At that moment, the people outside had just managed to extinguish the flames.
"Phew... Why is it that they fight, and we are the ones cleaning up the mess?" Nara Shikaku wiped the sweat off his brow, muttering complaints.
"Isn't it because you stirred things up?" Yamanaka Inoichi replied quietly from the side. "If you hadn't egged them on, we wouldn't be stuck cleaning up now."
"I was just, huh? They're coming out!" Shikaku had been about to argue when he suddenly noticed Uchiha Haru stumbling out, clutching her neck in pain.
"That's just... that's just cruel. Crushing a flower with such force." He even clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"I'm... alive?" Haru glanced down at her hands, then touched the delicate skin of her neck. Feeling the smooth, unmarred surface, she turned to Yuki Seisui, stunned.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Seisui felt a little uneasy under her gaze. "We fought, didn't we?"
"And your Sharingan evolved, too, so let's call it even."
Even though Uchiha Haru had awakened the second tomoe in her Sharingan purely by accident, Seisui had no issue taking full credit for it.
"What was that just now?" Haru's tone had lost its usual chill. Or maybe it was his imagination, but Seisui thought she sounded... gentler.
"That's my bloodline ability, a personal space where people can practice ninjutsu and spar in real-time."
He noticed her concern and added, "It's all spiritual. Dying in there doesn't harm your real body."
"...Can it make me stronger?"
"Uh, " Seisui didn't really want to answer, but seeing her staring at him so intently, he nodded.
"It does improve combat experience."
"Then take me with you the next time you train or practice ninjutsu."
"I..." Seisui had been about to say he was too busy, but then Haru's next sentence changed his mind entirely.
"I'll pay you 300,000 ryo a month."
In an instant, Seisui's expression flipped to a grin.
"Of course! No problem at all! Just come find me whenever you need!"
"Whoever was bullying Miss Haru earlier must've been crazy. Just unbelievable."
Watching Seisui agree so quickly, Haru turned on her heel and headed back toward the Uchiha compound.
"What a rich girl," Nara Shikaku commented, walking up with a glint of envy in his eyes. "That's three hundred thousand ryo..."
And that wasn't even accounting for what Haru could do with her clan's wealth.
"If Shikaku knew how much it cost in the future, he'd be saying, 'That's like, what, 1%!'"
"Man, the Uchiha clan is seriously loaded," Seisui muttered. Then his eyes narrowed at the group.
"Who brought her here in the first place?"
Although it sounded like a question, Seisui's gaze locked directly onto Nara Shikaku.
Minato and the others subtly took a step back, clearly throwing Shikaku under the bus.
"Well, weren't you the one who said you wanted to chase after her?" Shikaku said with a shrug.
"I just brought her over to give you two some alone time."
He added, "Tell you what, we'll pay you 100,000 ryo a month too. Consider it your fee."
Seisui paused mid-step, then threw his arm around Shikaku's shoulder, grinning.
"What are you even saying? I was just curious, that's all. No need to explain so much between brothers, right?"
"Oh, and since school's off tomorrow, just bring the money then."
==========
The gentle flow of the Naka River shimmered under the setting sun.
Uchiha Haru walked along its bank like a puppet, eyes blank, feet moving forward with no real direction.
This had been the first time she'd ever lost a fight since awakening her Sharingan. She had even died in that battle simulation.
It wasn't the loss itself that hurt, it was the way she lost. Yuki Seisui hadn't even used full strength. It felt like a powerful predator casually swatting down prey.
He even... patted her head.
Remembering the warmth of his palm, Haru's ears flushed faintly pink. That had been the first time a boy had ever touched her like that.
But then she recalled the moment her throat was slit. Her hands clenched into fists.
"Next time, I'll kill you."
As she spoke, her newly awakened two-tomoe Sharingan flared to life, spinning ominously in the growing darkness, a bewitching sight in the silence.
==========
Back at the Uchiha compound...
Uchiha Setsuna, the clan's elder hawk and hardliner, listened to a report from one of his subordinates. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly as he was about to speak, when the doors opened and Haru walked in silently, head bowed.
His stern expression melted away immediately. With a subtle hand motion, he dismissed the subordinate.
Before Haru, he was never the fearsome elder. He was just a doting grandfather.
"You're back, Haru?" he said with a warm smile. "I have a little gift for you."
But then he noticed something was off.
"Haru, what's wrong? Who hurt you?"
"Tell Grandpa, I'll make sure they pay!"
A wave of killing intent burst from him. Haru wasn't just his granddaughter, she was his only living heir.
Then she lifted her head. Her Sharingan had evolved, two tomoe spinning in her eyes.
Uchiha Setsuna paused, then his eyes went wide with joy.
Two tomoe?!
In Uchiha standards, that was equivalent to a seasoned Chunin. For her to achieve that at such a young age, unprecedented.
He immediately started calculating her future potential.
With this rate of growth, she could very well awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan one day...
And if she did, Setsuna, a staunch hawk, knew what came next, toppling the Senju brat's influence and putting the Uchiha back in power. As Hokage.
"Excellent! That's my granddaughter!" Setsuna laughed heartily, stepping forward.
"Grandpa, I need 300,000 ryo."
"You need money?" he blinked, surprised. But he was still riding high on pride.
"Just 300,000? That's nothing. I'll give you 600,000."
"Come, tell Grandpa, how did you awaken the second tomoe?"
==========
Elsewhere, Yuki Seisui was blissfully unaware of all this. Even if he knew, he probably wouldn't have cared.
At the moment, he was busy pulling the strings on Minato.
"Minato, look how good I am to you."
"Everyone else charges money, but we're bros, right? When you become Hokage, I'll be your advisor. Just promise me some long-legged beauties in black stockings."
Minato gave him a helpless look and humored him with a nod.
"Yeah, sure. I'll find you a few."
"This... this is what youth is all about!!" Might Duy passed by at that moment, catching the scene and tearing up emotionally.
As Duy picked up the pace, trying to leave, Seisui quickly called out to him.
"Uncle Duy! Wait up!"
=============
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