Chapter 85: One of Life's Greatest Joys Is Becoming a Father(Don't Worry)
Konoha.
Somewhere underground.
Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, and Spiral Zetsu had gathered there.
Black Zetsu extended a black tendril and slammed it against the stone wall. Although it made no sound, the impact still caused Spiral Zetsu beside him to shudder.
It looked at Black Zetsu's displeased expression.
"Black Zetsu, are you unhappy?"
Black Zetsu glanced at the idiot with undisguised contempt.
"Uchiha Madara being able to remain in Konoha is half thanks to you."
"Hehe, you can't put it that way."
Spiral Zetsu put down the branch in his hand and grinned.
"Madara-sama did something incomprehensible. You can't blame me for that. After all, I can't disobey Madara-sama's orders."
"And now?"
Teeth appeared in Black Zetsu's mouth as he gritted them angrily.
"The longer he stays in Konoha, the greater the risk that his identity will be exposed."
"No, he won't!"
Spiral Zetsu raised two fingers.
"So far, only two people have discovered Madara-sama's true identity."
"The first is Uchiha Ryoichi."
"The second is Uchiha Saburo, the Grand Elder."
"Two?"
Black Zetsu stared at White Zetsu in disbelief before rushing over, grabbing Spiral Zetsu by the shoulders, and shaking him.
"There are already two?"
Madara had only returned to the Uchiha clan a little over ten days ago, and two people already knew his identity?
"Hmm?"
Spiral Zetsu scratched his head and looked at Black Zetsu in confusion.
"Is that a lot?"
"Isn't it enough?!"
At this point, White Zetsu stood up and walked between the two, trying to mediate.
"Okay, okay."
"Madara's vitality is already close to exhaustion. Nothing will happen."
"Even if someone in Konoha discovers Madara's whereabouts, we can immediately take him out of the village."
"We should focus our attention on Obito and Nagato now."
Black Zetsu thought about it for a while and realized that this was indeed the case.
They might abandon Madara, but they would not completely give up on him.
With that thought, he released the grinning Spiral Zetsu and warned him.
"Listen carefully. Absolutely nothing can go wrong during these remaining days."
"If Madara suddenly dies one day, you must revive him as quickly as possible."
"Got it. I understand."
Hearing Spiral Zetsu's perfunctory response, Black Zetsu stared at him for a long while before asking,
"Have you obtained any noteworthy information concerning Konoha recently?"
"Yes!"
Spiral Zetsu slammed his right fist into his left palm, his face filled with excitement.
"The children of the Uchiha clan really respect Madara-sama and me!"
"..."
Black Zetsu stared at Spiral Zetsu in confusion.
What exactly were this guy and Uchiha Madara doing?
Whatever.
He was too tired.
Although he had no idea why the Uchiha children respected Spiral Zetsu, he didn't want to continue discussing the subject and give this chatterbox another opportunity to ramble.
"Idiot. I'm asking for information related to Konoha."
"Oh. Recently, Obito has been running to Konoha every day, often staring blankly at the Nine-Tails."
"Also, Uchiha Asuka just brought an Uzumaki woman to get her hair done."
"And—"
"Get out!"
Seeing Black Zetsu suddenly become angry again, Spiral Zetsu shook his head and muttered,
"The Uchiha children aren't cute at all."
At the same time.
At a hair salon, secretly cooperating with Asuka.
Uzuki Yugao stared at Kana's newly dyed white hair for quite some time. Eventually, she raised her head and gave Asuka a strange look.
She had always felt that her teacher had some rather unique tastes.
With so many colors to choose from, he had immediately decided on white without even thinking.
"Teacher, couldn't we dye it black?"
"Absolutely not!"
Asuka shook his head and explained,
"Look at her figure and appearance."
"If we dyed her hair black, she'd look a little too much like Uchiha Mikoto."
"You know, my relationship with that family is pretty ordinary."
"That's fine!"
At this moment, Uzumaki Kana lowered her gaze slightly toward her silver hair, her tone carrying a hint of resentment.
"Since you forcibly dyed my original red hair, I'll accept whatever color you choose."
"Also, when are you going to untie me?"
"It hurts a little."
"I won't run away."
Hearing this, Uzuki Yugao's body stiffened.
Ignoring the murderous look Asuka was giving her, she awkwardly stuck out her tongue before glancing at the ropes binding Kana's hands and feet.
"I didn't expect Kana-nee-san to become so resistant as soon as she heard we were going to Konoha. And she became even more resistant when she heard she might have to join the Uchiha clan."
Uzumaki Kana's cheek twitched.
Her clan had once enjoyed a good relationship with Konoha, but that had been before the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed.
She no longer wanted to think about the various conspiracies behind the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools.
But the Uchiha clan...
During the Warring States Era, her clan's relationship with the Uchiha could hardly be called harmonious.
The Uchiha clan had failed to defeat the Senju clan in several battles before the founding of Konoha. Part of the reason was that although the Uchiha possessed top-tier combat power, many other shinobi clans had also contributed to the fighting.
If those contributions were ranked, the Uzumaki clan would have ranked very highly.
Who knew what fate would await her if she went to the Uchiha clan?
"Looks like I don't have a chance to change my mind anymore, do I?"
Hearing the faint voice beside him, Asuka glared fiercely at Hyuga Hanahana before nodding.
"You originally did."
"But after a certain Hyuga admitted that she was the second person, you don't anymore."
Kana's gaze immediately landed on a certain Hyuga.
Seeing Hanahana press her feet firmly against the ground as though she had resigned herself to her fate, Kana spoke softly.
"Then what are you planning to do with me?"
"That's difficult to say."
Asuka crossed his arms and smacked his lips.
"Probably... maybe... well... forget it. I'll go ask Grandpa Second."
Half a day later.
Uchiha Clan Compound.
In Uchiha Ryoichi's living room.
Crash!
Ryoichi's right hand trembled, and the teacup in his hand fell directly to the floor, breaking into two pieces.
He looked at the white-haired woman standing in the courtyard.
Then he looked at Asuka, sitting in the chair on his left.
Finally, he turned toward Uchiha Madara beside him.
His expression became frighteningly dark.
What the hell?
Why did this grandson keep bringing people home?
Not long ago, he had brought his cousin back.
Peace had lasted for only a few days, and now he'd brought back an Uzumaki.
Damn your grandfather!
The clans in the shinobi world capable of controlling tailed beasts.
Uchiha.
Uzumaki.
The people in the shinobi world capable of controlling tailed beasts.
Uchiha Madara.
The Uzumaki.
And now all of you capable-of-controlling-tailed-beast people have come to my house, haven't you?
Recalling what had happened after the clan meeting half a year ago, Uchiha Ryoichi asked grimly,
"Asuka, do you remember the question you asked me six months ago?"
Asuka took a puzzled sip from his teacup.
"What question?"
"You patted me on the shoulder and asked, 'Elder Ryoichi, when are we launching the coup?'"
"Coup?"
Asuka's body trembled.
He hurriedly shook his head.
"I never said anything like that."
He glared fiercely at Asuka, then looked at his cousin's surprised expression and immediately complained,
"This bastard patted me on the shoulder and said he wanted a 'coup.' I even thought I had been marginalized and was completely unaware of something concerning the clan's survival."
"Later, when he realized I had no intention of launching a coup, he cleverly tried to persuade me."
"If someone says the position of Hokage will never fall into our hands, shouldn't we launch a coup?"
"After I firmly rejected him, this bastard never brought it up again. I thought his ambitions had died down."
"Who would have thought?"
"His ambition to launch a coup hadn't diminished at all. It had only grown stronger."
"Not only was he secretly bringing danger to this family..."
"Hehe."
Hearing Madara suddenly let out a cold laugh, Ryoichi swallowed and immediately changed his words.
"Not only has he failed to give up on the idea of a coup, he's also been trying every possible way to pull me down."
At this point, he angrily pointed at Asuka.
"Why didn't you arrange for her to stay at your house? Why did you have to bring her here?"
Asuka put down his teacup, crossed his legs, and slowly said,
"Is it because you used to stand against the wall muttering to yourself all the time?"
"As if saying that daughters all like wearing cotton-padded jackets, while you wanted a down jacket."
"They say having sons is hard work, while having daughters is a blessing."
"As if a thousand gold coins were an enormous fortune—"
"Stop changing the subject."
Ryoichi gritted his teeth and interrupted him, his expression dark.
"Answer my question."
Asuka gestured toward Kana, who was standing absentmindedly in the courtyard, and sighed.
"Well, winter is still half a year away."
"So I brought you a little cotton-padded jacket and a little scarf in advance."
"..."
Ryoichi stared at Asuka with a face full of question marks.
A cotton-padded jacket?
A scarf?
I must have fallen under a genjutsu again.
I must have heard him wrong just now.
With that thought, he tugged on Madara's sleeve and whispered,
"Cousin, what did he just say?"
Uchiha Madara gazed through the window at the beautiful scenery outside and spoke softly.
"Tsuru's grandson thinks you really want a daughter."
"He brought you an Uzumaki daughter."
"And an Uzumaki granddaughter."
A brief silence followed.
Then a sorrowful, broken voice, pushed beyond the limits of what the vocal cords could endure, echoed from the living room all the way into the street outside.
"Uchiha Asuka!"