"Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Hatake Haruka."
Haruka bowed politely to Senju Yuki.
"Hello. I'm Senju Yuki, Gen's older sister."
Yuki smiled in return, then cast a brief glance at Senju Gen before speaking calmly,
"Compared to a certain other person, your companion here is quite well-mannered."
Gen sighed helplessly.
"Big sis, if you dislike Yuan so much, why did you come here with me in the first place?"
Yuki gave a soft snort.
"I don't trust you coming to the Uchiha compound alone."
Gen grinned mischievously.
"Clearly it's because you heard the dessert shops released new items, so you insisted on coming."
His smile suddenly stiffened as he turned his head—
Yuki was smiling sweetly, but two slender fingers had quietly pinched the soft flesh at his waist.
Gen sucked in a breath and forced a strained grin, then quickly turned to Haruka.
"Haruka, are you here to see Yuan? Why didn't you go in?"
Haruka looked toward the gates of the Uchiha compound.
"Yes. I am… but it doesn't seem like outsiders are very welcome here, so I hesitated."
Gen laughed.
"No need to worry. I come here all the time. The Uchiha won't stop you from visiting."
"People from the village stay away only because they're intimidated by the Uchiha reputation."
"Come on—let's go in together. Yuan will definitely be happy to see you."
With that, the three of them stepped through the gates together.
Inside the Uchiha compound, lanterns lined both sides of the roads.
Warm light bathed smiling faces, and laughter filled the air.
"Gen," Haruka said suddenly, eyes burning with excitement,
"Let's spar tomorrow."
Along the way, the two had exchanged stories about their recent experiences.
When Haruka learned that Gen frequently trained and fought within the Uchiha grounds, his fighting spirit surged.
Gen met Haruka's gaze and bumped fists with him, grinning.
"Deal. I'm really looking forward to the surprise you'll bring."
Haruka smiled confidently.
"Don't worry. I won't disappoint you."
Soon, the three arrived at the commercial street—
the liveliest part of the celebration, packed shoulder to shoulder, rich with the scent of food.
Gen stopped in front of a barbecue stall and leaned in.
"Daishi! Ten skewers of honey-glazed barbecue!"
"Coming right up!"
Moments later, Uchiha Daishi handed over a generous bundle of skewers and laughed.
"Thanks for your business! It's the clan festival—everything's fifty percent off today!"
Gen split the skewers with Haruka.
After one bite, Haruka's eyes widened in shock.
"This is even better than the Akimichi clan's specialty barbecue!"
At that moment, Yuki approached them from across the street, clearly delighted, carrying two bags of desserts.
Gen took a big bite of meat and said casually,
"Haruka, let me tell you something—these honey-glazed skewers, and even the new desserts my sister loves so much…"
"They were all developed by Yuan."
"What?!"
Haruka stared at him in disbelief.
"You're joking, right?"
It was hard to imagine Uchiha Yuan being connected to food at all.
"I'm serious. I heard it directly from Uchiha Kawa and the others."
Nearby, Yuki—who had also heard him—paused slightly.
She lowered her gaze to the dessert bags in her hands and thought quietly,
So that guy… even has talents like this.
Elsewhere, on a path leading toward the festival market, two figures walked side by side.
Uchiha Yuan strolled casually with his hands in his pockets.
Beside him, his sister Izumi wore a bright yukata adorned with purple and red flowers, her steps light and her smile radiant.
"I wonder if Itachi-kun was injured…"
Seeing several Police Force members wrapped in bandages, Izumi suddenly stopped, worry surfacing in her eyes.
Yuan reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
"Don't worry. With Itachi's strength, he can protect himself. Besides, he's the clan head's eldest son—there will be guards with him."
Izumi relaxed instantly, her brows softening into a sweet smile.
Yuan chuckled.
"You look especially cute and pretty tonight. If Gen sees you later, he might fall head over heels."
"Brother!"
Izumi puffed out her cheeks, embarrassed and annoyed, and shot him a glare.
A few minutes later, they reached the entrance to the festival market.
Izumi was immediately drawn to a stall selling accessories and hurried over.
Yuan, however, stopped abruptly—and turned around.
Whoosh.
A figure appeared a few steps in front of him.
"Long time no see, Shisui," Yuan greeted calmly.
"…Long time no see, Yuan."
Shisui stared at him with a complicated expression, taking several seconds before replying.
"Shisui, did you need something from me?" Yuan asked.
He had sensed Shisui deliberately sending out a chakra signal—that was why he'd stopped.
Seeing Yuan so calm, as if nothing had happened, anger surged in Shisui's chest.
"Yuan, you've truly disappointed me!"
"The Third Hokage personally invited you into ANBU—why did you refuse?!"
"Do you know how hard I had to push for that opportunity?!"
Shisui frowned deeply, his voice sharp with frustration.
He had gone straight to the Hokage Tower upon returning to the village—
only to learn that Yuan had rejected the offer.
Shisui had been striving desperately to ease the tension between the village and the clan,
to strengthen communication between them.
And yet the person he'd placed his greatest hopes in had dismissed his efforts without hesitation.
Facing Shisui's anger, Yuan remained composed.
"So it was because of you that the Third made the offer," Yuan said coolly.
"Shisui, you crossed a line."
"You never asked for my opinion."
"Joining ANBU might be good for you—but it's not what I want."
With that, Yuan turned to leave.
Behind him, Shisui spoke solemnly,
"Yuan—haven't you noticed how tense things are becoming between the village and the clan?"
Yuan stopped, his back to Shisui.
"So what?"
"Deep ice doesn't form overnight. The relationship between the clan and the village isn't something you or I can fix just by joining ANBU."
Then he walked on.
Shisui watched as Yuan stopped at a small stall, smiling gently as he spoke to a girl and helped her choose a hair ornament.
After a silent sigh—
Shisui vanished without a sound.
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