When the pure moonlight, like a veil of silver silk, poured through the skylight and spilled into the main hall, the clan meeting that had lasted for most of the day finally came to an end.
Three resolutions were settled one after another.
First, for the initial confrontation with Kirigakure, ten jonin squads would be dispatched.
The clan leader’s faction had volunteered five squads, the Hawk faction three, and the Dove faction two.
Before they had a clear picture of Kirigakure’s actual movements, all three factions tacitly agreed not to propose sending additional forces.
Second, before departing for the battlefield, the old clan leader would negotiate with the Hokage and secure command authority over the war effort—or at the very least, independent combat authority for the Uchiha.
Third, the next clan leader would be selected based on each Uchiha’s actual performance on the battlefield.
Everyone understood what that meant.
The true candidates were only Uchiha Anlan, Uchiha Fugaku, and Uchiha Mikoto, with Uchiha Anlan currently holding the strongest position.
Of course, there was still the possibility that someone might emerge from nowhere, awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, and overtake them.
The heavy doors of the shrine opened once more.
Uchiha Inabi, who had been waiting outside, looked up in surprise when he saw the two figures walking toward him.
After joining the stream of Hawk faction members leaving the shrine, Inabi quietly asked his good friend Uchiha Tekka, “Why are Lady Mikoto and Lord Anlan walking together? And what’s going on with those people from the Dove faction?”
To be honest, the two faction heirs had rarely interacted openly before.
To suddenly reveal such a relationship during a clan meeting centered around the transfer of power had left every Uchiha somewhat stunned.
“How would I know?”
Uchiha Tekka replied in a low voice.
He glanced at Uchiha Yashiro, whose expression remained perfectly composed, and snorted.
“If anyone knows what’s really going on, it’s probably Yashiro.”
“That’s true. Yashiro is the strongest among us. He’s steady in everything he does, and Lord Anlan values him the most.”
Recalling the shocked expressions of the two clansmen who had been guarding the entrance, Uchiha Inabi could not help but feel secretly delighted.
“Heh. Things are getting interesting now. With our Hawk faction joining forces with the Dove faction, the clan leader’s faction will be standing alone. Other than Lord Anlan, who else could possibly become clan leader?”
“Lord Anlan has said that we shouldn’t celebrate before anything is settled. Right now, our most important enemies are the Konoha higher-ups and Kirigakure. Once we get through this, the road ahead will be wide open!”
Uchiha Tekka’s eyes shifted as he glanced at Uchiha Hazuki and the others walking nearby, his heart filling with excitement as well.
He firmly believed that a united Uchiha—
Was invincible!
“Is it really okay to expose our relationship so openly?”
Walking at the front, Uchiha Anlan was undeniably surprised by Uchiha Mikoto’s performance.
Her conduct during the clan meeting could still be explained as an attempt to secure benefits for the Uchiha.
But after the meeting, she had openly walked beside him like this.
The pure moonlight poured down like liquid silver, enveloping Uchiha Mikoto.
The young woman turned her head slightly.
Moonlight flowed across her long black hair, outlining her graceful and gentle features.
Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows over her eyes, while her dark pupils glimmered beneath the moonlight with the warm, steadfast luster of polished jade.
“Since Grandpa Kakane supports me doing what I want to do…”
A faint smile curved her lips.
Her voice was soft, yet resolute.
“Then what is there left to worry about?”
The night breeze swept past, lifting a few strands of hair from her forehead.
Moonlight flowed across her fair neck, accentuating the combination of elegance and the heroic bearing of a kunoichi.
“That’s true.”
Uchiha Anlan chuckled softly.
Under the moonlight, he naturally reached out and covered Uchiha Mikoto’s fingertips with his hand.
When their palms touched, Mikoto’s fingers trembled slightly.
She did not pull away.
She allowed his warm palm to rest against the back of her hand before their fingers intertwined.
A blush quickly spread across her cheeks, particularly vivid beneath the pure moonlight.
Uchiha Mikoto instinctively lowered her eyes, her long lashes trembling like butterfly wings as she tried to conceal the stirrings in her heart.
Even her normally steady breathing had fallen slightly out of rhythm, while her other hand unconsciously tightened around the hem of her clothes.
Moonlight flowed between their interlocked fingers, dyeing even the tips of her ears with a faint crimson hue.
Behind them, Uchiha Yashiro and Uchiha Hazuki witnessed the scene and, with remarkable tact, each waved a hand.
Almost simultaneously, the clansmen behind them split into two groups as though they had received a signal from a flock of night crows, silently disappearing into the forests on either side of the path.
The faint rustling of their clothes against the branches soon vanished into the night.
In the blink of an eye, only the two of them remained on the moonlit path, their fingers tightly intertwined.
Uchiha Anlan grew bolder.
He wrapped an arm around Uchiha Mikoto’s waist, inhaled the faint fragrance emanating from her, and spoke softly.
“Mikoto, my ninja cat knows how to cook. Want to come over for dinner?”
Uchiha Mikoto’s ears turned crimson at his sudden intimacy.
She instinctively raised a hand and pressed it against his chest.
She turned her face slightly away, yet a smile she could not hide spread across her lips.
Even her playful complaint carried a soft, coquettish sweetness.
“You’re such a… bad man.”
Uchiha Mikoto gently struggled, but instead of breaking free, she was pulled even closer.
Her final complaint had nearly dissolved into a whisper, carrying equal parts embarrassment and sweetness.
“The first time I came to your house, I fell right into your trap.”
Uchiha Anlan laughed.
As a transmigrator, living in an era where he could keep Uchiha Itachi from ever getting close to Izumi, how could he possibly pass up the chance to win Uchiha Mikoto?
Ever since they were children, he had been calling her “Big Sis Mikoto” this and “Big Sis Mikoto” that.
Forget boys his own age—even among those five or six years younger than her, who could possibly have had a sweeter tongue than him?
Later, he had even paid homage to the master of playing with fire—the idol Yan Di—and won the young woman’s heart at an early age.
It was only after they grew up and both became core figures wielding considerable influence within their respective factions that they were forced to gradually distance themselves from each other in public.
The inseparability of their childhood had faded, transforming instead into a secret flower blooming beneath the moonlight.
Now, with Uchiha Kakane voluntarily relinquishing his authority, Uchiha Mikoto could no longer suppress the feelings in her heart.
She had openly stood beside the man she loved.
Uchiha Anlan leaned closer.
“Then this time, dear Lady Mikoto, are you willing to fall into this ‘trap’ again?”
“Keep dreaming~”
Uchiha Mikoto raised her beautiful face.
Her eyes shimmered with reflected light, filled entirely with his image.
“This time, the two of us will lead our clansmen to the eastern front. The road ahead is fraught with danger, and we have a great responsibility on our shoulders. We can’t let personal feelings between a man and a woman affect our condition.”
Uchiha Anlan was about to speak when the young woman in his arms suddenly rose onto her tiptoes.
A sensation as soft as a feather brushed against his cheek, carrying the faint fragrance of cherry blossoms.
It vanished as quickly as it came.
“After we return from the eastern front…”
“Let’s get married.”