Nara Yoshino stormed out of Ryōko's house just before dusk, face flushed with anger, and marched straight to the Yamanaka residence.Two heavy knocks.Yamanaka Kaoru opened the door and froze at the sight of Yoshino's expression.
"What happened?"
"Inside. Now."
She dragged Kaoru into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa like a woman betrayed by the universe.
"Kaoru… do I look like some crazed, jealous widow?"
Kaoru immediately soothed her, hand on her friend's shoulder.
"You're the Nara clan head's wife. Who dares call you that? Tell me who's spreading nonsense. I'll help you straighten them out."
Yoshino exhaled sharply, trembling with indignation.
"When my younger brother died, I made it clear: my sister-in-law could remarry whenever she wished. But she insisted she'd stay in that house and honor him. I respected that.And now? She hides behind the title of 'the grieving widow' and brings a man into my brother's house, to sleep on my brother's bed!"
Kaoru blinked.She knew exactly who they were talking about.Pig–Deer–Butterfly families always knew each other's business.
Nara Ryōko.Widowed early into the Third War.And now, apparently, engaging in midnight "male visitation."
Yoshino wiped her eyes, voice tight with wounded pride.
"I wouldn't interfere if she wanted to remarry. But I questioned her today—gently!—and she refused to admit anything. She even acted like I was bullying her!Is she chasing some… secret thrill?"
Kaoru wrapped an arm around Yoshino.
"Then what do you plan to do?"
"I'm going to gather evidence. If the man isn't a Nara, I'll compensate her with my brother's inheritance and relocate her outside the clan compound.If he is a Nara, she'll move into his home, and my brother's old house gets passed to my nephew.Kaoru… help me."
"Of course. But calm down. You're pregnant. Tomorrow we'll check on baby Shikamaru at the hospital."
Yoshino sniffed."I really want a daughter… When Ino is born, we can trade kids sometimes."
Kaoru brightened."Good plan."
Morning.
Tobika staggered out of the Hokage Building, yawning after a completely unproductive all-night meeting.
Cloud was harassing the border again.Send a large force and risk reigniting war.Send a small force and the attacks would resume in days.Send the Uchiha—Danzo refused.Send Danzo—Danzo refused.Minato wanted to go—Hiruzen refused.Orochimaru could go—Danzo invented an excuse to veto it.Call Tsunade back—she refused.Call Jiraiya back—he refused.Unleash the Nine-Tails—every sane person refused.Kakashi volunteered—everyone refused.
Tobika massaged his temples.
Being Hokage is hell. When will those old men in the council take their rightful retirement trip to the Pure Land?
"Lord Tobika!"
A chūnin stopped him.
"The clan meeting has been moved up. One hour."
"Got it…"
He waved weakly and shuffled toward Naka Shrine like a man walking to execution.
Clan meetings were always the same: too many opinions, too few brains, and zero results.
Inside, the elders had already gathered. Tobika greeted them and immediately summoned several buckets of fried chicken, distributing them like peace offerings.In the Uchiha clan, nothing united old men faster than greasy food and shared complaints.
Elder Ryouichi tapped his stomach, frowning.
"I already had breakfast. Eating two buckets will be bad for my digestion."
A nearby one-eyed elder snorted.
"Madara once said, 'The more you cling to something, the more you risk losing it.'Ryouichi, the more you try to protect your stomach… the more you'll lose it.Defeat it."
He burped.
"Three more buckets."
Ryouichi stared at him like he was insane.
"You're eating four buckets? Old man, aren't you afraid of dying at sixty?"
The others stared. Ryouichi squared his shoulders, stood up, and declared:
"Four buckets? For cats.I'll take four."
They erupted into applause.
Uchiha Fūgaku arrived just in time to witness the madness, the smell of fried chicken thick in the air.He paused at the doorway, face twitching.
If this continues, the future clan meetings will be full of obese elders.
He took the high seat and cut through the noise.
"Danzo has rejected our request to participate in the border defense. The clashes with Kumogakure will proceed without us."
Another burp echoed.
Elder Ryouichi stood again, face solemn.
"Until an Uchiha becomes Hokage, we will always be suppressed.The First was stronger than Madara.The Second surpassed our clan.The Third overshadowed our elites.The Fourth is an unrivaled genius.Will we wait for a Fifth who is an idiot? A weakling? A simpleton?"
Silence.
Ryouichi continued.
"We need to raise someone who can eclipse the rest of the village.Uchiha Shisui has great potential. As Kagami's descendant, he already has standing in the Hokage's eyes."
The crowd nodded.
Tobika slammed the table.
"I object.Instead of gambling on bloodlines, we should buy our way into power.Select a girl from the clan and pay Tsunade to take her as a disciple. She's desperate for money. Offer the right price, and she'll accept.A student of the Legendary Sannin outranks a descendant of Kagami.A Sannin heir is worth more than a Mangekyō."
The room buzzed.
"How much would it cost…?"
"A fortune. They say she loses a million ryō a day."
"Should Fūgaku sell the house?"
Ideas spiraled.The Uchiha longed for a prodigy to call their own, but every time one emerged, the Hokage faction produced someone even stronger.
One clan's genius against an entire village's genius.It was an uphill battle.Possibly a hopeless one.
Tobika leaned back, exhausted.
And these people wonder why our clan meetings never accomplish anything.