The light of the sunset was illuminating Konoha.
The Uchiha compound, which had been noisy for a while, had finally regained its calm. Everyone was going about their business, but some couldn't help but throw a glance toward the estate of the second elder of the Uchiha clan, which was now a shell of its former self.
"What a disaster!"
"Look what they did to that poor house,"
People couldn't help but sigh when they looked at the crumbling walls.
The beautiful scenery that characterized the place was gone.
The beautiful garden was gone, burned to ashes by the old elder fire style, cut to pieces by his fluid swordsmanship, or torn to pieces by the explosives tags that he used in the fight.
The same fate had befallen nearly everything in the estate.
Roads, bamboo trees, decorative statues, and ponds were devastated and beyond repair.
As the young branch members of the clan cleaned the disaster, they couldn't help but throw a few glances toward the house where Kana and her father-in-law had retreated after creating this disaster for them to fix.
The old man was seated casually on a tatami, drinking a cup of sake while looking at Kana's battered form with resentment.
It was obvious that he didn't have any good feelings toward her, but at least now he was willing to sit and listen to something that she was grateful for.
"I didn't think that I would have the displeasure to see you again in this life of mine. What do you want? Hurry and say it before getting out of my sight."
Kana's expression was complicated as she faced the old man; she felt a mix of shame and regret as she looked at him.
She could feel the anger and hatred as he looked at him.
"I'm sorry," She finally said bowing her head after a few seconds.
"I know this is many years too late for that, but I am really sorry, for thinking that we had everything under control, for not listening to your advice and for not having the courage to face you after his death… and for having having send him back the way I did,"
And from all the things she regretted,, that was what she was the most ashamed of.
The old man just scoffed at that
"I told you to get to the point. You have spent five years hiding away from everything and everyone; now you suddenly come here. Why?!"
For a second, Kana wanted to defend herself by telling her that she couldn't travel due to the war, her pregnancy, and the subsequent birth of her child, and it was one of the excuses she had used for isolating herself from everything and not facing her mistake.
In truth, if she wanted, she had many ways to travel to Konoha, and they both knew it.
"I came here due to many reasons, but mostly because I want to ask for your help," she said softly.
An uncomfortable silence installed itself in the room for a few seconds before
"You really have some nerves…"
"Please give me a second to explain," she hurriedly said when she felt the old man's mood was souring
"I want you to protect Akashi while I am away from Konoha,"
"Akashi! Your kid. After isolating the kid for four years, you suddenly want to leave him alone in a foreign land full of danger, with people that he doesn't even know! What are you planning?"
He looked at her skeptically while an uncomfortable silence took root in the room.
After a while of contemplation, Kana looked at Mikami deeply, and what she said left the old man surprised.
"I think that Uzushiogakure is about to be destroyed,"
"…What?"
For a while the old man looked at Kana trying to determine if she was telling the truth, seeing how serious she was he finally replied
"So, this is why you left."
"Yes," she nodded softly
"And who do you think, is going to destroy Uzushio, a village nearly as strong as the five great hidden villages, Konoha's most powerful and oldest allied under the nose of its allies?!"
He asked seriously but there was skepticism and sarcasm in his tone
"Of course, Konoha will do it!"
Seeing the frown on Mikami's face she continued
"I mean the other great village with the support of some people in Konoha."
The old man didn't believe her but he could see that if things happened as she was saying there was a great chance that Uzushiogakure would be destroyed, but he couldn't see why Konoha would do something like that after all without Uzushiogakure they would be alone against the others four nations, it wouldn't be a good thing.
"I understand your doubt; I had them too; my father too doesn't believe me; in fact, no one in Uzushiogakure believes me, particularly because the source of the information was not really reliable for anyone other but me. But after observation, I have reason to believe that it is the truth,"
"So Uzushio is about to be destroyed, huh, and I guess that you intend to change it,"
Mikami asked, looking at his daughter-in-law, whose injuries were only now starting to heal themselves, which was surprising for those familiar with her with a complex expression.
"Yes," She replied firmly
"In the beginning, honestly, all I had in mind was to escape with my son. I didn't really mind if we were the only Uzumaki left alive, but I realize…"
"That Konoha isn't safe," The old man ended her sentence; Mikami was an old fox who saw a lot and knew the dark side of Konoha as well as any ninjas of his rank.
This is why even he wasn't dismissing her story or even offended by it.
"Yes, Konoha is not safe, in fact, I don't think anywhere is safe really, when you aren't I charge particularly when you are the last of your clan,"
she said as her mind replayed the fate of the Uzumaki that escaped the destruction of their village in Akashi's dream.
'Hunted, killed, exploited, and much worse,'
"So I am making sure that it doesn't happen. If it happens like I think they will,, there will be something left for him. And to be honest, I never wanted my child to become a ninja,"
As she concluded her thought the old Mikami took a moment to process everything that she said.
After taking a gulp of sake he finally broke into a fit laugh that lasted a full minute.
"So Uzushiogakure is about to be destroyed, what good news, I'm thinking of that, never like any of you red-haired demons, not going to cry for any of you. So, let me get that straight: you want me, the person who hates you, to take in the son that you had after taking my son away from me…"
"He is your grandson,"
"Child that I never met and acknowledge and protect him, so that you can go back and save some of your clansmen that I dislike so that you can make sure that that child, as you so well pointed out to be my grandson never become a ninja, that doesn't adopt the lifestyle that makes us who we are to our core…"
Kana had clearly noticed that the tone of the old man had changed to nearly a low growl at the end, a clear sign of his anger and frustration.
"When you put it like that it seems awfully dumb, but I assure you that
I thought about it, and this is why I am asking you to take care of him and not to take him in, I also asked the same of Aunt Mito,"
Hearing her the old man scoffed
"I don't know if I should be impressed by your audacity or angered by your lack of respect. I truth you thrust none of us, hein, not me his grandfather, not your aunt, you just want to use us. Have you no shame?"
"I am. I assure you that I feel terrible right now, but the old clans were well known to eliminate the children that they can't control to protect their bloodline from spilling out, and like you said you have never acknowledged Akashi even though this is entirely my fault, and aunt Mito loyalty is now to this village, and Konoha cannot be trusted,"
The old man snorted at that "You came here acting all remorseful and now you are just insulting me, my clan, and my entire village,"
"I am just trying not to repeat the same mistake,"
She didn't need to elaborate he understood what she meant. And it did the trick as the old man visibly calmed down as if understanding her reasoning.
"And what do I gain from that? Your behavior is not that of someone coming to asked help from family, so you must have prepared something to convince me."
"I did actually, just in case,"
Without arguing she started listing her conditions, while the old man added a few more things.
After a few minutes, they had an agreement.
Getting up Kana looked at the old man
"I assure you, I am also here to make amand with you saying that she gave him a scroll.
"Those are a few pieces of information that I think will be useful to you,"
With that Kana left the estate of her old elder.
She wasn't surprised as after leaving the house she once again felt the eyes of everyone from ninjas to civilians fall on her once again, and the fact that she was still in a rough shape didn't help the gossip.
….
"What do you think of it?"
Mikami asked the old woman who had entered the room after Kana's departure and was now reading the scroll that she had left.
"If it is true, it is serious. Root huh, the dark side of Konoha, if half the things here are true then it would explain a lot of even of the problems that we have encountered inside and outside the village,"
The old woman said, giving back the scroll to Mikami, who stuffed it away.
"It needs to be investigated properly,"
Once he did the old woman asked
"So, what are you going to do with the kid?"
"What do you mean, even though that woman is extremely unpleasant? I am going to fulfill my part of the deal, the kid is my only living descendant after all, I need to see what he can do,"
….
In the Hokage's office
"What do you think they discuss?" Homura asked
"What do you think? You know their relationship as well as mine; she is her daughter-in-law. Despite everything, they have a lot to discuss!"
"Do you think that he will join the Uchiha clan is what I want to know? If it happens it would be an enormous advantage for the Uchiha, and with the support of the Uzumaki they will be even more..." Danzo said
"If it happens, he will become a ninja of Konoha; it will be an advantage from Konoha," Hiruzen countered.
"Enough now; I have work to do," The Hokage said, returning to his papers as his counselors left to do their own occupations.
***
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