"We both wanted to thank you, Kaoru-kun," Fugaku began once everyone was seated at the table. His voice carried the weight of sincerity. "While we still don't know the full extent of the illness, we do know that it could become a problem in the future. For that, we are grateful."
Both Fugaku and Mikoto slightly bowed their heads, it was a formal gesture that made Kaoru incredibly uncomfortable. He hadn't expected this level of gratitude, especially from someone as rigid and reserved as the Uchiha clan head. Still, he knew enough about traditions to understand that Fugaku was simply following proper customs.
"It's really not a big deal, Lord Fugaku, Lady Mikoto," Kaoru replied with an easy smile, hoping to lighten the mood. "I liked Itachi the moment we met, and besides, it's only natural to help someone in need."
Without hesitation, Kaoru reached for a plate of sushi, serving himself with obvious delight. It was his favorite meal, and there was no reason to pretend otherwise.
Mikoto smiled at his openness, clearly pleased that Kaoru wasn't hesitating. Fugaku, however, had already shifted his attention to Maki. The real conversation was only beginning.
"Lady Maki," Fugaku said, "I know information about Takimura is sensitive, but I would still like to ask you to share a little about it. Where exactly was this impressive young shinobi raised?"
Kaoru kept eating, but internally, he tensed. That was a strategic move. By making his interest in Takimura obvious, Fugaku was ensuring that if Maki repeated their conversation to Hiruzen later, it would seem like the Uchiha clan was actively intrigued by Takimura's existence. A well-placed hint that they could potentially look elsewhere for alliances if their situation in Konoha worsened.
Maki, however, was no fool. She wasn't skilled in negotiations, but she wasn't dense either. She knew exactly what Fugaku was doing. And she had no intention of playing into his hands. If anything, she'd play her own game.
"Takimura was founded by the Takime and Terumi clans, Lord Fugaku," Maki began smoothly, an easy, almost nostalgic smile gracing her face, as if she was recalling warm memories. "In many ways, our Takime clan is quite similar to the Uchiha. We were once one of Kirigakure's strongest pillars, just as the Uchiha are for Konoha."
She paused briefly, flashing a sheepish smile, as if making an innocent comparison. But Fugaku saw it for what it was, a calculated statement.
"Our clan was one of Kirigakure's founding clans, but since we never had large numbers and weren't politically ambitious, our standing weakened over time. However, the real reason the Third Mizukage moved against us wasn't politics - it was our Kekkei Genkai."
Maki let those words hang in the air for a moment, her eyes subtly scanning the expressions of her hosts. A hint of genuine sadness flickered across her face before she continued.
"It's not the most powerful dojutsu, of course," she said, allowing her tone to be modest, almost self-deprecating. "There are many considered stronger - such as the Sharingan." She smiled at that, lifting her cup of sake and downing it in one smooth motion before continuing.
"But people tend to fear what they can't control. We learned that the hard way and had no choice but to create our own sanctuary with people who think like us."
Fugaku studied her, impressed. He hadn't expected this level of subtlety from Maki. Hiruzen had described her as strong but straightforward, an honest yet fierce warrior who didn't bother with political maneuvering. But this? This was a carefully woven narrative meant to serve multiple purposes at once.
'She's not as simple as I thought,' Fugaku realized. 'This isn't just a strong but naive girl, this is someone who understands the weight of every word she speaks.'
Maki was playing the long game, just as he was. She wasn't just making friendly conversation - she was subtly reminding him that Takimura could be a valuable ally, that they had suffered from oppression just as the Uchiha had, and most importantly, that Konoha wasn't the only place the Uchiha could turn to if things escalated further.
For Fugaku, it was a rare moment where his interests and someone else's aligned perfectly. While Maki wanted a strong relationship with the Uchiha to keep Konoha in check, Fugaku could use that same relationship to remind the Hokage and his advisors that the Uchiha clan had options.
No, they would never truly abandon Konoha - not to become another village's underlings. Especially not for Takimura who had Kirigakure on their tail. But the mere possibility of it? The suggestion alone was a powerful tool.
And so, with an understanding settling between them, Fugaku lifted his cup of sake as well, taking a slow sip before speaking again.
"Your people sound resilient, Lady Maki," he said smoothly. "Perhaps our clans have more in common than I initially thought."
Kaoru had his own motives for coming here. He wasn't just here for polite conversation or political maneuvering, he was hoping the Uchiha would reward him with scrolls. It was a long shot, but when a kid does something good, they always expect some kind of treat. And for Kaoru, there was nothing more rewarding than an Uchiha scroll deemed worthy of being a present.
He briefly considered dropping hints, maybe subtly steering the conversation toward the topic, but ultimately decided against it. If it didn't happen naturally, he'd just ask Itachi later. Worst case scenario, he'd try to convince him to teach him something else - his long-desired Shadow Clone Jutsu.
At this point, it was less of a necessity and more of an obsession. Sure, the technique would be incredibly useful, but there were plenty of others he could benefit from just as much - especially considering he was in the village of Tobirama Senju, the man who practically invented half the techniques Kaoru wanted to learn. If he could get his hands on some of those Water Release scrolls, he would gain far more than just clones.
In the end, Kaoru decided to focus on eating, only occasionally exchanging words with the others. Itachi did much the same, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. He didn't fully grasp the severity of his condition, and since Tsunade had confidently assured him it wasn't a major issue, it never really got under his skin.
Desperate to change the subject, Itachi turned to Kaoru.
"Kaoru, you're fighting Senju Toji tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah," Kaoru nodded before flashing a wry smile. "And you're fighting my teammate, Kasai Mizuki."
He couldn't help but feel a little bad about Mizuki's matchup. Fighting Itachi felt like an impossible wall to climb. But Mizuki was thrilled. Unlike Kaoru, she didn't care about winning the tournament - she just wanted challenging fights against stronger opponents.
"She's strong," Itachi admitted, his tone holding genuine respect. "I saw her Butterfly Technique, it was really impressive."
Kaoru's eyes lit up. 'God knows I didn't bring up jutsus on purpose, but this is my chance.'
"Yeah, she made that technique herself," Kaoru said, acting as casual as possible. He reached for another roll, popping it into his mouth before continuing. "But honestly, Konoha has so many cool techniques we can't even buy. Like Shadow Clones, for example - so much more convenient than regular clones."
Before Itachi could even respond, someone else chimed in.
"There's a store in Konoha that sells things like that," said Mikoto, not Itachi or even Fugaku. "I'll ask Itachi to take you there after the tournament."
Kaoru nearly choked. His whole body screamed at him to jump up and hug her, but he barely managed to keep himself in check. Still, the excitement in his eyes was painfully obvious, and Mikoto chuckled at his barely-contained enthusiasm.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Maki decided to stir the pot a little.
"So, Itachi-kun," she asked with a sly smirk, "who do you think is going to win the tournament?"
"I will," Itachi answered immediately, not even a second of hesitation.
There was a brief moment of silence before the entire table burst into laughter - except for Itachi, who sat there with a puzzled expression, trying to figure out what was so funny.
From that point on, the evening became livelier. The tension melted away, replaced by lighthearted conversation and the occasional playful jab.
Meanwhile, Fugaku had come to a realization - if Maki wanted to use the Uchiha for her own goals, then Takimura was likely willing to be used as well. There was no need for endless games. So, he stopped dancing around the subject and simply enjoyed the evening.
That didn't mean he wasn't curious about Suijingan. He subtly tried to extract information about it a few times, but Maki expertly deflected - always comparing it to Sharingan in a way that made it clear:
"Information in exchange for information."
By the time the evening ended, everyone was in a good mood.
Mikoto was pleased that she had been able to help the boy who, technically, saved her son. More importantly, she was delighted to see how much Kaoru clearly enjoyed her cooking - he ate more than anyone else at the table.
Itachi was happy for a much simpler reason - he genuinely liked Kaoru and wanted to build a good relationship with him.
Fugaku, on the other hand, was satisfied for more calculated reasons. He had successfully gained a strong political leverage tool for his clan. Even more interestingly, he had grown convinced that both Maki and Kaoru were good kids. That wouldn't change his political decisions, of course, but it was still pleasant knowledge to have.
Maki was pleased because she had established a connection with the Uchiha clan while also increasing pressure on Konoha through them. If Konoha eventually chose to support Takimura against Kirigakure, that would be ideal, but Maki understood that nothing in the shinobi world came for free. There would be a price to pay, and it wouldn't be cheap. So, if Takimura had to deal with Konoha, she wanted to make sure they had the means to keep them in check.
And finally, Kaoru was the happiest of them all - for the simplest and most selfish reason imaginable. He was one step closer to getting his hands on exclusive jutsu scrolls and books.
As the siblings made their way back to their temporary home, the weight of tomorrow settled in.
Both of them had to face very strong opponents.
Maki vs. Hiruzen.
Kaoru vs. Toji.
Neither of them could afford to lose focus now.
<<<>>>
The first fight of the day was Kaoru's.
Before heading to the arena, he made a necessary detour - the gambling stands.
At this point, he had already amassed 800k ryo, but today, he was going all in. To avoid drawing too much attention by placing an outrageous single bet, he split his money into three portions and spread it across different stands.
The odds had been set:
Kaoru – 1.7
Toji – 1.4
Kaoru felt both pleased and annoyed at the same time.
He was pleased because, despite being an outsider in Konoha, he wasn't being treated as a clear underdog. His odds weren't insultingly low.
But he was annoyed because this meant he wouldn't be winning as much money as he had originally hoped.
Still, even as he was mentally counting his future earnings, he reminded himself - 'First, I have to win.'
And Toji Senju was not the kind of opponent who would go down without a fight.
The arena was packed.
This time, everyone had a favorite to cheer for. Some spectators had even gone so far as to bring banners, proudly waving them in support of the genin about to clash.
As expected, the majority of the crowd backed Senju, but Kaoru wasn't without his own fanbase. In fact, for someone from a minor village, he had a surprisingly large number of supporters. Most of them, however, were girls - a fact that had everything to do with his handsome appearance.
Across from him, Toji grinned, his stance relaxed yet brimming with excitement.
"We're finally getting to test each other's strength," he said, bowing slightly as a show of respect.
Kaoru smirked. "Yeah, I'm glad we got to fight. I was worried you'd be defeated before me."
Toji chuckled, shaking his head. He understood the joke for what it was and didn't take it as an insult.
Both fighters stood ready, eyes locked, waiting for the judge to give the signal.
**
A/N -
The Chunin Exams are reaching their climax! Will Kaoru be able to defeat Toji? Will he show any new techniques? Honestly… I have no idea either. All I know is that 4 a.m. is definitely not my peak productivity time, and I seriously need some sleep.
Also, a big revelation is coming in one of the upcoming chapters - pic of my kitten! 🐱 Stay tuned!
Characters Notes:
Mikoto Uchiha – The Ultimate Mom Mode - Secretly thrilled that Kaoru ate more of her food than anyone. Validation unlocked.
Kaoru Takime – The Opportunistic Gambler - Came for dinner, left with a shopping trip for forbidden jutsu scrolls.
**