Unlike his peers, who couldn't wait to move out and live on their own, Uchiha Sogen still lived with his family. Sure, he wasn't *actually* a fifteen-year-old kid—his mindset had youthfulized quite a bit after being reborn, but there were still differences.
While his peers craved independence, he preferred the lively chaos of sitting down to eat with his family.
"Uncle and Auntie aren't here?" Shisui asked, glancing around as he stepped inside.
"They're probably at the studio by now. Won't be back till evening." Sogen's parents weren't ninjas. His father, apparently born frail and unsuited for ninja life, was now a novelist with three bestselling books under his belt, though he'd hit a rough patch lately. His mother worked as an editor.
Funnily enough, that's how they met—through work.
"Any new works from Uncle Masashi lately?" Shisui asked.
"His last book, published last month, didn't do so hot. He's been stressing about it, didn't even drop Fuji off for her first day at the academy. But it's no big deal—he'll bounce back. This isn't his first slump, and with Mom around, it'll be fine."
Uchiha Masashi—that was Sogen's father's name.
Shisui blinked, tactfully ignoring the second half of that spiel, and shifted gears. "Elder Genshi's not here either?"
Sogen's household was a lively five-person affair: his parents, his little sister, and his grandfather, Uchiha Genshi, a clan elder. Compared to Shisui, who was now on his own, this was a proper big family.
"Probably off playing shogi with Elder Ryūji. They're old chess buddies. But honestly, I think it's 'cause Fuji's starting at the academy, and he's feeling lonely at home. He's been sulking ever since Fuji insisted on going to the Ninja Academy. Keeps saying Uchihas don't need the academy, that she should stay home and train…"
Sogen kept talking as he busied himself, setting out tea and snacks for Shisui.
"I thought we were sparring?" Shisui said, eyeing the tea and snacks with a half-laugh, half-exasperated scratch of his head.
"No rush. Sip some tea first. You've got no plans, I've got no plans—why stress?"
Sogen plopped onto the sofa with his own cup of tea.
Thanks to his father's tastes, while the house looked traditionally Japanese from the outside, the interior was Western-style. Only Grandpa Genshi's room kept the tatami mat vibe. Sogen was all for it—compared to kneeling on tatami, he much preferred sinking into a soft, cushy sofa.
"Sogen, you…" Shisui shook his head, chuckling helplessly.
But he leaned back into the sofa, relaxing.
Might as well take a breather.
Loud footsteps jolted Shisui awake. His hand instinctively reached for his waist, but a split second later, he registered his surroundings. The mission was over. He was… at Sogen's house?
His sluggish brain kicked back into gear, piecing things together. He'd run into Sogen, they'd talked on the rooftop, then came here to "spar."… And then, what, he'd fallen asleep on the sofa? The dim sunset streamed through the window, casting a warm yellow glow that was slightly harsh on the eyes.
Time had flown—it was already evening.
He'd slept through the whole day without realizing it.
"Ugh, Fuji, I told you not to run on the stairs! Look at that racket—you woke Shisui up!" Uchiha Sogen lounged on a single-seater sofa, legs crossed, an open hardcover book resting on his knee. He wasn't reading it, though, too busy scolding the girl beside him.
"…Mom, big brother's bullying me!" the energetic girl shouted, tattling at full volume.
"Sogen, don't pick on your sister!" Uchiha Saki, busy helping her husband in the kitchen, called out.
Sogen shrank back, not daring to argue with his mom.
Instead, he shot a glare at his tattletale sister, muttering under his breath, "Little snitch."
"Hmph! Scaredy-cat!" Uchiha Fuji raised her chin triumphantly, then turned to her tagalong. "Naruto, come on, I'll show you my pet. We're not playing with this annoying guy." The two kids zipped off like a gust of wind, leaving Shisui staring, jaw dropped, looking at Sogen like he'd seen a ghost.
Shisui pinched his thigh hard.
The sharp pain made him suck in a breath. This was real—not a dream or a genjutsu.
"Sogen, that… that kid playing with Fuji… why's *he* here?"
"Oh, that's Fuji's new lackey from the academy."
"But, but… he's the…"
"Sogen, don't play dumb. That's the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki! Getting involved with the Jinchuriki… you're playing with fire, you know that?" Shisui was fuming. The Nine-Tails rampage was caused by some unknown Uchiha controlling the beast, and now the Jinchuriki was *here*, in the Uchiha clan's territory?
This was… this was… Shisui was at a loss for words. It was like dancing on a knife's edge. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novｅlfire.net
He could already imagine the village using this as an excuse to come down hard on the Uchiha.
"What, Shisui? You think *I* told Fuji to drag the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki here?"
Shisui's brows knitted tightly, and he didn't reply. But his expression screamed, *You sneaky jerk, who knows what kind of scheme you're cooking up?*
"…Don't pin this on me, man," Sogen said, touching his nose. Was his cred with Shisui *this* low? "If I was gonna pull something, I wouldn't involve Fuji, period. Believe it or not, who Fuji hangs out with is her call. Stop seeing conspiracies everywhere."
Shisui's mouth twitched. Wasn't it *you* on the rooftop talking about overthrowing Clan Leader Fugaku?
He barely held back from spitting out a retort, instead saying, "Fine, but can you swear you're not planning to use the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki for something?"
Sogen blinked, then dropped his gaze to the hardcover book on his knee.
Truth be told, he hadn't expected Fuji to drag Naruto home. When he first saw the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki trailing after her like a puppy, he'd nearly jumped out of his skin.
His first thought was that the Third Hokage was setting a trap. Naruto was surrounded by enough Anbu to count by the *dozen*. For Fuji to bring the Jinchuriki to the Uchiha compound under that kind of surveillance… no way it happened without the Third's approval. Who'd buy that?
At first, he was brainstorming how to handle the inevitable accusations from that old fox, the Third.
But then he looked at Naruto, shorter than Fuji, and saw an opportunity. If the Third really used Naruto as an excuse to come after the clan, it could be a chance to test Fugaku's stance as clan leader—and maybe knock some of that "Will of Fire" nonsense out of Shisui's head. The guy needed to lighten that mental load.
He *was* planning to use the kid.