininity.

As the girls turned, leaped, and stretched, the beauty of their movements stirred everyone present.

Even Sasuke, who normally had no interest in art or women, watched in fascination, his little mouth hanging open.

He stared blankly at it all.

Itachi stood to one side, watching without expression, but his gaze was more focused than usual.

When the song ended, the girls were a little breathless, but their faces all glowed with excitement.

"We... we really did it?"

Uchiha Akari looked at her hands in disbelief.

"That was fantastic!"

Genya applauded them.

"To dance like that on your very first group rehearsal-you're all geniuses!"

He turned toward Fugaku and the others, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you think, Clan Leader? Do you believe this performance can take Konoha by storm now?"

Fugaku drew a deep breath and nodded stiffly.

"I admit I underestimated the power of this plan. A performance like this... truly has no precedent."

Sosuke was more direct.

"Genya, you may really have opened up a new path for the Uchiha this time."

Izumi looked at her son, her eyes brimming with tears of pride.

"However..."

Fugaku frowned again.

"These outfits... aren't they a little too conspicuous? Won't dressing like this in public draw criticism?"

Genya had anticipated that question.

"Clan Leader, times are changing. If we keep clinging to the old rules, we'll never break through people's stereotypes about us. These outfits are perfectly appropriate onstage. They show the Uchiha's confidence and sense of style."

The explanation left Fugaku momentarily speechless, and he shook his head helplessly.

"You always have an answer, don't you?"

"Then..."

Genya turned toward the girls.

"Starting tomorrow, we'll meet here at this time every day to rehearse. In two weeks, we'll hold our first dress rehearsal with makeup."

Genya smiled mysteriously.

"I have another bold idea, but that can wait until you've mastered the song and dance."

The girls eagerly asked what his idea was, but Genya merely smiled without answering.

As the night deepened, the first rehearsal ended amid excitement and anticipation.

The girls changed back into their everyday clothes and left in twos and threes, still excitedly discussing the dance moves and the song's melody as they went.

Genya stood in the courtyard, watching their retreating figures with a smile.

"Blue Bird" would ring out through Konoha on New Year's night.

Through their voices and dancing, the Uchiha girls would tell all of Konoha.

The Uchiha were not merely a clan of fighters, but a family that understood beauty, pursued freedom, and yearned for the light.

And this was only the beginning of change.

"The blue bird will one day fly free of its cage."

Genya murmured to himself.

"The Uchiha's sky shouldn't hold only the blood-red glow of the Sharingan."