Early the next morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves and scattered across the Uchiha clan's training ground.
Everything was quiet, with only the occasional birdcall breaking the stillness.
As usual, Rengoku created fifty shadow clones and had them train Water Release inside the inner area.
Meanwhile, Rengoku's main body slowly walked toward the outer area of the training ground with Karin.
This area was where Uchiha clan members gathered the most, and it was also the place where Rengoku had once sparred with others and exchanged insights.
Ever since Rengoku returned, this was the first time he had walked out so openly in front of everyone.
He strode ahead alone, while Karin, following behind him, looked a bit uneasy. Normally carefree and lively, she now seemed unusually shy.
She stuck close to Rengoku, step by step, not daring to raise her head to meet the gazes of the people around her.
Her usually rosy cheeks now carried a faint blush of embarrassment, and her eyes shifted around, unsure where to look.
Although some clan members had already heard that Rengoku had returned, the news hadn't fully spread yet.
So when Rengoku suddenly appeared before everyone, the entire place instantly erupted.
"Clan Leader!"
"Clan Leader!"
"Clan Leader!"
Everyone rushed forward to greet him, each face filled with excitement.
The Uchiha clan had always admired strength.
Before his disappearance, Rengoku had single-handedly ended the Fourth Great Ninja War, driven back the Stone Village, and crushed the Sand Village.
His War God Susanoo had directly intimidated the entire ninja world for years, with no one daring to cross the line.
Everyone knew that under Rengoku's leadership, the Uchiha clan would surely rise to the very peak of the ninja world.
Everyone present felt both respect and fear toward him.
Rengoku hadn't specifically notified them. It was only because some clan members had spread the word of his return.
These clan members had deliberately stayed here, just to catch a glimpse of their clan leader.
Seeing how many people had gathered today, and since he was planning to train Sasuke anyway, Rengoku brought Karin along to announce a few things.
Besides the clan members, Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, and Kimimaro were also present.
Not far from them stood several girls.
Rengoku leapt up with Karin onto a slightly elevated platform.
He looked down at the clan members below.
"I'm back."
With just one sentence, Rengoku declared his official return.
"Welcome back, Clan Leader!"
The Uchiha clan members below were all thrilled and excited, their eyes shining as they looked at him.
Rengoku raised two fingers, "I'm announcing two things."
"First, the Fourth Hokage is doing very well right now. I won't be resuming the position for the time being. Don't limit your thinking to whether I'm serving as Hokage."
The clan members below exchanged glances. Their emotions remained fairly stable.
After all, Minato was part of their Uchiha faction, and many key departments in the village were now held by Uchiha.
As long as the Uchiha didn't take on the role of the Military Police Force, which tended to offend others, they didn't actually interact much with ordinary villagers.
And within ninja teams, having an Uchiha member greatly increased mission success rates.
Aside from their own strength, the deterrence of the Mangekyō Sharingan was simply too great. No one dared provoke them.
The current Uchiha were treated with respect wherever they went.
So when Rengoku said this, everyone remained calm.
"Second, Konoha is developing rapidly right now. This period of peace will continue for a while longer, but once it ends, everyone will have opportunities they want."
The Uchiha clan members might be a bit proud, but Rengoku's words were straightforward, and many of them immediately lit up with interest.
Hearing the murmurs below, Rengoku added, "Focus on training during this period. When the time comes, I'll prioritize selecting people from within the clan."
"Yes, Clan Leader!"
Below, Sasuke felt a surge of excitement. Sure enough, as soon as his master returned, things started moving quickly.
With Konoha developing so fast, expansion could happen at any time.
And starting today, his master would begin special training for him.
The last time Sasuke went to the battlefield, he had basically been cannon fodder.
In recent years, he hadn't experienced any real life-and-death battles, and now he was eager to fight.
"Besides those two matters, there's also a personal announcement for everyone."
He reached out, took Karin's hand, and interlocked their fingers, "Karin and I are engaged. From now on, she is my fiancee."
The clan members looked a bit surprised, but someone quickly reacted, "Greetings, Lady Clan Leader!"
Most people already knew Karin. After all, Rengoku only had two disciples, Sasuke and Karin.
But the sudden shift in her status caught some people off guard.
The others quickly followed, greeting Karin one after another.
"Greetings, Lady Clan Leader!"
"Greetings, Lady Clan Leader!"
Everyone was quite happy about Rengoku's engagement. After all, the Uchiha placed great importance on descendants.
As for Karin's identity or seniority, those things had never really been issues among the Uchiha.
Back in the day, the Uchiha had been a super mercenary clan, and some wives had even been taken by force.
As long as your fist was strong enough, the Uchiha believed you were right.
After the hotpot meal last time, Naruto had gone back and specifically asked Kushina.
Only then did Kushina tell him that tying up hair like that was usually something only couples or married pairs did.
Over the past couple of days, he had also learned from Sasuke that Rengoku and Karin were dating.
Now it had suddenly jumped straight to engagement.
Still, most people were happy.
Only Sasuke's vision went dark, and he almost couldn't hold it together.
Because according to etiquette, his master's fiancee meant he had to call her "mistress".
Sure enough, his seniority had just jumped up again.
"Hey, Sasuke, what's wrong?", Naruto noticed something off about Sasuke's expression, his eyes unfocused, and quickly asked.
Sasuke looked like a wilted eggplant as he muttered, "It's over… I'll have to call Karin 'mistress' from now on."
"Pfft… hahaha!"
Naruto finally understood and burst out laughing.
Beside him, Hinata also let out a soft laugh.
Both of them knew that Sasuke had repeatedly challenged Karin many times, just to reclaim the title of senior disciple.
Right now, Karin fought Sasuke by relying on chakra and formations to suppress him.
Sasuke specialized in combat, while Karin leaned more toward support and utility. In another year or two, Sasuke would definitely be able to win.
But now, there was no chance.
Even if he could win, Sasuke couldn't fight Karin anymore. Their identities had already changed.
Rengoku continued, "For now, don't spread the news of my return to anyone outside the Uchiha."
"I'll be staying in the clan recently, guiding members as before, in the usual place."
Rengoku pointed to a corner of the training ground. From his shadow, a clone rose up and walked in that direction.
The fact that Rengoku's clones could use Shadow Release was already known across the ninja world, so no one found it strange.
After making these announcements, he waved his hand, signaling everyone to disperse.
The crowd bowed to Rengoku and prepared to train even harder.
Otherwise, when the time came for the Uchiha to expand their territory, they wouldn't have a share in it.
Everyone's faces were filled with enthusiasm.
After all, it wouldn't be long before they could fight.
For the Uchiha: battle was all that mattered.
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