One day, at the Uchiha Clan’s private training ground, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
“Thud, thud, thud!” Several Kunai accurately struck the center of the dart targets, the sound of metal colliding with wood echoing clearly in the quiet training ground.
However, the youth throwing the Kunai—Uchiha Itachi—had no trace of a smile on his face, only a calmness mismatched with his age, as if this precise throwing was just a trivial, everyday matter.
“Not bad, Itachi.
You’re getting stronger,” a gentle voice suddenly rang out, filled with praise.
“You’re only eleven; at this rate, the day you surpass me is just around the corner.” Itachi looked up toward the source of the voice and saw a black figure standing on a large tree branch not far away.
His short, ink-black hair swayed gently in the wind; it was his good friend, Uchiha Shisui.
“Shisui, this little skill of mine is still far behind yours.” Itachi’s voice softened slightly, carrying a hint of relaxation.
In front of his friend Shisui, he didn’t need to put up a front and could lower all his defenses; this was a rare moment where he could feel at ease.
“Whoosh—!” In the blink of an eye, Shisui flickered to Itachi’s side, reached out to pat his shoulder, and smiled as warmly as ever.
“Don’t be so humble.
By the way, regarding the clan’s attitude…
has it still not softened?” As soon as the clan was mentioned, Itachi’s expression darkened instantly, and his tone turned a few degrees colder.
“It’s the same as always.
Those guys are constantly trying to force Father to make a decision, but Father has been wavering.
Lately, the voices of the Radicals have been getting louder and louder.” Shisui’s smile faded.
He understood better than Itachi how sharp the conflict between the clan and the Village was, but he loved both the Uchiha and cherished Konoha.
He truly did not want to see the two sides reach the point of open conflict.
No matter how strong a shinobi clan was, it could not withstand the power of a whole Village.
While out on a mission a while ago, he had heard that a shinobi clan in the Hidden Mist Village had staged an uprising involving the entire clan, young and old.
And the result?
The Hidden Mist Village suffered significant losses, but that clan was completely wiped out.
Was that clan called the Kaguya Clan?
Their fame was quite considerable; not as great compared to the Uchiha Clan but still quite good , those people were more like a bunch of battle maniacs, yet the outcome was still annihilation.
Itachi’s gaze fell on the distant target, his tone somewhat low.
“Shisui, do you think…
that relying on just the two of us, we can really resolve the conflict between the Village and the clan peacefully?” He was uncertain.
On one side was his family bound by blood, and on the other was the Village where he grew up; he didn’t know how he should balance the two.
Seeing Itachi’s low spirits, Shisui reached out and placed his hands on Itachi’s shoulders.
“Itachi, don’t worry, we will definitely succeed!
If it really comes down to it…
I will use my Mangekyo on the Clan Leader…” He paused, his voice carrying an unquestionable determination.
“As long as I am alive, I will never let the clan stand completely in opposition to the Village.” Looking at the firm gaze in Shisui’s eyes, the unease in Itachi’s heart dissipated somewhat.
He believed in Shisui’s abilities and his determination.
He just didn’t know why, but hearing what Shisui said afterward, a surge of panic inexplicably rose in his heart, as if something bad was about to happen, though he couldn’t name the specific reason.
“By the way, I heard that a while ago, a child from the Uzumaki Clan was brought to the Village?” Shisui suddenly changed the subject, his eyes filled with curiosity.
“I heard you and Senior Kakashi brought him back together?” At the mention of Sora, a faint smile unconsciously curled on Itachi’s lips, and his tone softened considerably.
“Yes, that child’s name is Uzumaki Sora.
He’s very cute and very sensible.
If there’s a chance, I’ll introduce you to him; you’ll definitely like him too.” Shisui looked at Itachi’s expression, and his curiosity grew even stronger.
He had only seen Itachi show such a gentle expression when talking about his younger brother, Sasuke.
He hadn’t expected Itachi to be the same when mentioning this child named Uzumaki Sora.
“Alright, I happen to be free tomorrow.
Why don’t we go find him then?” Shisui said with a smile, then as if suddenly remembering something, he snapped his head up and pressed his hands onto Itachi’s shoulders again, his tone urgent this time.
“Wait, Itachi, is your brother Sasuke very close to that child?” Itachi was stunned for a moment and nodded.
“Yes, I told Sasuke to go play with Little Sora when he’s free.
The two children are of similar age and can keep each other company.
Why?” “Why?” Shisui’s voice became even more urgent.
“Isn’t there a Jinchuriki following that Uzumaki Sora?
That child named Uzumaki Naruto!” That’s a Jinchuriki!
Even if they didn’t have any ulterior motives, Sasuke’s last name is still Uchiha.
If this were brought up by someone with ill intentions, or if those with extreme personalities in the clan found out…” Wait!
He had been out of the Village for a while and found out as soon as he returned, let alone those clansmen staying in the Village.
Thinking of this, Shisui felt his scalp go numb.
Itachi shook his head and moved Shisui’s hands away.
“I consulted the Lord third before.
The hokage didn’t object to Sasuke getting close to Little Sora; in fact, he was very supportive.” Shisui breathed a small sigh of relief upon hearing this.
At least the Third Hokage had agreed, so there was no need to worry about being suspected by the higher-ups.
But those people in the clan, especially the Hawks, wouldn’t possibly remain silent about this.
“Itachi, come back to the clan with me to take a look.
We must check on the situation.
If things have changed, I need to use my Dojutsu to stabilize the situation immediately.” At the thought of some clansmen discovering that Sasuke had approached Sora and the Jinchuriki, he truly couldn’t feel at ease or sit around waiting.
Itachi nodded.
Seeing Shisui so anxious, he also began to feel nervous.
Had he done something wrong?
He only wanted Little Sora to have company, and the only one he could think of to help was Sasuke.
That child was usually very lonely on his own too.
Seeing Itachi looking a bit down, Shisui briefly explained the possible consequences of this matter and the various possibilities that could arise.
The worst-case scenario was that those Hawks would suddenly become overconfident, mistakenly believing that the Clan Leader’s son was taking action, and that the Clan Leader, while not saying it, had actually sided with them and already started moving, ready to strike at any time.
The more he listened, the more Itachi felt a lingering fear.
He hadn’t expected his sudden idea to cause such serious consequences.
If such a thing really happened, Sasuke and Little Sora’s situation would be terrible.
“Shisui, I’m sorry.” Itachi’s voice was low, filled with self-reproach.
“I just wanted them to have a companion; I didn’t expect it to involve so much.” Shisui patted his shoulder, his tone softening a bit.
“It’s not your fault; you’re just too kind.
We’ll go back now and talk to the Clan Leader.
We can definitely stop those guys.” In his heart, he had already quietly made a decision.
An ability that defied common sense like Kotoamatsukami was perhaps born for this very moment.