The "atypical" Uchiha at the clan meeting

The next morning, Shuo was woken by the overly bright sunlight outside his window.

He squinted at the old wall clock. Eight twenty.

The clan meeting was at nine.

Walking from home to the Meeting Hall would take about fifteen minutes.

Mm, still time... another ten minutes in bed.

He rolled over and pulled the thin blanket over his head.

He had not slept particularly well last night. The unfamiliar "home," the excessively quiet clan compound, and a vague premonition about today's troublesome clan meeting had all taken a toll on his sleep.

It was eight forty before he slowly climbed out of bed, washed up, and put on clean, dark Uchiha everyday clothes-the set without the clan crest-then raked his fingers through his unruly bedhead in the mirror.

The young man in the mirror had faint circles under his eyes and a weary expression. He looked nothing like a young Chunin who had just distinguished himself and ought to be brimming with confidence.

Good. That was exactly the effect he wanted.

At eight fifty, he ambled out the door, holding a rice ball he had dug out of the kitchen, with no idea whether it had expired, and nibbled on it as he walked.

Morning in the Uchiha Clan Compound was quiet. The clanspeople he encountered were all hurrying along, mostly toward the Meeting Hall.

Quite a few gave Shuo surprised or faintly disapproving looks at his leisurely manner.

Shuo pretended not to notice and concentrated on his rice ball.

It was a little dry, making him crane his neck as he struggled to swallow.

At five minutes to nine, he reached the entrance to the Meeting Hall.

It was a large, traditional Japanese-style building. Several young Uchiha in Konoha Military Police Force vests already stood outside, maintaining order with solemn expressions.

Seeing him arrive just in time, one of them frowned but said nothing, gesturing for him to enter.

The hall was already packed with people, kneeling in sections arranged by seniority and status.

The atmosphere was solemn, the air filled with a tension peculiar to the Uchiha, a mixture of pride and repression.

At the head of the hall, clan leader Uchiha Fugaku already sat upright, his face stern and rigid, betraying no emotion.

Several clan elders sat beside him, along with several squad captains from the Konoha Military Police Force.

Shuo glanced around and found a spot near a corner at the back, inconspicuous but with a clear view of the whole hall, then knelt like everyone else.

His posture... was passable. His back was not quite straight, and his shoulders slumped slightly.

At precisely nine, Fugaku's deep voice rang out. Without pleasantries, he went straight to the point.

He summarized the Uchiha's sacrifices and contributions during the war, emphasized the clan's position and responsibilities in Konoha, and commended several clanspeople who had achieved outstanding military merit or awakened their Sharingan-Shuo remembered none of their names-before finally turning to the future.

"...Though the war is nearing its end, the Shinobi World is not at peace. The Uchiha's strength and glory require every member of the clan to defend and advance them with their lives."

Fugaku slowly swept his gaze across the hall, bringing an invisible pressure with it. "The Sharingan is the crystallization of our Kekkei Genkai, a symbol of strength. All who have awakened it must train even harder. Those who have not must work harder still to unlock their potential. Do not disgrace the Uchiha name."

It was a typical clan leader's speech, filled with clan pride and reverence for strength.

Most of the younger clanspeople listened with their blood stirring, backs ramrod straight. The older ones wore deep, thoughtful looks.

Shuo listened without much stirring inside him, even feeling a little sleepy. The original owner's memories seemed to contain similar speeches.

He discreetly adjusted his posture, shifting his weight onto one side of his backside to save himself a little effort.

His gaze began to wander as he studied the hall's beams and pillars, wondering whether the building was getting a little old and needed repairs.

[In a "solemn clan gathering" setting, successfully maintained an attitude of "out-of-place detachment and weariness." Imitation Points +3.]

"...Furthermore," Fugaku's voice pulled Shuo's wandering thoughts back. "The clan will also give greater attention and allocate more resources to those who have demonstrated special talents or earned merit on the battlefield. I hope you will guard against arrogance and impatience, continue working hard, awaken your Sharingan soon, and become pillars of the clan."

At this point, Fugaku's gaze seemed, deliberately or otherwise, to linger for an instant on the corner where Shuo sat.

Here it comes.

Shuo understood perfectly.

This so-called attention was nothing more than an attempt to bring peripheral clan members who had suddenly emerged, like him, back under the clan's control, to see whether they could be cultivated into new strengths, or at least to find out what his "special technique" was all about.

Several young clanspeople who were named excitedly voiced their assent.

Shuo also dipped his head slightly. Not much, just enough to make the gesture.

Next came speeches from several clan elders and squad captains. Their contents were much the same: the importance of the Konoha Military Police Force, clan unity, and vigilance against potential exclusion by outsiders, especially the village leadership.

Shuo's eyelids grew heavier as he listened.

The effects of last night's poor sleep were catching up with him. Combined with the oppressive atmosphere and kneeling posture, it was truly torture.

During a pause when an elder at the front coughed, he moved his stiff neck ever so slightly, so little it was almost imperceptible, then quietly raised his right hand and picked his ear with his little finger.

The movement was natural and casual, as though his ear really just itched.

But amid a Uchiha gathering where everyone sat straight and solemn, this tiny gesture looked particularly... jarring to the few clanspeople near him.

A young Uchiha seated diagonally ahead of him could not resist turning to glare fiercely at him, his eyes brimming with a rebuke: How disgraceful.

As though only just noticing, Shuo lowered his hand and gave the young man a perfectly measured look of apologetic bewilderment, as if to say, What? Does my picking my ear bother you?

The young man's face tightened with anger, and he turned back around, his shoulders rigid.

[Ding! Performed a "minor but extremely undignified" gesture on a solemn occasion, successfully provoking silent condemnation from a "stuffy fellow clansman." Highly consistent with "impatience and perfunctory compliance at formalistic occasions." Imitation Points +10!]

That works too? Shuo felt amused. Sure enough, in an environment like this, a tiny bit of "inappropriate behavior" produced outstanding results.

He had tasted success, but he did not dare push his luck any further.

After all, Fugaku and several elders were still watching. He merely took his "laziness" and "absentmindedness" a little further. His eyes unfocused, he appeared to listen while his mind wandered far away. Occasionally, when Fugaku mentioned certain key words, such as "sacrifice," "glory," or "enemies," he would obligingly nod slightly, keeping the movement just visible enough without looking too deliberate.

At last, the lengthy speeches neared their end.

Fugaku concluded, "...I hope you will all remember what was said today. Before we adjourn, there is one more matter. Those who recently returned to the village with military merits, please remain afterward. The clan has some additional resources and training guidance to offer."

Called out. Shuo sighed inwardly. There was no avoiding what was coming.

The gathering dispersed. Amid rustling sounds, people began rising and heading outside, talking quietly.

The seven or eight young clanspeople whose names had been called remained standing where they were, most looking expectant or excited.

Shuo stayed among them, his head lowered as he fiddled with the cuff of his everyday clothes.

Once nearly everyone else had left, Fugaku and two clan elders approached.

Fugaku looked over each of those remaining, lingering on Shuo for an extra second before speaking. "You proved the Uchiha's worth on the battlefield. The clan will not forget your contributions. Later, you may collect a training resource allowance from the Konoha Military Police Force's logistics office. Also..."

He paused and looked at Shuo and two other clanspeople who had reportedly also shown "unusual abilities" on the battlefield. "You three, come to the Clan Training Ground tomorrow morning. A designated Jonin instructor will assess the progress of your abilities and offer targeted advice."

The other two immediately answered loudly, excitement in their eyes. Receiving special attention from the clan meant more resources and opportunities to advance.

Shuo nodded along, his voice quiet but clear enough. "Yes, clan leader."

His tone was steady, with little excitement to be heard.

Fugaku gave him a long look but said nothing more, waving a hand. "You may all go."

They bowed and left the Meeting Hall. The other two singled out for instruction excitedly gathered together to discuss who would guide them tomorrow. Would clan leader Fugaku do it himself? Or would it be some formidable elder?

Shuo slowly trailed behind everyone else and stepped through the doors into dazzling sunlight.

He raised a hand to shade his eyes, looking at his excited clansmen ahead, then glanced back at the solemn entrance to the Meeting Hall.

A training resource allowance? Sounds good. Free stuff.

A designated Jonin instructor? Trouble. Most likely a test of my limits and some "correction."

But tomorrow's business can wait until tomorrow.

With his hands in his pockets, he strolled back the way he had come.

Passing a small shop inside the compound, he felt the prize money he had barely had time to warm against his chest, then went inside and bought a bottle of chilled juice.

He twisted off the cap and took a long drink. Icy sweetness slid down his throat, dispelling the stifling feeling left by the meeting.

Drinking as he wandered aimlessly through the compound, he unwittingly found himself near the training ground by the back hill.

There were even fewer people here. Through the trees, he could see some young clanspeople training hard, with the faint sounds of Shuriken slicing through the air and shouts carrying over.

Shuo leaned against a tree trunk well away from the training area, drinking his juice as he watched from a distance.

Those young Uchiha's faces were covered in sweat and filled with a thirst for strength.

They repeated tedious throws, hand seals, and Taijutsu sparring, their eyes burning.

Watching them, Shuo suddenly remembered Fugaku's talk of "the Uchiha's glory" at the meeting, and all those emphases on the Sharingan and strength.

He smacked his lips, finished the last of his juice, and crushed the bottle.

Glory... strength...

Sounds...

He flicked his wrist, sending the empty bottle arcing neatly into a distant trash can.

Then he stretched luxuriantly, his bones giving faint cracks.

A complicated expression mingling boredom with a little understanding crossed his face. Addressing the air in a voice only he could hear, he murmured:

"Well... everyone has their own 'justice' to uphold..."

"Though I think... pushing yourself that hard... is a little tiring."

With that, he slipped his hands back into his pockets, whistled out of tune, turned, and ambled toward his quiet, deserted little home.

The sunlight stretched his shadow long as he moved farther and farther from the young figures sweating on the training ground.

[Ding! After observing fellow clanspeople training, expressed "detached understanding of others' ways of striving and affirmation of personal values." Deeply touched upon Kizaru's core philosophy of "not interfering, not judging, only choosing one's own comfortable approach." Imitation Points +25! Critical hit!]

[Current Imitation Points: 206/100!]

[Conditions met! "Ability Advancement: Yata Mirror Hypothesis" can be unlocked (requires 200 points)! Unlock?]

Shuo's steps briefly faltered.

Yata Mirror Hypothesis?

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Unlock.

An "understanding," subtler yet clearer than anything from his previous ability unlocks, flowed into his consciousness. It was not a specific method, but more an awareness of a possibility concerning "the path of light."

He continued forward, his pace as unhurried as ever.

Only, as he passed along a path where sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadow, he instinctively angled his body slightly.

He could clearly have walked straight, but instead he chose to let his body pass through the shadows between several patches of light along a smoother, more effortless curve.

The movement was so natural it seemed that was how it should have been.