Did she know?

The next day, the sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze blew. Luna opened her eyes from her hospital bed. She had roughly prepared what she needed to, and she was considering taking the role of Uchiha Izumi seriously. Carefully studying the little habits she remembered and doing a personality analysis, she discovered a truly terrifying aspect.

She doesn't hate!

This is so strange!

Their entire clan was wiped out!

Their entire family was killed!

Not hating Itachi, not hating Konoha?

Luna stared blankly into the distance, rubbing her temples as she was discharged. It was just a fever; staying in the hospital would arouse suspicion, and if she encountered Danzo's henchmen, having her Sharingan stolen would be troublesome.

She didn't go home after being discharged from the hospital; instead, she went to a bookstore to find some books to read. She couldn't understand Uchiha Izumi's thoughts and just wanted to kill some time.

This child... doesn't hate Konoha?

That's so strange!

Those who want to rebel hate Konoha to death.

Luna flipped to a novel, a story about a ninja. It wasn't very long, and it was like a fable, but it seemed distorted no matter how you looked at it. The novel praised the loyalty of ninjas, telling the story of a ninja who was loyal to his village, betrayed his clan, slaughtered his own relatives, and finally atoned with his death.

The entire text is a eulogy to loyalty, condemning the clan for its restlessness, shamelessness, and wolfish ambition. It elevates the ninja to unparalleled status, like a lily blooming in blood.

Luna: "..."

Huh?

Was it really not written for Itachi?

Luna, suppressing her nausea, quickly toured the area. Although loyalty to one's country and filial piety have always been mutually exclusive, and a nation must come before a family, even if the Uchiha clan truly rebelled, weren't there any innocent people among them? This system of collective punishment is truly disgusting!

Kill even little kids!

Ugh, the ninja village is disgusting.

What the heck is "behave yourself and keep to your own standards"?

If a person lives a quiet and law-abiding life, that's it. Cutting off the Uchiha's path to advancement is like preventing the college entrance exam. Which ninja in Konoha doesn't want to become Hokage (except for the lazy ones)?

Why should I?

Moreover, the Uchiha clan is suppressed in many ways. They are not given good jobs, their wages are not increased, and they are not promoted. How can they expect their employees to fight for their lives?

Luna couldn't stand the work environment. There's a way to live on a monthly salary of 3,000. For such a meager wage, there's no point in asking her to work herself to the bone. Add to that the school's strict rules for ninjas, and every aspect was incredibly suffocating.

Luna borrowed a book called "The Death of a Ninja," and through the literary work, she experienced even more the cultural incompatibility she felt here. The story strongly promoted loyalty to one's lord, similar to martial arts, and advocated that ninjas should die tragically, as if only in this way could they be remembered in history.

Even if someone dies a glorious death, the commoners and soldiers mentioned in history books are only mentioned briefly. Those who truly go down in history are the people who are praised by others.

Like Hashirama Senju, whose younger brother lauded him to the skies, making him seem flawless. The villains are like Madara Uchiha, who, without his brother, was shunned by his clan. They had built a great legacy together, but now, if he were to kidnap a child on the street, they might not even know the Uchiha clan was involved in the village's founding.

Moreover, aside from the current Uchiha main clan, the former Uchiha clans disdain to mention him. Madara left behind a fear imprinted in the minds of the older generation! Once those old fogies are dead, Uchiha Madara will be annihilated.

Knowing that the Konoha leadership was no good, Luna began to despise the Uchiha clan again. Every generation produces exceptionally talented individuals, but none of them amount to anything. Like Itachi and Shisui of this generation, they were powerful and intelligent, but both had flaws. Sasuke had the potential to become a force to be reckoned with, but later ended up working for Konoha.

>>>>

"Koizumi, you're back." Uchiha Hazuki smiled at the door, her eyes crinkling like her daughter's.

"Mom," Luna called softly, and together they went into the house.

That feeling of being watched returned, and she suddenly realized that she wouldn't be monitored once she entered the house, but that look was definitely from Uchiha Hazuki.

"Mom, I'm hungry." Luna turned her head and glanced at her mother, only to see that her mother had turned her back.

"I've made some porridge, wait a moment." Uchiha Hazuki turned around with a smile and went into the kitchen.

What does she mean?

Why won't you look me in the eye?

She entered the inner Japanese-style room. The wooden building looked dim and gloomy, like old silk soaked in time. The room was dark without the lights on. The space, about six tatami mats in size, was separated from the corridor by a heavy shoji paper sliding door. The lower half of the paper door was slightly yellowed, and the light that shone through carried a touch of twilight warmth, outlining the texture of the fine straw mat.

The air was filled with the faint scent of wood, not just the aroma of food, but also a delicate fragrance. A small calligraphy scroll hung on the wall, its yellowed paper bearing the character "忍" (patience/endurance). Below it sat a plain ceramic vase filled with fresh lilies and a small dish of pastries.

The wardrobe was made of paulownia wood, with dull black iron handles. Luna stepped forward and opened the wardrobe. Inside, besides the Uchiha clan uniform, there were two light purple kimonos, one old and one new. The larger one had faded to a soft color and had some wear on the edges; the smaller one was slightly brighter and had delicate cherry blossom patterns printed on it.

A handwritten timetable was pasted on the edge of the sliding door, the handwriting childish, with a small sun drawn next to it. On the other side, a thin nail was nailed to the wall, from which hung a string of Buddhist prayer beads, the dark wood polished smooth and warm to the touch.

Luna glanced at the two cups and narrowed her eyes slightly. She walked to the table, picked up the bowl of porridge, blew on it, and ate it spoonful by spoonful, occasionally eating some pickled vegetables, slowly lost in thought. Her gaze followed her every move, her eyes and smile, and even the furnishings of the room.

"Do you know?" Luna put down her bowl, her eyes narrowed as she stared at Uchiha Hazuki, her voice full of certainty.

"..." Uchiha Hazuki's expression froze. She gripped the hem of her clothes, bit her lip hard, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Then what do you want? To kill me?" Luna wasn't too surprised. She was a single mother who doted on her daughter, so it wasn't surprising that she was recognized.

"Koizumi said goodbye to me... Waaah... It's not your fault." Uchiha Hazuki shook her head; she just couldn't accept her daughter leaving her.

Luna was tackled by Uchiha Hazuki, who comforted the still-beautiful woman. Feeling a sense of security, she realized she might have an ally.

How much do you know?

"I knew we'd meet with misfortune. Actually... if there's no other way, you should just leave." Uchiha Hazuki looked at her daughter's face with tears in her eyes. She didn't know who Luna was, but changing the fate of a clan's annihilation was no easy task. She didn't quite believe that a little girl could change anything.

If destruction is inevitable, then let this child live on with Koizumi's body.

Luna sighed with a bitter face. Did she think she wanted to get involved in these trivial matters? "I was also forced to sign an unfair contract. I didn't want to pay attention to her demands, after all... I was small and weak, and I was only 11 years old when I died. I tried to leave Konoha, but I couldn't get out."

Uchiha Hazuki: ...

Silence fell over the room. The sunlight outside was scorching, and both of them saw the despair and helplessness in each other's eyes. After a long silence, Uchiha Hazuki, holding her daughter's body, stopped crying.

"You must find a way to survive..."

“If I survive alone, without the protection of my tribe, I, as a girl, would probably be reduced to a breeding machine.”

"..."

Seeing Uchiha Hazuki's drastically changed expression, Luna smiled and said, "But things are different now, Mother. I need your help."

Having allies would change things. She could try to do more, and perhaps even try to fight for the Uchiha's survival.

"The victor is king, the loser is villain; it's just a life. In the end, none of us will be alone." Luna gripped those rough hands, her eyes cracking like three-tomoe jade, and tears of blood dripped from the corners of her eyes.

Uchiha Hazuki paused for a moment, then stopped her trembling body, cupped her daughter's cheeks, and nodded: "Okay."

Yes, being afraid is useless!

It's just one life; no one will be alone.

"Do you have any connections to get me into the security force?"

"I'm sorry." Uchiha Hazuki shook her head; she had no connections.

Since she has to fight a do-or-die battle, Luna needs to plan for the future. First, she needs to join the Uchiha Guard, which has never had any women, and she'll need Itachi Uchiha's assistance to get in.

You asked why I joined the security force?

Of course, we should continue to bring in allies.

There's really only so much one person can do. At most, she can bury the Root base with a 'Big Ivan,' but that doesn't guarantee she can kill Danzo. There's no way around it; her fighting power is limited right now, and Danzo has too many scapegoats around him.

If the Uchiha clan wants to live, then everyone should work together. There's no reason why those arrogant Uchiha clans should know nothing about her risking her life.

Seeing the guilt on Hazuki Uchiha's face, Luna asked gently, "Could you try to secretly get me some more gas cylinders?"

"Huh? Is this done properly?" Uchiha Hazuki wondered how to do it secretly, but how to do it secretly was the problem.

"Sure, about 100 or 200 is fine."

"Okay, I'll find a place to put it."

Luna smiled slightly, deciding to go for a stroll, mainly within the clan, to find potential allies. If Uchiha Shisui were still alive, she was confident she could get him to accept her plan. However, Uchiha Itachi was too arrogant and too close to her, making it easy for him to discover that she wasn't the real person, potentially leading to a series of uncontrollable problems.

I'm not a performing arts major.

However, the Uchiha clan is in a state of decline these days. There are hardly any decent ninjas left on the streets; most have joined the Uchiha Guard. She frowned slightly and walked around, only to unexpectedly see the legendary Copy Ninja Kakashi, the Might Guy with a watermelon-shaped haircut, talking to Itachi.

"Izumi?" Itachi noticed the gaze and turned his head to see his girlfriend standing behind him.

"Itachi-kun." Luna lowered her head slightly, revealing a small, red, swollen bump on her forehead.

Why aren't you resting at home?

"I came out for a walk." Luna bit her lip, her gaze sweeping over the shrine.

"What's wrong with the shrine?" Might Guy noticed her pale face and instinctively asked about her companion in the village.

"Ah, no, no..." Luna forced a smile, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress.

"What happened?" Itachi pulled Luna a few steps away. Why did she look like this?

Seeing that it was 'only' Itachi, Luna looked a little aggrieved: "Kassan said there's going to be another clan meeting today."

Itachi's eyes darkened, and his voice lowered further: "If you don't want to go, you don't have to."

"Everyone else is going, if I don't go, Mother..." Luna looked at the ground, trying hard to restrain herself from speaking, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Itachi and Kakashi behind him both fell silent. Reading the air is an instinct for almost everyone. Except for people like Guy, no one wants to appear unconventional because... it's easy to get isolated.

Uchiha Izumi's identity was already somewhat awkward, and if she did something unusual, she would probably have a very difficult time living among the Uchiha.

The two who routinely monitored the Uchiha clan suddenly realized that a large portion of the Uchiha were like this: knowing nothing, unable to change anything, and out of fear of isolation, exclusion, and abandonment, they could only follow along.

After a while, Luna finally broke out, looking into Itachi's eyes, and asked softly, "Itachi-kun, if I don't become a ninja, will you support me?"

Itachi: (⊙o⊙)…What?