parting
A side room in the main house had been temporarily cleared and was relatively intact. Uchiha Tajima gently placed his drowsy little daughter on a couch covered with clean bedding, his movements unusually gentle. He stood beside the couch, his tall figure appearing especially heavy in the dim light, as if bent by the weight of an invisible mountain.
Uchiha Madara stood silently at the door, like a cold statue. Only when he occasionally looked at his sister and father would a trace of pain that was inconsistent with his age flash across his eyes.
Aoi didn't sleep for long. The extreme mental stimulation and physical exhaustion caused her to briefly lose consciousness, but she was soon awakened by a nightmare. She sat up abruptly, gasping for air, her forehead covered in cold sweat. Instead of the familiar museum lights, what came into view was a dim Japanese-style room and the silent, subdued figures of her father and brother.
The pain of reality instantly returned, even clearer and more cruel than the dream. Her mother's cold body, her brothers' lifeless eyes... A huge sadness gripped her once again, and tears silently flowed down her face.
Uchiha Tajima turned, walked over to the couch, and sat down. The blood on his face had been wiped clean, but even though his Sharingan had returned to its normal black color, it still held an unfathomable depth, filled with bloodshot and an inextricable sense of exhaustion and grief. He reached out, his rough, calloused fingertips clumsily wiping the tears from Aoi's face.
"Aoi." His voice was very hoarse, having lost its former majesty, leaving only a heavy sense of fatigue.
Aoi raised her head and looked at her father with tearful eyes. She could sense the awe of her father from the memories of this body, as well as the deep dependence and fear she felt at the moment.
"Your mother..." Tajima paused, as if he was having trouble speaking, but he finally said with difficulty, "Her last wish was that you could grow up safely, away from battle, and live like an ordinary girl."
Aoi stared at him blankly, her small body trembling slightly.
"The Uchiha clan is a clan of warriors." Tajima's voice deepened, carrying a complex mix of pride and endless bitterness. "Blood and death are our destiny. Your mother... she was born into a noble family and never really got used to it. She's lost so much... and now, even she..."
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions, and his eyes became firm again: "I promised her. You will leave here and go to your grandmother's house. In the capital of the Fire Country, there are no ninja fights. You will receive the best care and live a peaceful and smooth life."
Leave? Go to a completely unfamiliar place? Aoi's eyes were filled with fear and confusion. Although this place had just experienced a tragedy, it was still her "home" after all, with her father and brother...
"Father..." She subconsciously grabbed Tiandao's sleeve, her knuckles turning white from the force, "I... I don't want to leave... I don't want to be alone..."
Tajima looked at his daughter's terrified face, his heart gripped tightly by an icy hand. How could he possibly want to send his last child away? Especially after such a devastating loss? But he was the head of the clan, and a husband who had made a promise to his late wife.
"This isn't just about you, Aoi." His tone had to harden again, as if he was trying to convince her, but more like it was trying to convince himself, "You're the daughter of the Uchiha clan. Your very presence could make you a target for the enemy. If you stay in the clan, when the next attack comes, I might not be able to... protect you. Leaving is the best way to protect you."
He glanced at his eldest son at the doorway, "Madara will escort you to the capital. He'll ensure your safety."
Madara's eyes met his father's, and the young man nodded solemnly, his gaze showing no hesitation, only a resoluteness bordering on cruelty. Protecting his sister and fulfilling his mother's last wish was his responsibility at this moment.
"Forget the glory of the Uchiha clan, forget the Sharingan, forget the hatred." Tajima stroked his daughter's hair, his tone heavier than ever before. "In your grandmother's house, you are just Aoi, an ordinary noble lady. Live an ordinary life. This is all your mother expects of you."
At this time, an elder Uchiha knocked gently on the door and came in, reporting in a low voice: "Clan leader, the madam's... funeral arrangements, as well as Ling and Ye's... have all been preliminarily arranged. The route and escorts to the capital have also been prepared, and we can set off at any time."
Tajima nodded, indicating he understood. He gave his little daughter a final, deep look, as if he wanted to etch her image into his memory. Then, he stood up resolutely, resuming the demeanor of the cold, resolute Uchiha clan leader.
"Get ready and set off immediately." His order was unquestionable.
The maid came in and changed Aoi into a clean, plain kimono. The small package contained only a few simple pieces of clothing, and nothing related to ninjas.
At the entrance to the clan's territory, a simple yet sturdy carriage stood ready. A small group of elite Uchiha ninjas stood silently by as guards. The atmosphere was suffocatingly solemn.
Uchiha Tajima didn't come out to see them off. He stood in the shadows of the main house, gazing at the distant door, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. Sending his last daughter away from danger, protecting her, also meant ripping her from the Uchiha world. This decision was filled with a gut-wrenching pain.
Ban jumped onto his horse, his dark eyes taking one last look at the clan's territory. His gaze lingered for a moment where his mother and brothers had fallen, then turned cold and determined. He looked at his sister, who was being carried into the carriage, and said in a steady but emotionless voice, "Let's go."
The door closed. The carriage slowly started moving, leaving the Uchiha clan territory, which was still filled with the scent of sadness and blood.
Aoi leaned against the car window, straining to look back until the familiar gate and her father's back completely disappeared from her sight. She had lost her mother, her brother, and now, even her father and the last home she had left.
The road ahead is long, leading to a promised, yet completely unfamiliar, "ordinary" world. This "ordinariness" is purchased at the cost of the blood and separation of loved ones. Five-year-old Uchiha Aoi, with a modern soul, huddled in a bumpy carriage, feeling the bone-chilling coldness and heaviness of this world.
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