Hyuga Clan Compound, Konohagakure.
"The head of the family seems to have forgotten what the Hyuga clan has always relied upon to stay out of trouble."
Hizashi's voice was calm but carried a weight beneath its surface. His pale eyes lingered on his brother's forehead—smooth and unmarked. Unlike his own.
'If…'
The thought emerged uninvited, but Hizashi suppressed it as quickly as it came. This wasn't about him. It was about Hyuga.
Hiashi, oblivious to his brother's internal turmoil, continued speaking. "The night before last, I stood behind the Fourth Hokage."
Hizashi raised an eyebrow. "You've made your choice then?"
Hiashi gave a slow nod. "With Danzo dead, a new era is dawning—one where the Fourth Hokage will begin consolidating real power. The Third is too old, too indecisive. A kind-hearted elder still clinging to the old framework."
Before he could continue, the sound of soft footsteps outside the sliding door made both brothers fall silent.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
"Hiashi-sama." came the voice from beyond.
"Come in."
The door slid open and Tokuma, a member of the branch family, entered with his head lowered. He held a folded note in both hands and stepped forward respectfully.
"Clan Leader, this is a visiting card from Uchiha Yun. He and Uchiha Shisui request an audience with the clan tomorrow."
Hiashi took the card without a word, his expression growing more solemn. He glanced at Tokuma and asked, "You're in the same school year as Uchiha Yun, aren't you?"
Tokuma blinked in surprise, then nodded awkwardly. Truthfully, if Shisui's name hadn't been on that card, he wouldn't have dared bring it to the clan head at all.
An Uchiha… still in the Academy… requesting a visit with the head of the Hyuga clan? Absurd.
Hiashi didn't dwell on Tokuma's hesitation and asked, "Tell me—this Uchiha Yun, what is he like at the Academy? Anything unusual?"
Tokuma thought for a moment before responding, "He's… different. During our first year, he deliberately approached me and Inuzuka Hana. I didn't understand it at the time, but looking back, it was calculated."
"In fact…" he continued, "Uchiha Yun made contact with nearly every bloodline clan during that term—only to sever communication soon after. It was like... he was testing something."
When Tokuma bowed and left, Hiashi turned to his brother and handed him the visiting card.
"From the behavior of the younger generation, one can infer the general sentiments of the clans. With the emergence of the Mangekyō Sharingan, this child, Yun… he's not simple."
Hizashi studied the card. "To think Shisui would allow this Yun to represent both of them… even pass him the authority to initiate a meeting. That says a lot."
Hiashi nodded. "Their visit is because of my stance the night before last. They're here with formality because they're testing how far we're willing to go. If I treat this lightly, the Third will believe I'm hesitant. But if I respond seriously, it solidifies our position in the political landscape."
"We cannot afford indecision. Relay the information to the Uchiha."
…
After parting ways with his brother, Hizashi stepped out of the room—only to run into his young niece in the corridor.
The small girl who bore the emblem of the main family on her clothes. Her forehead, still untouched, would bear a very different fate a year from now.
A flicker of murderous intent flashed in Hizashi's eyes.
Then, just as quickly, he swallowed it and turned away.
…
Konoha BBQ Restaurant.
The scent of grilled meat wafted through the air as Itachi, freshly returned from a mission, poked dispassionately at the food in front of him.
"I still prefer the three-color dango…" he muttered.
Yun gave him a dry look. "You're still on about dango? I swear, Itachi, you're starting to choke on sugar. Back then, when someone said you liked sweets, you'd deny it to your grave. Now you've just given up."
Shisui chuckled from across the table, ever the peacemaker. "Let's go to the dango shop next time you return. For now, this is to celebrate."
Itachi was quiet for a moment. The death of Danzo had removed the most dangerous obstacle in recent memory. For Yun, who had taken out several Root operatives, there would be no further consequences. In that sense, yes—this was worth celebrating.
"I could always feel him spying on my Sharingan." Itachi murmured, eyes narrowing. "If I hadn't been out on a mission, I would've gone looking for that Uzumaki Sora."
Shisui sighed. "He vanished. With the Flying Thunder God Technique, not even the Fourth Hokage can catch him if he doesn't want to be found."
He turned to Yun. "You're really going to meet the Hyuga tomorrow? We only gave them the visiting card today. Isn't that… rude?"
Yun shook his head. "Hyuga has no choice in this. Hiashi must meet with us. If he hadn't taken a side two nights ago, they could've ignored our request altogether. But now… even a branch member couldn't have turned us away."
"The Third Hokage will interpret this as an alliance between the Hyuga and Uchiha behind the Fourth Hokage's banner. Hiashi has no choice but to continue playing the hand he started."
Shisui nodded. "Then what's the purpose of our visit?"
"To send a signal."
Yun's smile didn't reach his eyes.
"A message to all the other bloodline clans in Konoha. For years, only two lineages stood as the village's pillars—the Senju and Uchiha. But over time, the Byakugan of the reconnaissance division and the secret techniques of the Ino-Shika-Cho have become just as vital."
"We can't approach the Ino-Shika-Cho yet. They're protected by the Sarutobi clan, and politically too intertwined. But the Hyuga, who control the search corps, only need the right opportunity… and they'll bind themselves to us."
He glanced at Shisui. "Even if we gain approval in the upcoming clan meeting, handling the security force will still be difficult. Our power will feel strong but remain like slow-acting poison—paralyzing but not killing. Uchiha members won't know what to do without clear leadership."
"We need influence at the upper levels of Konoha." he added. "And to have that, we need something more powerful than chakra or dojutsu—money."
He turned to Itachi. "The security forces are under Uchiha's control, but their budget is pitiful. You know that, right?"
Itachi nodded solemnly. "Father used to say the same. Despite our numbers, the Uchiha never received enough missions. Either due to our personalities… or our reputation."
"I've felt it myself."
Shisui grinned. "Still that guy Tenma? I can't believe someone as mild as you has issues with someone."
He turned serious again. "But if we can't rely on the security corps or the mission team, what do we do?"
Yun exhaled slowly.
"The Uchiha are a clan of deep emotion. The Sharingan thrives on loss and love. You know that better than anyone, Shisui."
He looked between them.
"We're proud, but we value connection. When our people become shinobi—if they find no welcome in the force and nowhere else to belong—eventually, bonds will form elsewhere. New kinds of bonds."
He looked at Itachi, then added, "You understand that now, don't you?"
*****
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