After returning to the clan compound, the old Clan Head immediately sent word for Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Hokage.
Before long, the three elderly pillars of the Uchiha gathered in a simple yet elegant tatami room.
Perhaps it was because they had finally made up their minds—formally entrusting the future direction of the clan to the younger generation.
The heavy burden that had long pressed upon their shoulders, along with the conflicts between them, seemed to vanish all at once.
Sitting across from one another, a rare sense of calm emerged among the three.
Even… a harmony that felt as though it had come from another lifetime.
Once, they had been spirited youths.
On the banks of the Naka River, beneath the crest of the Uchiha fan, they had fought side by side for the clan they loved.
The roar of ninjutsu had thundered in their ears.
Blood had soaked the ground beneath their feet.
"…Hiruzen is still the same as ever. Just gave a harmless excuse."
The old Clan Head slowly recounted the entire negotiation.
At the end, he lifted his teacup, his expression unusually relaxed—as though he had expected this outcome from the beginning.
Warm tea slid down his throat.
He gently set the cup back down, the porcelain base making a crisp sound against the table.
Uchiha Setsuna leaned slightly against his cushion.
His long, bony fingers tapped lightly on his knee.
After hearing the story, his eyebrows shot upward, and a mocking snort escaped his nose.
"So they want Uchiha children to risk their lives…"
"…yet they still clutch their little bit of authority and refuse to let go."
"They want everything."
His words were sharp as a poisoned kunai.
"This kind of behavior is even more disgusting than the prostitutes in the hot spring streets of the Land of Hot Water!"
Setsuna turned his head to look out the window at the drifting clouds.
His hoarse voice carried a cold cynicism born from seeing too much of the world.
"At least those people still conduct their business willingly and fairly."
After his words fell, the room grew quiet.
Only the faint tapping of his fingers against his knee remained, accompanied by the distant clack of a bamboo deer-scarer outside.
A cold glint flashed through the old man's cloudy yet still sharp eyes.
"This time, we absolutely cannot compromise."
"Setsuna, don't rush."
Uchiha Hokage slowly set down his teacup and looked at the still-fuming Setsuna across from him.
His voice was as calm as the deep currents of the Naka River.
"We're all old men now."
"It's time to let the anger settle."
Ever since he had entrusted his granddaughter to that brilliant young successor—and spent an entire night kneeling before the memorial tablets of his son and daughter-in-law—the obsession that had weighed on his heart for years had quietly faded.
Now Hokage sat within the shifting light and shadows.
Even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes carried a relaxed calm.
The clan's future would be created by the rising sun of the next generation.
What he could do now was serve as a vessel in this final voyage of his life—guiding the clan through the storm.
And if necessary…
These old bones could become the firewood that lit the path ahead.
"You sure love lecturing."
Setsuna looked at Hokage's calm expression and couldn't help straightening his back.
Clearing his throat, he abruptly changed the topic.
"Once all this mess is settled, how about coming over to my place?"
"We should properly discuss the marriage between those two children."
Hokage's expression changed instantly.
Even though he had already accepted the reality in his heart, the thought of his carefully raised granddaughter being taken away by Setsuna's brat still made his chest tighten.
"…Yes. That would be appropriate."
Hokage agreed briefly.
But he quickly shifted the conversation without drawing attention to it.
His gaze moved toward the Clan Head, who had been silently watching the entire exchange.
"Speaking of which, Clan Head—Fugaku isn't getting any younger."
"When do you plan for him to marry?"
That boy only delayed marriage because he was chasing after Mikoto.
Otherwise, Fugaku would have married long ago. His child might even be four or five by now.
The old Clan Head muttered inwardly.
He glanced sideways at the two men in front of him.
Hokage casually looked away.
Meanwhile, Setsuna lifted his chin slightly, the pride in his eyes impossible to hide.
After all—
Anlan had successfully won Mikoto's heart.
Setsuna had even gotten drunk last night celebrating the occasion.
"With war approaching and the ninja world changing by the day, setting a wedding date now would be uncertain at best."
The old Clan Head's gaze passed over Hokage's barely concealed hopeful expression.
He understood perfectly well.
His old friend simply wanted to delay Mikoto's marriage.
Coincidentally, the Clan Head also felt a little annoyed at Setsuna's smug expression.
So he simply went along with it.
"Marriage concerns the children's entire lives."
"It would be better to hold the ceremony after returning victorious from war."
Setsuna snorted coldly.
How could he fail to understand what those two old foxes were trying to do?
Still, he didn't bother arguing.
With the careful planning and methods of his own boy, getting Mikoto to willingly stay by his side for life was only a matter of time.
When she ends up pregnant before marriage, let's see how furious Hokage gets.
Setsuna took a sip of tea, thinking happily to himself.
Seeing that he didn't react further, the other two steered the conversation back to more serious matters.
"The situation inside the village is clear enough. Now it depends on how Hiruzen will negotiate with us."
"But outside the village, the winds are shifting."
"We need broader and more timely intelligence if we want to maintain the initiative in future negotiations with the Hokage—or in war."
The Clan Head looked at his two old friends.
His gaze was steady and resolute.
"So it is time to merge our intelligence networks into one."
"Only by twisting ourselves into a single rope and pulling in the same direction can the Uchiha advance more steadily—and farther."
Outside, sunlight flickered through the leaves.
The shadows of the three old men fell across the wall like the intertwined roots of ancient pine trees.
"As it should be."
Hokage nodded.
"As for who should manage the intelligence network…"
"I propose Mikoto."
"She is less suited for direct combat. Anlan and Fugaku are better placed on the battlefield."
Though the suggestion carried a trace of personal bias—hoping to keep his granddaughter away from the most dangerous frontlines—it was also a practical recommendation.
Intelligence was crucial.
And it could only be entrusted to someone from within their own families.
Even the most loyal subordinates were not trustworthy enough for Hokage in this matter.
The only ones capable of integrating the three intelligence networks were Anlan, Fugaku, and Mikoto.
The other two understood that as well.
And they also knew placing their own heirs into time-consuming intelligence work would be a waste of their talents.
Setsuna clapped his hands and laughed.
"I agree."
"Mikoto is careful and meticulous. She's the perfect choice to oversee intelligence."
The Clan Head stared at the two of them singing the same tune.
Feeling as though he had been cornered into a trap, he watched their urging gazes and couldn't help twitching his lips.
"You two old foxes…"
"Just don't drag my Fugaku into your schemes."
Hearing his half-joking complaint, Hokage and Setsuna burst into laughter.
Their laughter carried decades of rivalry and camaraderie.
It was like the frozen Naka River cracking open at the arrival of spring.
The old divisions faded like morning mist.
What remained was the bond beneath the Uchiha fan crest—
A bond that had never changed.
patreon.comPh4nt0mTL