"Turns out Seikū was stationed on the Iwa frontlines… shame I never ran into him."
"Now that Iwa has signed the peace treaty, he should be back soon. When that happens, the whole group can gather again."
"After fighting life-and-death battles on the front, I bet Seikū's blade work has made huge progress."
"…"
"Yuan, do you remember Aida-suke?"
"Yeah. Last I recall, he collapsed after being hit by a Sand puppeteer's poison needle. How is he now?"
"He's dead. Sand's poisons are too strange and unpredictable. Even though he was brought back to the village, the med-nin couldn't stop the toxin."
"…That's a real shame. Aida would've made a good friend if he had survived."
Gen lowered his head.
"Yuan, from what I heard… among all our classmates, counting you and me, only seven are still alive. Two entire sixth-year classes died on the battlefield."
"War is cruel," Yuan said quietly. "Once we step onto a battlefield, we only have one choice—fight to live."
Side by side, the two walked toward the compound gates, falling silent at the grim news.
After exiting the Uchiha district, Gen stopped.
"We'll part here, Yuan. See you later."
Yuan gave him a meaningful smile.
"Gen—don't forget to think about what I told you. I'd be very happy if you became my little sister's husband one day."
Gen's face instantly turned bright red.
Flustered, he vanished with a Body Flicker.
Yuan watched him disappear, chuckled softly, then turned back toward the compound—
Whoosh!
A figure flashed into view ahead of him.
"Captain Mitsuumi," Yuan called out calmly, "you were looking for me?"
Standing on the road was Uchiha Mitsuumi, the captain of Police Force Third Platoon.
He studied Yuan with deep approval.
"Yuan, I've heard everything. You sent the Fourth Raikage running back home—well done. Thanks to you, our clan's name shakes the world even further."
"Thank you for the praise," Yuan replied evenly.
Suddenly—
Mitsuumi's eyes turned scarlet.
Three-tomoe Sharingan.
A violent surge of ocular power plunged directly toward Yuan's spirit.
Wind burst outward—
an invisible shock rippled between them.
Yuan frowned.
"Captain Mitsuumi… are you challenging me?"
His aura surged like a storm front, thick and suffocating—
If Yuan hadn't sensed the probe was only a brief test, he wouldn't have stopped at words.
He would've counterattacked instantly and decisively.
Mitsuumi paled for a moment before forcing a dry smile.
"Don't be angry, Yuan. I only wanted to know whether you've awakened your Sharingan yet."
He blinked, stunned.
"To think… you still haven't awakened it."
Yuan's oppressive aura dissipated.
"Sorry," he replied coldly. "I firmly believe that even without the Sharingan, I can become strong."
"True," Mitsuumi admitted, "but once your Sharingan awakens, you'll reach heights far beyond now."
His expression shifted into seriousness.
"Yuan, the strength you've shown… in the whole clan, only Shisui can truly be compared to you.
I want to invite you to join us."
Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"Join you?"
"My uncle is the Second Elder, Uchiha Shin," Mitsuumi explained.
"I want to invite you to become a retainer-nin of the Main House's Second Branch."
"A retainer-nin"…
A shinobi who pledges loyalty to a particular family line.
"If you agree," Mitsuumi continued, "your position in the clan will rise immediately.
All cultivation resources and equipment you need will be provided by our branch.
We even have methods to stimulate and awaken the Sharingan.
And if you accept, I can appoint you as Vice-Captain of Police Force Third Platoon right away."
Yuan now understood—Mitsuumi was here to recruit him.
After a short silence, he shook his head.
"Captain Mitsuumi, I'm not interested in becoming a retainer."
Mitsuumi's brows tightened, then relaxed.
With genuine regret, he said:
"…Very well. The Second Elder thinks highly of you. If you run into trouble someday, come to me."
With those words, he flickered away into the distance.
Senju Clan Grounds
In a large estate located at the clan's center—
A young woman sat cross-legged in a quiet training hall, her breathing slow and controlled as she refined chakra.
"Sis, I'm back!"
Gen's cheerful voice echoed through the house before he hurried inside.
The girl slowly exhaled, opened her eyes, and looked at him.
"You're back, Gen. The Uchiha didn't give you trouble, did they?"
She knew Gen intended to visit Yuan, and she had advised him not to go straight into the Uchiha compound.
But her normally obedient brother had insisted on going.
Gen smiled.
"Don't worry, Sis. No one gave me trouble. Actually, the Uchiha weren't like the rumors say.
Most people were cold, but quite a few were surprisingly friendly."
He handed her a paper bag.
"These are snacks from their compound—foods I've never seen anywhere else in the village. I thought you'd like them."
She tapped his forehead with a slender finger.
"I'm not as greedy as you."
Still, she opened the bag—inside was a cup of milk tea and two boxes of sweets.
"This one is caramel–vanilla milk tea. That's a red bean tart. And that's fruit cake," Gen explained helpfully.
She took a sip of the milk tea—
and her expression brightened in surprise.
Then she tasted the tart and the cake—her eyes curved in pleasure.
"These are really delicious… I didn't expect the Uchiha to make such good desserts."
After finishing the milk tea, she asked:
"You met Uchiha Yuan?"
"Mm. We even had a match."
"And the result?"
As she asked, she casually smacked away Gen's reaching hand and took another red bean tart for herself, nibbling it with obvious enjoyment.
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