Uchiha Kairen had received an eye-opening lesson yesterday, realizing that things his mother considered obvious had completely escaped his notice.
Yawning, Uchiha Kairen headed towards the training ground. He had arranged to meet his friends today to discuss what else they should ask for besides those five advanced scrolls.
His two friends were already there. Uchiha Retsu, arm in a sling, was eating the osmanthus cakes that Uchiha Honō had brought for him and Yang with his good hand. Uchiha Honō stood nearby, asking him if they were too sweet, if the texture was too sticky. Why does it feel like these two are here for a picnic? Isn't this the training ground?...
After some discussion, Uchiha Honō and Uchiha Kairen decided to go together to find Uchiha Nobunaga. Having the Clan Head accompany them to the Hokage Building would help when receiving their commendation.
Knocking on the door, they entered the Hokage's office. This was Uchiha Kairen's second time inside. Looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen seated behind the desk, he felt a deep-seated wariness.
Sarutobi Hiruzen launched into a speech about Konoha being one big family, followed by positive remarks about the Uchiha clan's dedication and hard work for Konoha over the years, expressing the village's gratitude for their contributions and deciding on a financial bonus for the next quarter.
Furthermore, due to the Uchiha squad's excellent performance in the recent spy pursuit operation, they were to be rewarded. "Last time you received the basic scrolls; this time, you shall have the advanced ones. Aside from forbidden jutsu and sealing jutsu, you may select one more jutsu scroll from the collection."
"Oh, and this is a commendation letter from His Lordship the Daimyo regarding the Uchiha's eradication of the black market valley. His Lordship expressed his approval of the Uchiha clan's commitment to safeguarding the Land of Fire's security and hopes you will continue striving for excellence." He then went on and on about the Land of Fire and Konoha being inextricably linked, the Uchiha being Konoha's cornerstone...
This was followed by a speech from the Uchiha Clan Head, which was essentially another round of mutual professional praise. Finally, it was the youngsters' turn. Uchiha Honō stepped forward and said, "Hokage-sama, we would like the Art of Dimness and Stealth."
After some final pleasantries, the three left the Hokage Building. Uchiha Kairen couldn't stop thinking about one thing: the Daimyo's commendation. If not for that letter, he would have almost forgotten that the Daimyo was the nominal ruler of the Land of Fire.
After parting ways with the Clan Head, Uchiha Kairen and Honō walked slowly back towards the training ground. Honō was the first to break the silence. "Kairen, my grandfather told me yesterday that we were used as pawns."
"It was probably the Great Elder's plan. Your uncle was likely involved too. Most importantly, Ankoku-sensei was the executor. If Ankoku-sensei had told me directly that he needed me as bait for the clan, I would have gone. But the way it was done... it makes me feel betrayed."
Uchiha Kairen looked at his agitated friend. He couldn't deny feeling the same. One of the participants was his own teacher, and the mastermind was his own uncle.
Uchiha Honō continued, "Our squad is probably disbanding. Your mother is taking you to the Land of Iron to see your grandfather. My grandfather wants me to return home and train with him."
"You probably know the reason. This squad's purpose seems to have been served! We were puppets on strings from start to finish. What you said that day... I truly hope it comes true one day. I'm leaving now. I hate goodbyes!"
Uchiha Kairen watched Honō's retreating back. Who actually liked goodbyes?... He dragged his heavy steps to the training ground. Uchiha Retsu was sitting there, staring blankly at a box of osmanthus cakes. As Kairen approached, he saw it was a letter from Honō.
Seeing Kairen arrive, Retsu handed him the letter. "Honō's gone. I'm guessing you'll be leaving for a while too. No one can just continue training with someone as if nothing happened after being betrayed like that. Our squad... it's really over."
......
Three days later, a carriage departed Konoha. Uchiha Kairen sat on its roof, watching the village gates recede into the distance, swearing to himself, Next time I return, see if I'm still the person you remember!
The carriage moved slowly along the road to the Land of Iron. Uchiha Kairen noticed his usually talkative father was unusually quiet the whole journey. At first, Kairen thought his father's despondency was because he'd discovered his son had nearly been killed due to his own brother's schemes.
But as they traveled, he realized something else was off. His mother seemed to be growing more and more... assertive. While she was always formidable at home, her aura now felt even more imposing.
Thanks to the Uchiha's recent annihilation of the valley, not a single troublesome soul crossed their path. Some rough-looking individuals, upon spotting the Uchiha crest on the carriage, immediately scurried far away. On a few occasions, bandits even came out to escort them, hoping the carriage would pass through their territory quickly.
Once the carriage entered the Land of Iron, Uchiha Kairen observed the local customs along the way. It seemed the further one traveled from the major villages towards the borders, the poorer the areas became.
Many samurai moved about in the Land of Iron. They all gave way to the carriage. Clearly, while they belonged to a different system than shinobi, they weren't fools. Provoking the Uchiha for no reason was obviously a very stupid move.
Uchiha Kairen could no longer contain his curiosity. "Mother, why isn't Grandpa with the clan? What is he doing in the Land of Iron?"
His mother's reply was simple. "Tempering his sword. It's been five years. He hasn't returned once."
"What's wrong with Father? He doesn't seem very talkative," Uchiha Kairen asked.
His mother smiled. "You'll have to ask him that."
Uchiha Kairen quickly moved closer to his handsome father. "Father, why have you been so quiet the whole trip?"
The handsome uncle forced a bitter smile. "You'll understand when you meet your grandfather..."
"You could have stayed home if you didn't want to come. No one forced you," Uchiha Ran retorted. "It's not that! I missed my father-in-law too. Besides, I can't bear to be apart from you," the handsome uncle quickly added in a placating tone.
They arrived at a wooden compound in a scenic location, situated by a lake with mountains at its back—an excellent spot. His father suddenly tightened the grip on the ninjato at his waist.
A middle-aged man emerged from a cottage. Seeing the carriage and recognizing the Uchiha crest, he said, "I am Haruki, a samurai of the Land of Iron. You must be Togashi-senpai's family. Senpai is fishing in the middle of the lake; he should be returning soon."
Everyone followed his pointing finger. A raft was on the lake, with a figure wearing a straw raincoat sitting on it, holding a fishing rod, a fish basket behind him.
Uchiha Kairen felt his grandfather resembled the reclusive masters from ancient stories he'd read. The scene before him reminded him of a term from his previous life: "Unity of Man and Heaven," or perhaps "The highest goodness is like water."
The raft began to move, slowly approaching. As it neared the shore, the old man stood up and instantly vanished. In response, his father drew his sword.
A clear clang rang out. His father was forced back several steps before steadying himself. The old man, still holding the fishing rod, wearing the raincoat, and carrying the fish basket, said, "A slight improvement. But still useless. Stuck in that cage called Konoha, it's no wonder you haven't progressed."
"Haruki, we have family visitors today. Please come another day," the old man said to the samurai. The samurai bowed and departed, soon disappearing from view.
The old man shook his head, looked at Uchiha Ran, and pointed at her husband. "This good-for-nothing still only knows how to talk. You just fell for his smooth talking. Can't even block a fishing rod. You've suffered, Ran."
"Back then, I promised your mother I'd find you someone truly powerful. But you insisted on choosing this silver-tongued fellow. If you regret it, I'll help you chop him up and find you another one."
Uchiha Kairen was stunned. Now he understood why his father had been so unhappy. Who could be happy in this situation?
While Kairen's mind was reeling, the old man's hand somehow found its way onto his head. "Kairen-chan, you've grown taller. You look just like your uncle did when he was little. By the way, your grandfather caught a fine fish for you. I'll have your mother cook it later. Have you been training properly?"
"That 'Youngest Genin' title is worthless. In the end, a shinobi's worth lies in their strength. Everything else is useless. Don't learn from your father. Practiced the sword for half his life, yet can't even block a fishing rod."
"He's a lost cause, has even forgotten how to hold a blade properly. But you, you're promising stock. I'm the one who told Ran to bring you here. Staying in Konoha would just let those schemers warp your development."
"Remember this: in the face of absolute strength, schemes are worthless. Legends like Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha didn't need to think-one strike and opponents were down. Even ancestors wouldn't tolerate weakness: they'd wipe out your whole family, block your village gates. You want to fight? Fight together. Scheming? What scheming? Our family is a ninja clan-strength is everything.
"Those people used to train properly. Once they reached high positions, they forgot what really mattered. What put the Uchiha in power today wasn't trickery-it was skill with the blade."
His mother, holding the old man's arm, said, "Alright, that's enough. We just got here. It's been years since we've seen you. I've missed you. Kairen-chan, say hello to your grandfather. Let's go inside quickly. We've been traveling for days. I'll cook the fish for you, and our family can have a proper reunion dinner."
Uchiha Kairen quickly added, "Grandpa, I'm really hungry. How about we eat first? I'm exhausted from the day's travel." As he spoke, he grabbed his grandfather's other hand and started pulling him towards the house.
Watching the three of them walk inside, Kairen's father forced a wry smile and followed, step by step, into the house.