I am Uchiha Sasuke Uncle

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In the barren forest of falling leaves, Sasuke and Neji dashed through the trees, dry leaves swirling around them as the wind carried them to the ground. 

"It's noon," Sasuke said, suddenly landing and halting his steps. He turned back. "Let's take a break." 

Neji silently nodded, leaping down from the tree branch. 

"Gather some leaves for a fire," Sasuke said, leaning against a tree trunk and watching Neji. 

"Alright." 

Neji smirked faintly, gray patterns appearing on his face as he steadied his stance and spread his arms. 

"Sage Art: Gentle Fist." 

He moved deliberately, executing a slow series of Gentle Fist techniques. As he did so, the sage chakra stirred the air, creating currents of wind that spiraled around him, expanding gradually. 

The dry leaves on the ground were swept into the air by the winds, circling around Neji. Over time, the leaves accumulated and began to form a compact sphere. 

Finally, Neji controlled the sphere of leaves with his hands and tossed it in front of Sasuke. 

"Not bad," Sasuke remarked as Neji withdrew the Sage Mode markings. "You've improved." 

Hmph." Neji lowered his hands. "Hurry up and light the fire!" 

"Got it." 

Sasuke flicked his fingers, igniting a spark of fire chakra that he tossed onto the pile of leaves. 

Smoke rose as the flames spread, gradually consuming the dry leaves. 

Neji crouched beside the fire, warming his hands. 

"This kind of setting," Sasuke said, his expression nostalgic, "is perfect for roasting sweet potatoes." 

Neji looked up, puzzled. 

"Tch, of course you wouldn't get it. The Hyuga clan is so uptight, they'd never do something like this," Sasuke teased. 

He crouched down, pulling two red sweet potatoes from his ninja pouch and burying them in the burning leaves. The orange glow of the fire lit up his face, and a rare warm smile appeared. 

"When I was little, I did this with the other kids in the clan." 

He stared at the flickering flames, his expression turning complicated. 

"Too bad I can't even remember their faces anymore." 

"Hey!" Neji interrupted the sudden melancholy, rolling his eyes. "The real question is, why are you carrying raw sweet potatoes around?" 

"Oh, these?" Sasuke poked at the fire with a stick, adjusting the sweet potatoes. "They were a gift from some little yokai I met when I left Mount Oe." 

"Yokai, huh," Neji mused, his interest piqued despite himself. "I can't believe creatures straight out of childhood fairy tales actually exist." 

"Neither could I until I saw them myself," Sasuke admitted with a chuckle, recalling something amusing. "Honestly, most aren't much different from summon beasts. It's just that the stronger ones can take on human form." 

"I'd love to see them someday," Neji said, smiling. 

"Speaking of summon beasts…" Neji suddenly remembered something. "I need to check for messages from the clan." 

He turned and bit his thumb, forming hand seals before slapping his palm into the air. Black runes spread outward from his hand. 

"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!" 

Poof! 

A puff of smoke revealed a tiny bird, no bigger than a finger, with a needle-like beak and fluttering wings that blurred into a haze. It hovered before Neji. 

"So this is a hummingbird?" Sasuke leaned in, activating his Sharingan to observe the tiny creature. "I can't tell if it's a wild animal or a summon." 

Neji activated his Byakugan, flipping his wrist to present an open palm. The bird alighted delicately on his hand, chirping melodiously as it deposited a small scrap of paper before disappearing with another poof. 

Neji focused on the tiny writing on the paper. 

Sasuke peeked over his shoulder but quickly averted his gaze. 

"Those characters are ridiculously small. Without the Byakugan, they'd be impossible to read." 

"Hahaha!" 

Neji suddenly burst into laughter, crumpling the paper into dust. 

"Hey! What's the good news?" Sasuke asked, curious. 

"We won!" Neji said, his face lighting up with joy. "The branch family has won! Last night, they took control of the clan head, the elders, and their forces." 

"That quickly?" Sasuke crouched back down to tend to the sweet potatoes. 

"With careful planning, of course it was quick." Neji composed himself and crouched beside him. 

"Should I say congratulations?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. 

Neji shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I can't go back anyway." 

"True," Sasuke agreed, understanding his meaning. "Your defection also ties into Konoha's situation… These should be done!" 

Sasuke poked the sweet potatoes out of the fire, picked one up, and tossed it to Neji. 

"Hot, hot, hot!" 

Both of them juggled the scorching sweet potatoes between their hands. 

"You actually eat this?" Neji eyed the dusty, charred exterior with disdain. 

"Tch, watch and learn." 

Sasuke held the potato by the base and peeled back the blackened skin, revealing the golden-yellow flesh beneath. A sweet, warm aroma wafted up. 

He took a bite and exhaled hot air. "Delicious." 

"You've gotten livelier lately," Neji said, shooting him a deadpan look. 

"What's wrong with that?" Sasuke asked between bites. 

"Tch." Neji began peeling his own potato. "Don't tell me you've forgotten how insufferable you used to be." 

"Ha!" Sasuke rolled his eyes theatrically, which made Neji's Byakugan activate involuntarily. "Speaking of insufferable, you weren't much better back then!" 

"I haven't changed as much as you," Neji said, biting into his potato. "You're like a completely different person." 

"Maybe." Sasuke shrugged. He knew the truth—ever since resolving his conflict with Itachi, the burdens weighing on him had lifted, leaving him feeling lighter. 

"By the way," Neji said, steering the conversation elsewhere, "you'll never guess who's in charge of the Hyuga clan now." 

"Judging by your shock... Hinata?" Sasuke guessed. 

"No, if it were Lady Hinata, I'd probably be even more surprised," Neji replied, shaking his head. 

"Then I've got no idea," Sasuke said, tossing aside the last bit of potato skin. "I don't know many people from your clan." 

"It's Lady Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi Hyuga," Neji said, his expression complicated. 

"Her sister? Never heard of her," Sasuke said, looking up. "So what?" 

"You know how old Hanabi is?" Neji asked, still visibly conflicted. 

"How would I know?" Sasuke shot him an exasperated look. 

"She's eleven," Neji said with difficulty. "Five years younger than Lady Hinata." 

"Eleven?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Well, looks like your Hyuga clan is doomed!"