Council of Elders

By the time Toshihi and Tetsukawa returned from the Hagoromo Clan Territory for the third time that night, dawn was beginning to break.

Toshihi brushed the morning dew off himself and headed toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Toshihi knelt on one knee before the Uchiha Council of Elders and reported Izuna's decisions one by one.

The Uchiha Council of Elders consisted of five elders. Their numbers had nothing to do with age; they simply denoted the five seats.

The first elder led the Council of Elders, the Second Elder headed the Disciplinary Hall, the third handled marriages, funerals, and the clan genealogy, the fourth managed the clan's scroll library and the young members' ninjutsu and academic studies, and the fifth oversaw the clan's land holdings, resources, and finances.

War and expansion were the responsibility of the clan head and its strongest fighters. The Council of Elders' duty was to keep the home front stable.

The third elder was eighty that year, with snow-white hair and beard. He had lost a leg, and the empty trouser leg was neatly rolled up and tied at the stump.

The second elder was not even forty, yet he sat above the third elder, his eyes lowered and his hands folded on his knees.

After hearing Toshihi's report, the first elder spoke slowly. "In other words, Izuna won't be able to return for the time being."

"Yes," Toshihi replied.

The fifth elder's brow furrowed. "Even if the Uchiha help the Hagoromo win this war, what do we stand to gain? The Hagoromo's resources are already stretched thin."

The third elder spoke in a quavering voice. "The Hagoromo and Uchiha were related by marriage a thousand years ago. We are branches of the same tree. Even broken bones remain joined by sinew. We ought to help."

Momentarily stymied, the fifth elder said, "But the clan head and Lord Hokaku are occupied with holding Hashirama Senju in check, while Lord Izuna is with the Hagoromo. Our fighting strength here has never been so depleted. I'm worried that if an enemy attacks-"

"Do you take this old man for dead?"

The third elder straightened his back. The light that flashed in his clouded eyes made the fifth elder swallow the rest of his words.

"To think a handful of petty thieves could frighten you this badly. You disgrace the Uchiha name."

"That was never my intention," the fifth elder said at once.

The first elder stepped in to smooth things over. "The clan head should be back this afternoon."

The third elder snorted. "It's about time he came back."

He turned to the second elder. "It's also time to let that brat Setsuna out."

The second elder nodded. "He's only been confined for a day, but today marks the seventh day since Huo Rong and his wife died. Their cremation is about to take place. We should let the child see his parents one last time."

Toshihi followed the second elder out of the meeting.

The morning mist had yet to fully disperse, and the air beneath the covered walkway was cold and damp.

Toshihi walked half a step behind the second elder. After much hesitation, he finally spoke.

"Lord Izumo, how should we explain Lord Huo Rong's cause of death to Setsuna?"

The second elder's steps faltered. He raised his head toward the gray light beyond the walkway and, after a long while, sighed.

"This was a terrible accident to begin with. I'd already been considering whether to tell Setsuna what happened. But I'm afraid hatred will overwhelm his reason."

He lowered his head, troubled. "We are allies with the Kurama Clan. If Setsuna's hatred were to..."

He did not finish, but Toshihi understood.

"Setsuna has the right to know the truth," Toshihi said.

The second elder fell silent for a moment, then nodded and said:

"Huo Rong's death was an accident that could have been avoided."

"Ten days ago, the Uchiha and Kurama received a joint suppression mission from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. The target was the Daimyo's uncle, the Lord of Anshan City.

"Huo Rong was responsible for the main assault, while Setsuko, a Kurama ninja, provided support from a distance."

"Huo Rong and Setsuko were longtime partners. Both treated this battle as an easy field assignment. After all, it was important but straightforward. The Daimyo hadn't even demanded that they wipe out or capture everyone. Presumably, he only wanted to give his uncle a warning."

"The Lord of Anshan City was caught completely off guard and had no time to hire a ninja clan of comparable strength. Huo Rong and the others crushed everything in their path."

The second elder paused.

"Who could have imagined something like this would happen?"

Toshihi picked up the explanation. "Kurama Setsuko's mental condition suddenly spiraled out of control."

"That's right." The Second Elder nodded. "That trapped Uchiha Huo Rong in a genjutsu. Because they were too far apart, Huo Rong couldn't calm Kurama Setsuko's mind. In the end, he gave everything he had to bring her back to her senses, but died himself."

Toshihi frowned. "With Huo Rong's three-tomoe ability, breaking out of a genjutsu shouldn't have been a problem."

"Huo Rong was a gentle man. Among the Uchiha, you could even call him indecisive." A trace of regret colored the Second Elder's voice. "If he'd forced his way out, Kurama Setsuko's mind would have collapsed completely, and she would never have woken again. That would have been no different from death. After all, they had grown attached to each other as partners."

Toshihi was silent for a long time.

"It's strange that Kurama Setsuko's mental condition would suddenly deteriorate."

The second elder explained, "The Kurama Clan's genjutsu is powerful, but their bodies are weaker than those of ordinary people. It's not uncommon for their bodies to be unable to withstand their mental power. A sudden mental collapse isn't impossible."

"It's just..." Toshihi sighed. "I didn't expect Huo Rong's wife to be unable to accept it. In this era, she should have been accustomed to life and death."

The walkway fell quiet for a moment. Only a faint rustling sounded as the morning wind passed through the courtyard.

In the silence, the second elder slowly spoke.

"Kurama Setsuko will come to the Uchiha alone today."

Both men knew what that meant. She would come alone, without guards, without anyone to speak on her behalf, without anyone to plead for mercy.

She was prepared to submit to whatever the Uchiha decided to do with her.

As soon as the two men entered the hills behind the clan compound, they encountered a genin of around ten hurrying toward them.

"Lord Izumo, Lord Toshihi." The boy dropped to one knee.

Toshihi knew him-a genin who had joined the Disciplinary Hall that year. He had probably just delivered Setsuna's meal.

The second elder asked, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

The boy answered, "Reporting to Lord Izumo, something is wrong at the Buddha hall."

"What is it?"

The boy said, "There are lots of weapon marks on the Buddha hall's window frames. I suspected an enemy attack, so I didn't dare approach. I was just coming to report it."

The second elder and Toshihi exchanged a look, alarm rising in their hearts. Setsuna was, after all, the Uchiha's young clan heir. If someone had struck at him first, it would be a tremendous loss for the Uchiha.

Both men sped away using the Body Flicker Technique.

They had barely come to a stop in front of the Small Buddha Hall when they heard a swish-a pitch-black Scythe Blade shot through the gap in the doors, effortlessly slicing the door bar in two.

"That's how it's done!"

The Buddha hall's doors were kicked open with a bang, and Setsuna's lively voice rang out.

The second elder and Toshihi stood at the entrance, taking in the scene inside. Both fell silent.

The hall's walls, window frames, and floor were densely covered in marks left by sharp weapons.

The culprit sat right in the middle of the hall.

The little bald boy sat cross-legged on the floor in a gray cloth robe, a smug smile on his face.

Beside him, several pitch-black Shadow Hands held all manner of weapons, looking for all the world like a weapons exhibition.