Chapter 76: Delicious Meatballs (Part 1)
The sunlight was gentle and warm, and the crisp morning air carried a refreshing coolness that made the entire village feel peaceful.
Early that morning, the Elder opened his door and, as usual, headed toward the Uchiha district's morning market.
The streets were already bustling with life. People wandered between stalls selling fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat, while others chatted over breakfast, exchanging stories of daily life. The atmosphere was both tranquil and vibrant.
A beautiful, harmonious scene unfolded before his eyes.
The Elder loved sights like this.
Every one of his children had died on the battlefield.
His parents had also died on the battlefield.
To become an orphan in middle age... there was no greater tragedy.
Yet wasn't this peaceful morning exactly what those who had sacrificed their lives had wanted to protect?
Watching Tsuru hurry past, the Elder reached out and stopped him.
"You're in such a rush this early in the morning."
He gestured toward the lively marketplace.
"Don't you want to stop and admire this view?"
He wished time would slow down.
Better yet... stop forever.
He wanted to witness more of this peaceful world—for all those who had fallen in battle, to see everything they never had the chance to see.
That way, when he met them again after death...
...he could tell them all about it.
As he spoke, he noticed Tsuru staring at him with a look of complete disbelief.
The Elder tapped his cane impatiently.
"What?
"Seeing this doesn't move you at all?
"The very thing you fought to protect is right here before your eyes. Don't you want to stay and enjoy it with this old man?"
Tsuru inhaled sharply.
Has this old geezer finally lost it?
"Old man."
"When I went to war, it wasn't because I wanted to protect anything."
"I was drafted."
"When I graduated from the Ninja Academy, the only techniques I knew were the Three Basic Techniques."
"The traps we learned to set back then... even wild boars knew how to avoid them."
"You think cannon fodder like me wanted to go to the battlefield?"
"Do you know how Senju Nawaki died?"
"He stepped on a trap."
"A trap that even a wild boar would have avoided."
"He was blown to pieces."
"Back then, I was even weaker than Nawaki."
"The only reason I survived and came home was pure luck."
His blunt words shattered the Elder's romantic fantasy.
The old man immediately exploded.
"Your clan has mountains of powerful ninjutsu!"
"And you still have the nerve to claim you went to war with only the Three Basic Techniques?"
Tsuru rolled his eyes.
"You really think too highly of me."
"You expected a freshly graduated Genin to use Great Fireball: Annihilation?"
"Enough! Enough!"
At that moment, Ryoichi walked over with a cup of soy milk, cutting off the argument.
After taking a sip, he glanced at the panting Elder and said casually,
"The younger generation doesn't think the same way you do anymore."
"So why take everything so seriously?"
"You're right."
The Elder watched Tsuru walk away and slowly nodded.
He's still young.
He hasn't experienced enough.
It's only natural for his perspective to be shallow.
After all... this old man's own thinking was just as shallow once. Wisdom only comes with time...
"Sigh..."
Before he could continue reminiscing, he heard Ryoichi let out a quiet sigh.
"Elder."
"You've walked a long road."
"It's time to rest."
"I'm different from you."
"I'm not even sixty yet."
"My way of thinking is practically the same as today's young people."
"So tell me..."
"Besides me, who else is qualified to lead this clan?"
The Elder's nose nearly twisted with anger.
This clan didn't have a single easy person to deal with.
The young were rebellious.
The old shamelessly revealed their ambitions.
Every single one of them was eyeing his position.
"Not even sixty is still young?"
You're only ten years younger than me!
However...
As his gaze drifted toward the elderly man quietly following behind Ryoichi, his irritation slowly gave way to unease.
This...
...was the second time he had seen that person.
The first time, he hadn't recognized him.
He hadn't even known who the man was.
Yet, for no reason at all, an overwhelming sense of unease had welled up inside him.
Afterward, he even asked Shindo to investigate through Ryoichi.
Nothing.
They had found absolutely nothing.
But now...
After seeing him a second time...
The stranger looked increasingly familiar.
And that inexplicable sense of dread only grew stronger.
Very few people in the world could make him feel this uneasy.
Yet no matter how hard he searched his memories...
He couldn't identify the man.
Strange...
"Cousin!"
The Elder's thoughts were abruptly interrupted.
He looked toward Ryoichi...
...and froze.
"Doesn't he already have enough relatives?"
Since when did this old rascal gain another cousin?
---
An hour later.
The Elder had completely lost his appetite.
With his head lowered, he wandered aimlessly through the clan streets, trying to figure out the source of his unease.
Very few things had ever made him feel like this.
When Konoha was attacked at the village gates...
...he hadn't felt uneasy.
During the clan's internal conflicts...
...he hadn't felt uneasy either.
There had only been a handful of times in his entire life.
The first...
...was when Konoha had just been founded.
The Uchiha had enemies everywhere inside the newly formed village.
Living alongside so many former enemies had left everyone deeply insecure.
The second...
...was when the Uchiha abandoned Madara, forcing him to leave Konoha.
That, too, filled him with dread.
The third...
...was when the Second Hokage established the Military Police Force and handed the Uchiha what looked like an irresistible reward.
He knew better.
Pies didn't simply fall from the sky.
And if one ever did...
...it certainly wouldn't come from the Senju.
That made him extremely uneasy.
The fourth...
...was when the chaos caused by Uchiha Setsuna, who claimed to inherit Madara's will, was suppressed by the Second Hokage.
Back then, he had believed Senju Tobirama would use the opportunity to purge the entire Uchiha clan.
Only after the Third Hokage took office did things gradually settle down.
"Hmm..."
"Konoha..."
"Madara..."
"Madara..."
"Tobirama..."
"Hashirama..."
"Madara..."
"Shimura..."
"Madara..."
"Madara...?"
"Uchiha Madara?"
"...Ryoichi's cousin?"
His muttering suddenly turned into a loud shout that echoed through the street.
"Oh, heavens..."
He slammed his fist against his chest.
His heartbeat accelerated wildly.
Earlier that morning, he had genuinely thought Ryoichi had somehow found another cousin.
But now...
It all made sense.
That wasn't some distant relative.
That was Uchiha Madara.
Ryoichi, you scoundrel!
Something this enormous...
You hid it from the entire clan...
And even from this old man.
I've always treated you like my own younger brother...
At that moment...
The nearby clansmen noticed the Elder's face turning purple.
He crouched on the ground, clutching his chest as if he couldn't breathe.
They rushed over in panic.
"Elder! What's wrong?"
"Are you feeling ill?"
"Quick! Wait here! I'll fetch Lord Tsuru!"
The Elder heard none of it.
His chest felt unbearably heavy, as though a giant boulder were pressing down on it.
Even breathing became difficult.
"Elder..."
He slowly raised his head.
Around him, everyone was talking anxiously.
He opened his mouth, wanting to explain...
But not a single word came out.
What was he supposed to say?
Tell them Madara came back?
That would scare them half to death.
"Haa..."
After taking several deep breaths, he forced himself back onto his feet.
He waved everyone away, identified the direction, and slowly walked toward Ryoichi's house.
Whatever was destined to happen...
...would happen.
There was no avoiding it.
Still...
He refused to believe Madara had simply returned home to retire peacefully.
Damn it, Ryoichi...
Why did you bring him into the clan?