Chapter 15: A Sister's Heart
Hearing Uchiha Raizen's answer—that his ability was limited—Uchiha Oki's expression softened, a subtle weight seeming to lift from his shoulders.
"Is that the truth?" Uchiha Oki asked, needing confirmation.
"Yes. I'm sorry I cannot be of greater service to the clan," Uchiha Raizen replied, feigning disappointment.
"Do not apologize. It is what it is." Uchiha Oki waved a dismissive hand. "Now, you came here to see me. What is it you need?"
"Master, it's like this..." Uchiha Raizen quickly explained the situation with his sister's forced betrothal to Uchiha Hakusai.
Uchiha Oki listened, his brow furrowing. This was a delicate matter. Intervening in another family's domestic affairs, even as a teacher, was fraught with difficulty.
"Do you want me to solve this for you," Uchiha Oki asked, "or do you want my counsel on how to solve it yourself?"
"I want your counsel, Master," Uchiha Raizen answered without hesitation. Relying on others was a temporary fix. True resolution had to come from his own strength.
"Good. The problem you face is not that your sister is marrying into the eighth elder's family. The problem is your family's poverty—the lack of provisions for the coming year. Solve that fundamental issue, and your sister will not need to marry someone she despises. Furthermore, you must make your household more secure and self-sufficient. Only then will your sister have the freedom to choose a partner she truly desires. Do you understand?" Uchiha Oki's advice was direct and cut to the core of the issue.
Uchiha Raizen felt as if a fog had cleared. Of course. The problem wasn't the marriage itself; it was the desperation born from poverty. If he could provide for his family, the leverage would vanish.
"Master, I understand. Thank you." With a bow, Uchiha Raizen turned and left, his mind already racing. He had to act fast. The betrothal was tomorrow. He needed to secure resources, and he needed to do it now.
When he returned home, his mother and sisters were waiting for him, their faces etched with worry and a strange resolve.
"Uchiha Raizen," his eldest sister, Uchiha Kuna, began, her voice trembling but firm. "I know you mean well. But this... this is my choice. No one is forcing me. I'm tired of this life! I'm tired of the constant struggle! Do you understand? You never cared about this family before! No matter how hard we worked, no matter how tired we were, you just ate and slept and waited for the day to end. You were the man of this house, but you were a ghost in it! For years, you were useless! So I want to leave. I will leave, by any means I can!"
Her words hit him like a physical blow, each one a lash from the past life of the boy whose body he now inhabited. He had been prepared to tell them his plan, to assure them he would provide. But her outburst, born from years of pent-up frustration and sacrifice, left him speechless and hollowed out.
He knew the truth in her words. The memories were there, shameful and clear.
"I see," he finally whispered, his voice flat. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the house, the door sliding shut behind him, quieter and more final than a slam.
The three women stood in silence, watching him go, a mixture of guilt and hopelessness in their eyes.
"Mother... was that... was that the right thing to do?" Uchiha Shiori whispered, her voice small. "He's changed. He really has..."
"Don't, Shiori," Uchiha Kuna interrupted, though her own face was pale with distress. "Mother must have her reasons."
Uchiha Raizen didn't look back. He walked until he found himself at the bank of the river that ran through the Uchiha lands. He sat on the cold, damp earth, staring at the dark, flowing water, the image of his sister's anguished face seared into his mind. The protective fire that had burned in him earlier was now doused, replaced by a cold, heavy understanding of the damage that had to be repaired, and the sheer scale of the challenge ahead.