After gathering intelligence, Kumogakure and Iwagakure immediately launched investigations.
But despite sending many people and spending a lot of time, they found nothing in the end.
Just as Yan had guessed, the Akatsuki needed money, but Konan pulled a one-time deal.
She made a large sum in one go, enough to keep the Akatsuki running for a long time, without needing to take constant risks.
By the time the Five Great Ninja Villages realized what was happening and wanted to trace the Akatsuki through this lead, the organization had already gone into hiding again.
After spending so many resources and getting absolutely nothing in return, Raikage was so furious that he smashed several desks in his office.
Ever since he started targeting the Akatsuki, his desk-smashing incidents had only increased.
Among the villages investigating the Akatsuki, Kumogakure and Iwagakure put in the most effort.
Konohagakure? They just laid back and sent Jiraiya to deal with it.
Rasa and Yagura weren't paying attention at all—their villages were already dealing with too many internal problems.
Saying they were struggling to protect themselves might be too much, but at the very least, they didn't have the energy to lead an investigation into the Akatsuki.
What Oonoki and A didn't expect was that their search would drag on for years.
The worst part? They didn't even catch a glimpse of the Akatsuki.
Oonoki and A even started eyeing Kirigakure.
They were hoping Obito would stir up some trouble there, cause some destruction, maybe take revenge.
But to their surprise, Kirigakure remained completely peaceful—not a single problem.
Did Obito suddenly turn over a new leaf?
Not just Oonoki and A, even Yan was surprised.
Knowing Obito's thirst for revenge, he had already fallen completely into darkness, yet he didn't retaliate against Kirigakure?
Even more unbelievable, despite being obsessed with reclaiming his Sharingan, he hadn't made any moves at all.
It was as if the Akatsuki had completely vanished from the world.
---
At the Uchiha clan's main estate, Fugaku sat sipping tea, the lines on his face growing deeper with age.
His eldest son, Itachi—now a young teen—sat quietly beside him.
A few clan elders were also present, all waiting for Yan to arrive.
As the appointed time drew near, Yan's figure finally appeared.
Walking into the estate, Yan casually slipped into a pair of indoor sandals. He glanced at Fugaku, the elders, and Itachi, who was sitting quietly like he was invisible.
Yan smiled faintly.
"If the other clan members were here, I would've thought we were holding a full Uchiha clan meeting."
"Is today's matter related to Itachi?"
Since no other clan members were present, it meant today's discussion was strictly between the patriarch and the elders.
Itachi was sitting quietly on the side, and Yan had a feeling that this had something to do with him.
"Yes."
Fugaku nodded slowly, gesturing for Yan to sit down before they talked.
Yan took his seat, picked up the steaming hot tea on the table, took two sips, and then put the cup down.
He gave Fugaku a look, silently asking if they could get started.
After all, he didn't have time to sit around drinking tea and chatting with Fugaku and the elders.
There was still plenty of work waiting for him at the Hokage's office.
"I gathered everyone here today for something rather complicated," Fugaku said, glancing at his son, Itachi.
Yan found that strange. Something complicated involving Itachi?
Was Itachi up to something again?
No, that didn't make sense. Itachi had already been set straight, so he wouldn't be pulling any stunts.
"What exactly is this complicated matter, Patriarch?"
Did it have something to do with Itachi?
The elders also started guessing since Fugaku kept looking at his son while speaking.
"Patriarch, is this a public matter or a private one?"
The others hesitated to ask, but Yan had no such concerns.
Besides, he didn't have time to waste here with Fugaku.
If this were an ordinary day, maybe he wouldn't mind. But when things were busy, it was better to get straight to the point.
"It's both a public and a private matter."
What?
Both public and private? Was Uchiha Fugaku sure he wasn't just making things up?
Even Yan found it odd, let alone the elders.
"It's like this," Fugaku explained.
"Lately, the Inuzuka clan has been getting closer to us, so they hope…"
He trailed off and once again looked at Itachi.
Everyone here was smart enough to understand what he meant.
Just because Uchiha people were known for being a little reckless didn't mean they were stupid.
"So, the reason you called us here, Patriarch, is to discuss Itachi's marriage?"
Well, damn.
Fugaku wasn't lying—it really was both a public and a private matter.
"Exactly."
Fugaku nodded calmly, as if he were discussing something completely ordinary rather than his own son's marriage.
Clearly, as the clan leader, he was willing to sacrifice his son's right to choose a partner for the sake of the family.
Strengthening ties and deepening cooperation?
At the core of it all is trust, and marriage is the best way to solve trust issues.
So, the matter was put on the table for discussion.
Poor Itachi—he didn't even have the right to choose his own wife anymore.
Yan glanced at Itachi but didn't share his opinion.
The other elders, however, were much more enthusiastic.
The Inuzuka clan wasn't considered one of the major clans in Konohagakure, just a mid-sized ninja family at best.
But they had always been highly valued because of their expertise in raising ninja beasts.
When it came to breeding, selling, and taking care of ninja beasts, as well as providing medical treatment for them, the Inuzuka clan had a near monopoly.
But the Uchiha forming a deeper partnership with the Inuzuka…
Are we sure this won't turn into an all-out cat-and-dog war?
The Inuzuka were experts in raising ninja beasts, but because of their clan's secret techniques, every member of the family signed a contract with their own ninja dog.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha's signature summoned beasts were ninja cats. And cats and dogs… well, they didn't exactly get along.
Let's just hope you haven't signed a contract with a ninja cat yet. Otherwise, the moment you summon it, it might get into a fight with your wife's dog.
"Not bad! Since the Inuzuka clan is willing to strengthen cooperation, we Uchiha should be happy to accept."
"Yeah, this is a rare opportunity. The Inuzuka clan actually wants to work more closely with us—if this were in the past, Uchiha wouldn't have even had a chance."
"Patriarch, I think we should agree."
"Even though there aren't many areas where our clans can work together, our businesses don't overlap. That means outside factors won't get in the way of our partnership."
One by one, everyone started discussing the matter.
Yan just sat there quietly, listening. When they had almost finished talking, he finally spoke.
"Ahem."
At the sound of Yan's cough, the elders and the Patriarch all stopped and turned to look at him.
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