A few quiet days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon Hatake Kakashi found himself standing outside the tall wooden gates of the Uchiha clan compound. He scratched the back of his head, staring at the entrance with an expression that mixed reluctance and faint annoyance. Kakashi wasn't afraid of the Uchihas, but stepping into their territory always felt like stepping into a place where every shadow had eyes.
He didn't come here casually.
He came because he needed to settle a debt—a dangerous one.
For weeks, Kakashi had sensed the village's atmosphere shifting in an ugly direction. Whispers, glances, sudden meetings among elders… the signs were all there. The wind inside Konoha was wrong, and it was blowing straight toward the Uchiha clan.
And Kakashi knew very well:
If he didn't repay the kindness he once received, he could easily get dragged into a storm he had no way to control.
Sure, he was the Fourth Hokage's disciple.
But Minato-sensei was gone.
And when people die, their protection dies with them.
Even Minato's own son—poor Naruto—was now living a life filled with cold stares and empty loneliness. If the Hokage's child could be treated like that, then what did that say about an apprentice?
If Kakashi didn't have his own strength, if he hadn't built his reputation with blood and missions, he might have been "dealt with" long ago.
He exhaled softly and looked around the Uchiha residential district. The place looked almost like a hidden kingdom within the village walls. High walls, long quiet paths, watchtowers, and guard posts—it wasn't a clan compound anymore; it was practically a village inside a village, sealed from the world.
Outsiders could enter, but only with permission.
And once inside, they were watched from the moment they stepped in.
Every movement, every breath.
That alone was enough to make most ninjas avoid this place unless absolutely necessary.
Ninjas spent their entire lives watching or being watched. Coming here meant being under someone else's surveillance. It was uncomfortable, tiring, and simply not worth it unless one had business with the Uchiha.
And besides…
the Uchihas always looked like they were one argument away from starting a war.
Everyone in the clan carried a cold, sharp expression. Even the children looked like they were planning how to defeat the world one day. Many ninjas joked that every Uchiha acted like someone owed them a mountain of money.
Who would want to wander into a place like that without reason?
Although they didn't have the obvious white eyes of the Hyuga clan, the Uchihas were still easy to recognize. They proudly wore the unmistakable fan crest—the red-and-white symbol that looked like a table tennis paddle.
No outsider would dare walk around flashing another clan's crest, so it always stood out.
Kakashi had barely stepped inside when an Uchiha ninja appeared silently in front of him—as if he had been waiting behind the door all along.
"Master Kakashi," the young man greeted with stiff politeness. "You are such a rare guest. The patriarch is expecting you."
He extended his arm in an inviting gesture.
But nothing about the gesture felt optional.
Kakashi wasn't surprised. He had been ANBU—he knew exactly how strong, oppressive, and unavoidable a real surveillance system was.
Scratching his head again, he sighed internally.
Troublesome.
Very troublesome.
Still, he followed the ninja deeper into the compound.
A few minutes later, Kakashi found himself sitting on a tatami mat inside a well-decorated courtyard room. He held a cup of warm tea, eyes drifting toward the beautifully crafted rock garden outside.
Beside him sat Moonlight Hayate—nervous, stiff, and practically sweating bullets. The young man came from a small family, and this was clearly the grandest setting he had ever walked into.
Hayate took a shaky sip of tea and whispered,
"As expected… the Uchiha really are the number one clan in Konoha…"
Kakashi shook his head lightly.
"These buildings are new. Just recently renovated. They look fancy now, but that's all."
It was Kakashi's way of softening the tension.
He knew the danger of praising a clan already drowning in pride and isolation.
Families that stood too high always fell harder.
Before Hayate could respond, a deep, imposing voice echoed from the doorway.
"He's right. This place is newly built, so it looks fresh."
Uchiha Fugaku walked in, calm and majestic, his steps steady. He took his seat at the head of the table, glanced at the garden, then turned his attention toward Moonlight Hayate.
"If your Moonlight family ever considers relocating," Fugaku said casually, "you're welcome to move here and become neighbors with the Uchiha. To be honest, this area is too empty—it gets a little lonely."
Hayate's face stiffened instantly.
Move here?
Leave the center of the village to live in this isolated territory surrounded by suspicious Uchihas?
Absolutely not.
He forced a polite smile and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Patriarch Fugaku. I will… mention it to my father."
Kakashi almost snorted aloud but kept quiet.
Fugaku then turned his gaze to Kakashi, his expression shifting from friendly to serious.
"This is the first time you've visited us since the Fourth Hokage passed," Fugaku said. His tone wasn't accusing, but something sharper hid underneath.
He didn't know why Kakashi came.
If Kakashi brought Hayate for a private matter, it made no sense.
The fewer people involved in sensitive things, the better.
Fugaku tapped his fingers on the table—an old habit when he was annoyed.
He remembered something Kakashi probably didn't want to bring up.
Years ago, Fugaku had given Kakashi the clan's only spare Sharingan, a gesture that had caused massive backlash inside the Uchiha.
A treasured dojutsu, handed to an outsider—even if that outsider was a genius.
It had taken Fugaku enormous effort to suppress the clan elders' fury.
And Kakashi…
had never repaid that favor.
He didn't take back the Sharingan, though.
What was given was given.
Taking it back now would only cause trouble.
But Fugaku was still waiting.
Waiting for Kakashi to repay the kindness.
Waiting for Kakashi's conscience to show.
Kakashi let out a quiet breath and decided not to drag things out.
"Patriarch Fugaku," he said simply, "I'm here today as a middleman. Moonlight Hayate wants to purchase a sword from the Uchiha clan."
Fugaku's eyebrows rose immediately.
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