Chapter 142. The Waters are Too Deep Again!
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The wind was particularly noisy today.
Yuto stretched lazily, gazing at the bustling crowd outside with a sigh. Although Konoha had some misunderstandings about him and he had nearly been forced to kneel a few days ago, as a rich man, he didn't mind.
As long as there's money to be made, that's all!
No matter how loudly they protested, they still had to buy tickets at his cinema to watch the movie—what was the big deal?
He heard… the Chief Elder had already watched it three times.
So, it wasn't a big problem. No matter how much people cursed, it was still attention. The only real problem would be if no one paid attention at all.
This time… the first-ever movie screening in the ninja world was a huge success!
It would likely become a significant milestone in the history of ninja-world cinema.
However—
This was an era of peace, and fighting and killing were ultimately the wrong path!
Only when everyone sat down, calmed their tempers, and had discussions could the ninja world be filled with truth, goodness, and beauty!!!
Creak!
The door opened.
Yuto put on what he thought was a charming smile and flicked his head slightly as he looked at Suzune, who walked in. "Aren't you going to take a break today?"
Hyuga Suzune: (▼皿▼#)
She glared at Yuto fiercely, then lowered her head in frustration, unwilling to speak to him. Instead, she angrily busied herself with paperwork.
"…"
Still too emotional.
It was just a movie. How big of a deal was it?
Was there really a need to be this upset?
Yuto sighed in exasperation. His secretary was really mad today—he couldn't rely on her skills, so he had to pour a glass of water himself.
He also felt a bit emotional.
If he were as sentimental as she was… he'd probably have awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan by now!
Mangekyo Sharingan could only be awakened by experiencing intense negative emotions and generating a special kind of chakra.
Yeah—
These things were just child's play for him. To experience enough emotional shock to awaken the Mangekyo, he'd probably have to go bankrupt, right?
As for Uchiha's Chief Elder…
Yuto's mouth twitched as he recalled those red eyes from that day. If he hadn't revealed just a tiny bit of his strength and fled fast enough, he might never have lived to see his little nephew being born.
The Chief Elder… could he have resonated with the movie on a deep level?
After all, both were from the Warring States period, both had harbored feelings… But in the end, the protagonists had died, whereas the Chief Elder… had simply missed out on the best years of his youth.
Yuto shook his head and stopped thinking about it. The more he thought about it, the more that pair of red eyes surfaced in his mind. Out of respect for the Elder, it was best to drop the subject. He lowered his head and looked at Suzune. "By the way, has Elder Hana ever married?"
Thud!
Suzune: (▼皿▼#)
She glared at Yuto furiously again.
Damn it.
Why couldn't the protagonists just have a happy ending?
After a moment of thought, she lowered her head again, her expression turning neutral but carrying a trace of sorrow. "Yes, she did."
"So tragic!"
"???"
"Nothing—what about Elder Hana's husband?" Yuto's mouth twitched, rubbing his chin in thought. So… the Chief Elder was actually quite bold.
Was he really having secret rendezvous with a married woman?
And he wasn't beaten to death by the Hyuga Clan?
"He died!" Suzune's voice was low and distant as she stared blankly at the documents, lost in thought. "He sacrificed himself in the early days of Konoha. Since then, Elder Hana has been alone all these years."
"I see." Yuto nodded.
As for the Chief Elder…
An old virgin!
He had devoted himself entirely to reviving the Uchiha Clan and had never married.
With a sigh, Yuto decided to stop worrying about the Chief Elder's late-life romance. He turned his attention back to Suzune, who was still puffing up her cheeks with an "I'm angry" expression. With a small smile, he asked, "Want some ramen?"
She looked kind of cute like this.
At his words, Suzune's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her cheeks flushed. Suddenly, she felt a tiny bit hungry. Her small face looked especially conflicted. After about a minute, she hesitated before softly murmuring, "…Yes."
However—
After a slight pause, she lifted her head to look at Yuto, her tone filled with quiet amusement. "It's just... do you dare to go out now?"
"…"
Yuto's smile froze. Then he let out an awkward chuckle, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
The Chief Elder… surely he hadn't left the house yet… right?
…
However, at this moment…
A major event in the Uchiha Clan!
Uchiha Fugaku, the Clan Leader, Uchiha Setsuna, the Chief Elder, and Uchiha Ishizawa, the Second Elder, were all gathered in a confined space.
It seemed like there was something secretive yet important to discuss.
"Brother, your eyes…" Uchiha Ishizawa looked at the Chief Elder across from him. After a moment of hesitation, his tone carried both excitement and anticipation. "Could it be that you've really awakened…?"
Before he could finish speaking—
"Mm." The Chief Elder simply nodded calmly, as if it wasn't anything to be overly excited about.
Fugaku, on the other hand, glanced at the Chief Elder with a hint of surprise but remained silent. However… deep within his dark eyes, there seemed to be a trace of concern.
"That's amazing! It really is the legendary eyes of the Uchiha Clan!" The strict Second Elder, upon hearing the confirmation, became visibly excited. "This means that our Uchiha Clan is finally going to rise again!" As he spoke, he firmly grasped his elder brother's hands. "Brother, you no longer need to degrade yourself by trying to form ties with the Hyuga Clan. We, the Uchiha… why should we stoop so low?!"
He still vividly remembered—
That day, in the movie theater…
The film had humiliated the Uchiha, portraying an Uchiha sacrificing himself for a mere Hyuga woman. His elder brother had watched, his eyes turning bloodshot, his anger flaring like an erupting volcano, before he charged straight toward the disgrace of the Uchiha—Yuto.
Unfortunately, that brat managed to dodge.
But it was evident just how furious his big brother was over the slander in the film!
The Uchiha would never commit suicide for a mere Hyuga woman!
And so…
He looked at his big brother deeply, and in his heart, he felt... that his big brother had finally gotten his reward after all the hardship he had endured.
"…"
Uchiha Fugaku's mouth twitched, but he didn't say anything, instead tilting his head up to stare at the ancient wooden ceiling above.
The craftsmanship of the Uchiha ceiling… truly remarkable!
Meanwhile, upon hearing his younger brother's words, the Chief Elder forced an awkward smile, withdrawing his hands from Ishizawa's grip. Looking at his younger brother's expression of reverence, sorrow, and contemplation, he opened his mouth—and didn't know what to say for a while.
Stupid little brother, you are right?
Stupid little brother, you are wrong?
No matter what, the Chief Elder felt that he was in a terrible state.
Why had he awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan at that time?
Because Romeo had chosen death for love, and he… he was simply too old.
How similar!
The Chief Elder let out a sigh, patted Ishizawa's shoulder, and spoke with a weary, clouded gaze. "What do you think of the Uchiha now?"
"I…" Ishizawa hesitated, his mouth slightly open.
"It seems you already understand," the Chief Elder sighed once more. "Thanks to that brat Yuto's efforts—constantly offering discounts and strengthening ties with other clans—many families in Konoha have begun to understand us better." With a heavy sigh, he continued, "Ishizawa… the waters here are too deep. Both you and I are getting old, and we can't grasp it vaguely. Even with the Mangekyo, I still think the water is so deep. Now, this is the era of young people~!"
"Brother, you…"
"That's enough! Later, Fugaku will go inform the Hokage." The Chief Elder's tone carried an air of wisdom mixed with sorrow. He then stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and slowly walked out the door.
Leaving behind—
Ishizawa, staring in shock at his big brother's departing, desolate figure. A deep sense of melancholy settled over him as he murmured to himself, "Even Brother… still feels he's unable to control everything?"
Beside him, Fugaku also fell into contemplation. After a moment of thought, he more or less understood the Chief Elder's message. Just as he was about to rise and leave—
Suddenly—
From outside the door came the Chief Elder's sinister voice: "One more thing… Fugaku! Make sure that brat comes to see me in person!"
With that, he left.
Fugaku: …
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