"This subordinate thanks Hokage-sama for his understanding!" Shine bowed deeply, the hem of his black clan robes sweeping across the tobacco ash on the floor. His voice was filled with a perfectly balanced mix of gratitude and resolve.
But the hand hanging at his side had long since clenched into a fist, his nails digging deep into the old scars on his palm—he knew all too well the calculations behind this "consideration." The Lingzhi medicine and candied fruits were nothing more than sugar-coated bait. What Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted was never Shine himself, but the stance of the Uchiha Moderate Faction behind him and the combined power of him and his young cousin.
He recalled his achievements on the battlefield: a fifteen-year-old Jonin was rare enough, but he had also used his Three-Tomoe Sharingan to see through an Iwagakure Jonin's Earth Release trap, countering with a lethal blow after taking the opponent's full force with Taijutsu.
He had also led two fellow Uchiha Ninja to break through an encirclement of three Kumogakure Jonin, carving out a path of blood.
This strength placed him firmly at the forefront of the Uchiha's younger generation. Meanwhile, his cousin Shisui, five years his junior, had become another key piece in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes due to his uncanny talent.
"You and Shisui are both the Qilin children of the Uchiha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice softened further as his gaze drifted toward the Uchiha compound outside the window, his tone full of admiration. "That child Shisui is only ten years old, yet he developed the 'Shisui's Body Flicker Technique' all on his own. Even the veterans in the Anbu can't keep up with him, and his talent for Genjutsu is a once-in-a-century rarity. At his age, he should be enjoying his time at the Ninja Academy, yet he's already performing simple missions in the Anbu, and he handles every one of them beautifully."
Shine kept his eyes downcast, a cold sneer forming on his lips that no one noticed.
Ten years old. It was an age when one should be holding a Kunai and practicing basic hand seals, yet Shisui was being pushed into the Anbu spotlight. That so-called "esteem" was merely using his young cousin as a shield: using his talent to check the Radical Faction within the clan, and using his "loyalty" to silence the Council of Elders' doubts about the Uchiha.
During his last visit home, he had caught Shisui secretly rubbing his legs, which were sore from practicing the Body Flicker Technique. The exhaustion and vigilance hidden in the boy's eyes were heavier than the smoke of the battlefield; they were the shackles of being monitored day and night by Anbu spies.
"I cannot compare to Cousin Shisui's talent," Shine's voice remained respectful, carrying the acknowledgement of an older brother for his younger cousin. "To have such achievements at his age, he will surely be a pillar of the Uchiha in the future. If I can see him during my leave, I will certainly tell him to take care of himself and not push too hard."
"That's the spirit." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled with satisfaction, picking up a vermilion brush to sign his name on the leave permit. As the ink settled, it carried a heavy significance. "With you two cousins working together, you can first calm those impulsive fellows in the clan, and second, show the Village the Uchiha's loyalty."
"You bearing the Jonin emblem at fifteen, and Shisui becoming a rising star in the Anbu at ten—this kind of prosperity is exactly what Konoha wants to see. When this war ends, there will be spots for you in the Anbu, or even seats on the Council of Elders."
These words were like boiling a frog in warm water. Even Utatane Koharu, who had been silent, nodded slightly, and Homura Mitokado stopped tapping his fingers on the armrest. Using young geniuses to bind the Uchiha was the Konoha High Command's unspoken strategy for pacification.
Only Danzo in the corner had his breathing suddenly turn heavy beneath his bandages. His sinister gaze was fixed firmly on Shine's back. To be able to escape unscathed from the death trap he had set at age fifteen, this brat was a greater threat than he had imagined.
Shine took the permit, his fingertips touching the lingering warmth of the ink, but the hatred in his heart surged even more violently.
The so-called seats and esteem were nothing but tools to turn him and his cousin into instruments for Konoha to balance the Uchiha. Even the ten-year-old Shisui had not been spared.
He bowed and saluted, his voice remaining firm. "This subordinate will not fail to meet Hokage-sama's expectations."
As he turned to leave, he could clearly feel Danzo's gaze like needles pricking his back, and he could guess that Hiruzen Sarutobi was watching his retreating figure with calculation.
The moment he stepped out of the Hokage Building, Shine's hand gripping the permit slowly relaxed. The bloodstains on his palm intertwined with the ink—sooner or later, he would personally shatter this cage woven from "esteem."
The moment he unlocked the courtyard gate, warm yellow light leaked from behind the wooden house's paper doors, accompanied by the scent of tea and steam.
Just as Shine took off his shinobi tool pouch, he saw his mother, Uchiha Mayu, handing a tea bowl to Chi on the tatami. His father, Uchiha Senba, sat opposite them, his fingers rubbing the rim of his teacup, while his gaze drifted seemingly at random over the ninja swords at Chi's and Yan's waists—special scabbards that only Uchiha elites were entitled to wear.
"Shine!" Mayu was the first to look up. The silver hairpin in her bun swayed as she stood, the wrinkles on her face smoothing out into a smile. The sound of her skirt sweeping the floor as she hurried forward was exceptionally light. "You child, your letter only said you were coming back, why didn't you send word in advance? Your father and I have been waiting since morning."
Shine's back, which had been tense all the way, suddenly relaxed. The scent of blood from the battlefield seemed to be blown away by this call.
He raised a hand to rub the tip of his nose. His usually cold eyes took on a warm glow, revealing a bright smile characteristic of a young man. "Mother, I'm home."
Before he could finish, Mayu had already stepped forward and pulled him into her arms. Her palms carried the warmth of the stove as she gently patted his back. The force wasn't great, but it was full of comfort.
"You've lost so much weight. You must not have been eating well at the front." Mayu released him and reached out to pinch his cheek. Her eyes reddened slightly when her fingertips touched the stubble on his jaw.
Meanwhile, Senba finally put down his teacup. His gaze moved between the bloodstains on Shine's shoulder that hadn't been washed clean and the tense sitting postures of Chi and Yan. His brow furrowed quietly—
He knew his son too well. Shine was steady by nature and would never bring unfamiliar Clan Members home on a whim, nor would he show such a completely unguarded expression in front of his mother unless something major had happened.
"Mayu, please excuse yourself for a moment," Senba's voice was low, carrying an unquestionable seriousness. "I have something to discuss with Shine."
Mayu's smile froze on her face. She looked at her husband in confusion, then turned to look at Shine.
Fearing his mother would worry, Shine placed his hand over the back of hers, his fingertips bearing the calluses of the battlefield. "Mother, I'm just going to talk to Father about some mission matters. Let's have roasted meat tonight; I haven't tasted your marinated sauce in a long time."
"Alright, alright, I'll go buy some marbled beef right now!" Mayu's attention was immediately diverted. She tousled Shine's hair, turned to grab the bamboo basket behind the door, and didn't forget to look back and remind them before leaving, "Don't talk for too long, get some rest early."
The moment the paper door closed, the wind in the courtyard seemed to go still.
Chi and Yan remained seated as straight as pines, their eyes never wavering for a second—they were Shine's blades, and they would never listen to what they shouldn't..
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808