A quarter of an hour later, they stopped in front of a courtyard overgrown with wisteria. The gate lock was an old-fashioned copper one, engraved with the Uchiha clan crest, the oxidized verdigris showing the passage of time.
Shine stepped forward and tapped the door ring lightly. The "knock, knock, knock" sounded particularly clear in the quiet alley.
A moment later, the sliding paper door creaked open, and a gentle face peeked out—it was Aunt Uchiha Xiuyue, in her thirties, with an elegant jade hairpin in her hair bun and the faint scent of cooking smoke from just having tied her apron.
Xiuyue's gaze first fell upon the unfamiliar Chi and Yan, her brow furrowing slightly. But when her eyes swept to Shine, all her wariness turned into surprise, and the corners of her eyes instantly crinkled: "It's Shine! You're finally back!"
She stepped forward two steps, reaching out to touch Shine's cheek. When her fingertips brushed against the thin calluses on his jaw, she gently withdrew them and instead grabbed his wrist. "I heard you've been fighting on the eastern battlefield for half a year. Are you hurt? Quick, come in! Your Uncle Hefeng was just talking about you yesterday, saying that if the Clan Chief didn't have to guard the Clan Compound, he would have rushed to the front lines to bring you back long ago!"
"Aunt, long time no see." Shine smiled and held her hand back, feeling the warmth of her palm—a sense of peace he hadn't felt in his half a year on the battlefield.
He stepped aside, revealing Senba behind him. "My father is here too."
"Big Brother!" Xiuyue's smile grew even wider as she hurriedly stepped aside to open the door, her warmth filling the sound of the hinges turning. "Please, come in! You're here for Hefeng, right? He just finished frying some salmon and is slowly eating it with his morning tea—I was wondering why he insisted on waiting for something hot today; turns out he had a premonition you were coming!"
A rare, gentle curve appeared at the corner of Senba's mouth as he followed her inside. "Long time no see, Xiuyue. I do have urgent business with Hefeng; I'll have to trouble you to make a trip."
Breakfast bowls and chopsticks were still on the stone table in the courtyard. A man dressed in dark blue loungewear was holding a tea bowl. Seeing the movement at the gate, he stood up abruptly, nearly dropping the bowl—it was Shine's uncle, Uchiha Hefeng.
He had a tall, upright build, and his face was seventy percent similar to Senba's, though he had a few more shallow scars from the battlefield at the corners of his eyes—marks of the days he fought side-by-side with Senba in their youth.
"Big Brother!" Hefeng strode forward and clapped a hand on Senba's shoulder with enough force to make Senba chuckle. "Ten years! You finally decided to come find me of your own accord!"
His gaze then fell on Shine, and he reached out to roughly ruffle his hair, his tone both urgent and affectionate. "You brat! Why didn't you send word first? I heard from the kids in the clan that you tore through the Iwagakure encirclement on the battlefield. Did you risk your life for that?"
Shine smiled and dodged. "Don't worry, Uncle, I know what I'm doing."
As soon as they entered the living room, Xiuyue briskly prepared the tea. The tea set was Land of Whirlpools porcelain gifted by Senba years ago, its glaze still bright.
Senba picked up the tea cup but didn't drink. He placed it gently on the table and looked at Xiuyue, his tone apologetic. "Xiuyue, could I trouble you to invite Kazuha, Cang, and Yan over? Hefeng, Shine, and I have something major to discuss. It will likely take a long time, and I'm sorry to interrupt your work."
Hearing this, Hefeng immediately gave Xiuyue a look.
Xiuyue waved her hand with a smile and quickly untied her apron. "What are you saying, Big Brother? Important matters come first. I'll go right now. It just so happens that Kazuha's youngest daughter came to learn how to weave sachets from me yesterday; I'll call them on my way."
As she reached the door, she turned back to remind Hefeng, "Reheat the salmon. Shine definitely hasn't had enough home-cooked food."
After the living room door closed, the smile on Hefeng's face gradually faded. His gaze swept over Chi and Yan, who stood straight behind Shine, then at Senba's solemn expression. His brow furrowed completely. "Big Brother, what exactly is going on?"
He knew all too well what this setup meant.
Ten years ago, when Senba was the core of the Moderate Faction, he would only have his personal guards protect them the entire time when he summoned the five brothers for a meeting.
But ever since Senba suddenly announced his retirement to neutrality and stopped interfering in clan affairs, the five brothers had never gathered formally like this—even during New Year reunions, Senba would only talk about family matters and never mention the clan's internal conflicts.
Hefeng's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of his tea cup as memories flooded back. Back then, the five brothers were the most dazzling existence of Uchiha Kagami's lineage—
Senba's tactical planning, his Fire Release assaults, Kazuha's Genjutsu, Cang's Taijutsu, and Yan's Medical Ninjutsu—each of them was a Three-Tomoe Elite Jōnin, holding nearly half of the Moderate Faction's combat power.
At that time, even Clan Chief Fugaku had to give them some respect, and Danzo didn't dare provoke them easily.
But ten years ago, Senba suddenly dropped everything, saying he wanted to "keep his family safe." He watched as his followers scattered one by one. Though the four brothers still followed him, they could only guard their own small circles and gradually faded from the clan's power center.
"The biggest thing in the clan lately is Fugaku taking the Moderate Faction to the Kirigakure Battlefield. Has something gone wrong at the front?" Hefeng couldn't help but press, his eyes on Shine. "Or did you run into something on the battlefield?"
He knew Shine was a key target of Sarutobi's recruitment, but this setup was far too solemn for mere "battlefield trifles."
Senba took a sip of tea, the bitterness spreading across his tongue. He looked up at Hefeng, his gaze calm but carrying immense weight. "No rush."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Shine before landing back on Hefeng's face. "Once Kazuha and the other two arrive, we five brothers will settle the accounts—settle the grievances the Uchiha have suffered these ten years, and settle the debts Sarutobi and Danzo owe us."
Hefeng's pupils suddenly constricted, and his tea cup clattered against the table.
He looked sharply at Senba, then at Shine—the boy was sitting calmly, his fingertips tapping lightly on his knee. That rhythm was exactly the same as the code Senba used to deploy tactics in his youth.
Xiuyue's cheerful greeting came from outside the courtyard; Kazuha and the others had arrived.
Hefeng took a deep breath and clenched his fists—he had waited for this day for ten whole years.
"Creak—" The sliding paper door of the living room was gently pushed open, and three figures stood side-by-side at the entrance. The morning light spilled across them, reflecting their different demeanors.
Uchiha Yue He, walking at the front, had the most upright build. The cuffs of his dark blue clan uniform were frayed, a mark of years of practicing Genjutsu seals.
Uchiha Cang in the middle had a cold expression, his hands habitually clasped behind his back. The calluses on his knuckles revealed his status as a Taijutsu expert.
Uchiha Yan on the far right was somewhat gentle, with a small Medical Tool Pouch pinned to his lapel, his eyes hiding the characteristic meticulousness of a healer.
When the three of them saw Senba in the seat of honor, they were first stunned, then genuine smiles broke out on their faces as they called out in unison, "Big Brother!"
Their voices were filled with the warmth of a long-awaited reunion. Kazuha strode forward, reaching out to pat Senba's shoulder, but his movement stopped abruptly when he caught sight of his solemn expression...
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808