Chapter 82: Uchiha’s Headquarters
"Yeah, yeah, very funny. So if you're ready, I'll let them know we can move whenever they are ready," Kaida asked once again.
"Yes, sure," Yomi confirmed without a second thought.
After getting Yomi's confirmation, Kaida decided to go directly to Shisui and tell him that they were ready to move to the Uchiha compound.
...
Kaida headed straight for Shisui's house and rang the doorbell. After a short while, Shisui opened the door.
"What happened, Kaida? You're back quite soon. Were you missing your brother?" Shisui asked, jokingly.
"Yes, brother, how could I not miss such an awesome brother of mine?" Kaida replied in the same playful tone.
"Hahaha! But I feel there's another reason for your visit besides just seeing me, right?"
"Yes, brother. I talked with Yomi about moving in with you, like Aunty said, and she agreed."
"You've got perfect timing, Kaida. I had to meet with the clan leader today anyway regarding a mission. Now I can also bring this up about you."
"You know what? Just come with me. The clan leader may want to meet you when I tell him about you," Shisui said.
"Okay, brother. Do I need to behave a certain way in front of the clan leader?" Kaida asked, not wanting to offend Fugaku Uchiha on their first meeting.
"No, you don't need to act differently from your usual self. Just one thing—don't lie to him. He's more than capable of detecting lies."
"Okay, brother," Kaida nodded.
They made their way toward Fugaku's office. In the anime, the Uchiha compound had been depicted as a normal-looking area in Konoha, but the reality was quite different.
The Uchiha compound, unlike the rest of Konoha, was very well constructed, more modern in appearance than any other parts of the village Kaida had visited before. He had never been to the Hyuga Clan compound or any other clan's compounds, but he imagined those would be even grander than the Uchiha's, considering the Uchiha had been relocated to the outskirts of Konoha after the Nine-Tails attack. This meant they had to rebuild from scratch, while other clans had decades of time and resources to improve their compounds.
As Kaida observed everything around the Uchiha compound with keen interest, Shisui watched him with a smile on his face, seeing Kaida act his age for the first time. Normally, Kaida wore a stoic expression and hid his emotions from others. But with Shisui, he felt safe enough to lower his guard without realizing it.
After some time, they arrived at the Clan Headquarters. The clan head's office was located in the same building. When Kaida saw it, he was shocked—it was comparable to the Hokage Building, though slightly smaller, perhaps about two-thirds the size. Various ninja were coming and going. The building had three floors and four visible entrances.
Shisui approached the central gate where guards were posted. They glanced at Shisui and then at Kaida, a hint of doubt in their eyes. One of the guards politely asked, "Sir, who is this with you?" His tone was especially respectful since Shisui, being an elite Jonin of the Uchiha clan, was highly regarded by the elders and even the clan leader.
"He's my brother. Don't worry, I'm here to see the clan leader about him," Shisui replied with a smile.
"Okay, sir. Please, go ahead," the guard said, not wanting to take up more of Shisui's time.
They entered the building, and Shisui went straight to the reception desk. "I need to report my mission to the clan head. Could you check if he's available?"
"Yes, sir. Just give me a moment. You can wait over there," the receptionist said, gesturing toward a sofa in the corner.
Shisui nodded and went to sit down with Kaida.
"Brother, why are you reporting your mission to the clan head and not Lord Third?" Kaida asked, a question that had been on his mind for a while.
"Ah, right. You were just a civilian ninja, so you might not know this, but while civilian ninjas take missions from the Hokage's office, clan ninjas also have their own mission department."
"What do you mean?" Kaida asked, intrigued.
"Some missions that come to Konoha are more suited for specific clans, so they get directed to us. Also, to maintain our ninja forces, we have to take on certain missions for Konoha as a clan responsibility."
"So clan ninjas don’t take missions from the Hokage’s office?" Kaida asked, recalling seeing them there when he had collected D-rank missions.
"No, we can take missions from both places. The Hokage’s office tends to give better monetary rewards, though."
"Why is that?"
"Haha, well, do you think the clan won't take a share of your reward? Even when taking a mission from the Hokage’s office, they take a percentage, ranging from 5 to 15%, but clans take more, around 20 to 40%."
"So why would any ninja take a mission from the clan when they could get a better reward from the Hokage’s office?"
"It’s not that simple, Kaida. Clan missions offer more than just money. You also earn contribution points, which can be used to access clan resources that are essential for getting stronger."
"What kind of resources?" Kaida asked, curious about the power-enhancing tools Shisui mentioned.
Just as Shisui was about to explain, the receptionist returned and said, "Sir, the clan leader will see you now."
"Looks like we’ll have to continue this conversation later. For now, just wait here. I’ll call you if the clan leader wants to see you," Shisui said.
Kaida nodded, watching Shisui head upstairs while he remained in the waiting area, observing the other ninja entering and exiting the building.
...
**Knock knock.**
"Come in," came a deep voice from within when Shisui knocked on the door.
"Good afternoon, Uncle," Shisui greeted with a smile.
"How many times do I have to remind you to be formal when addressing me in official matters?" Fugaku said, massaging his temples.
"I'm sorry, Fugaku-sama. I'll remember next time," Shisui replied in an overly serious tone.
"Just give me your report and be gone, you brat."
"I’m sorry, Fugaku-sama, but I have something else to discuss after my report," Shisui said, still maintaining the exaggerated seriousness.
"Fine, but stop with that tone, or we’ll have a taijutsu spar later," Fugaku warned, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Okay, Uncle, I’ll stop. So, about the mission..." Shisui proceeded to brief Fugaku on the details.
"Hmph. I knew I shouldn’t have sent you on that mission. You’re too soft-hearted for tasks like these."
"But Uncle, why kill someone when there’s a peaceful alternative?"
"Alright, now, what’s the other thing you wanted to discuss?" Fugaku asked, shifting gears.
"Uncle, do you remember Aunt Aiko...?"