"There should be some vacant houses in the clan district—slightly smaller than this one. Would you like to move?" Mikoto asked.
She looked around at the worn tatami mats and the old tables and chairs. This place had originally been intended as a temporary residence for Kiyoshi, but to her surprise, several years had passed with him living here.
The life of a ninja was a high-risk profession, and deaths among clansmen were frequent, which naturally left houses vacant. These homes were sitting empty anyway; it would be better to give them to Kiyoshi. However, it would be difficult to find another place quite as spacious as this compound.
"No need, thank you, Sister Mikoto," Kiyoshi replied.
Moving made little sense to him. Besides, if he were to move, it would have to be to a larger location. Kiyoshi had actually considered digging tunnels beneath his house to build a private laboratory.
After the Third Great Ninja War concluded, the Nine-Tails' Rampage would follow soon after. During that crisis, the Uchiha clan would attempt to provide support, only to be blocked by the Anbu because the Konoha high-ups did not trust them.
After that disaster, the vast Uchiha clan would be forced to relocate to the village periphery. The only thing that would remain unchanged was the Naka Shrine, which was already built in a secluded area.
"Well, if you encounter any hardships in life, you can always come to see me." Mikoto picked up her fresh teacup and took a small sip. "Kiyoshi, your skills have improved even more."
Mikoto felt the fragrance of the tea fill her mouth, leaving a sweet aftertaste. Droplets of tea glided over the fine lines of her lips, appearing in the sunlight like a layer of vivid lip gloss, which was quite alluring.
"A little progress, yes," Kiyoshi said.
With the Sharingan, learning any craft becomes much faster, not to mention he had the added bonus of the Trait System. In terms of tea ceremony alone, even if Kiyoshi weren't a ninja, he could open a tea shop.
Furthermore, the quality of this tea was high. Having money naturally meant enjoying life; Kiyoshi wouldn't deprive himself in that regard. He didn't think someone with Mikoto's frugal nature would ever splurge on such tea. After all, tea was a luxury, not a necessity.
A woman like her would only spend money where it truly mattered—the perfect image of a virtuous wife and mother.
"Too modest," Mikoto set down her teacup and smiled gently. She then looked at Kiyoshi, her lips parting slightly as she inquired: "Fugaku returned this morning. There will be a clan meeting tonight. He asked me to tell you that since the village high-ups want you to join the Anbu, you should go ahead and join."
"Alright." Kiyoshi didn't hesitate; he nodded directly.
Joining the Anbu had always been part of his plan. However, joining directly might make the clan think his heart belonged solely to Leaf, which would reduce the benefits they provided him.
Kiyoshi intended to play both sides. He would accept the perks given by Hiruzen, and of course, he would also take the benefits provided by the clan. Kiyoshi now had the capital to do so. With his genius talent, others would simply see their contributions as an investment.
Hiruzen wanted him to be a check on the Uchiha, while the Uchiha would view him as the hope for their revival, scheming for greater interests for the clan.
He was no longer the weakling who had just arrived in Hidden leaf, having to act cautiously and watch everyone's expressions. To put it simply, Kiyoshi was beginning to lose his taste for "humble pie." And his status in the Anbu would also facilitate his networking.
"Kiyoshi, I have some information here regarding the clanspeople." Mikoto took out a small notebook filled with photographs. Beneath each photo were the person's name and contact information. Every single entry began with "Uchiha."
"Is there any girl who catches your eye?" Mikoto asked. She leaned forward, pushing the notebook in front of Kiyoshi and flipping through the pages one by one.
Beneath her delicate collarbones was the traditional, classical Uchiha robe. The smooth, porcelain-white skin of her neck was partially revealed at the collar.
'Very white,' Kiyoshi thought as he watched the pages turn.
"No," Kiyoshi said.
The pages were mostly filled with background characters who hadn't appeared in the original story—civilian women who weren't ninjas made up the majority.
However, there were exceptions. Hazuki Uchiha was also in there. Kiyoshi pondered for a moment; it was likely because Hazuki hadn't officially established a relationship with Dahiro Yamada yet.
Unfortunately... Kiyoshi was currently more interested in Mikoto. This was also for the sake of his own life—to prevent the birth of Itachi.
"None at all?" Mikoto adjusted her leaning posture and continued to describe their virtues.
"I feel like none of them... can compare to you, Sister Mikoto." Kiyoshi's gaze was burning, sounding as though he were speaking from the bottom of his heart.
Mikoto's eyes widened slightly. After all this time, was Kiyoshi still thinking this way? Even if she didn't know Fugaku, the age gap between her and Kiyoshi was quite large. Nothing could ever happen between them. Mikoto abruptly pulled back her leaning body, returning to a standard kneeling position with her weight resting on her calves.
"Kiyoshi, you..."
"I will join the Anbu. There is no need to say more about other matters." Kiyoshi uncharacteristically interrupted Mikoto, showing a resolute attitude.
Mikoto opened her mouth but hesitated. This was the first time she had encountered such a situation, and she truly didn't know how to provide guidance.
"By the way, Sister Mikoto, the village's public opinion of Lord Fugaku hasn't been very good lately," Kiyoshi remarked.
"True," Mikoto agreed.
Currently, there was a rumor circulating that the Uchiha had ill intentions and were plotting a coup. Otherwise, why would Fugaku Uchiha hide a secret technique? In Mikoto's view, wouldn't it be better to just speak up if there was something to say?
Unfortunately, Fugaku consistently claimed there was nothing. This made Mikoto wonder if it really was just a sudden burst of strength from Fugaku. However, outsiders didn't care about that; they just needed an outlet for their emotions. No one could see where Konoha was headed in this war, and this repressed anxiety found a target in Fugaku's situation.
"Does Sister Mikoto know of Sakumo Hatake?" Kiyoshi suddenly brought up the name.
"I do," Mikoto nodded. The reputation of Konoha's White Fang was greater even than that of the Sannin; how could she not know?
"Before he passed away, the village was filled with voices like these..." Kiyoshi hinted. He was suggesting that Fugaku might walk that same old path. While in reality, Fugaku certainly wouldn't, Mikoto didn't know that. There was an information gap.
Sure enough, Mikoto's expression shifted rapidly. It truly was a possibility.
"The Hokage privately asked me to investigate this matter." Kiyoshi picked up his teacup and took a sip.
On the day Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him the Anbu uniform, he had assigned this mission. At this time, the Uchiha district had not yet been fully infiltrated, with only a few areas having surveillance monitors.
Kiyoshi knew Hiruzen wanted to use this opportunity to see whether village or the Uchiha held more weight in his heart. There were definitely other spies investigating this matter, and the intel they gathered would be compared against the report he submitted.
"There's such a thing?" Mikoto gasped, lightly covering her mouth.
"Mm. For now, I've only told you, Sister Mikoto."