"I wish to spread the clan's branches and leaves. I'm just missing a wife."
Makoto said this with a completely straight face, but his deep black pupils hid a trace of ulterior motive… he actually wanted to borrow a large sum of money, but asking directly would definitely lead to haggling.
Better to throw out an even more outrageous request first. This was called the 'Broken Windows Theory'. To get more money, he, Uchiha Makoto, was even using psychology.
'Life sure is hard.' Makoto sighs.
If Fugaku actually agreed, even better. He could just find a little rich girl to see through his tough exterior.
Makoto paused, directly treating Fugaku like a magic lamp and making a wish.
"My requirements aren't high. She must be beautiful, at the very least the most beautiful in the clan. Her talent as Shinobi must be good so she can protect me in the future. Her family must be wealthy and generous, and most importantly, willing to spend on me."
"What did you say?!" Upon hearing this, Fugaku slammed the table and stood up, the scrolls on the desk trembling. His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Fugaku pointed at Makoto, his finger trembling slightly: "You're just over three years old! What branches? What leaves?"
It wasn't the conditions Makoto listed that shocked him, but the thing he wanted to do. It was simply outrageous.
Hearing this, Makoto's expression turned serious, his tone firm: "Spreading the clan's branches and leaves is our unshirkable duty! Age is irrelevant. Everything I do is for the clan!"
"All of this is for the Uchiha Will!" Makoto emphasized finally.
Seeing this, Fugaku rubbed his forehead, 'Jiraiya-sama's books were truly evil, veritable poison! To make a child just over three years old start having spring thoughts, his mind full of crooked ideas!'
Fugaku seemed to have already forgotten his own expression while reading them. He turned to grab the disciplinary ruler from the corner, but stopped after taking half a step.
A flash of 'shocking wisdom' suddenly crossed his mind: 'Finding a slightly older girl to watch him might make this kid behave and tame his wild nature.'
'More importantly, I could relax a bit more in the future.'
All this 'scheming and plotting' with Makoto lately made Fugaku feel like white hairs were sprouting.
Given Makoto's talent, arranging a childhood engagement within the clan, finding a sensible childhood sweetheart to nurture feelings from a young age, wouldn't be difficult. In fact, many clansmen would fight for the position.
Thinking this, Fugaku stroked his chin. Confirming it was a sound idea, his expression slowly shifted from furious to calm, and finally, he nodded heavily: "Fine!"
Hearing this, Makoto was taken aback.
He had already thought of his next line for extortion, never expecting Fugaku to actually agree.
Then the corners of his mouth lifted, his face breaking into a wide smile… he never experienced a childhood sweetheart romance in his previous life, but he could try it this time.
Plus, with another little rich girl, he'd have another fast track to money right now.
"Then, Clan Head, please hurry up with this matter. Don't make me pester you every day. Be more efficient."
Seeing Makoto pushing his luck like this, Fugaku's anger flared up again, 'When he needed something, it was 'Clan Head-sama', but when he didn't, it was just 'Clan Head'. Now he was even urging me to get things done.'
'Who did this bastard full of mischief take after?'
Thinking this, Fugaku suddenly remembered his long-deceased father, who seemed, perhaps, to have been a bit of an old rascal...
Then, Fugaku rapidly mentally inventoried the girls in the clan. There were some who met Makoto's requirements, but not many.
Most importantly, she had to be a bit older than Makoto, to manage him better in the future. But she couldn't be too much older, or the couple would have a generation gap later. This old father was really worrying himself to bits.
Seeing Fugaku deep in thought, Makoto knew when to stop while he was ahead and turned to walk towards the door.
Reaching the doorway, Makoto looked back again, waved at the pondering Fugaku, pointed a finger at the 'Icha Icha Paradise' on the table, and whispered:
"Oh, right, Clan Head, I heard from someone that Jiraiya's new book 'Icha Icha Violence' is coming out soon. Remember to grab the first edition!"
"And you must buy the limited edition, just like this one. I cough at other versions."
"Get out!" Fugaku grabbed the inkstone from the table and hurled it at Makoto. Ink traced a black arc through the air.
Makoto nimbly sidestepped. The inkstone smashed against the door panel, splattering into a jet-black flower, like a crooked abstract painting.
"You'll regret this!" Makoto tossed out this sentence, his shoes scraping the floor as he dashed out. The sound of his footsteps faded rapidly as he scurried away.
Hearing this, Fugaku instinctively wanted to roar 'I am the Clan Head', but Makoto's footsteps had already completely disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
The words in Fugaku's throat were swallowed as if scalded by charcoal… stuck on the tip of his tongue, finally turning into a frustrated grunt.
He helplessly rubbed his forehead, massaging the space between his eyebrows with his fingertips, but a slight smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of his mouth. His mind rapidly calculated.
'The one engaged to Makoto should also be good at Taijutsu. This kid is as tough as boiled leather. I, as his father, can't easily hit him, so it's perfect for her to do it.'
'When Makoto challenges me again in the future, I'll have the girl pin him to the ground and give him a good thrashing, make this kid cry and howl. Let's see if he dares disobey me then!'
As for whether a young girl in the clan would listen to Fugaku, he didn't even consider it. After all, he was the Uchiha Clan's Clan Head, with 'extremely high' prestige.
Surely there wouldn't be an Uchiha girl who would rather listen to Makoto than to him, the Clan Head, right? Absolutely impossible.
The snow outside the window had stopped unnoticed. Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, casting a slender shadow on the cover of 'Icha Icha Paradise', like a tail curling up in secret laughter.
The lantern wick under the corridor sparked. Fugaku's shadow quivered along with it. Staring at the abstract ink flower on the door panel, the smile on his face grew wider and wider.
'Brat, you're still green if you think you can outsmart me. Just wait to get beaten up every day from now on!'
After pondering for a long time, Fugaku already had a rough candidate in mind.
Late at night in the Uchiha Clan's compound, one could hear the sound of snow grains sliding from the eaves. Itachi returned home treading on the remaining snow, unmelted snowflakes still clinging to his shoulders, his steps light as if afraid to shatter the moonlight on the ground.
After eating dango with Shisui, Itachi had immediately gone back to doing missions without stopping, hence his late return.
Just as he was taking off his tool pouch, Fugaku called him into the study.
"Itachi, Makoto will be leaving the compound these next few days. You and Shisui protect him from the shadows."
Fugaku had resumed his usual stern Clan Head demeanor, tapping his finger on the table. The candlelight cast uneven lines on his profile. "Any problems?"
Recently, due to Kumogakure's visit, the Military Police Force's tasks were very busy, making it hard to spare dedicated strong members to protect Makoto.
Fortunately, there were still 'idle personnel' at home, someone who wouldn't join the proper Military Police Force, preferring a regular Shinobi Team, plus Shisui. With their combined strength, protecting Makoto was more than enough.
And given Itachi's feelings for Makoto, he would absolutely never let him get hurt.
Hearing this, Itachi was momentarily stunned, the snowflakes on his eyelashes rustling down.
He originally wanted to advise his father not to let Makoto leave the compound, but on second thought, since Fugaku had already agreed, saying anything seemed pointless.
Because neither Fugaku nor Makoto would listen to him, and at home, he could only manage Sasuke.
He nodded slightly, his black pupils reflecting the flickering candlelight: "Alright."
Then, Fugaku suddenly looked up and asked abruptly: "Itachi, today Makoto asked me to arrange a childhood engagement for him, to find a childhood sweetheart."
"You're not young either. Should I help you look for one too, settle it together with Makoto?"
Hearing this, Itachi first showed a startled expression, as if the candlelight had stung his eyes. After all, a child just over three years old actively asking for an engagement sounded utterly shocking.
'But thinking about it, wasn't this just Makoto's usual style?'
'He had always liked various pretty older sisters since he was little, even showing more joy towards those pretty older sisters than towards me, his own blood brother.' Thinking this, Itachi couldn't help but feel a bit dejected.
Then, hearing his father's words about 'looking for' and 'arranging an engagement' for him, Itachi thought about it in his mind, and Shisui's smiling face unexpectedly popped up, making him shake his head rapidly.
"No need, thank you, Father."
Seeing Itachi seemed somewhat resistant, Fugaku didn't press further, waving his hand: "Go back and rest early."
Hearing this, Itachi bowed and turned to leave, the wind from his movement carrying away a wisp of smoke.
Watching Itachi's neat, decisive retreating back, Fugaku frowned, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the ink stain on the edge of the inkstone.
Among his three sons, it was actually Makoto who got along with him best. Itachi was too sensible.
Sensible like a small pine tree weighed down by winter snow, always straightening his back, always addressing him as 'Father' or 'Clan Head', never sharing any of his troubles with him.
This respect was wrapped in distance, far like fog over ice… you could see the outline, but couldn't feel the warmth.
Sasuke was too timid around him, wanting his approval but lacking even the courage to meet his gaze.
Only Makoto was close to him. Although this closeness came with barbs, it was vivid like flowers bursting open in spring.
As he thought of this, Fugaku couldn't help but reveal a bitter smile.
Pulling out a Uchiha Clan's registry with the Uchiha Clan's fan emblem from a drawer, Fugaku's finger paused on a certain page, his fingertip pressing against a raised name on the paper.
'I wonder if this young girl would be willing to interact more with Makoto.'
The moonlight outside the window grew stronger, filtering through the window paper to cast a hazy light on the registry, as if veiling this name in a layer of mystery...