Konoha Notes

Chapter 18 Uchiha Clan Territory
Three years ago, the Nine-Tails' claws and flames tore the heart of Konoha to pieces. The devastation, however, unexpectedly provided a convenient means for the village's reconstruction.

Originally, Konoha was just a settlement established after the Senju and Uchiha clans made peace. Who could have imagined that it would expand into the behemoth that houses tens of thousands of people today?

The territories of the various ninja clans that joined later were intertwined and scattered, like stubborn bone spurs, deeply embedded in the fabric of Konoha's development, making the planners feel constrained.

The Nine-Tails' rampage was like a brutal surgical operation, removing the obstructive bone spurs and finally allowing Konoha to grow anew according to a more reasonable blueprint.

The village is now centered around the Hokage Building, with residential and commercial areas clearly separated. The ninja clan territories, once scattered throughout the village, have collectively migrated to its outskirts. In this reshuffling, the Uchiha, Konoha's most powerful clan, has been relocated to the most remote and peripheral location.

The stated reason is quite plausible: to facilitate the duties of the security forces and maintain public order.

However, every Konoha ninja who experienced that bloody night has the image of those crimson Sharingan eyes spinning in the Nine-Tails' pupils etched in their hearts.

This irrefutable evidence silently proclaimed the inextricable connection between the Uchiha clan and that disaster. Faced with this almost explicit exile, the Uchiha clan leader, Fugaku Uchiha, despite his overwhelming anger and profound humiliation, could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger in silence.

At the entrance to the Uchiha clan compound, a small figure was already waiting. Itachi Uchiha wore a dark blue clan robe with the symbolic fan-shaped clan crest on his back, his calm black eyes watching Shuuji approach.

"Shuji-senpai," Itachi bowed slightly, his voice clear and calm, "My father instructed me to wait here and take you there."

"Thank you for your trouble, Itachi." Shuuji nodded, his gaze falling on the boy. He could sense that Itachi's demeanor today was more calm and reserved than usual.

Having secured his status as a Special Jonin, Shuji began fulfilling his duties as captain.

Itachi's joining the team is a done deal. Allowing an eight-year-old child to be exposed to dangers above Rank B is unacceptable. Therefore, it is necessary to have a meeting with his parents—the head of the Uchiha clan.

Although he himself had been fighting on the front lines since he was eleven... in the unspoken understanding of the ninja world, eight and eleven years old are the dividing lines between children and formal ninjas. The former should be studying at the ninja academy, while the latter are already ready to take up arms.

"Is this your first time visiting the Uchiha clan's territory, senior?" Itachi led the way, his voice still calm.

“Yes, I’ve been fighting on the border for a long time and rarely have the chance to return to the village,” Shuuji replied, his gaze following Itachi while subtly scanning his surroundings.

The Uchiha clan's territory seemed to be surrounded by an invisible wall.

Passing through the somewhat deserted entrance, the interior reveals a completely different world. The streets are clean and tidy, and the houses on both sides maintain a traditional Japanese style.

Unlike the bustling commercial street in the center of Konoha Village, the shops here are small in scale but have a wide variety of products: general stores selling ninja tools and daily necessities, izakayas with the aroma of food wafting out, and even a dessert shop with an elegant storefront, displaying delicate mochi and sushi in the window.

There weren't many pedestrians, mostly Uchiha clan members dressed in dark blue clan clothing. They nodded to each other, talked in hushed tones, and formed a close-knit and self-contained social circle.

There was a sense of alienation in the air, as if this were a miniature village independent of Konoha.

Shuji keenly noticed that the occasional glances cast his way carried scrutiny, curiosity, and even... a hint of barely perceptible indifference. The eyes of ordinary women and children were mostly filled with curiosity and a little unease, while the Uchiha ninjas who brushed past him had eyes as sharp as knives, making no attempt to hide their wariness and scrutiny of outsiders.

Just as he stepped into the entrance to the clan's territory, Xiu Si paused almost imperceptibly.

It wasn't a gaze from within, but rather a more distant and covert sense of surveillance, firmly locking onto the direction of the Uchiha clan's gate.

"Brother! Brother!" A childish, clear, and excited voice suddenly came from a nearby alley.

A small figure, about three years old, dressed in an adorable dark blue miniature clan uniform, burst out like a small cannonball, its target the itachi who was pointing the way.

It was Uchiha Sasuke. Completely ignoring the stranger beside his brother, his small body, brimming with energy, plunged into Itachi's arms, hugging his legs tightly. He tilted his head back, his large, dark eyes sparkling with pure dependence and joy: "Brother! Play with shuriken with me! Now!"

Itachi's face, usually so composed beyond his years, instantly melted away. His eyes softened with tenderness as he bent down slightly, gently stroking Sasuke's soft black hair, his voice gentle: "Sasuke, your brother needs to take you to see Father now. I'll spend more time with you later, okay?"

Sasuke's lips immediately pouted, his little face filled with grievance, and his big eyes seemed to glisten with tears. He obediently nodded, reluctantly letting go of Shuji's hand. His gaze lingered curiously on Shuji before he ran back into the depths of the alley, turning back every few steps. Fugaku's figure had appeared at the entrance of the mansion sometime earlier. He watched this scene quietly, his face expressionless, but when his deep gaze fell on Shuji after Sasuke had run off, a hint of indescribable complexity appeared in his eyes.

Itachi straightened up, nodded slightly to Shuuji, signaling to continue forward, his face regaining its usual composure.

The two quickly arrived at the magnificent mansion. Itachi stopped at the entrance and respectfully stepped aside: "Senior, my father is waiting for you inside."

Fugaku's gaze fell directly on Shuji.

Shuji nodded his thanks, took off his shoes, and stepped into the entrance hall. Itachi stood quietly in the shadows of the outer corridor.

Fugaku Uchiha stood in the inner hall of the entrance hall. He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his face calm and serene. He wore a dark clan robe, and his gaze was calmly fixed on Shuji, with a condescending scrutiny.

“Shuji Jonin.” Fugaku’s voice was deep and steady, revealing no emotion, simply confirming his identity. “I have long heard of your outstanding achievements on the border and your recent promotion to Special Jonin. You are a truly formidable young man.”

"Clan Chief Fugaku is too kind. It is my duty, and I dare not slack off." Shuuji nodded slightly, his manners impeccable, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

Fugaku stepped aside and made a "please" gesture.

The two entered the guest room and knelt facing each other on the tatami mats. Itachi's mother, Uchiha Mikoto, served them tea and then left, leaving only the lingering aroma of tea and an invisible, slightly tense atmosphere in the room.

Fugaku did not discuss the risks of Itachi's participation in the mission or give him any instructions, as Shuji had expected. He picked up his teacup and began the conversation in a calm tone: "I've heard that you've been living in the old house on the western outskirts of the village... by Lady Momoka herself?"

"Yes, I've always been taken care of by my mother-in-law," Xiu Si replied calmly, picking up his teacup as well.

Fugaku set down his cup, the bottom of which made a slight clinking sound against the low table. "I've heard that Jonin Shuji's ninjutsu is excellent, mastering all five elemental ninjutsu. The trials at the border are indeed the best way to temper a person."

"The circumstances force me to practice more."

Fugaku nodded slightly, saying no more. He changed the subject, turning his gaze to the courtyard outside the paper door: "Shuji-kun, what are your impressions of my clan's territory when you came in with Itachi?"

Xiu Si's mind stirred slightly as he carefully considered his words: "The environment is serene, the clansmen live in peace, and all their daily needs are met. It's clear... the clansmen are quite self-disciplined."

“Self-restraint…” Fugaku repeated, a faint, ambiguous smile seemingly curving his lips. His gaze remained fixed on the courtyard, his voice slightly lower: “Yes, it’s self-contained, which is quite peaceful. However… being far from the village center, it’s less noisy, but it also inevitably means less interaction.”

He paused, as if it were just a casual remark, then naturally looked away and turned back to Shuji, his tone regaining the composure of a clan leader: "I'll have to trouble you, Jonin Shuji, to take good care of Itachi when he carries out missions in the future. His talent is decent, but his experience is ultimately shallow, and he will need your guidance."

"It is my duty, please rest assured, Chief Fugaku."

Fugaku gave Shuji a deep look, and a deeper consideration seemed to flash through his eyes, too quick to catch.

He didn't say anything more, and stood up: "Itachi, see Shuuji-kun out."

Shuji then rose to take his leave. Fugaku escorted him to the entrance and stopped there.

Stepping out of the Uchiha mansion, the afternoon sun was somewhat dazzling. Itachi waited quietly under the eaves, and upon seeing Shuji emerge, silently led the way to his side. The two walked out along the street they had come from. Shuji could clearly feel Fugaku's gaze behind him, as if it were a tangible presence, weighing heavily on his back, until it disappeared as he turned the corner.

The air within the tribal territory still carried that self-sufficient tranquility and detachment, with the faint aroma of glutinous rice balls from the dessert shop wafting through the air.

Itachi's steps were steady, but Shuuji could sense a subtle air of confusion emanating from the boy.

"My senior has another identity that makes my father particularly concerned." Itachi thought to himself, but didn't voice the question aloud.

(End of this chapter)