Elder Itachi (Madara Uchiha): ...
Uchiha Kira: ...
Fugaku tilted his head in confusion: "What does a flat chest mean?"
Uchiha Kira quickly responded, "Kids don't need to know about that."
After saying this, he glanced sideways with an expression of disbelief, directing his words to the child who favored big things: "What a playful child."
"Playful?"
The child, Tōshirō, crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow: "If you view me like this, as part of the Uchiha clan, you're misjudging me."
Uchiha Aka: ???
"Actually, I'm not interested in whether the chest is large or not, but no matter the suffering, I cannot let my children go hungry. A person... shouldn't always be selfish, they must think of the next generation." Tōshirō said with a mature expression, "I've felt that pain, so I don't want my children to experience it."
This strange response even puzzled Madara Uchiha behind the scenes.
This peculiar Uchiha, Madara Uchiha acknowledges him as the strongest.
"So, based on everything I've said, I can't pursue Tsunade."
Tōshirō listed several logical reasons related to Tsunade.
After hearing Elder Itachi speak, Tōshirō hadn't expected someone with such a broad perspective to exist in the clan.
He was indeed a hero, seeing things from the same viewpoint.
A man with this name, his thinking was different from any other Uchiha.
From this standpoint, Elder Itachi's words seemed to reflect a positive vision of integration within the village.
He was even willing to offer himself as a way to embrace the arms of Konoha.
For the sake of the clan, Tōshirō had no qualms about sacrificing his appearance, but if he announced it now, word would surely spread, and that would cause problems in the future...
Therefore, he would never admit to it.
It seemed for the good of the clan, Elder Itachi tried to persuade him again: "I think you should give it some more thought."
"No," Tōshirō replied firmly, "back to the point, why should I pursue Tsunade? She's flat and doesn't meet my aesthetic standards."
Elder Itachi said nothing but gave a look to Uchiha Kira, who understood the signal and led Fugaku away.
As they walked down the path, Fugaku couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked, "Master Kira, from Elder Itachi's tone, it seems like he's consciously or unconsciously trying to match Tōshirō with that girl named Tsunade."
Uchiha Kira sighed and said, "It's a bit complicated, but you should know that Elder Itachi is doing all this for the future of the Uchiha clan."
Fugaku nodded, even though he didn't fully understand, and expressed his admiration: "Elder Itachi has grown so old, yet he's still thinking about the Uchiha's future. He's truly a great man. If I have children in the future, I'll make sure they learn from him."
After they had gone, Elder Itachi spoke with a reminiscent tone: "In a few months, you'll be almost eleven years old. Time passes quickly... In our time, we were considered adults by then. I've become old, and the clan will need young people like you to bear the burden."
After this emotional speech, Tōshirō slightly lowered his head, thinking the elder would soon start persuading him.
Elder Itachi spoke again, "You're a smart child, and as you've grown, you may have sensed it, but the village views our clan with suspicion."
Tōshirō nodded and replied, "Indeed, when the First Hokage stopped Madara Uchiha, he died shortly after. So, it's natural for people to associate the Hokage's death with our clan."
Elder Itachi sighed and said, "Madara Uchiha was an unfortunate event, and even our clan didn't want that to happen. We made great efforts to dispel this estrangement and even took on the responsibility of maintaining security in Konoha."
"But, like a broken mirror, even if you glue it back together, the cracks remain. Despite our clan's great effort, the tensions haven't disappeared; they've only worsened."
Tōshirō thought this made complete sense.
Konoha's Security Division, despite its name, often dealt with trivial matters like checking shop licenses.
Isn't this like being part of an inspection team?
They do unpleasant jobs; it's hard for people to like them.
And when the Hidden Cloud Village kidnapped young Hinata, the Uchiha clan didn't take any action...
Tōshirō paused for a moment and then said, "My relationship with Tsunade is just pure friendship, and I don't want political issues to mix into it."
Elder Itachi sighed after hearing his words, saying, "Really? That's quite unfortunate."
He didn't have high hopes; he was just trying. If it worked out, it would save him a lot of work later.
If there were favorable conditions, he'd proceed. If not, he'd create them.
A look of confusion appeared on Tōshirō's face—had Elder Itachi really given up so easily?
Sensing his thoughts, Elder Itachi smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Did you think I was someone who would use any means to achieve my goals?"
"Uh, no."
"Matters of the heart can't be forced, as they say: 'A fruit plucked by force isn't sweet.' I understand that principle."
But a fruit plucked by force quenches thirst.
Tōshirō thought to himself.
This level of understanding from the elder made Tōshirō feel a bit embarrassed, so he thought for a moment and suggested, "Uh, Elder Itachi, if you really want to resolve the Uchiha's conflict with the village through marriage, I think you should try looking for someone else from the clan."
Elder Itachi shook his head confidently and said, "This task can only be accomplished by you. If you don't take it, no one else can."
Me? Am I really that important? I didn't know that.
"Why?" Tōshirō asked curiously. "Is it just because I'm close to Tsunade?"
"That's only part of it. The most important reason is that you possess something the other Uchiha clan members don't."
"What is it?"
"You have no shame."
Tōshirō stared in disbelief, feeling insulted.
Elder Itachi proudly declared, "The Uchiha clan is a proud warrior tribe. For a task like this, I know the others would undoubtedly refuse."
He paused for a moment and gave Tōshirō a knowing look: "But you, I believe, are suited for this kind of task. Tsunade is quite beautiful now, and in a few years, she'll grow into a stunning woman, perfectly matching your tastes. Given your personality, I didn't think you'd refuse. You've surprised me."
Tōshirō: ...
Elder Itachi continued, "But since you're not interested, we'll leave it at that."
"In the end, our Uchiha clan prefers to speak through strength. Although we currently have a temporary peace with the Hidden Cloud Village, I believe it won't last long—history is a cycle."
"Soon, war will come again. When that time comes, you'll have the chance to prove yourself on the battlefield. Once the village sees the strength of the Uchiha, they'll gradually shed their prejudice. If luck is on your side, your outstanding contributions on the battlefield might even lead to you becoming the next Hokage, helping the clan integrate with the village."
After hearing Elder Itachi, Tōshirō thought to himself that this elder Itachi was just like the other Itachi. How could he be so naive in thinking that the village would ever truly accept the Uchiha?
Based on his experience from the Warring States period, he shouldn't be this naive.
Perhaps it was because of the founding of Konoha and the hard-earned peace that he cherished it so much.
He'd heard that people become more conservative as they age.
Tōshirō thought this might be the case.
(End of Chapter)
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