Uchiha En returned home and began calculating what supplies he needed to purchase once the survivor's pension arrived, in preparation for the upcoming war.
Before members of the Uchiha Clan went to the battlefield, the clan would distribute some common Ninja tools and auxiliary items.
However, these items were limited in quantity and would quickly be used up on the battlefield, so he definitely needed to supplement his stock.
The items he needed to buy were actually quite similar to those distributed by the Uchiha Clan.
He definitely needed a full supply of various Ninja tools, and auxiliary items like soldier pills and exploding tags also needed to be bought in greater quantities.
To store these supplies, sealing scrolls also had to be prepared.
Other items were fine, but sealing scrolls were not cheap. Calculating everything, he probably wouldn't have much left of the two million Ryo.
Thinking of this, Uchiha En sighed. He wondered if Konoha was distributing the survivor's pension at this time precisely so that the next batch of people going to the battlefield would spend that money on purchasing supplies.
If that were the case, Konoha would truly be rotten to the core!
In fact, Uchiha En was overthinking things this time. Konoha was indeed sending the next batch of Ninja to the battlefield, but it had nothing to do with most of the people receiving the pension.
This money was primarily distributed to the families of Ninja, a large portion of whom had no Ninja talent themselves.
At this stage, besides the forces necessary to ensure the Village's safety, how many regular Ninja could possibly be left in Konoha Village?
Therefore, after this pension distribution, only a very small fraction of people would use their family's pension to purchase war supplies and head back to the battlefield.
The next day, Uchiha En arrived at school. The atmosphere in the classroom seemed a bit strange today, with students gathered in small groups discussing something.
"Uchiha En, we're graduating early at the end of this semester." Yamanaka Teruzuki leaned over and said, seeing Uchiha En's clueless expression.
Hearing this, Uchiha En suddenly realized. No wonder the atmosphere in the class was strange today; the Village must have announced the news.
Uchiha En had heard about their early graduation a month ago from Hyuga Asana.
There was still one month until graduation, and the Village announcing the news now was perfectly timed.
A month was enough time for these children to prepare themselves mentally before heading to the battlefield.
Then again, Uchiha En felt that few students actually needed mental preparation.
Most of these students had been brainwashed by the Will of Fire, and upon hearing they would go to the battlefield to fight for the Village, many were impatient to start.
Uchiha En glanced over the class. There was little fear in their eyes; only a pathological fanaticism.
"Yamanaka Teruzuki, are you afraid of going to the battlefield?" Uchiha En asked.
Yamanaka Teruzuki looked at the other students in the class, then whispered into Uchiha En's ear, "Yes, I'm terrified. But I don't know why our classmates aren't scared at all. Are you afraid?"
"I'm afraid too." After speaking, Uchiha En ignored Yamanaka Teruzuki, turned around, and went to his seat.
Today, Hyuga Asana and the Sōke Miss, Hyuga Chiwa, had not yet arrived.
They walked into the classroom one after the other, right as the school bell rang, accompanied by the teacher.
This class covered some techniques for throwing Ninja tools. Uchiha En was already intimately familiar with these things, so he rested his head on the desk, looking at the scenery outside the window, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
"Patap~" A slight sound from the desk interrupted Uchiha En's thoughts. He looked up and saw a small paper ball had landed on his desk.
Uchiha En opened the paper ball. The handwriting was familiar to him; it was Hyuga Asana's.
"En, the Hyuga Clan held a meeting today. The next deployment of Ninja includes 103 members from the Branch Family, including me. Half of them were sent back from the battlefield and have just recovered from their injuries. Meanwhile, the Main Family is only sending one Genin who graduated several years ago and hasn't performed many missions."
"Are you feeling unbalanced?" Uchiha En wrote back, and when the teacher wasn't looking, he tossed the paper ball onto Hyuga Asana's desk.
"I just don't understand. When the Main Family announced this today, not a single person from the Branch Family raised an objection. It's as if they all believe this is how things should be."
"So what do you think?"
"I don't know. My mind is very confused right now, and I feel uncomfortable."
"I'll wait for you by the river after school. We can talk."
After school, Uchiha En went to the river alone. This time, his Mind's Eye did not detect anyone spying on him.
This allowed Uchiha En to breathe a small sigh of relief.
Uchiha En then started training while waiting for Hyuga Asana to arrive.
Uchiha En waited for a full hour before Hyuga Asana finally rushed over.
Uchiha En glanced at the sweat-soaked gauze on Hyuga Asana's forehead and asked, "Why are you drenched in sweat? Did you run here?"
"Today, the clan made us, the Main Family's guards, engage in a sparring match.
My opponent was a recently promoted Chunin, but he had been injured on the battlefield and hadn't fully recovered. I fought with all my might and managed to draw with him," Hyuga Asana said, her face filled with reluctance.
Uchiha En found this strange. Being able to draw with an injured Chunin, despite not having graduated from the Ninja Academy yet, was already very impressive.
Why did Hyuga Asana look so dissatisfied?
"Asana, are you being too hard on yourself? Drawing with a Chunin is already very strong, isn't it?" Uchiha En asked.
"This level is nothing. And what use is being strong anyway? We are the Branch Family; no matter how good our talent is, we will never be valued by the Hyuga Clan or the Village," Hyuga Asana said with a dejected expression.
"The system of Main Family and Branch Family shouldn't exist in the first place," Uchiha En said.
"I think so too. Perhaps in the eyes of others, those of the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family should accept their status as members of the Branch Family and have the Caged Bird Seal branded on them.
Because this practice has continued within the Hyuga Clan for countless years; it is an inescapable fate.
But I never think that way. We are all members of the same clan, and we all possess the Byakugan. Why should I be trampled underfoot? Why should I bow and scrape to someone who is inferior to me in every way? Why should my life and death depend on the whim of another?
Main Family, Branch Family—just because of birth, we have to exist as slaves to the Main Family. Can a family like that still be called a family?"
Hyuga Asana had never expressed her emotions like this in front of Uchiha En before.
This was also the first time Uchiha En learned what Hyuga Asana truly thought inside.
"En, do you know? I really envy you, and I envy your Uchiha Clan. As a fellow Dojutsu clan, you don't have to bear the Caged Bird Seal, nor do you have to grovel before your own clan members.
Your clan's women can even marry outside the clan and pursue their own happiness.
But for us in the Hyuga Branch Family, let alone marrying outside, even our future spouses must be designated by the Main Family."