The following morning, just as dawn was breaking.
The window of the second floor of the izakaya, facing the alley, was pushed open.
A figure inside poked his head out, and a flash of crimson light came and went.
Right after, he was seen jumping down from the window and landing steadily on the ground.
"Why call her Princess Tsunade, just call her a juicer. My poor old back."
The one who jumped down was none other than Uchiha Chiya.
He walked along, tidying his clothes as he went.
He had not gone far when he saw someone walking toward him from that direction.
"Chi, Clan Head?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Chiya looked up.
The one coming was his cousin, Uchiha Fugaku.
He was dressed in sharp, neat attire, clearly on duty.
At this moment he was looking at Chiya with an expression full of surprise.
"What do you mean Clan Head. Cousin, you are my closest kin."
A warm smile spread across Chiya's face. He walked forward and hooked his arm around Fugaku's shoulder.
"Cousin, with the recent Uchiha reforms, what do you think?"
Hearing this, Fugaku paused, and a more serious look appeared on his face.
"I think it is pretty good. It makes the proud Uchiha look at least a little more approachable."
Chiya looked at the side of Fugaku's face. He could tell that what Fugaku said was not false.
'It seems the reforms are having an effect after all.'
"Chiya, what were you doing last night?"
Fugaku turned his head, and a trace of puzzlement appeared on his otherwise serious face.
"I was working hard for the stable development of the Uchiha and the Senju clan."
Fugaku's expression stiffened. What did that mean?
Before he could ask further, Chiya spoke first.
"Cousin, within our clan, there are still some clan members who hold a bias against the Senju clan. That is an objective fact. You cannot deny that, can you?"
Fugaku nodded upon hearing this.
"Yes, there are some people like that."
"This is no longer the age of warring ninja clans. This is the age of the village, an age of multiple clans united together. Am I right?"
Fugaku let out a sigh, with some feeling and admiration.
"That is absolutely right. Just as you said, Chiya, the once powerful Uzumaki Clan was ultimately destroyed. If we Uchiha were to separate from Konoha, the major villages would certainly covet our clan's Kekkei Genkai. Our clan's strength is not all that different from the Uzumaki Clan. The Uzumaki Clan was destroyed, and when that time comes, we Uchiha would not escape the same fate of being wiped out."
"The times have truly changed now."
Chiya released the arm hooked around Fugaku's shoulder and patted him on the back.
"So that is exactly it, Cousin. What we Uchiha naturally want is to hold firmly to Konoha, this great tree. Konoha was created through the united support of all the major clans, and we are no exception to that."
Fugaku's gaze grew heavy, and a hint of worry crept in.
"But."
"Cousin, you and I are brothers. Just say it straight."
Uchiha Fugaku gave Chiya a complicated look.
"I am afraid that certain people in Konoha will reject us, and will pull schemes against us behind our backs."
Chiya smiled.
"Cousin is right. For us Uchiha to enter the core of Konoha, it is naturally not easy. Not only will those people in the Konoha core scrutinize us, but that is ultimately only a minor problem. Conflict, after all, exists everywhere."
"Conflict?"
Uchiha Fugaku was puzzled.
"Well, to put it simply, it means struggle."
A look of understanding flashed through Fugaku's eyes.
"As long as they follow the rules, we can also use the rules to act. Of course, beyond the rules, there are also principles and boundaries that all sides recognize by default."
"Chiya, you have lost me again."
Fugaku's face was full of a helpless smile.
This cousin of his, every time he talked with him, new words would come jumping out.
Chiya paused.
"Forget it, Cousin. I will not say much else. The general idea is that I want to consolidate our Uchiha. Internally we must be united and solid as iron. Externally we must build good relations with the Senju clan and all the other major clans, at the very least enough to not be hostile toward each other."
Fugaku lowered his head and thought.
Thinking about the internal situation of the clan, he let out a sigh.
"That is probably not easy on either count."
"It is precisely because it is not easy that it needs to be done."
"If you do not do it, and I do not do it, are we supposed to hand the problem to the future generations of the Uchiha to deal with? Trust in the wisdom of those who come after? Forget it. When problems pile up to the point of no return, the Uchiha will likely end up destroyed."
Chiya spread his hands and turned to walk ahead.
"Cousin, have you eaten? How about going to get some breakfast?"
By this point, Chiya and Fugaku had without realizing it arrived at a food street.
The smells of rice, grilled fish, and other foods filled the entire street.
"I am still on duty. You go eat first."
Uchiha Fugaku was stiff and proper as always, shaking his head firmly.
Chiya did not press him.
This cousin of his had been upright and by-the-book since childhood.
"Cousin, I am heading off then."
After saying that, Chiya flashed directly toward a restaurant.
Fugaku watched Chiya's retreating figure, his heart extremely complicated.
'This cousin of his, how could there be so many layers of thinking inside that head.'
'That political wisdom and insight, even the old veteran elders of the clan could not match it.'
'That once cautious and careful cousin had now been put forward by the clan and chosen as the new Uchiha Clan Head.'
'This must also be a case of the people's will being fulfilled.'
For a moment, Fugaku felt it clearly.
Uchiha Chiya was someone who could truly lead the Uchiha out of their difficulties and restore the clan's great name.
Fugaku took a deep breath and turned to leave with resolve.
"Boss, one bowl of rice, one miso soup, and one grilled fish."
Uchiha Chiya entered a restaurant.
He found a seat by the window, looked at the menu on the table, and called out his order.
Before long, steaming miso soup, grilled fish, a bowl of rice with soy sauce were all brought out.
He unhurriedly picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks, dipped it in the soy sauce, and put it in his mouth, enjoying this rare moment of leisure.
Just then.
"Boss, the usual."
"Yes, sir. Right away."
Right after that, a figure with silver-white hair appeared across from Chiya.
"Do you mind if I sit here?"
Chiya looked up and saw Hatake Sakumo's face carrying a gentle smile.
He was wearing the standard Konoha jonin vest. His silver-white short hair shimmered faintly in the morning light, and his eyes held a trace of appreciation and curiosity.
"Of course not."
Chiya smiled slightly.
"You are out early, Senior."
"It is a habit."
Sakumo accepted the hot tea the boss handed him and took a quiet sip.
"The war just ended. The village's mission assignments have not fully recovered yet. It is a rare chance to be free, so I came out for breakfast."
Chiya nodded and continued enjoying his food.
The two ate in silence for a while, then Sakumo suddenly spoke.
"I heard about the recent matter with the Uchiha. Does the village need my help with anything?"
The Uchiha matter? Help?
Chiya paused and looked up at Hatake Sakumo.
"Senior, do you mean the matter of Uchiha Yamauma?"
Hatake Sakumo instinctively glanced around at his surroundings before nodding.
"I appreciate the Senior's good intentions, but my intention with this matter was always to have it be fair, just, and open. Even if it looks bad on the surface, it can serve as a warning to certain people within the clan."
"Just like the saying, only a bell that keeps ringing can keep people alert."
"A bell that keeps ringing?"
Hatake Sakumo heard that phrase and quickly understood what Chiya meant.
A look of admiration flashed through his eyes.
"You have guts, kid. But this path is not an easy one to walk."
"I know."
Chiya smiled.
"But someone has to take the first step."
Sakumo was silent for a moment, then suddenly extended his hand.
"If you need help, you can come find me."
Chiya was briefly startled, then a smile spread across his face.
He reached out and shook his hand.
"Then I will thank you in advance, Senior."
Chiya looked at Hatake Sakumo. 'He really is a good person.'
'Who could have imagined it.'
'A ninja this tall and resolute, would end up being blamed by the villagers for abandoning a mission in order to save his comrades. Even the comrades he saved would turn around and denounce him. In the end, unable to bear the exclusion of everyone around him, he would take his own life.'
'Truly, who can predict the ways of the world.'
'But now that I am here, stopping one suicide is well within my reach.'
[Task Triggered: Prevent the suicide of Hatake Sakumo. Reward: High-Speed Body Flicker Technique and Superior Swordsmanship. (Hatake Sakumo Exclusive)]