In the house, young Uchiha Sasuke stumbled and attempted to walk towards his father. However, when Fugaku caught sight of Sasuke's familiar hairstyle, his expression turned cold, and this icy gaze frightened the young Sasuke, causing him to hesitate and hold back.
Noticing Fugaku's increasingly displeased face, Uchiha Mikoto also sensed something was amiss. She glanced at the courtyard outside, took a deep breath, and spoke with a slightly heavier tone, "Fugaku!"
Uchiha Sasuke was just a child, and two years ago, Uchiha Yoru was a thirteen-year-old boy. Uchiha Mikoto, looking a bit dissatisfied, glanced at her husband and then put on a political-like fake smile.
"Come, Sasuke, let's go play with Grandpa Setsuna."
Although they were supposed to show mutual respect due to the political marriage, both coming from prominent families, they naturally restrained their emotions.
After Mikoto took the child away, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but gaze at Uchiha Yoru, who was instructing Uchiha Itachi in the courtyard. Perhaps he was too sensitive, but Mikoto went too far. Why did she dress Sasuke with the same hairstyle as Yoru? If someone saw Sasuke outside, they might mistake him for Yoru's child.
There was no way around it. Even though Itachi leaned more towards Ninjutsu, his body developed rapidly. He was not even sixteen yet, but already a 1.8-meter-tall ninja. Could he be considered a child? He was too strong for that!
In the courtyard, young Uchiha Itachi had just finished training, his body drenched in sweat. When he saw his mother bringing Sasuke out, his eyes lit up.
"Mother."
Itachi demonstrated the etiquette of a prominent family. Although he addressed her as "mother," his eyes sparkled as he looked at young Sasuke.
Uchiha Yoru couldn't help but joke to himself, wondering if Itachi had a brother complex.
"Itachi, your training is done for today. Take a rest."
Uchiha Yoru wouldn't miss such a moment. He smiled and nodded, then turned to Uchiha Mikoto and said, "Sister-in-law."
However, Uchiha Mikoto, who was usually gentle and kind, seemed somewhat off today. Her beautiful eyes held a hint of dissatisfaction and estrangement.
Observing the strong young man in front of her and then glancing at her son Sasuke, Uchiha Mikoto inwardly shook her head. It was truly a difficult situation. She subtly sighed and instructed Itachi, "Itachi, take Sasuke with you for a walk. Oh, and change his hairstyle while you're at it."
Although Itachi was mature for his age, he clearly didn't understand the implied meaning in her words. Instead, he approached Sasuke and embraced him gently, saying, "Mother, I think this hairstyle suits Sasuke well."
Yet, Itachi's attention was entirely focused on Sasuke, and he didn't notice the subtle stiffness in his mother's expression.
Uchiha Mikoto put on a fake smile, taking the two children with her as she left. However, beneath the smile, there seemed to be some underlying dissatisfaction, leaving Uchiha Yoru puzzled, lost in thought.
What did he do to offend the clan leader's wife? Could it be because he didn't spend enough time personally training Itachi? It seemed he would need to pay more attention to Itachi in the future.
Indeed, as Itachi's teacher, he still hadn't fully taken responsibility for him.
"Yoru-kun."
While Uchiha Yoru was pondering the situation, Uchiha Fugaku also approached the courtyard and greeted him.
"Clan leader!"
...
Inside the cool pavilion in the courtyard, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Yoru sat respectfully. A pot of hot tea was placed between them, a testament to the attention to detail in the tea ceremony of prominent families.
Though he understood the situation, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but frown as he looked at the young man before him, especially his hairstyle. He felt somewhat helpless since, as the clan leader, he couldn't just order him to change it. Moreover, the reason for such a request seemed somewhat ridiculous.
"Yoru, I heard that your Sharingan has evolved to three tomoe."
Although it was a question, Uchiha Fugaku's face carried a seriousness that couldn't be ignored. A genius! Perhaps awakening came a bit late to be considered a genius, but the speed of evolution to three tomoe was undoubtedly top-tier among the Uchiha clan.
Uchiha Yoru didn't hide anything about his Sharingan evolving to three tomoe. Being constantly in the spotlight, he knew that he had to take advantage of every opportunity available.
"Clan leader!" Speaking of the three tomoe, Uchiha Yoru maintained a respectful demeanor, but his eyes revealed a hint of sadness.
"Is it because of your subordinates?" Uchiha Fugaku's calm remark surprised Uchiha Yoru slightly, but he didn't find it too shocking. After all, the Seventh Division had many elite Uchiha members, and some information couldn't be concealed from the clan leader.
Though he didn't disclose the real reason, no one was a fool. The Seventh Division had long been infiltrated by various forces, and facing such pressure and betrayal from comrades was the most difficult to bear.
Hearing this, Uchiha Yoru displayed a trace of sorrow, lowering his head slightly. Then, he put on a facade of composure and said, "Clan leader, don't worry, I'm fine."
The life of a ninja was cruel. Trained as tools from a young age, the simplest friendships between comrades were the most precious, but they also came with many difficult choices.
Moreover, awakening the Uchiha's Sharingan required extreme mental stimulation, even for its evolution. This led Uchiha Fugaku to suspect that something significant must have happened to him, considering the speed of his Sharingan's evolution.
Furthermore, based on intelligence analysis, Uchiha Fugaku had deduced that the reason for the rapid evolution was not only due to the pressure from the clan but also the harsh realities he had to face.
"Yoru, everything you've done is for the Uchiha clan, and the clan will remember it."
Though Uchiha Fugaku maintained a composed and stern expression, he revealed his ability to entice and attract people.
"Yoru, now that you've awakened the three tomoe Sharingan and are an elite member of the clan, you can learn Ninjutsu that only those with three tomoe can master."
Setting aside personal emotions, Uchiha Fugaku knew that this young man had contributed a lot to the clan, and he had to learn how to attract and nurture him, especially considering his plans for his own son's future.
When Uchiha Yoru saw the scroll that Clan Leader Fugaku took out, he couldn't help but show gratitude and solemnly nodded, "Thank you, clan leader."
Indeed! The crying child gets the milk. Making others offer benefits while appearing to console and attract him was the best way to handle the situation. Smart people often let others take the initiative to offer benefits with an appearance of comfort and attraction, rather than asking for it themselves, which changes the nature of the exchange.
~~~
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