With a serious face, Ryosuke tried to relax his expression.
He didn't want the old man in front of him to worry.
"Of course. We'll definitely live well."
What he was really thinking was—if he didn't live well, how could he get revenge on those who hurt his clan?
It was the higher-ups of Konoha who betrayed the Uchiha, not the Uchiha who betrayed Konoha.
He was determined to make sure the Uchiha survived the Night of Massacre.
To be safe, he had to fully use both systems. Not only did he need to study the Auto-Cultivation System, he also had to take advantage of the Blessed-with-Many-Children System.
Having kids—simple as that.
Even though the first reward was a precious treasure chest, he wasn't planning to just pick some random woman.
Once you got physically involved, that meant there was a connection. And that kind of bond wasn't easy to break.
If he had a choice, of course he'd go for someone he felt good about.
With his Uchiha status and that handsome face, it wasn't like he'd have trouble finding the right woman.
Thinking of that, Ryosuke looked at the old man in front of him.
"Grandpa, I might not be that talented, but I've got a good plan. Since I can't count on my own gifts, I'll have children—raise the next generation right."
"Maybe the next generation won't be as useless as me."
With the Blessed-with-Many-Children System, just having one kid would earn him a precious treasure chest.
What came out of that might very well help him survive the Night of Massacre.
If things went smoothly, maybe the Uchiha clan could even rise again.
And having a child might ease the old man's loneliness, too.
When Uchiha Makoto, the Grand Elder, heard what Ryosuke said, he was momentarily stunned.
Sure, sixteen was old enough to marry.
Back in the day, even twelve was old enough to get married and have kids.
But now that the clan's population had grown, there was no need to enforce those old rules.
Was his grandson dropped on the head? Why did he sound so off?
Still... what he said kind of made sense.
The huge house only had the two of them. It really was a bit lonely.
With a smile, he said, "It's not a bad idea. Just think it through for yourself."
He was starting to agree with the idea, but something like this needed to be Ryosuke's own decision.
If he got involved, he might just mess things up.
Seeing his grandfather's reaction, Ryosuke smiled and said:
"Then I'll stop going to the Police Force."
He had bigger plans now. What was the point of working in the Konoha Police?
Totally pointless.
Getting stronger was what really mattered.
Uchiha Makoto blinked and thought to himself—was this brat just making excuses to skip out on the Police?
But whatever. If he didn't want to go, then forget it. Otherwise he might pass out like last time.
He only had one precious grandson left. He wasn't about to bury him.
"Alright, I'll talk to Uchiha Fugaku about it."
Ryosuke couldn't help but ask:
"Grandpa, do your words actually carry weight?"
Uchiha Fugaku was the head of the Police Force. He had final say over everything.
"Of course they do. I watched that brat Fugaku grow up. You think he'd dare ignore me?"
Uchiha Makoto's calm tone vanished, replaced by commanding authority.
That settled it. Ryosuke was at ease.
Elsewhere, Kurenai Yuhi had returned home.
After a full day of work, she collapsed tiredly onto the couch.
Her mother immediately prepared a meal for her.
Kurenai came over and ate with her.
Her father, Yuhi Makoto, had sadly died during the Nine-Tails' Rampage while protecting the village.
Now, it was just mother and daughter relying on each other.
So Kurenai carried the burden of supporting the household as a ninja.
While eating, her mother said:
"Asuma Sarutobi confessed to you today, right? Why didn't you accept?"
"If you latch onto the Hokage's power, our clan could rise again. You wouldn't have to keep doing all those exhausting missions."
The Third Hokage had personally sent someone to suggest his daughter get along with Asuma.
Of course, she agreed. As a widow, she understood just how important it was to have reliable support.
The Third Hokage was still in power, and his son Asuma was basically the most influential of the next generation.
That he was even interested in Kurenai—it was pure luck for her.
But Kurenai looked annoyed at that.
How was she supposed to be with some hot-headed guy like Asuma?
Honestly, even that Uchiha was better.
"Mom, let's not talk about this now. Also, how do you even know about it? You've been home all day."
Her mother didn't try to hide anything.
"The Third Hokage told me himself. He really approves of you and Asuma. Do you realize what that means? It means the Yuhi clan could return to its prime—marrying into a powerful clan like the Sarutobi."
Kurenai got even more upset. What century was this? Relationships were supposed to be between two people. Why were the parents getting involved?
They weren't the ones dating.
Sure, political marriages could help a clan rise again, but she still believed in sweet, romantic love.
Her mother noticed her expression and knew she probably wouldn't agree right now. Sternly, she said:
"If you don't like Asuma, I'll respect your choice."
"But don't tell me you've fallen for that Uchiha brat?"
"If it's someone from the Uchiha clan, I absolutely won't allow it."
The Hokage had made it clear too—he didn't want Kurenai getting too close to that Uchiha boy.
Kurenai remembered the extremely handsome Uchiha. If they actually started dating, he did seem like a better fit. He had a sense of justice, and he could actually hold a conversation—way better than Asuma.
But they'd only met once. They weren't even close.
"Mom, what are you talking about? When did I ever say I liked someone from the Uchiha?"
"What exactly did the Third Hokage say to you?"
Her mother saw the expression on her daughter's face and believed she wasn't lying. She relaxed a bit and continued to remind her:
"Kurenai, don't forget your father—Yuhi Makoto—died in the Nine-Tails Rampage."
"And that rampage was very likely caused by the Uchiha. If it hadn't happened, your father wouldn't be dead, the clan wouldn't be so weak, and the two of us wouldn't be struggling like this."
"So absolutely, definitely—don't fall for the descendant of our enemy."