After the maid prepared the tea, she left, leaving only Hakushi, Uchiha Shikora, and the Jonin Uchiha guard in the living room.
After Uchiha Shikora finished his tea, he glanced around the living room and then said, "Not much has changed here since the past. Ruri has been a rather special child since she was young. How is it, getting along with her can be difficult at times, right?"
He smiled warmly.
"I haven't felt it's particularly difficult to get along."
After Hakushi spoke, he secretly observed Uchiha Shikora.
He was dressed in a finely crafted black kimono that was no longer in style, with a full head of white hair, noticeable wrinkles, and a gaunt face, with a beard under his chin.
He was presumably of a rather slender build, somewhat bent, but he didn't give off a sense of frailty; rather, his presence was dignified and imposing.
In his youth, he must have been a battle-hardened ninja.
Even now in retirement, the air of authority belonging to an elite ninja settled deeper with age, making him appear remarkable.
"Did Elder Shikora come to see Ruri for something?"
"It's nothing important, really. I haven't been out for a stroll in a long time. Today, I just happened to pass by here, so I came in to have a look."
Elder Shikora said casually.
Because Hakushi didn't know this Elder Shikora, he wasn't sure if the elder really came just for a casual visit.
However, the reason seemed quite plausible, leaving no apparent flaws to be seen.
Yet, he had heard Ruri mention before that Elder Shikora is the leader of the Uchiha Radicals, holding a status even above the Clan Leader within the Uchiha Race.
It was said he'd once been a follower of Uchiha Madara, and ever since the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's death, the Hokage faction led by the Third Hokage had been wary of this old man's abilities.
Though on the surface, he appeared to be just a once formidable, now retired elder, uninvolved in worldly affairs.
When Elder Shikora casually inquired through small talk, Hakushi responded accordingly. He was Ruri's mentor after all, and not to be treated casually.
"Have you ever considered getting married?"
Elder Shikora suddenly asked, apparently speaking as casually as before.
"Ah?"
Hakushi was stunned for a moment.
It wasn't the question that surprised him but the suddenness of such a topic proposed, giving him a rather odd feeling.
"I don't know why the young people today have become so indecisive. In our day, as soon as both parties found each other agreeable, they'd be married within the first or second year."
Elder Shikora seemed to be lamenting.
Hakushi awkwardly smiled.
"You two, after this year, will be eighteen, adults. It's time to consider marriage seriously. Being a ninja is a highly dangerous occupation. Dying anytime is not surprising, so it's better to leave a legacy sooner."
Elder Shikora muttered softly, like any ordinary elder eager for grandchildren.
Such words seemed to curse others to their deaths, really unlucky. Hakushi griped internally.
Yet, faced with an elder, Hakushi could only complain inwardly.
"I will give it some serious thought with Ruri."
Only then did Elder Shikora smile contentedly and continued sipping his tea.
"Alright, I should be going now."
"So soon? How about staying for dinner?"
Hakushi stood up alongside Elder Shikora, trying to persuade him to stay for dinner.
"No need for the trouble. I just wanted to take a walk and see if the village now is any different from how it was. One becomes obsessed with the past when one gets old."
Hakushi could only nod in agreement.
Faced with Elder Shikora, even the Third Hokage would refer to himself as a junior, let alone a new generation like Hakushi.
Just thinking about how such an elder still worries about Uchiha Race matters, taking on the leadership of the Uchiha Radicals, Elder Shikora may not really be as frail as he seems. At the very least, the ambition of his youth hasn't completely faded.
Stopping Hakushi at the doorstep, Elder Shikora, accompanied by the Jonin Uchiha guard, continued to move forward without returning the way they came. Was he really out for a walk?
Hakushi stood at the doorstep pondering; he simply couldn't figure out Elder Shikora's intentions, but as long as it didn't concern him, there was no need to dwell on it.
"Are we really going to do this, Elder Shikora?"
As they continued forward, the Jonin Uchiha guard beside Elder Shikora couldn't help but ask.
"Rika, this is the Uchiha Race's only road now."
Elder Shikora's warm smile vanished, becoming profoundly and indifferently deep.
"If Ruri finds out, you'll be dead. You know better than I what kind of person she is."
"For a younger, more vigorous Uchiha flame, even at my age, if these old bones are still useful, isn't that something to be grateful for?"
The Jonin Uchiha Rika guard sighed.
Indeed, being Ruri's mentor, how could Elder Shikora not understand her character?
Only after realizing this did he make the decision to sacrifice himself if necessary for the protection of the clan.
"Currently, the Uchiha Race is like me walking on this path. Senju Tobirama forced our clan into a situation where only this path remained."
The aging elder walked on a path shrouded deeply in the night, unseen by light.