Naruto: Starting With Three Tomoe Sharingan, Girlfriend Kushina

Hearing the visitor's explanation, Ryun nodded slightly, his face showing a thoughtful expression.

"Let me remind you, even if you don't live within the Uchiha clan grounds, each household must send at least one representative to attend. This is the most basic respect for the clan."

"Last year's end-of-year meeting, no one from your family attended. If you skip this mid-year meeting as well, given your current situation, the clan may consider stripping you of your surname..."

The Uchiha chunin, seeing that Ryun's words and demeanor were proper—like someone with promise—couldn't help but kindly remind him.

"I understand. Thank you for the reminder, brother."

Ryun smiled and expressed his gratitude. The chunin nodded slightly before leaving their home.

"Mom, why do you seem so absent-minded?"

At the dinner table, Ryun asked with a smile. He had just told Asuka about the upcoming mid-year clan meeting.

"N-no, it's nothing..."

"Son..."

Asuka opened her mouth but hesitated to speak.

"Mom doesn't want to attend the Uchiha clan's mid-year meeting, right?" Ryun saw through her thoughts and spoke first.

Because of Uchiha Mori's death, and since Ryun had been too young before, Asuka had forced herself to attend the previous meetings, fearing that Ryun might be bullied or unable to handle things properly.

Amid a crowd of black-haired people, a few "outsiders" with different hair colors stood out...

For a bloodline clan as exclusionary as the Uchiha, allowing you into the ancestral hall was already the limit. Expecting a friendly reception was out of the question...

The Uchiha clan did allow marriages with outsiders, but in large gatherings like clan meetings, outsider women usually avoided attending. Only in cases like Ryun's family—a widow and orphan—was Asuka forced to attend despite her reluctance.

Her strikingly obvious purple hair made her stand out even when walking around the clan grounds. At the clan meeting, she was naturally disliked by others.

Ryun didn't know exactly what she had experienced, but being ostracized during past meetings was inevitable, and her fear of attending such events was understandable.

"Mmm..." Asuka nodded.

"Ryun... do you want to go...? If you don't want to lose the surname, I can..."

"Of course I don't want to go. Screw the Uchiha surname." Ryun grinned, cutting off Asuka's next words.

"!!!"

Asuka stared at him in shock.

"To be honest, I don't want to have much to do with that clan. In this, Mom and I are the same."

Ryun first made his stance clear, letting his mother know he firmly stood by her side.

"If it's just about a surname, whether we have it or not makes no difference to us. Our family doesn't rely on the Uchiha clan, right, Mom?"

As he spoke, Ryun tried to ease Asuka's anxiety and unease.

"Mhm, you're absolutely right, son!" Asuka nodded heavily.

Even the stronger Senju clan didn't care much about their surname, choosing to blend into the village anonymously. Yet the Uchiha clan treated their surname as if it were everything, practically engraving their fan crest on their faces...

Ryun knew this exclusionary clan was doomed to fail, so he never intended to get too involved with them.

However, he couldn't completely sever ties yet because his father, Uchiha Mori, was buried in the Uchiha clan's exclusive cemetery... located within their clan grounds.

"We can give up the surname, but we can't abandon Dad's remains... This time, I'll attend the meeting alone. When I'm stronger in the future, I'll bring his body out of the Uchiha cemetery..."

Soon, it would be the anniversary of Uchiha Mori's death. Without the Uchiha identity, they might not even be allowed to pay their respects.

So despite his dislike, Ryun had no choice but to attend this mid-year meeting.

Hearing her son mention her late husband, Asuka's eyes reddened. After a long pause, she smiled warmly and praised Ryun for being reliable and mature.

She visited Uchiha Mori's grave regularly and never missed the anniversary. If losing their surname meant she couldn't enter the cemetery to pay respects, Asuka wouldn't do anything drastic, but she would undoubtedly be heartbroken.

Ryun knew this and didn't want his mother to suffer, so despite his disdain for the clan and reluctance to attend, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and go this time.

The next day.

A certain cunning red-haired girl had hidden near Ryun's house early in the morning.

Knowing Ryun had a habit of morning runs, she hid in the bushes nearby, planning an ambush.

But she didn't know that Ryun slept later than a dog yet woke up earlier than a rooster. And since he had been deliberately familiarizing himself with Konoha Village's layout recently, his running route wasn't fixed.

Thus... the ambusher hiding in the bushes was easily detected by Ryun's sharp senses, and a "counter-ambush plan" formed in his mind.

"Heh... seems Little Pepper loves playing ninja games. Then big brother will play with you properly today..."

A wicked smile appeared on Ryun's face.

Kushina, hiding in the bushes, had no idea she had already switched from hunter to prey.

The foolish girl seemed patient, occasionally grinning maliciously, as if she would soon get her revenge and beat Ryun up to settle yesterday's humiliation.

Soon, under Kushina's patient watch, a certain cheerful little brat strode out of his house, walking straight into her line of sight.

'He's here, he's here!'

Kushina was excited, her eyes gleaming as she tightened her grip on the wooden stick in her hand.

'Laugh all you want. Soon, you won't be laughing...'

She wouldn't hold back just because the brat was good-looking and had a sunny smile.

Ryun acted as if he hadn't noticed her, walking straight toward Kushina's hiding spot.

Just as he was about to pass the bushes, Kushina couldn't contain her excitement and raised her stick, ready to strike.

But just as she was about to jump out, a familiar voice suddenly startled her.

"Ryun..."

Asuka appeared from around a corner.

'I-it's Aunt Asuka! Thank goodness...'

Kushina was so scared she broke out in a cold sweat. If she had attacked Ryun in front of his mother, her "well-behaved girl" image in Asuka's eyes would've been ruined!

Even with ten mouths, she wouldn't be able to explain herself, and she'd never be allowed into Ryun's house again...

The thought made her relieved she hadn't acted recklessly.

"Mom, what is it?"

Ryun deliberately stopped near the bushes, positioning himself in a way that subtly blocked Kushina's escape route.

Today, he was determined to teach this "red-haired brat" a lesson and show her the cruelty of the world!

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