Ryosuke forced his tense expression to relax, not wanting the old man before him to worry.
"Of course, Grandpa. We'll definitely keep living well."
But deep inside, his thoughts were different. If I don't live well, how can I take revenge on those who harmed our clan?
It wasn't the Uchiha who betrayed Konoha. It was Konoha's leaders who betrayed the Uchiha.
He swore he would make sure the Uchiha survived the Night of the Massacre.
For that, he would need to fully wield the power of his two systems. Not only the Auto-Training System, but also the Many Wives, Many Children System.
Having children, huh…
The first reward was already a precious treasure chest, but he wasn't about to randomly pick just any woman.
After all, once you shared a body, that bond wasn't easily severed.
If he had the choice, of course he would choose a woman he truly liked, one he felt comfortable with.
With his Uchiha bloodline and his handsome face, how could he possibly fail to find someone suitable?
His eyes turned toward his grandfather.
"Grandpa, my talent may not be the best, but I have a good idea. If my talent isn't enough, then I'll have children—and raise the next generation properly. Maybe they won't be as useless as me."
He had the system, after all. Just one child, and he'd gain that first treasure chest.
The reward inside could very well be the key to surviving the clan massacre.
If things went smoothly, the Uchiha could even rise again.
And besides, having a child might ease the old man's loneliness too.
Elder Uchiha Shin was momentarily stunned.
Sixteen was indeed an age old enough to marry. In the past, the clan had allowed marriages as early as twelve.
But now that the population was larger, such policies were no longer necessary.
Was this grandson of his… addled from that fainting spell? He was sounding a bit erratic.
Yet, thinking it over, the logic wasn't entirely wrong.
In such a large house, with only the two of them left, it was indeed lonely.
A faint smile spread across his weathered face.
"It's not impossible. Just… think carefully about it yourself."
He found himself agreeing, though such a matter had to be decided by Ryosuke alone. If he interfered too much, he might only make things worse.
Seeing his grandfather's gentle response, Ryosuke grinned.
"Then I'll cut back on time with the Police Force."
He had bigger plans ahead. What use was working in the Konoha Police Force?
None.
Improving his strength—that was the real path.
Elder Shin blinked, a thought crossing his mind. Could it be this brat just doesn't want to serve in the Police Force, so he's saying all this as an excuse?
But he let it go.
If his grandson truly didn't want to join, then so be it. At least he wouldn't risk collapsing again.
He had only this one precious grandson left. He could not endure burying another loved one.
"…Fine. I'll speak with Uchiha Fugaku about it."
Ryosuke tilted his head, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"Grandpa, would your words really carry weight with him?"
Uchiha Fugaku was, after all, the Police Force's captain. Within the department, his word was law.
"Of course they would." Shin's expression shifted, his mild aura replaced by stern authority.
"I watched that boy grow up. If I say something, he wouldn't dare ignore it."
Hearing this, Ryosuke finally set his mind at ease.
On the other side, Kurenai Yuhi returned to her home.
After a full day of work, she collapsed tiredly onto the sofa.
Her mother immediately prepared dinner for her.
Kurenai walked over and sat down to eat together with her mother.
Her father, Yuhi Masakuren, had unfortunately perished during the Nine-Tails' Rampage, sacrificing himself to protect the village.
Now, only mother and daughter relied on each other for support.
Thus, the household's expenses mainly fell on Kurenai, who bore the burden as a shinobi.
While eating, her mother spoke up.
"Today, Sarutobi Asuma confessed to you, didn't he? Why didn't you accept him?"
"You should understand—if you cling to the Hokage's power, then our clan can be revitalized. You wouldn't need to work yourself so hard, taking on all kinds of dangerous shinobi missions."
The Third Hokage had personally sent someone to tell her this, asking her daughter to get along well with Sarutobi Asuma.
Naturally, she had agreed. As a woman who had lost her husband, she knew very clearly just how important it was to have a reliable pillar of support.
Right now, the Third Hokage was in power, and his son, Sarutobi Asuma, could be considered one of the most influential figures in the village.
That he would even take interest in Kurenai was, in her mother's eyes, a stroke of luck.
But Kurenai's expression soured upon hearing this.
How could she possibly be with a reckless man like Sarutobi Asuma?
He wasn't even as good as that Uchiha.
"Mother, let's talk about this another time. How do you even know about this? You should have been at home the whole time."
Her mother answered truthfully, unwilling to lie to her daughter.
"The Third Hokage himself came to me. He said he strongly approves of your relationship with Sarutobi Asuma. Do you know what that means? It means the Yuhi clan could return to its peak, joining in marriage with a great clan like the Sarutobi."
Kurenai's displeasure deepened. Wasn't this a new era already? Love should be between two people—why did parents still have to interfere?
It wasn't her parents who would be dating, after all.
Yes, arranged marriages might revive the clan, but she had no desire for that kind of relationship. She still yearned for a sweet and genuine love.
Her mother noticed the look on her daughter's face and understood she wasn't going to agree right now. She then spoke sternly:
"If you don't like Sarutobi Asuma, I'll respect your decision."
"But you're not actually interested in that Uchiha boy, are you?"
"If you fall for someone from the Uchiha clan, that's something I will absolutely never accept."
When the Hokage had visited, he too had said he did not want to see Kurenai getting too close to that Uchiha boy.
Kurenai recalled the handsome features of that Uchiha. If she were to actually start a relationship, he seemed far more suitable—righteous, easy to talk to. In that sense, he was leagues above Asuma.
But the truth was, they had only just met. It couldn't even be called an acquaintance yet.
"Mom, what are you even saying? When did I ever say I liked that Uchiha?"
"What exactly did Lord Third Hokage tell you?"
Seeing her daughter's expression, her mother realized she was not lying and let out a sigh of relief. But she continued her warning:
"Kurenai, remember your father, Yuhi Masakuren, died in the Nine-Tails' Rampage."
"And that disaster… it was very likely caused by the Uchiha clan. Otherwise, your father wouldn't have died, our clan wouldn't have fallen into decline, and we wouldn't have to live such a hard life now."
"So absolutely, absolutely do not fall for the descendants of our enemies."