Chapter 242: Fugaku Uchiha’s Sudden Wedding

"What's Danzo up to these days?" Takuya muttered as he packed his gear. He had a strong feeling that Danzo was probably experimenting with Senju Hashirama's cells, maybe even grafting Sharingan into his own body.

After all, plenty of Uchiha shinobi had died in battle over the years, and many of their bodies were never recovered. Takuya doubted every single Sharingan had been taken by the enemy. It was more likely Danzo had taken advantage of the situation and "collected" a few for himself.

He shook his head, trying not to get too distracted. "Man, this mission couldn't have come at a worse time," Nawaki groaned from across the room. He had been planning to gather more information about Hyuga Meiko, but now he had no time to prepare.

Despite his complaints, Nawaki still obediently packed his things, preparing for their departure the next day.

After helping Nawaki get ready, Takuya headed out to grab some supplies for the mission. When he returned home, he was met with a surprise. A certain someone was already there, cleaning up his place. Smiling to himself, he snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Ahh!" Uchiha Mikoto squeaked in shock, almost dropping the duster in her hand.

She relaxed the moment she caught his familiar scent, playfully smacking his hand. "You scared me! Can't you ever behave?"

Takuya rested his head on her shoulder, inhaling deeply with a contented sigh. "Weren't you supposed to be working today? What brings you here?"

"I came to give you this," Mikoto said, pulling out an invitation and handing it to him. She sighed softly. "My mother wants you to come tonight. It's... important."

"Wait, what?" Takuya raised an eyebrow, staring at the invitation.

Someone actually invited me to something?

Takuya released Mikoto and opened the invitation, his eyes widening slightly as he read it.

"Seriously? A wedding this fast?"

Fugaku Uchiha was getting married. It was all happening so quickly, and without any prior rumors or fanfare. One day he was single, and now he was about to tie the knot.

Sitting down next to him, Mikoto rested her hand on his shoulder, smiling softly. "He's marrying the daughter of the Sixth Elder. Her name's Uchiha Shizuka. She's really beautiful, but yeah, the whole thing seems... rushed."

Takuya chuckled. Without Mikoto, there was no way Fugaku would've stayed single. Even if he didn't want to marry, the Uchiha Elders would've pressured him into it. And now, here he was, getting married to solidify his position as clan leader.

"Looks like it's a marriage for convenience," Takuya said with a shrug. "Gotta secure that clan support."

By marrying the elder's daughter, Fugaku would secure more backing within the clan, ensuring his leadership was stable. And if she really was as pretty as Mikoto said, he wouldn't be too unhappy with the arrangement either.

But Takuya couldn't help but wonder, "Is he gonna have two sons? Maybe one of them will be named Itachi, and the other... Sasuke?"

He grinned at the thought. It would be kind of poetic, considering the future he knew.

However, the name "Shizuka" brought something else to mind—Sarutobi Hiruzen's old teammate, Uchiha Kagami. The names were eerily similar.

"So, should I go?" Takuya asked, unsure. He hadn't attended the funeral of the previous Uchiha clan leader, and he wasn't exactly thrilled about getting involved in Uchiha politics now either.

Seeing his hesitation, Mikoto's voice softened. "It's okay if you don't want to go. I understand. But my mom really hopes you'll be there. If you skip this, though, I'm worried the Hokage might take notice."

Takuya sighed. He had worked so hard to avoid being drawn into the Uchiha's messes, and now this wedding was threatening to pull him back in. Attending could cause the higher-ups to start watching him again, but...

"Just going to the wedding shouldn't cause too much trouble," he reasoned. "Alright, I'll go."

Even if he wanted to avoid the Uchiha clan, there were some ties he couldn't just cut off. Especially not with Mikoto and her mother around. As much as he tried to distance himself, there was always a connection to the clan through them.

Besides, attending a wedding was different from attending a funeral. The two had completely different connotations. Attending the old clan leader's funeral would have raised eyebrows, but showing up to Fugaku's wedding? That wouldn't make anyone suspicious.

"Let's take a nap first," Takuya suggested with a mischievous grin, wrapping his arms around her again.

"..."

Unfortunately for Takuya, that plan wasn't going to work. Mikoto had things to prepare for the evening, and on top of that, she was one of the bridesmaids. Her mother had insisted she participate, and Mikoto couldn't refuse.

And to make matters worse, Kushina had just shown up too. The idea of sneaking in a nap with Mikoto was officially dead.

Around the same time, wedding invitations were being delivered to nearly everyone in Konoha's upper echelon. Even the Third Hokage and the Elders had received them. Danzo too, though Takuya seriously doubted Danzo would attend.

Hiruzen, on the other hand, had to make an appearance. Despite the underlying tension with the Uchiha, appearances had to be maintained. The Uchiha didn't exactly welcome half-hearted congratulations, but the Hokage had to at least show some goodwill to maintain peace.

At least for now, the Uchiha hadn't been pushed to the outskirts of the village. Their clan grounds were still located in one of Konoha's busier districts. That said, because of their strained relations with the village, the Uchiha compound often felt eerily quiet.

But today was different. Today, the entire Uchiha district was buzzing with life. Decorations adorned the streets, red lanterns hanging everywhere as the clan prepared for their leader's wedding.

"I still don't understand why I have to be here," Tsunade grumbled as she walked alongside Takuya. "I'm still single myself, and yet here I am, attending someone else's wedding. It's miserable."

Takuya chuckled, knowing exactly what was bothering her. "Because you're part of Konoha's leadership. You're the 'Princess of Konoha,' as named by the daimyo. If no one else wants to show up, it falls on you and the Hokage to represent the village."

Fugaku's wedding didn't absolutely require Tsunade's presence, but given her high status, she couldn't just skip it. And with the likes of Danzo and the other Elders opting out, it left her as one of the village's top representatives.

Hiruzen had done quite a bit of convincing to get Tsunade to agree to come, and now here she was, reluctantly accompanying Takuya into the Uchiha compound.

"I still can't believe the Uchiha and Hyūga both changed clan heads around the same time," Tsunade mused. "Thank god they didn't get married at the same time too, or I'd be stuck running back and forth."

Takuya chuckled. "Which would you prefer, Uchiha or Hyūga?"

Tsunade shot him a glare. "Is that even a question?"

There was no way she'd willingly choose to hang around the Hyūga. Their endless rules and strict traditions made every interaction feel like a minefield. One wrong word, and they'd claim you were disrespecting their entire clan.

The Uchiha may have had a reputation for being difficult, but the Hyūga weren't much better. The only difference was that the village wasn't targeting the Hyūga the way they were targeting the Uchiha.

Takuya found himself wondering how the Hyūga even managed to compete with the Uchiha. The Uchiha clan had nearly twice as many jōnin, more ninja overall, and far more wealth. In nearly every aspect, the Uchiha outclassed the Hyūga.