The Uchiha Clan's boundless energy

On the eve of dawn.

The Uchiha Clan's reception hall was brightly lit.

The wind outside had picked up in the latter half of the night, as though driven by a biting north wind.

A cold, harsh atmosphere hung over the entire Clan Grounds.

Inside the inner hall.

In the central seat of honor sat Uchiha Tajima, commander of the Uchiha Clan, wearing traditional black Uchiha robes beneath purple layered armor. His expression was stern as he listened to the report from below.

"Lord Saionji has already responded. If we seize the Date House, which the Senju Clan is protecting, our two clans may divide the spoils among ourselves. We won't need to offer them up."

Hagoromo Nobuyuki, dressed in the Hagoromo Clan's attire, stood respectfully below and spoke softly.

Uchiha Tajima radiated an imposing aura that intimidated both body and soul, an inscrutable smile touching his lips.

"Those useless gluttons don't care about the spoils at all. They just want to pay to watch our shinobi clans fight each other and expand their territory in the process. Utterly laughable!" Uchiha Tajima sneered.

Hagoromo Nobuyuki dared not look Uchiha Tajima in the eyes. Lowering his head, he said, "If that stubborn old Butsuma Senju would only cooperate, our shinobi clans could join forces to deceive those nobles who fear us. We could take their money and pretend to be enemies. It would be a steady source of income."

"Heh..." Uchiha Tajima gave a mocking laugh. "Well, your employer's original order was to wipe out the Senju Clan. They would never agree to that. Even if it were a sham, it would disgrace their name."

"I hear the Senju Clan has dispatched Senju Longshu, one of their veteran elders. Against the combined strength of the Uchiha Clan and ours, he's doomed to die." Hagoromo Nobuyuki wore a fawning expression.

At the mention of Senju Longshu, Uchiha Tajima's blood immediately began to boil.

It wasn't just Uchiha Tajima. Every Uchiha present reacted the same way.

Bang!

Uchiha Tajima slammed his palm onto his chair's armrest.

An eerie gust swept through the hall, filling the air with particles called "killing intent."

The Uchiha Clan's peculiar, chilling aura spread throughout the room, instantly making the hall as dark and sinister as the underworld.

Hagoromo Nobuyuki began to tremble involuntarily.

Over the years, the powerful Uchiha Clan had swept through the shinobi clans and found few worthy opponents.

The Senju Clan was an exceptionally formidable enemy, and Uchiha Tajima could not help brimming with the urge to fight.

Caught in the battle fervor of this red-eyed bunch, Hagoromo Nobuyuki inwardly complained, Ugh... these Uchiha's killing intent cuts to the bone like freezing air. It's practically freezing my heart and lungs solid. The Uchiha Clan really lives up to its reputation. They're truly terrifying.

Unable to sleep all night, Madara Uchiha stood outside in the courtyard, gazing at the sky.

He stared for a long while at a mouse out for a nighttime stroll, recalling the scenes of Yanbai chatting with animals.

Madara Uchiha hesitated over whether to tell the mouse what was on his mind and ask it to pass the message on to Yanbai.

Then the adults over in the Uchiha Clan Compound's reception hall became so eager for action that they collectively unleashed Fire Release in the dead of night to vent their overwhelming battle fervor.

Scorching chakra erupted toward the sky, disturbing every animal nearby.

After that bizarre display, all the livestock in the Uchiha Clan Compound panicked.

The fiery heat swept into the night wind, surging outward in waves.

Wherever the heat reached, the nearby animals scattered in utter terror.

Watching the mouse flee in panic, Madara Uchiha instinctively reached out to stop it. Unfortunately, the little creature had already vanished.

Madara Uchiha stood speechless for a while, looking toward the reception hall and thinking, Father is discussing something important with the Hagoromo Clan, but what on earth are they talking about? Why are the adults getting so worked up in the middle of the night?

"Sigh..."

It had been quite a few days since Madara Uchiha had seen his two closest friends. He wondered how Hashirama and Yanbai were doing.

Madara Uchiha wasn't worried about the siblings' safety in the slightest. With that crafty little Yanbai around, neither of them would get the short end of the stick.

Lately, Madara Uchiha had lost his appetite. The food in the Clan Grounds, which he had once considered decent enough, now seemed impossible to swallow.

Even though it tasted awful to him, Madara Uchiha still had to force it down to survive.

As the days of forcing down food dragged on, Madara Uchiha missed Yanbai's cooking more and more.

He dearly missed those days of feasting outside with Hashirama Senju.

Sparring in Taijutsu and ninjutsu, talking freely about that foolish future, and enjoying delicious food. Most importantly, although Yanbai would beat him half to death, he learned so much...

Madara Uchiha stood alone in the courtyard, sighing.

Little did Madara know that Uchiha Izuna was watching his brother's lonely figure from the shadows, silently imagining an entirely different, wildly far-fetched story.

Uchiha Izuna's expression gradually shifted from solemn to ferocious.

My brother... is sighing...

He's thinking about that silver-haired woman again... how many times has it been now?

He still hasn't forgotten her!

And this is getting really serious.

I have to... absolutely have to find her. That woman has far too much influence over him.

He hasn't been going out lately because he's protecting her, isn't he?

He thinks that means Father and I won't be able to find that girl, doesn't he?

You're far too naive, Brother...

The Senju Clan Grounds.

In Yanbai's private room, his bedding lay spread out on the tatami.

Yanbai, who had been sleeping peacefully, suddenly opened his eyes.

So... heavy...

Can't... breathe...

Yanbai remained still and glanced downward, only to find a large mouse sitting sideways and watching him furtively.

The mouse was about the size of an ordinary cat. With its rump planted on Yanbai's chest, it made him feel as though a ghost were pinning him down in bed.

Yanbai raised an eyebrow and murmured, "Oh, it's you, Cherry Ink~ What's wrong at this hour? Didn't you move to that clan's place? What, did Madara discover your connection to me?"

Yanbai had met this mouse beneath a cherry blossom tree. Back then, it had been an adorable baby mouse small enough for a child to hold in one hand.

The poor thing had been caught by Tobirama Senju, who tied a thread around its large front teeth and tethered it beneath the cherry blossom tree.

When Yanbai went to see it, it kept squeaking curses at Tobirama Senju.

Later, Yanbai taught the civilians responsible for raising pigs and chickens and growing vegetables about the agricultural uses of heartbreak grass, using the little mouse to demonstrate.

With the right formulation, certain livestock fed a specific amount of heartbreak grass would grow plumper and yield better meat.

That was exactly what had happened to this mouse.

In just half a month, it had bulked up into an agile fatty.

Since he had found it beneath a cherry blossom tree and it was very black, Yanbai had casually named it "Cherry Ink."

"Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak..." Cherry Ink's little black eyes sparkled.

"Oh~~ So the adults there suddenly went nuts en masse, staying up setting fires in the middle of the night and scaring the whiskers off you? You'll have to get used to it... everyone in that clan is that kind of energetic hothead."

Yanbai grabbed the mouse by the scruff of its neck and set it aside, then took a prepared biscuit from a nearby box and handed it over.

Cherry Ink's eyes were still watery. It held the biscuit in its forepaws and kept squeaking.

Yanbai sat all the way up and yawned gracefully. "He misses me, huh... hmm... well, obviously. My cooking is delicious."

Cherry Ink tilted its head. "Squeak, squeak, squeak..."

"His little brother keeps spying on him?... Heh, that's normal. Don't worry about it. That clan is full of people obsessed with either their younger brothers or their older brothers. Keeping your distance from him is the right call, or you'll get roasted by Fire Release."

"Squeak, squeak..." Cherry Ink took two bites of its biscuit.

"He's that miserable? You can take him some presents for me later, then. Hmm, I'm going back to sleep for a while. All these biscuits are yours. Don't stuff yourself too much, or you won't be able to run... good night..."

"Squeak..."