Genya saw the gleam in her eyes and knew he could not dissuade her. "Thank you," he murmured.
His body relaxed a little despite himself as he let those deft hands massage him.
In the corner, Sasuke watched Chinatsu rub Genya's shoulders, then looked at Genya surrounded by everyone, as though he had been born to be the center of attention. His little hands unconsciously clenched.
He remembered the admiration his father had shown for Genya, along with his helplessness, and how seriously his brother Itachi took Genya's opinions...
A vague longing began to sprout in his heart!
He wanted to become like that too, someone everyone needed, someone they treated that way!
After several hours of screening, cross-checking, and repeated discussion, the pile of "suspicious" files on the table gradually dwindled.
In the end, seven records of male Uchiha clan members, repeatedly checked and confirmed to have died or disappeared before the Night of the Nine-Tails, with major questions surrounding their bodies or whereabouts, were set apart in the center of the table.
Everyone's gaze settled on those seven thin files, which might hold an earth-shattering secret.
Fugaku took a deep breath and spoke in a grave voice.
"Read out their names and basic information."
Uchiha Itachi picked up the top file and read.
"1. Uchiha Hono, killed in action early in the Third Shinobi World War, approximately twelve years ago."
"Mission: infiltrate the Land of Wind and sabotage supply lines. The report states that he encountered an elite Sunagakure squad and, after a fierce battle, died taking an enemy down with him. His body was burned by enemy ninjutsu and could not be recovered..."
"2. Uchiha Aoki, killed in action in the same year as the Battle of Kannabi Bridge."
"Mission: escort supplies to the front lines in