"Ryun, just go with your two friends..." Asuka advised softly from the side.
Though she disliked the Uchiha clan, several high-ranking elders had jointly invited Ryun. If he refused, they would surely take offense.
Moreover, hosting a celebration for Ryun was a form of recognition for her son. It was a good thing, and maintaining relationships was better than making enemies.
"Yes, Ryun-kun, please come with us. Otherwise, we'll have a hard time explaining. The elders mean well..." Uchiha Seimaru said with an awkward smile.
"Please, Ryun-kun..."
Uchiha Senya even begged outright.
"..."
"Fine... I'll go." Seeing everyone urging him, Ryun had no choice but to agree.
"Auntie, you should come too, right?" Seimaru looked at Asuka. The elders had explicitly invited both of them.
"I won't go. You all can go. The elders mainly want to see my Ryun. Whether I go or not doesn't matter to them."
Asuka smiled. She was a smart woman and knew the elders' respect for her was entirely based on her son's status.
"Auntie, you're joking. The elders specifically asked for you..." Seimaru forced a laugh.
"Enough. My mom doesn't want to go. Let's just go." Ryun waved his hand, ending the discussion.
"Alright..."
Seimaru and Senya knew their place. Since Ryun had spoken, they didn't dare insist.
"Nana, wait for me at home. I'll come back early, and then we'll go to the night market with Mom." Ryun instructed the quiet little tomato (Kushina) beside him.
"Okay, go ahead..." Kushina nodded obediently.
Soon after, Ryun followed the two into the Uchiha clan's territory.
The three quickly arrived at a large estate, where Ryun met the five ruling elders of the Uchiha clan.
"Haha, our little hero has arrived!"
The Uchiha clan's First Elder stood up, pointing at Ryun with a smile.
The other elders also rose from their seats to show respect.
"Greetings, elders."
Ryun didn't act arrogantly. He bowed politely to the five.
"Haha, good child, no need for such formalities. Take a seat. The feast will begin soon!" The Second Elder, Uchiha Kawakami, smiled warmly.
Hearing this, the Third Elder, Uchiha Toyoichi, frowned.
Ryun was from his faction, sharing the closest blood ties with him. Yet, before he could even speak, the Second Elder had already started cozying up...
The conversation he'd had with Ryun over half a year ago still lingered in Toyoichi's memory. He regretted his arrogance back then, which had made him dismiss Ryun's request as a joke.
Given Ryun's current achievements and abilities, his request for high-level fire or genjutsu techniques hadn't been unreasonable—he was truly worth it.
And if Toyoichi had known Ryun was Orochimaru's disciple, he would've given him anything without hesitation...
He could only blame himself for being blind.
"If only Mori had lived to see his child achieve so much at such a young age... He would've been proud," Toyoichi murmured.
Ryun responded to the pleasantries with a faint smile.
Then, one of the Uchiha elders couldn't help but chide him:
"Young man, you really shouldn't have gone to the Land of Rain's battlefield without informing the clan. And becoming a jonin yet keeping it a secret? You should've reported it to the clan."
"After all, you bear the Uchiha name. Everything you do should prioritize the clan's interests. Hiding things from us is unacceptable..."
This was the Fourth Elder, a staunch supporter of the First Elder.
The Uchiha clan had learned about Ryun's promotion to jonin and his fame in the ninja world very late, which displeased the leadership. The First Elder had even clashed with Konoha's higher-ups over this.
That's why the Fourth Elder was now criticizing Ryun.
In truth, when Ryun first went to the battlefield, he was just a genin. The Uchiha clan wouldn't have cared even if they'd known—such trivial matters didn't reach the elders' ears.
A mere genin volunteering as cannon fodder? Even if he died, it wouldn't have been worth mourning.
It was only because Ryun proved himself through his battles that the clan began to take notice. By the time news spread of the Sannin and Uchiha Ryun jointly fighting the "Demigod" and winning, the Uchiha clan's reaction was already too late.
Thus, the accusation of "deliberately hiding" was baseless. Hearing this, Ryun's faint smile vanished entirely.
He remained silent, but his displeasure was palpable...
The atmosphere in the room grew tense. Everyone watched Ryun, waiting to see how he'd respond. But Ryun said nothing, his expressionless face making the Fourth Elder feel awkward.
This cold treatment made the elder feel disrespected. He wanted to scold Ryun for his insolence, but Ryun hadn't actually said anything...
If he lashed out now, others might see him as overly aggressive. But saying nothing made him feel like he was losing face.
"Haha, we should understand the child's difficulties. The Land of Rain's battlefield was brutal. Communication was unreliable, so he couldn't have reported everything in detail..."
The Second Elder, Kawakami, tried to mediate.
"What about the Three Tomoe Sharingan? It's impossible to awaken it at that level immediately. This boy was clearly keeping secrets from the clan. We're all Uchiha—why would we harm him? Was there a need to hide it?"
The Fourth Elder refused to let it go.
"If you'd revealed your Three Tomoe Sharingan earlier, wouldn't we elders have nurtured you properly?"
His words left the other elders silent.
It was obvious Ryun distrusted the clan. Even Asuka and her son had moved out of the clan grounds long ago. His sense of belonging to the clan was undoubtedly weak...
The elders felt it was necessary to lecture him now.
"Heh..."
Ryun suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"I came here to eat, not to listen to your lectures."