Konoha
After six long months, Uchiha Yoru and his team finally returned to the village. The constant tension on the frontlines had taken a toll on their spirits, so coming back to the village brought a sense of relief.
Their return was relatively calm, except for one of the Sannin, Orochimaru. He gazed at the empty gates of Konoha, a hoarse smile forming on his face as he licked his lips.
With a raspy laugh, Orochimaru slowly entered the village. To others, this scene seemed insignificant, but to Uchiha Shisui, it was filled with irony.
Orochimaru-sama is a hero! Since the Nine-Tails incident last October, he has faced the pressure from two major nations and countless smaller ones all by himself. One can only imagine the kind of strain he endured on the frontlines. Yet, in less than six months, everything had been resolved.
But this great hero was returning to the village in such a desolate state. Shisui couldn't help but feel dissatisfied with Konoha's current leadership.
"Yoru-niisan, how can the village treat Orochimaru-sama like this?"
On their way back, Shisui couldn't hold back his thoughts and spoke quietly to Uchiha Yoru, the person he trusted more than anyone else.
Seeing Shisui's expression, Uchiha Yoru wore a serious face and looked at him solemnly.
"Shisui! You must believe in the Will of Fire. This might be the opinion of a few corrupted individuals, but it's not the opinion of everyone. You must believe in the village."
Uchiha Yoru appeared to be earnestly cautioning Shisui, warning him against harboring negative thoughts. But deep down, he was delighted. That's just how people are. The more you suppress their thoughts, the more those thoughts grow and intensify. If he were to vent his frustrations with Shisui, they would both begin questioning their own beliefs afterward.
At present, he wanted to eliminate any possibility of Shisui expressing his discontent and make him suppress all those disturbing thoughts within him. Then, he would wait for the right moment, and those thoughts would explode completely.
"Yoru-niisan, I... I didn't... I have always believed in the Will of Fire."
Even though Shisui was a jōnin, he couldn't help but feel uneasy in front of Uchiha Yoru. It was as if he genuinely had some dissatisfaction with Konoha's higher-ups. At this moment, he spoke words that he didn't truly mean.
Observing Shisui in this state, Uchiha Yoru smiled and approached him, offering comfort by patting his shoulder.
"Shisui, perhaps the pressure on the frontlines was too much for you. After coming back this time, relax and don't be too tense. You must believe in the village and the Will of Fire."
Shisui, comforted by Uchiha Yoru, smiled, but doubts lingered in his heart. Did he truly start doubting Konoha's leadership? No! How could he think that way?
Initially, he had merely been dissatisfied with how Orochimaru-sama was being treated. But now, after being told all this, he found himself entertaining thoughts that the village had gone too far.
Human nature! Uchiha Yoru was confident in his understanding of human nature and wore a smile on his face. He wanted to make Shisui feel guilty. The more he did that, the more Shisui would believe that he had wicked thoughts in his heart. Once those thoughts were suppressed, they would forever leave a mark.
"Let's go. I have been away for half a year, and I miss home."
With Shisui by his side, Uchiha Yoru smiled nonchalantly. However, when Shisui wanted to say something, he saw the smile on Yoru's face and didn't know how to respond.
As Shisui hesitated and struggled to find the right words, the two of them had already arrived at the Uchiha clan's new settlement after the relocation.
They stopped in their tracks! Shisui looked up and couldn't believe what he saw—the blank expression on Yoru's face. His own unease and embarrassment grew.
In the past six months, Shisui had made several trips to transport supplies and was well aware of the situation within the clan. But Yoru was unaware.
The Uchiha clan's new settlement couldn't be described as remote anymore. It was as if they had moved into an uninhabited forest.
Surrounded by dense forests, with fresh air and the chirping of birds, the new Uchiha settlement was three times larger than before. But it exuded a sense of isolation, or, to put it bluntly, a feeling of being cut off from the world.
"Yoru-niisan." After hesitating for a while, Uchiha Shisui tried to comfort his elder brother, but Uchiha Yoru was the first to react.
"So, this is the new settlement. Just as I expected, the village still trusts us Uchiha. Otherwise, they wouldn't have planned such a large territory for us. Haha."
Although he wore a casual smile, there was a noticeable strain in his effort. Even when he mentioned the village again, he lacked the earlier confidence. Shisui found it highly ironic.
Uchiha Yoru forced a strained smile and approached Shisui, patting his shoulder. "Shisui, is this the house the clan head and elders prepared for me? You always said you were envious of it."
Amidst laughter and conversation, the two of them slowly entered the Uchiha settlement. As they stepped into the Uchiha clan's territory, countless eyes looked at them with numbness and loneliness, as if everyone was watching. But as soon as they recognized their own clan's shinobi, everyone smiled.
It seemed that this was the moment they felt at home. Uchiha's cold eyes were just a facade in front of outsiders, concealing their loneliness.
"Haha, Shisui, so this is the house bestowed upon me by the clan head. It truly lives up to your envy. Such a large courtyard! You should work hard, Shisui."
At this moment, Uchiha Yoru's carefree laughter made Shisui even more uneasy. It was evident that he was using his smile to mask the emptiness in his heart.
After all, just before they entered the village, he fervently believed in the village and the Will of Fire, even warning Shisui not to entertain those negative thoughts. But now, reality was slapping him in the face. The Uchiha clan was clearly being isolated.
"Yoru-niisan, the clan head and elders said that this is your reward for your great deeds for the clan. It was specially prepared for you."
At this point, Shisui, pretending not to notice Yoru's forced smile, changed the topic and spoke with a smile. These rewards were given by the clan for Yoru's accomplishments.
"Alright, Shisui, you should go back now. I can't wait to see my new home."
He seemed to be rushing Shisui, but that was what concerned Shisui the most. Seeing his hesitation, Shisui couldn't help but display a concerned expression and asked his elder brother, who had so much faith in the Will of Fire, "Yoru-niisan, are you okay?"
At this point, he naturally saw through Shisui's insincere words. Uchiha Yoru, wearing a resolute expression, turned his head and looked at Shisui, speaking with a serious tone.
"Shisui! You mustn't think like that! You must believe! Once Orochimaru-sensei becomes the Fifth Hokage, everything will change. All of this is just temporary."
Observing Uchiha Yoru's determined expression and the hint of warning and resolution in his eyes, Shisui solemnly nodded. "Yoru-niisan, don't worry. I believe that everything will change once Orochimaru-sama becomes the Hokage."
That's just how humans are. The more you try to prevent them from thinking in a certain way, the more they will start thinking in the opposite direction.
~~~
Notes:
(Cool)