Senba personally poured a cup of hot tea for Shine, the tea liquid creating fine ripples in the bowl: "Tell me, what happened? Those two children, are they your death warriors?"
Shine's hand holding the tea bowl paused, the steam blurring his gaze, but it couldn't hide the determination in his voice: "Father, I need your support."
Senba's fingertips suddenly tightened, his knuckles turning white: "What on earth happened? What do you want me to do? Even if I have to fall out with the Council of Elders, I..."
"I was assassinated," Shine interrupted him, his voice as calm as if he were speaking about someone else's business. "Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura set up a trap together, sending an Elite Jōnin and seven subordinates to surround and kill me."
"Bang!" Senba slammed the tea bowl onto the low table, hot tea splashing onto the edge. He suddenly stood up, his usually gentle face distorted by rage, his voice hoarse like a broken gong: "Bastard! That old fox! He clearly promised me back then that as long as I retreated into neutrality and no longer interfered in clan affairs, he would keep you and Shisui safe!"
Shine froze completely on the spot, the tea bowl in his hand nearly falling to the ground—he had never imagined his father's "neutrality" was forced.
Senba panted heavily, turning his back to look at the portrait of Uchiha Kagami hanging on the wall, his voice gradually sinking: "Ten years ago, your cousin Uchiha Ming, the most outspoken one in the Moderate Faction, was ambushed by 'Iwagakure Ninja' during a mission... but I found Kunai scratches from the Konoha Anbu on his body."
He turned around, his eyes filled with suppressed pain: "At that time, I wanted to take my confidants and join Elder Setsuna's Radical Faction to fight the Village!"
"But Danzo came to the door, holding photos of you and the newly born Shisui, saying if I dared to move a single step, you two wouldn't see the next day's sun."
Senba pounded his fist against his chest, "I am a direct descendant of Uchiha Kagami, and back then I held one-third of the Moderate Faction's power!"
"But I could only retreat, watching my supporters leave one by one, from more than a dozen Jonin to now, where only five of my cousins still follow me..."
Shine's heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a hand, the pain making his breathing tremble.
He finally understood his father's silence over the years, understood why his father always hid in the corner drinking at Family gatherings—that wasn't cowardice, but using his own dignity to trade for his and Shisui's lives.
"Father." Shine slowly stood up, the self-reproach in his eyes fading, leaving only cold determination, "I want to change all this. I want to make it so the Uchiha are no longer at the mercy of others. I need your and my uncles' power."
Senba gave a bitter smile and sat down dejectedly: "But we only have five people..."
"No." Shine shook his head, his lips curling into a confident arc, "There's also Elder Setsuna's Radical Faction, and my ten subordinates."
"What?" Senba looked up abruptly, his face full of disbelief.
The next second, his pupils constricted sharply, and his scalp went numb—Shine's eyes turned crimson, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly before finally connecting to form a strange pattern of four intersecting wind blades, as if a storm was brewing deep within his pupils.
"Man... Mangekyo Sharingan?!" Senba's voice trembled with excitement as he suddenly straightened his back, which had been hunched for many years. He pointed his finger at Shine's eyes, unable to even speak coherently, "You... you actually awakened the Mangekyo?!"
Aka and En stood up at the same time and knelt on one knee, their Three-Tomoe Sharingan burning in their sockets, their faces filled with unconcealed fanaticism: "Serving my Lord!"
Senba felt dizzy and lightheaded, yet his entire body's blood was boiling.
Three-Tomoe Elite Jōnin!
Uchiha Clan Three-Tomoe Elite Jōnin capable of taking on three ordinary Elite Jōnin single-handedly!
There are fewer than a hundred in the entire Uchiha, and at his Peak, he only had seven under him!
And these two were just Shine's subordinates!
"Father." Shine deactivated his Mangekyo, walked up to Senba, and gently pressed his hand on his shoulder, "I have eight more subordinates like them. Plus you and the uncles, and joining Elder Setsuna... we have the power to overturn this chessboard."
Senba looked at his son's firm gaze, as if seeing his younger self, and also seeing Uchiha Kagami's spirit from back then.
He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly slammed his fist on the table, a long-lost fighting spirit igniting in his eyes: "Good! I'll go contact your uncles right now! Since Hiruzen and Danzo shed all pretense first, then we'll settle this account with them properly!"
Shine watched his father's face regain its glow, his lips unconsciously turning upward—he knew that from this moment on, he was no longer alone.
From outside the window came the sound of Muyu's footsteps returning from buying ingredients, bringing with them the warmth of everyday life. The heavy atmosphere inside the room was diluted by this vibrant air, and a long-awaited Family feast was laid out.
The charcoal fire in the grill set up in the courtyard was already burning. Muyu spread the marinated Marbled Beef slices onto the iron mesh, the sizzling sound of fat accompanied by the rich aroma of sauce spreading out, instantly enveloping the entire yard.
Shine helped turn the skewers, catching a glimpse of his father pulling out a bottle of long-treasured Sake from the storage room, the wax seal on the porcelain bottle bearing the marks of time. "We must have a good drink today."
Senba wiped the bottle, the smile in his eyes unable to be hidden.
Aka and En sat stiffly in the corner, but Muyu insisted on placing a large piece of charred, fragrant beef into each of their bowls: "You've suffered at the front lines with Shine, eat more."
The two looked at each other and bowed their heads respectfully in thanks, their movements perfectly synchronized. They even maintained a bit of vigilance while chewing—years of battlefield career had made them accustomed to being constantly on guard, and only in front of Shine and Senba did they dare to let down their guard slightly.
Senba filled Shine's and his own cups, then poured some Fruit Wine for Aka and En. The crisp sound of cups clinking was exceptionally clear in the night.
"Back then, your cousin loved your mother's grilled beef the most." Senba took a sip of wine, his cheeks flushing as he became more talkative, "If he were still here and saw how you are now, he would definitely be even happier than I am."
Shine's hand holding the cup tightened. Just as he was about to speak, Senba waved his hand, "Let's not talk about that. Today we only speak of happy things—my son awakened the Mangekyo, there is hope for the Uchiha!"
After three rounds of drinks, Senba was already drunk. His words were full of the high-spirited vigor of his youth, talking about how he used to lead subordinates on missions and how he argued for the Uchiha's rights at the Council of Elders. In the end, his voice gradually faded as he mumbled "I'm sorry, brothers" while slumped on the table.
Shine silently draped a coat over his father, while Muyu cleared the dishes with reddened eyes, sighing softly: "Your dad has been holding it in for too long these past ten years."
...
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808