Chapter 13: The Hearth
Returning to the Uchiha compound should have felt like a homecoming, but for Uchiha Raizen, it was a visit to a place both familiar and alien. The memories of this body were there, a library of facts and faces, but his soul felt no warmth from the walls. It was a stark contrast to the cramped, government-allocated apartment on Earth, which, for all its flaws, had been his.
"Uchiha Raizen, dinner is ready." The soft voice of his second sister, Uchiha Shiori, called from the doorway.
"I'll be right there, Sister," he replied, stowing the newly acquired Muramasa blade into his system's storage space. It wouldn't do to just carry a legendary sword around the house.
Soon, the family was seated around the low table. The meal proceeded in near silence, a family tradition that discouraged chatter during dinner. The quiet was heavy, laden with unspoken words and the weight of their circumstances.
After eating, Uchiha Raizen instinctively began gathering the dishes. The stunned silence that followed was louder than any conversation. His mother, Uchiha Minako, finally found her voice as he carried the last plate away.
"Uchiha Raizen, such tasks are for the women of the house. You mustn't do this. What would others think if they saw?" she said, her tone a mixture of concern and ingrained custom.
Uchiha Raizen paused in the doorway, then turned to face them. "We are family," he said, his voice firm yet gentle. "A family should share its burdens to find happiness. I am the man of this house now. I will carry my share." The words came from a deep, previously untouched place within him. In his past life, he'd never had a family, never known this simple, shared responsibility. This single, quiet meal had given him a glimpse of the warmth he'd always lacked, and he vowed to protect it.
"Uchiha Raizen... you've grown up," Uchiha Minako whispered, her voice cracking as she pulled him into a sudden, tight embrace. "Your father... he would be so proud to see you now."
On the side, his sisters, Uchiha Shiori and Uchiha Kuna, covered their mouths, their shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Watching the three of them, Uchiha Raizen felt a powerful, protective surge in his chest. He couldn't imagine how they had endured these years alone, three women with little combat prowess in a clan and an era that valued strength above all else.
"Uchiha Raizen," his mother began, her voice hesitant once the emotion had passed. "Your eldest sister... Uchiha Kuna... is to be betrothed tomorrow. The match is with Uchiha Hakusai from your sixth aunt's branch."
"Uchiha Hakusai?" Uchiha Raizen's face darkened instantly. "That man's character is wretched. He's a leech, even on the battlefield. I won't allow my sister to be married into that household. No. The answer is no."
"But—" his mother started.
"There are no 'buts'," he interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I was useless before. I let you, Sister, and Mother suffer. That ends now. If this is not what my sister truly wants, no one can force her." He turned his gaze to Uchiha Kuna. "Sister, look at me. Do you love him?"
Uchiha Kuna kept her head bowed, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. "I... I do," she stammered, her voice barely audible.
"If you love him, why is there no joy on your face?" Uchiha Raizen pressed, his voice softening. "Tell your brother the truth. Do you truly wish for this marriage?"
"But... but they have promised to provide for our family for the next year. I... I cannot be a burden..." she finally confessed, a tear tracing a path down her cheek.
"That's all I needed to hear," Uchiha Raizen stated, his resolve hardening into cold, sharp steel. "The matter is settled. I will handle our provisions for the coming year. As for the betrothal, consider it canceled. Send any complaints directly to me."
Without another word, he turned and strode out of the house, the door sliding shut behind him with a definitive click. The night air was cool against his skin. He had a name, a target. Uchiha Hakusai. And he had a new, unwavering purpose: to become the shield for this family he now called his own.