Inside the Konoha Police Force Headquarters
"Grand Elder, that woman, Asuka, doesn't know what's good for her! I personally visited her and even mentioned your name, but she still refused to let me in!"
Uchiha Ken was furious, his face flushed with anger from being treated so disrespectfully. His resentment toward the Liuyun family grew even stronger.
Hearing Ken's complaints, Uchiha Zong remained silent, feeling that this so-called cousin of his was utterly incompetent. Under normal circumstances, how could someone be turned away without even being given the chance to step inside? Even a stranger wouldn't have been treated that way.
It seems I picked the wrong person for this task...
The elder had originally thought that, since the two families were related by blood, communication would be easier. However, things had clearly backfired.
"Forget it. You may leave." Uchiha Zong waved his hand dismissively, unwilling to hear any more of Ken's whining.
"Yes, sir..." Ken replied reluctantly before taking his leave.
Once Ken was gone, Zong turned his gaze toward Uchiha Dou.
"Dou, I spoke with the Third Hokage, and he agreed to let Kazuhiko return to school."
For the sake of a child, the Uchiha elder had personally gone to the Hokage's office to plead with Hiruzen Sarutobi. In the end, the Hokage had agreed to grant him some face.
Politics was a game of give-and-take. Rarely did politicians act out of genuine concern for individuals. Everything—big or small—could be turned into a bargaining chip, and as long as something held value, politicians would not ignore it.
"Thank you for your efforts, Great Elder!" Uchiha Dou bowed deeply, his eyes red with emotion.
"However, the Third Hokage has set one condition—Kazuhiko must obtain forgiveness from both Liuyun and Kushina."
"What?!"
Uchiha Dou was stunned at first, but when the realization hit, his face twisted in rage.
"Has the Third Hokage lost his mind?! My son is the victim here! Kazuhiko's leg isn't even fully healed yet—he still limps when he walks! And now, instead of us demanding justice, he's asking my son to apologize to them?"
Uchiha Zong sighed. In truth, this condition hadn't come from the Third Hokage himself but rather from one of his advisors—Utatane Koharu. That old woman had always taken issue with the Uchiha and likely saw this as an opportunity to humiliate them. However, whether intentionally or not, Hiruzen had nodded in agreement without hesitation.
As the weaker party in this situation, the elder had no choice but to accept it. After all, Uchiha Kazuhiko had indeed been at fault.
"Just grant the Hokage this favor and have Kazuhiko admit his mistake. He was the one who started this whole mess in the first place," Zong continued before Dou could argue.
Then, in a more serious tone, he added, "Kazuhiko must graduate if he wants to obtain his ninja headband. If he ever hopes to work in the Police Force, he must first become a Konoha ninja. Do you really want to risk his entire future over this grudge? If he isn't allowed to graduate, he'll be stuck in the clan for the rest of his life..."
Hearing this, Uchiha Dou's anger deflated.
Throwing away his son's entire future over a moment of pride? Was it really worth it?
No matter how much he hated the situation, Dou had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept reality.
Ninja Academy
The school day ended with the ringing of the bell, and a wave of excited students rushed out of the academy, eager to go home.
"You bad guy! You packed your things so quickly—where do you think you're going?"
Just as Liuyun was about to leave the classroom with his bag, he felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Kushina.
"Obviously, I'm going home… Where else would I go?" Liuyun tilted his head in confusion.
"Hmph! Didn't you tell me last time not to run off after school? Well, today, I'm going to listen to you!" Kushina smirked, her eyes flashing with mischief.
She wanted to spar with Liuyun—alone.
"..."
"I was just joking before..."
"Are you scared? Coward..." Kushina taunted him, hoping to provoke a reaction.
"If you say so... Sure. A real man doesn't fight with a woman."
"Stop making excuses! You made me laugh so hard in class that I got in trouble, and now you want to back out? Not happening!" Kushina grabbed the corner of Liuyun's shirt, refusing to let go.
"You... You're being unreasonable! You got punished because you have a bad sense of humor, and now you're blaming me?!"
Liuyun was so frustrated he wanted to bite her arm.
"I don't care. I'm not breaking my promise. It's still early, so let's have a match before heading home!" Kushina grinned, refusing to back down.
In truth, she had another reason. She just wanted to spend time with him, but she was too embarrassed to admit it.
"Fine, fine. You asked for it. Just don't cry if you get hurt later."
Unable to resist her persistence, Liuyun reluctantly agreed.
As the two left the academy together, a group of students lurking nearby immediately caught Liuyun's attention.
Suspicious.
He frowned but quickly masked his concern, pretending not to notice. Instead, he continued walking, sticking close to Kushina.
"Nana..."
"Hmm?"
"Can't we just fight inside the academy? Why do we have to go somewhere else?" Liuyun asked, genuinely curious about where she was taking him.
"Stop asking questions and just follow me!" Kushina said cheerfully.
"Wait a second..."
"What now?" Kushina raised an eyebrow, starting to get annoyed.
Without answering, Liuyun walked over to a nearby store and used his pocket money to buy a large popsicle.
"Here. This half is for you."
He broke it in two and handed her one piece.
"!!!"
Kushina stared at him, momentarily dazed. After a few seconds, her face turned bright red.
"Is it sweet?" Liuyun asked, smirking.
"Sweet!"
Kushina nodded enthusiastically, savoring the cold treat. At this moment, it wasn't just the popsicle that tasted sweet—her entire heart felt warm and fuzzy, as if it had been coated in honey. Her innocent smile was so dazzling that it momentarily mesmerized Liuyun.
Then, feeling a sudden burst of courage, he reached out and took her hand.
"!!!"
Kushina's entire body stiffened.
Her first instinct was to shake off his hand, but before she could, she heard Liuyun whisper in a serious tone—
"Don't move. Someone is following us. It's the Uchiha gang."
Kushina looked up and saw the serious expression on his face. She discreetly glanced behind them and, sure enough, spotted a group of black-haired, black-eyed Uchiha students trailing them.
"They're trying to ambush me, but there are too many people on this street. They won't make a move here," Liuyun murmured.
"Let's find a quieter place. I want to deal with them properly so they'll remember today."
Still holding onto her hand, he led the way forward.
Kushina no longer resisted.
In truth, holding hands had nothing to do with the danger behind them…
I spent two ryo on a popsicle—holding your hand isn't too much to ask for in return, right?