The next morning, dark clouds blanketed the skies above Konoha. A steady drizzle had begun before dawn and showed no signs of stopping.
Inside the Uchiha compound, the turbulent emotions that had filled the air these past few days—anger, agitation, fury—had vanished.
In their place lingered something heavier.
Oppressive.
Grief-stricken.
Today was the day of the Uchiha clan's memorial rite for those who had fallen on the battlefield.
From elders in their eighties to children barely three years old, every member of the clan rose early, dressed in black, and prepared in solemn silence.
The village would, in time, hold a unified memorial service for all fallen shinobi—but that would only take place after every frontline unit, save for standard garrisons, had fully withdrawn. No date had yet been set.
The Uchiha would not wait.
So they held their own.
This was not unusual. Most clans—and even civilian shinobi families—conducted private rites before the village ceremony. The difference lay in scale.
And in the case of the Uchiha—
In location.
Unlike other clans, the Uchiha memorial would be held at their ancestral grounds.
Naka Shrine — Southern Konoha
The Uchiha ancestral land lay along the banks of the Naka River, south of the village. There stood Naka Shrine, where the Uchiha had lived for generations stretching back centuries.
Konoha itself had been built upon Uchiha territory.
In fact, decades ago, before the founding of the village, nearly all the land now known as Konoha had once belonged to the Uchiha. They had offered it freely when they allied with the Senju to build the village.
Such history was rarely spoken of.
In another future—after the Nine-Tails Incident—the Uchiha would be forcibly relocated from their newer compound near the village center back to this very ancestral land.
A bitter irony.
A tragic circle.
By eight in the morning, the clan had gathered in the central plaza of the compound.
No one shouted orders.
No one needed to.
Thousands stood quietly, waiting.
When all had assembled, Uchiha Fugaku raised a hand and led the procession forward.
Civilians walked at the center. Shinobi formed a protective perimeter around them. The long column stretched like a dark river through the streets.
The Root and ANBU operatives who had openly guarded the Uchiha compound gates in recent days had retreated several hundred meters away, concealing themselves.
They had orders to restrict Uchiha movement.
But this was no ordinary outing.
Even they would not dare provoke the clan during a funeral rite.
The civilians of Konoha, too, fell silent as the procession passed.
No whispers.
No muttering.
Everyone understood—this was not the time to provoke the Uchiha.
Not today.
Today, they would strike without hesitation.
The clan arrived at Naka Shrine without incident.
After shinobi spread out to establish security, several elders stepped forward to begin the ceremony.
This was no simple memorial.
Not only would they honor the fallen of the recent war—they would also pay tribute to their ancestors.
The ritual would last the entire day.
And all of it was preparation.
Preparation for tonight.
For the clan assembly that would determine the Uchiha's future.
Every member of the clan had heard the rumors. They knew this meeting would decide their fate.
No one complained.
No one left early.
And beyond the Uchiha—
Konoha was watching.
Because Uchiha Jin had made no effort to conceal the importance of tonight's assembly, every faction in the village was aware something decisive was coming.
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi wore battle armor beneath his Hokage robes.
Just in case.
Root. ANBU. And twelve hundred elite shinobi drawn from recently returned frontline units lay hidden throughout the village under Minato Namikaze's command, ready to move at a moment's notice.
Even Orochimaru, absent for days, had been dragged from his laboratory and stationed in the Hokage Tower.
The rain intensified.
The clouds thickened.
Tension seeped into the streets like fog before a storm.
Everyone waited for the outcome of the Uchiha assembly.
Naka River — Downstream
And yet, not far from the shrine, on a small riverside shoal, Uchiha Jin sat calmly on a rock, wearing a straw rain cape, fishing.
The rain pattered against the river's surface.
Behind him stood Uchiha Shisui, face grave and eyes shadowed with exhaustion.
"Jin-nii," Shisui said quietly, "the Daimyō agreed to our request… but he added a very harsh condition."
Shisui had barely slept. For days he had traveled back and forth between Konoha and the Land of Fire's capital to secure this final piece of Jin's contingency plan.
Jin did not turn around.
"Why didn't you use a summoning to contact me from the capital?"
Shisui hesitated. "The condition is severe… but the Daimyō doesn't seem worried we'll refuse. He's already given us what we asked for. He told us to consider it carefully."
Jin's expression remained calm.
"What's the condition?"
Shisui forced a thin smile.
"Marriage alliance."
The rain seemed to grow heavier.
"The Daimyō said the Senju secured their cooperation through intermarriage in the past. The Uchiha must do the same."
Jin raised a brow slightly. "The clan doesn't have any outstanding unmarried daughters of appropriate status…"
Shisui exhaled slowly.
"It's not about giving a daughter."
Jin finally glanced back.
"Then what?"
"The Daimyō wants either the Uchiha clan head… or the clan head's son."
For a brief second, even the sound of rain seemed distant.
Jin frowned. "Fugaku-sama is married. And Itachi is what—five? Six?"
Shisui paused, then spoke carefully.
"Jin-nii… don't forget. After tonight… you'll be the Uchiha clan head."
Jin froze.
"…Me?"
Shisui nodded.
"Yes."
Jin stared at the rain-swept river, the fishing line trembling lightly in the current.
For the first time that morning—
His expression shifted.
This condition…
Was indeed severe.
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