"Thank you, Tsunade," Uchiha Su said softly, his voice barely audible. It was a murmur more to himself than to her, and Tsunade, absorbed in the scenery and their conversation, hadn't quite caught it.
Tsunade, reading the faint emotion behind his words, smiled gently and mimicked Su's earlier gesture toward Orochimaru. She draped her arm around his shoulder and laughed aloud, the sound light and unrestrained. "You know, there's a rumor in the Ninja World: when facing a Ninja with a Sharingan, never look into their eyes, or you'll fall under a Genjutsu."
Su nodded, his gaze sweeping across the distant horizon. "That saying has indeed been around for a long time," he murmured.
Tsunade noticed a faint scent lingering in the air around him. Not the tang of alcohol, nor any recognizable cologne—something soft, subtle, floral… gardenias, perhaps. It was almost imperceptible, yet it added a warmth to the moment, a quiet humanizing detail that contrasted with the sharp power of his presence.
"However," Su continued, his voice calm yet carrying a weight of authority, "outside of battle, my grand-uncle once said: don't just listen to what an Uchiha says—look into their eyes instead. The eyes never lie."
Tsunade tilted her head slightly, her expression softening. Her voice dropped into a low, gentle tone. "You've awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, haven't you, Su? You must have endured unimaginable pain over the past year."
Su's shoulders stiffened slightly, and he gave a quiet nod. "An uncle who was like a father… fell in battle. Many clansmen also perished in the war. Misunderstandings… the stubbornness I carried myself… all of it…" He paused, letting the weight of his experiences hang in the air. "But… it wasn't as miserable as you might think."
Tsunade smiled faintly, understanding. "Aside from the two-tomoe Sharingan you awakened yourself, the Mangekyo depends entirely on one's experiences. Pain, suffering, loss… it all shapes the awakening. My grand-uncle once said that every Uchiha who awakens the Mangekyo has endured agony beyond what ordinary people can imagine—and only by facing and overcoming it do they reach that stage."
Su's lips twitched faintly in acknowledgment. "And yet, he said he understood the Uchiha better than any of us Uchiha could. Perhaps that is why his words carried so much weight."
Tsunade reached up and lightly tugged at the corners of Su's mouth, coaxing a reluctant smile. "Smile more. You always told me, 'A smile keeps you young.' You said if I smiled, I'd live at least ten years longer. Now it's your turn, Su—smile."
For a moment, Su's usual composure faltered. "Tsunade… let's go back."
Huh? Tsunade looked at him, confusion evident in her tone. "We're already here, aren't we? Shouldn't we go inside and check on the Konoha Ninja who surrendered? I told you before, I don't mind if you use me to help them."
Su shook his head slowly. "Without you, I could still handle these matters myself. Your presence isn't necessary for this mission, Tsunade. So… go back. I don't need you."
Tsunade's brow furrowed slightly, but she didn't argue. She wanted to look into Su's eyes, to read him as she always did, but he lowered his gaze subtly, veiling any hint of his thoughts.
"Uchiha Su…" she called softly, a note of worry threading her voice. "What exactly are you thinking?"
Su allowed himself a wry smile, faintly amused at the difficulty of explaining emotions he had barely processed himself. "Perhaps I'm simply overwhelmed by your… glorious personality. You astonish me to the point of feeling ashamed of myself," he said, half in jest, though a trace of sincerity lingered beneath the words.
The group gradually departed from the Hidden Mist, making their way back toward Konoha. Tsunade's footsteps were light, her laughter occasionally carrying across the path, but Su lingered behind, watching their retreating forms with a quiet, contemplative air.
"Su… what are you thinking about?" Uchiha Hikari's sudden voice broke through his reverie. She appeared almost silently, a presence as delicate and precise as the wind.
Su exhaled slowly, his expression turning slightly awkward. "Hikari… it's hard to explain clearly. Perhaps my… affectations are acting up." He gave her a half-smile, embarrassed by the admission. His personality had never included the option of being influenced or affected in such ways, yet somehow, after embracing the Uchiha bloodline, he felt subtle changes in himself he hadn't recognized before.
Hikari, ever perceptive, produced a skewer of three-colored dango seemingly from nowhere. "Do you want some dango?" she asked cheerfully.
"You eat it. I don't like sweets," Su said, shaking his head.
Before the moment could settle, Uchiha Nami arrived, her voice calm but urgent. "Young Master, Uzumaki Ashina has just arrived."
Su's gaze lifted to the sky, now tinged with the warm hues of dusk. "At this hour… why would Ashina come all the way here?" he asked, curiosity lacing his tone.
Although Uzumaki Ashina hadn't attended Su's succession ceremony, his eldest son, Uzumaki Kotaro, had been present. Su had made no demands—he understood the strain such a journey would place on an elderly man.
"I'm not sure," Uchiha Nami admitted, shaking her head.
Su proceeded to welcome Uzumaki Ashina personally, escorting him to the main hall. The old man's body was frail, his posture slightly hunched, and the once proud aura of a great ninja leader had been diminished to thin threads of Chakra barely perceptible to an ordinary observer.
"Your body is so weak now. You truly didn't need to come," Su said sincerely.
"But if I didn't come, I wouldn't be at ease," Ashina replied, his voice soft but resolute. He coughed twice, a harsh reminder of his failing health. "I probably don't have much time left. I came here to discuss matters regarding Uzu Shio Village and the Land of Whirlpools with you."
"Please speak," Su said attentively, leaning forward.
Ashina's words meandered slightly, the memories of past glory and past conflicts mingling with practical matters. "Uzu Shio Village is now an ally of the Hidden Mist. After I die… perhaps no one will be able to stop you from annexing it. If I were still young, I might have opposed you—but I am old, nearly at death's door… I can no longer manage it all."
Despite the rambling, Su listened intently. Every word, every nuance mattered.
"After annexing Uzu Shio Village, please… treat the Uzumaki clansmen equally. Do not allow them to suffer further," Ashina said, gripping Su's wrist with surprising strength. The power in his hand belied the frailty of his body, a final act of determination and trust.
"I have never broken my word," Su responded quietly, his tone steady, unyielding.
"That is good. That is all I wanted to say." Ashina exhaled, a small weight lifting from his shoulders. For the first time that evening, his furrowed brows softened slightly. "Under your leadership, the Hidden Mist may truly become the strongest Village in the Ninja World. It is prosperous here… even more so than when I first visited."
Ashina rose slowly, leaving the hall without ceremony, without fanfare, and without acknowledging his eldest son Kotaro. His exit was quiet, dignified, and almost ghostlike, as though he had already begun his passage into history.
Three days later, news arrived from Uzu Shio Village. The message was short, yet heavy with meaning:
Ashina had passed away.
Su delivered the news personally to Uzumaki Kotaro. "Kotaro… I have some news for you," he said softly. His tone was subdued, as though bracing the young man for the weight of the words.
Kotaro looked at him, confusion flashing in his eyes. "Please speak, General. I am listening."
Su's voice dropped even lower. "My condolences. Your father, Uzumaki Ashina, passed away this morning. I am informing you now so that you may return and oversee the funeral."
Kotaro's pupils contracted sharply, his face frozen in disbelief. A deep, involuntary tremor ran through him as his mind struggled to process the finality of the words. After a long, heart-wrenching pause, his voice cracked, thick with emotion. "I… I didn't even get to see my father one last time…"
Su placed a reassuring hand on Kotaro's shoulder, offering silent support. Words were inadequate, yet presence could convey what speech could not. The weight of the loss hung heavily in the room, a reminder of mortality, of the fleeting nature of even the greatest lives in the Ninja World.
For a moment, silence reigned. Outside, the Hidden Mist Village carried on, vibrant yet oblivious, its people unaware of the quiet grief that had just settled over Uzu Shio. Su's eyes reflected both sadness and determination. Ashina's passing marked not just the end of a life, but the continuation of a legacy—a legacy that Su now bore responsibility to honor.
And in the stillness of the dusk-lit hall, the first solemn steps toward ensuring that legacy had quietly begun.
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