"Twin Eyes of Destiny: The Leaf's Hidden Legacy"

"I am Uchiha Renzou. And you are?" Renzou Uchiha regarded Suzaku Nara with a puzzled expression. He didn't recognize the man, yet Suzaku Nara seemed to know him. Was he someone significant?

"It truly is you." Suzaku Nara withdrew his hand from his ninja tool pouch, quickly approached them, and spoke. "Hello, I am Suzaku Nara. I used to be a combat staff officer. My superior's name was…" Suzaku Nara's gaze flickered towards Renzou Uchiha, a complex emotion in his eyes. "Uchiha Shanzhou!"

"Hmm?" A flicker of understanding crossed Maruhoshi Kosuke's face. Uchiha Shanzhou? The Deputy Border Defense Minister, who died two years ago. And this child is Uchiha Renzou… so that's the connection.

"So, you were my father's colleague. Hello, Uncle Suzaku," Renzou Uchiha said, a moment of initial confusion giving way to a polite greeting.

Interesting. In my memories, Father was always away on missions. Mother worked long hours at Konoha Hospital. He'd occasionally return, briefly, before rushing off again within a couple of days. I only knew he was a Jōnin, not which department he served in. Suzaku Nara's words hinted at a more significant role for his father. A combat staff officer as a subordinate suggested a high-ranking position within the border defense.

"As Senior Shanzhou always said, you are indeed very polite," Suzaku Nara smiled, reaching out to pat Renzou Uchiha's shoulder before turning his attention to Kosuke. "And who is this?"

"This is the ninjutsu instructor Hokage-sama assigned to me. It was quiet here earlier, so we were training. We didn't expect to disturb Uncle Suzaku," Renzou Uchiha explained before Kosuke could speak.

"Ah, I see." Hearing that Kosuke was appointed by the Hokage, Suzaku Nara seemed relieved. He turned back to Renzou Uchiha, opening his mouth as if hesitant to speak.

"Maruhoshi Kosuke-senpai, I might have some matters to attend to today. Would it be alright if we continued our training tomorrow?" Renzou Uchiha asked.

Maruhoshi Kosuke looked at the two of them, considered for a moment, and nodded. "Alright. Let's meet at the Ninja School entrance tomorrow morning. Don't be late."

"Understood. Thank you, Maruhoshi Kosuke," Renzou Uchiha replied, then noticed that Kosuke had already vanished in a swift shunshin.

Suzaku Nara sighed softly as Maruhoshi Kosuke disappeared, then turned and began walking back the way he had come. "Come with me."

"Yes," Renzou Uchiha responded, falling into step beside Suzaku Nara. They retraced their path through the jungle. After a short while, they emerged into a clearing. Suzaku Nara stopped and turned to face Renzou Uchiha.

"This is…" Renzou Uchiha looked at the scene before him, a touch of surprise in his voice. A vast green grassland stretched out, dotted with grazing deer. In the distance, nestled by a tranquil lake, stood a small, unassuming wooden house.

"Come inside." Renzou Uchiha snapped out of his observation. Suzaku Nara was already at the wooden house, beckoning him in.

"Excuse me," Renzou Uchiha said, hurrying over and stepping inside, closing the door behind him. The interior was simple: a bed, a table, two stools, and a small cooking area.

"Please, have a seat." Suzaku Nara offered Renzou Uchiha a stool. As soon as they were both seated, Suzaku Nara spoke. "So alike…"

Renzou Uchiha was momentarily taken aback, then realized Suzaku Nara was referring to him. "You are very similar to your father; both are so polite."

"Yeah…" Renzou Uchiha lowered his gaze, pursing his lips before looking back up at Suzaku Nara. "My father… what was he like at work?"

"Senior Shanzhou… he was a very gentle man…" Suzaku Nara looked towards the ceiling, his eyes filled with a nostalgic light.

"When I was first assigned to the department, Senior Shanzhou was the one who guided me. I was still a complete rookie, and I messed up quite a few things. Many people laughed at me, which brought shame to the Nara name, but the senior never looked down on me. He always helped me when I faced difficulties. Thanks to his unwavering support, I eventually found my footing. Day after day, year after year, five years later, I became a combat staff officer, and the senior became my boss, the Deputy Minister of Border Defense." Suzaku Nara paused, his gaze meeting Renzou Uchiha's. "Your father always carried a photograph of you. The last time he showed it to me was a picture of you when you were five years old, two years ago. It's hard to believe two years have passed so quickly." A touch of melancholy colored Suzaku Nara's voice.

"Is that so…" Renzou Uchiha mused, deep in thought. No wonder Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed to my request to learn the Dark Technique. It seems my parents were more significant than I realized. The director of Konoha Hospital and the Deputy Minister of the Konoha Border Defense Department. If they hadn't… A bitter smile touched his lips. I wouldn't have to work so hard every day. He shook off the fleeting sadness and looked back at Suzaku Nara. "Uncle Suzaku didn't bring me here just to reminisce, did he?"

"That's right." Suzaku Nara's expression turned serious. "After my two years of covert investigation within the Border Defense Department, I discovered inconsistencies surrounding Senior Shanzhou's death."

"You mean… there was more to it?" Renzou Uchiha wasn't naive; he immediately picked up on Suzaku Nara's implication.

"Yes. Senior and I received a highly sensitive mission at that time: to contact spies embedded within Stone Shinobi Village. Due to the critical nature of the intelligence, the superiors decided to send Senior Shanzhou to personally lead the team to retrieve it. Everything proceeded smoothly until we obtained the information. On our return journey, we were ambushed by a group of unknown ninjas. They were well-trained and coordinated flawlessly. I was part of a smaller team, and in the end, I was the only one who escaped, carrying the mortally wounded Senior Shanzhou on my back. Despite our efforts, Senior Shanzhou succumbed to his injuries…" Suzaku Nara's voice wavered, tears briefly glistening in his eyes. After a moment, he continued, his tone steadier. "All of this could have been dismissed as a tragic accident. Ninjas live lives constantly on the edge. We've seen so much death, we've become somewhat numb. But what I found deeply unsettling was that while I was delivering the intelligence and Senior Shanzhou's body back to the village, another group of unknown ninjas attacked us. Fortunately, we encountered Hatake Sakumo-sama, who was returning from a mission, and he managed to eliminate all the attackers. However, I later discovered something disturbing: these mysterious ninjas were the same group that ambushed us after we completed our mission! Both groups bore a peculiar black curse mark on their tongues. After Hatake Sakumo-sama escorted us safely back to the village, Senior Shanzhou's body was laid to rest.

Afterward, I spent several days recuperating in the village, immersing myself in the Nara clan's archives, and finally, I found information about that curse seal in one of the ancient texts." Nara paused, then slowly uttered a few chilling words. "The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal… disaster, destruction… darkness and corruption."

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End of Chapter 41