The place was brightly lit and filled with laughter and chatter, just like the night eight years ago when the war ended.
Everyone was letting go of their stress, not worrying about what the future held or the threat from the Akatsuki organization.
Everyone laughed and played games happily, as if returning to those carefree days at the Academy!
"I, Saint Suzume of Matanque, am making a triumphant return today. There'll definitely be another storm of chaos. Watch out—you'll regret it when I'm one tile away from winning!"
"Asuma, hurry up!"
"Alright then... I'll play the five of wands!"
"Win! (x3)"
"Ugh! Why did I end up losing three times in a row again?"
Kakashi watched from the side with a complex expression, recalling that young boy who once declared he'd eat his tiles if beaten in one move with seventeen drawn...
Seiki gently patted his shoulder. "Why aren't you joining the others to play?"
Kakashi flinched slightly, only relaxing when he realized it was his senior. He managed a smile. "I'm feeling a bit unwell. I'd rather not disturb everyone."
Seiki asked, "Thinking about Obito again?"
Kakashi stiffened for a moment before sighing. "It might dampen the mood to talk about him on such a happy day, but I still can't understand... Why did he become like this?"
Seiki smiled warmly. "Then go find him and ask him in person! Bring him back!"
"Bring him back!" Kakashi perked up at first but then sighed bitterly. "But... can he really come back?"
In his view, even if Obito had done as badly as they said, the best possible outcome would still be life imprisonment.
Seiki shook his head slightly. "Isn't pulling someone back from the wrong path what friends are supposed to do? Even if they must be punished afterward, we shouldn't let them keep going the wrong way!"
Kakashi fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. "You're right, Senior. I can't just watch Obito continue down the wrong path."
With that, he walked toward a certain direction.
Over there, Naruto was shouting excitedly. "So many people here! It feels just like a night market!"
A certain fox spirit inside his consciousness urged loudly, "Go on! It's so boring just watching!"
Naruto sighed. "I don't have any money though. Should I gamble you in as collateral if I lose?"
The Nine-Tails roared, "Trust me! You won't lose even once!"
"Heh... Well, I feel like I forgot something important. What was it?"
Beside him, Minato and Kushina were cheerfully commenting.
"Unbelievable! Asuma really knows how to light the fuse and cause explosions!"
"You could say that's just his style. He'd play anything if it meant a win!"
At that moment, Kakashi approached and bowed deeply. "Teacher Minato, Sister Kushina, I'd like to apologize on behalf of Obito!"
Minato shook his head gently. "Let the past stay in the past. Besides, it's not your fault anyway."
Kakashi stood up straight, clenching his fist. "I will definitely bring Obito back so he can personally apologize to both of you and redeem his sins!"
Kushina smiled casually. "If you really want to apologize, then hurry up and wake her from her coma already... Seriously, keeping this secret from us for so long!"
"Obito, Rin..." Kakashi nodded firmly. "I will, I promise I will bring them back!"
"Alright then, don't think about those troubling matters now. Just go out and enjoy yourself!"
...
Late into the night, after the banquet ended, the once-bustling courtyard once again returned to its tranquil silence.
After tidying up the mess, Seiki headed toward his own room.
Stepping inside, Seiki didn't go straight to bed. Instead, he sat down on a chair.
He picked up a book from the table and flipped through it casually before speaking calmly, "Come in."
The shadow outside the door was briefly surprised, but upon recalling the identity of the person inside, he wasn't shocked anymore. He pushed the door open and entered.
Looking up at the visitor, Seiki smiled. "Lord Fugaku, you sure picked an unusual time!"
Fugaku did not try to take advantage of the moment to get closer. He spoke respectfully, "Lord Seiki, I have extremely important intelligence to report!"
"Important intelligence?" Seiki raised his eyebrows slightly, then formed a hand seal. An invisible barrier spread outward. "Alright, now we can speak without worrying about being overheard."
Seeing Seiki's seriousness, Fugaku relaxed slightly before dropping his bombshell, "The Uchiha clan is planning a coup!"
Seiki leaned forward slightly, asking solemnly, "Lord Fugaku, exactly what is going on?"
Fugaku sighed, "As you know, Lord Danzo has always been biased against our clan. Matters became worse when Obito and Shisui were recently exposed as having connections to the Akatsuki organization. Our people are now in an uproar, fearing Lord Danzo might use that as an excuse to purge us!"
"Therefore, our clan has decided to strike first—to launch the coup before Danzo can carry out his purge! But who could have imagined what happened to Lord Danzo today..." Fugaku's face showed a mixture of helplessness and bitter irony.
"Although the incident involving Lord Danzo brought some benefit to our clan, unfortunately, it came too late. Most of our people can't back down anymore, and they've decided to proceed with the coup!"
"I see," Seiki nodded thoughtfully and asked, "So what are your personal thoughts, Lord Fugaku?"
Knowing this was the crucial part, Fugaku answered gravely, "I understand the village might not care too much about the Uchiha rebellion. However, during such a sensitive time, the village's suppression could scare those displaced civilians, triggering chaos. Also, the village's forces will inevitably suffer while quelling the rebellion."
"Therefore, I hope to personally carry out a decapitation operation—eliminating the leaders of the radical faction. Then, the village can label me as a sleeper agent of the Akatsuki organization!"
"In this way, the Uchiha will no longer be capable of rebellion, and the deep-seated grudge of our clan can be redirected toward me and the Akatsuki!"
The room was completely silent, save for the flickering light casting restless shadows on the walls.
Fugaku said nothing more, but his breathing became faster, as if awaiting a final judgment.
At that moment, Seiki suddenly looked toward the outside and said with interest, "It seems another visitor has arrived. Lord Fugaku, perhaps you should hide for a moment?"
Fugaku's heart skipped a beat. He knew that if word of his visit tonight got out, his plan to shift the blame would certainly raise suspicions!
So, he quickly transformed into a trash can and ducked into a corner to stay out of sight.
Thanks to the barrier, the figure hanging around outside the door didn't sense anything moving inside.
Then, the door suddenly opened.
Seeing the door suddenly open, the figure outside flinched slightly but quickly recovered and stepped inside.
"Lord Seiki!"
Crouched in the dark corner of the room with the bed blocking his view, Fugaku couldn't make out the figure's appearance.
But the moment he heard the voice, his heart nearly stopped. "Is that… Shisui?"
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