Chapter 21: If We Don't Move, There's No House for Our Son to Get Married In
Due to Itachi being injured during the sparring practice, today's training had to end abruptly.
After returning to the Uchiha clan grounds, Uchiha Shisui's expression turned serious.
Everyone they encountered wore a troubled look; even seeing the two succeeding geniuses of the Uchiha didn't evoke the usual enthusiasm.
"Something must have happened at the Naka Shrine gathering..." Shisui clenched his fists and said in a low voice, "I should have gone... I can't be absent anymore in the future..."
"Sorry, Shisui, I shouldn't have pestered you to train together this afternoon." Uchiha Itachi tugged at his injured arm; it was a bit itchy.
"Now, how can I blame you? It's my own fault." Shisui comforted the little boy and helped him roll up his sleeve, "I'll take you home first, then go find the clan's Jonin to ask in detail what exactly happened at the gathering!"
"I'll go with you..."
"Caw..."
Kitahara tapped Itachi's head. If it's a problem with the Uchiha clan gathering... Fugaku is the clan head. Who would know better than him?
This cub is getting dumber the more I raise it... Must have been infected by Sasuke!
The ruins in the Uchiha clan grounds caused during the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage had long been cleared. After a simple cleanup, it looked noticeably spacious. Fugaku stood on an open, empty lot, looking around.
As the person shouldering the heaviest responsibility in the clan, while other clan members more or less showed their emotions on their faces, Uchiha Fugaku, on the contrary, remained expressionless, as if nothing mattered.
Only after seeing Uchiha Itachi and Shisui did a smile appear on his face, "Itachi, you're back early today..."
"Dad!"
"Were you both at the training grounds this afternoon? I was just wondering why I didn't see Shisui at the gathering today..." The old father looked at his son with relief, then cast a grateful glance towards Shisui.
You're a sensible kid... The entire Uchiha clan is happy to see the two most promising individuals of the same generation getting along well.
Before he could hear his son's answer, his gaze suddenly landed on Itachi's arm, "Your arm... is it burned?"
"...I'm truly sorry... It's my fault." The words Uchiha Shisui wanted to ask all got swallowed back down. It was better to first explain the situation of the afternoon's sparring practice...
Because I wanted to test a new jutsu, but your son's current skill level is too low, and I accidentally injured him. Instead, the crow he raised helped me perfect the flaws in the new jutsu or something...
It just feels a bit hard to say out loud!
Uchiha Itachi shook his arm, "It happened during our ninja sparring practice, and it's already bandaged. It's nothing serious."
The little boy was clearly better at phrasing things, vaguely glossing over the process and focusing on the result, making the ninja sparring practice sound like just a small training routine.
Kitahara saw through Itachi's little trick... Such eloquence... Some ninjas stumble and can't even utter a fluent sentence... The crow glanced cryptically at Shisui.
Uchiha Fugaku laughed heartily, "Oh? Truly my son, already able to have sparring practice with Shisui?"
"..." This time, Uchiha Itachi was genuinely too embarrassed to speak.
"Caw..."
The family cub was used as a punching bag... What's there to praise...
Shisui awkwardly changed the subject, "By the way, Senior Fugaku, did something happen at the gathering? I saw many people in the clan... looking quite down?"
Some people just shouldn't speak if they don't know how...
Hearing Shisui's question, Uchiha Fugaku's good mood visibly faded, "The village held a meeting. They're demanding we move the clan grounds to that area in the northeast corner... It seems everyone knows this news now..."
"But, wouldn't the Uchiha be even further from the village then? And our clan's relationship with the village is already..."
Shisui's reaction was different from the indignation of other clan members upon hearing the news. He clearly realized the consequences this would entail, especially at this sensitive juncture.
"Shisui..." Fugaku interrupted him and continued, "The other major clans in the village have all agreed."
The unspoken meaning in his words, he believed the young man could grasp... The Uchiha clan... after the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage, had been isolated by the entire village.
Seeing Shisui standing there stunned, Fugaku didn't continue discussing the matter and gently put an arm around his son, "I'll take Itachi home first."
"Goodbye, Shisui."
"Caw..."
The Konoha leadership's meeting regarding reconstruction after the Nine-Tails' rampage was a political game, or perhaps, a tentative act of coercion aimed at the Uchiha clan.
If the Police Force were to launch a rebellion, the village would swiftly cut its losses... Given Konoha's current situation, many major clans wouldn't stand idly by, not even the Aburame clan, which had the most marginal presence.
If the Uchiha agreed to relocate, then they would employ the "boiling a frog in lukewarm water" strategy... An Uchiha clan isolated from the village center, even if they launched a rebellion in the future, could be dealt with by ANBU.
The Konoha leadership all understood this principle and naturally chose to stand together.
"Dad, are we moving?" Uchiha Itachi didn't understand the underlying issues yet; he just wanted to know if their family would really get a new house.
"Yes..." Looking at his son's eyes, Fugaku suddenly chuckled lightly, "Perhaps... Itachi will really like that place... I heard they built a new training ground there."
"That's great! Today's training ground was severely damaged by Kitahara..."
"...Caw?"
Kitahara gently nipped the little boy's hair. Wasn't that to vent your anger for you...
Honestly speaking, putting aside strategic significance and the village relationship, the Uchiha clan did indeed need new grounds... The population was increasing, and houses were becoming scarce.
Fugaku's family of four, plus a crow, and they had two sons. If even one child got married, their house wouldn't be big enough...
The clan head was truly in a miserable state...
Another prominent clan head in Konoha, Hiashi Hyuga, currently lived in a large house by himself... In the future, if he had two daughters, even if both married into the family, it would be more than enough...
Upon hearing the news of moving, Uchiha Mikoto's face showed some worry. Even the fact that new houses would be allocated based on population clearly couldn't cheer her up.
"We've lived here for so long, I'm a bit reluctant to leave..."
"In the end... they're still the old neighbors." Thinking about those neighbors made Fugaku feel quite vexed. "These days will be hard on you. Slowly start packing..."
"Yes." Mikoto turned to look at her eldest son teasing his younger brother, "Itachi, I'll have to trouble you to look after your younger brother from now on..."
"Okay!"
Hearing their conversation, the crow took flight and landed on Itachi's shoulder, its crimson eyes glaring fiercely at Sasuke in the swaddling clothes, "...Caw!"
"Pff... Pff..."
Sasuke showed no fear, vigorously spitting at the crow.
Little brat, you're finished!
(End of this chapter)