A/N:- It's the last week of the month already. Don't join the patre0n.
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"Konnichiwa!"
"Konnichiwa Baa-san!"
Izuna greets an old lady as he strolls through the Uchiha clan compound.
Ha…
He takes a deep breath and stares at the hustle and bustle of the clan.
"It sure is peaceful after that huge battle!"
Currently, he is on a stroll because the ladies have occupied the house.
Ayaka and other female members of the family are busy decorating the house and thus have kicked him out of the house.
"Onii-chan! I will prepare a surprise for you!" Ayaka's cute face appears in his mind.
"How can I say no to such a cute angel?" His inner sis-con wakes up from the slumber.
Ahem…
"It's a surprise from Ayaka! How can I ruin it?" He continues to stroll through the Uchiha clan and arrives near the entrance of the clan.
'After my marriage, I can't continue to stay in the same house as my parents. I will have to move to a new house. The old house will be cramped with the five of us.'
"Also, it's not like I will move out of the village. My new house is very close to theirs."
"Yo! Izuna!"
Kakashi raises his hand and greets him.
"Oh! Kakashi, Guy, Yamato, You guys!"
Izuna is surprised to see the trio at the entrance of the Uchiha clan.
"What are you guys doing here?" He curiously asks them.
"Oh, Izuna! What great timing? Now we don't have to go through the trouble of searching the entire clan district for you. Hurry up and come with us!" Guy drags him along.
"What's going on? Is there some urgent matter?!" Izuna turns towards Kakashi and Yamato for answers.
"You will know once you get there!" Both of them refuse to speak further.
"Well, if you say so!" Izuna helplessly follows them.
Five minutes later,
In front of the Yakiniku-Q,
"Is this your urgent matter?" Izuna stares at the trio.
"Now! Now! Don't be a spoilsport! Just come in. Ignore the small stuff and just come in!" Kakashi and Guy push him in.
"Fine!"
Izuna follows them along.
In a corner of the restaurant,
"Congratulations!"
Kakashi, Guy, Yamato, Asuma, Kurenai, Shizune, and Anko congratulate him as they sit around a giant table. Even Shisui and Itachi are present there.
"You guys!" Izuna smiles at them as a warm feeling runs through his heart.
'This looks like a reunion of old college friends after years of graduation!'
"Thank you, everyone!"
"Now! Now! Let's enjoy ourselves." Kurenai urges them to sit.
"Who would have expected that out of all of us, Izuna would be the first one to get settled?" Asuma laughs and picks up a piece of meat.
"Oh, really?!" Izuna dips a piece of meat into sauce and places it in his mouth.
"Then why do I see a certain couple trying to hide their affair for such a long time? It has been around six years, I presume!" Izuna smiles at Asuma and Kurenai.
"Don't pretend like you don't know!" He turns towards the rest of the group.
Whistle… whistle…
The rest of the people whistle and turn away.
"Is it that obvious?" Asuma gulps his saliva and asks him.
"Of course!" Izuna rolls his eyes.
"I spotted you at Yamanaka flower shop plenty of times. Don't tell me you were buying a bouquet of red roses for the aunt next door!" He chuckles.
Kurenai's face turns red from embarrassment.
Ahem…
Shizune clears her throat.
"Don't tease them like that! We should be the one teasing you, not the other way around!" She shakes her head.
"Hoh! Do you think you can tease me that easily, Shizune?!" Izuna smiles smugly.
"You think you are an expert when it comes to love affairs?" Kakashi rolls his eyes.
He adopts a scholarly pose and remarks.
"Love is like a spring breeze. You can't see it, but you can feel it. Romance is the glamor which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze."
Clap… clap…
"Woah!… Amazing!… I never expected Kakashi Senpai to be so knowledgeable about love! His knowledge of love is so profound!" Yamato praises Kakashi.
"Oh! Really?"
Izuna scoffs at Kakashi.
"To me, it sounds like the rambling of a certain single middle-aged pervert? You can't even impress an old grandma, much less a beautiful kunoichi with such words!"
Hmm…
"Izuna-kun is right! This seems to be a one-dimensional textbook definition of love!" Shizune nods her head.
Ah!
An invisible arrow pierce through Kakashi's heart.
"I would rather date a guy who will buy me unlimited Dango?" Anko drools at the thought.
Haha…
The rest of the group bursts out in laughter.
"Those sure are some simple conditions!"
"Hey! Nothing is better than Dango!" Anko grumbles.
"You are quite brutal, Senpai! It was supposed to be our chance to tease you, but you turned the tables!" Yamato sighs helplessly.
Haha…
"Now! Now! Don't mind the small stuff. Just enjoy yourself!" Izuna savors the delicious piece of grilled meat.
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Later in the evening,
The Uchiha trio returns to the clan district.
"Time sure flies by! It was like yesterday when we first awakened our chakra!" Izuna remarks as he walks alongside Shisui and Itachi.
"It sure is." Shisui closes his eyes.
"Oh! Izuna, Shisui, and Itachi!"
The group runs in Akira, Yagami, and Fugaku, who walks out of the house.
"Dad! Uncle Yagami! Uncle Fugaku! You all…"
"We got kicked out of the house. The ladies have their plans!"
Akira shakes his head.
"You too!"
"Yeah!" The trio nods their head.
"Yagami… Fugaku! Let's go to our usual drinking spot!" Akira beckons them.
"Why don't you join us?" He nudges the trio.
"Well! Isn't it…" Izuna scratches his head.
"What are you so shy about? Soon, you are going to be a part of the husband gang too! You should get used to it."
The father group pulls them along. The trio helplessly shakes their head and follows them.
Soon, they arrive in front of a traditional Izakaya bar.
Inside the bar,
"Okyakusama!" the bar attendant greets them.
"Serve the usual!" Yagami slams his hand on the counter.
The group walks towards a corner and sits on the tatami mats with low tables in front of them.
The server brings a wet towel to wipe their hands. The trio of middle-aged carefully wipe their hand with the towel. The younger trio also follow them as they curiously stare at their surroundings.
'This is my first time visiting a traditional Japanese bar!'
Izuna inspects his surroundings.
'Although I have visited plenty of bars with Tsunade, all of them were high-end bars, unlike this traditional bar.'
The waiter serves them an otōshi and tsukidashi as the appetizer.
Next up, he brings a bottle of traditional sake and serves it to them.
"Ah! It's so soothing!"
Yagami takes a sip from the sake cup and nods his head.
"Such a fine wine!"
Hmm…
Izuna takes a look at the sake.
The cup is filled with a clear liquid. He slowly picks up the cup and smells it.
A slightly fruity and nutty aroma greets his nose. He takes a slight sip of the sake.
"It's good!" He nods his head.
An astringent feeling runs down his taste buds as the slightly sweet flavor soothes his palate.
'No wonder Tsunade is so addicted to Sake!'
He slowly savors the wine as the waiter serves the dishes.
Gulp… gulp…
Fugaku chugs down his cup as the eternal frown on his face loosens a little.
He turns towards the trio and nods his head.
"You lot sure have grown-up!"
Mm…
Akira and Yagami nod their head.
"I think it's about time for us to retire and pass our responsibilities to you lot!" Yagami nods his head.
"Huh?"
The trio places down their cup and turns towards the elders.
"What do you mean, Fugaku-san?" Izuna curiously asks him.
Hicc…
"What I meant is? It's about time to pick a new clan head. I have served as the clan head for twenty years. It's time to choose a new successor!" Fugaku places down his cup.
"I see!" Izuna nods his head and continues to sip his sake.
"Izuna Uchiha!… Why don't you become the next head of the Uchiha clan? I know it's a big responsibility but with time you will…" Fugaku slams his hand on the table in his drunken stupor.
"I decline!" Izuna calmly places the cup on the table.
"Huh?! You decline!" Fugaku, Yagami, and Akira are surprised to hear this.
"Why? Any particular reason?!" Akira questions him.
"Not really! It's just that stuff like leading a clan is not my cup of tea. I am not suitable for the task!" Izuna shakes his head.
"But… you are the strongest member of our clan!" Fugaku argues.
"No! I am not interested. Besides, those group of old-bones don't like me for my brass attitude. They want to control me for their ambition." Izuna shakes his head in denial.
Sigh…
Fugaku sighs helplessly.
"I am also not interested!" Shisui also raises his hands in denial.
"I am content with leading the Uchiha Police department. I am not interested in the troublesome matters of the clan!" Shisui shakes his head.
"I… I see!" The group turns to Itachi for his opinion.
Itachi calmly places his cup on the table and remarks.
"A clan is built on the foundation of trust. Too bad! In the incident ten years ago, I have already lost the trust of the higher-ups of the clan by acting as a double agent. I don't think they will trust a traitor!"
Itachi shakes his head.
"I think it's better to raise Sasuke as the next clan head. Most of his friends are soon to be future heads of their respective clans. Take Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clan, for example. Then there is Uzumaki, Inuzuka, and the Aburame clan."
Itachi states a few names.
Hmm…
"Now that you mention it!"
Fugaku falls in deep thought.