"Captain, everyone—see you tomorrow!"
None of them wanted to show their vulnerability before their comrades. After saying their goodbyes to Uchiha Yu, they dispersed one by one, returning to their homes.
Watching them leave, Uchiha Yu's lips curved faintly. He knew that after tonight, the Uchiha—driven by their emotions—would experience another surge in their spiritual power. Their eye power would soon push past its current limits and ascend another level.
Through sight and perception, he could already sense the Yin Release chakra in their minds stirring, amplifying their visual power.
When both eye power and spirit reached their personal peak, the nine Uchiha he had taken with him would finally have the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
All they would need then was a single trigger—an emotional spark to bring forth the unique power hidden within their eyes.
After everyone left, Uchiha Yu planned to visit what had once been his home.
It was a small wooden house—timber walls, a courtyard, a flower bed. Not a large place, but one filled with the memories of its former owner.
Just then, Mikoto quietly stepped up beside him and said softly, "Yu-kun… your house wasn't rebuilt because the Tsuchikage didn't have the detailed blueprints. If you don't mind… you could stay with Sasuke and me."
Uchiha Yu frowned slightly, studying her face.
"You tampered with the blueprints, didn't you?" he asked, sighing lightly.
Caught red-handed, Mikoto's cheeks flushed crimson. She bit her lip and looked down, saying nothing.
"That was dangerous of you," Yu said evenly.
"Yu-kun… are you going to punish me?" Mikoto murmured, taking a small, deliberate step closer.
She'd already bathed—her body carried a faint, delicate fragrance.
Under the moonlight, her dark eyes shimmered with a complex mix of shyness, fear, and curiosity. She kept stealing glances at Yu, then looking away, walking a fine line at the edge of danger—yet clearly enjoying testing his limits.
The next instant—
"Ah—!"
Mikoto gasped softly as an irresistible force pulled her by the arm. Her body trembled as Uchiha Yu dragged her into the nearby Police Department building.
This place had once been the Uchiha clan's center of authority.
Moonlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the empty, unfurnished hall—it still had the rough simplicity of an unfinished structure.
Even the lightest footsteps echoed faintly through the silence.
Yet at this moment—
it somehow felt perfectly fitting.
…
…
Late into the night, Mikoto walked down the narrow path, smoothing out the wrinkles on her clan robe and tucking her messy hair behind her ear.
Her steps were slow and unsteady as she returned to the clan head's residence with Uchiha Yu.
"Sasuke won't mind me staying with you two, will he?" Yu asked casually, reaching out to neaten a strand of her hair.
"I talked with Sasuke before you came back," Mikoto replied with a gentle smile. "He was happy that you'd be living with us. It's just… you know—relationships take time to adjust."
They reached the main hall.
A faint candlelight flickered within.
Creaaak—
The wooden door slid open.
"Sasuke…"
Mikoto was surprised to see young Sasuke asleep at the low table, his head resting beside a half-melted candle.
"Phew…"
The boy's breathing was calm and steady. When he sensed someone's presence, his brows furrowed faintly in his sleep.
Uchiha Yu's gaze swept across young Sasuke, then around the house. The walls of the main hall had been freshly painted, and the floors were made of fine polished wood.
However, there wasn't a single piece of furniture inside—only a small tea table at the center.
It was obvious that Mikoto must have told Ōnoki or the Iwa-nin builders that this place belonged to Uchiha Yu. That would explain why it had been rebuilt so meticulously.
Mikoto walked over to Sasuke and gently reached out, intending to carry him back to his bedroom.
But Sasuke sensed movement and suddenly opened his eyes. When he saw his mother, he rubbed them sleepily and said with delight,
"Mother, you're back—"
Before he could finish, his eyes caught sight of the man standing behind her—Uchiha Yu.
At once, Sasuke snapped fully awake. He stood up straight, posture stiff, and looked up at Yu nervously.
"Sasuke, go on, greet him," Mikoto said softly, ruffling his hair.
Sasuke's cheeks turned bright red. He fidgeted and stammered, "I… I…"
Uchiha Yu walked up to him and gently patted his shoulder. "If you're tired, you should get some sleep."
Just as Mikoto had said—changing their relationship would take time, and patience.
But Sasuke suddenly shook his head, eyes shining with determination.
"I'm… I'm not tired! I don't have to go to the academy tomorrow anyway. Can I talk with you for a bit? You're always busy, and I never get to see you. I have a lot of questions I've been wanting to ask in person."
Mikoto's brows drew together slightly. "Sasuke…" she said in a low voice.
Yu lifted a hand to stop her and said calmly, "It's fine. Let him ask."
This, after all, was part of the process of change. Without it, Yu knew that the "side mission" revolving around Sasuke could never be completed.
After all, asking a seven- or eight-year-old boy to suddenly call a stranger "father" was asking far too much.
So, the three of them sat down around the tea table and talked late into the night. Sasuke asked about everything—from the Uchiha clan's escape and survival, to how one could train and awaken the Sharingan.
Uchiha Yu answered every question patiently.
Many of the doubts in Sasuke's heart were resolved, and the distance between them began to fade. Mikoto, sitting beside them, watched with quiet happiness.
She was already exhausted, but she stayed up anyway—worried that Sasuke might say something inappropriate in his half-sleepy state.
Eventually, Sasuke's voice grew drowsy. "I'm sorry… I'm getting sleepy. Thank you for talking with me so long. Let's continue tomorrow, okay? Will you be busy then?"
"Yes," Yu replied. "The village is short on core members. Tomorrow morning, I'll need to summon the Reanimated Uchiha clan."
That, after all, was the reason he had brought Orochimaru back with him. By tomorrow, it would no longer be a secret.
"Alright!" Sasuke said, nodding eagerly.
In his heart, he was overjoyed. To him, Uchiha Yu sharing such information meant he trusted him—acknowledged him.
After all, anything Yu dealt with these days was bound to be top-secret at the highest level of the village.
Even though Sasuke didn't really understand what "Reanimated Uchiha clan" meant, he was happy nonetheless.
After that conversation, Sasuke realized that being around Uchiha Yu didn't feel as suffocating as being around his late father, Fugaku.
When Fugaku had been alive, he always wore a stern expression, constantly comparing Sasuke to Itachi and reminding him how far he lagged behind.
But when Yu mentioned the Reanimation of the Uchiha clan, Mikoto, who had been dozing off beside them, suddenly opened her eyes wide.
Her face froze in shock, her expression turning complicated as she looked at Yu.
Reanimating the Uchiha clan…
Could it be that he meant—!?
…
Konoha Cemetery.
The night was dark, and the wind blew cold.
The surroundings were silent, though shadows moved quietly among the graves as Orochimaru directed his subordinates at work.
After the Uchiha clan's extermination, in order to win over Itachi, Hiruzen Sarutobi had permitted all Uchiha corpses to be buried here in the ninja cemetery.
°°°
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