Night.
Inside the Uchiha Compound.
The lights were on in Fugaku’s living room.
A family of four was seated around the table eating dinner.
There wasn’t much food: a few small side dishes, a bowl of soup, and a pot of rice.
Mikoto quietly served rice to everyone.
Sasuke sat next to his older brother, holding his bowl and eating mouthful by mouthful.
Itachi placed some food into Sasuke’s bowl with his chopsticks without saying a word.
Fugaku sat at the head of the table, chopsticks in hand, but hadn’t moved them for a long time.
The atmosphere was not very good.
It was hard to say what was wrong, but it just felt stifling.
Mikoto looked at her husband, then at her eldest son, but said nothing.
Sasuke was still young and didn’t really understand these things, so he just focused on eating, occasionally looking up at everyone.
Itachi kept his head down, picked up some food a few times, but didn’t eat much.
His mind was filled with what happened that afternoon.
Naruto’s face kept appearing in his mind.
And the way Sasuke finally nodded and agreed to be friends.
The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Uchiha…
If the two really got close, what would the people in the Village think?
What would Danzo think?
Itachi’s hand paused for a moment before he continued eating.
Fugaku’s mood was even worse than his son’s.
Before dinner today, members of the Konoha Military Police Force had suddenly run over to tell him that the Third Hokage had come to the vicinity of the Uchiha Compound with two Anbu members with much fanfare.
His heart tightened at the time, thinking something major had happened, and he hurriedly prepared to go and greet him.
As a result, halfway there, the Konoha Military Police Force members reported that the Third Hokage had already left.
He had made a wasted trip.
After returning and sending people to investigate, the final result left him even more confused.
In short, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had come to the vicinity of the Uchiha Compound for some unknown reason.
Later, he encountered two Uchiha clansmen, and the Third Hokage had hurriedly rushed over with his direct Anbu subordinates; the group didn’t spend much time together before leaving.
Fugaku didn’t know the specific situation.
These were all things the Konoha Military Police Force members had observed from a distance, and Fugaku was very familiar with those two clansmen.
They were his sons, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke.
Upon returning home, Fugaku had expected Itachi to take the initiative to report this matter.
After all, Itachi was there at the time and must have known exactly what happened.
But Itachi’s behavior was the same as usual; he didn’t say anything.
This made Fugaku feel very depressed.
And what was the result?
Not only did Itachi not pass on intelligence, but he often didn’t attend clan meetings for various reasons.
There was a vague trend of him leaning towards the Third Hokage.
Now, regarding a major matter involving the Village, the Nine-Tailed, and his own clansmen, was he even unwilling to mention it?
The more Fugaku thought about it, the more unpleasant he felt.
He picked up a piece of his favorite dish, chewed it a couple of times, but it tasted like nothing.
He put down his chopsticks again, looked at Sasuke, and asked, “Sasuke, did you make any new friends today?”
Itachi’s body stiffened slightly.
His chopsticks paused in mid-air before slowly being put down.
Sasuke looked up, a hint of excitement in his eyes: “Yeah, I met someone named Naruto today.”
He paused, tilted his head, and thought for a moment: “Even though we had never met before, I had a feeling of ‘déjà vu’ with him, and I promised to go play in the Village with him in the next couple of days.”
Fugaku looked at his younger son’s face and smiled: “Is that so?
Then are you willing to be friends with him?”
Sasuke lowered his head and thought for a while.
Then he looked up and nodded gently: “Yes!”
Although he also really wanted to stay with his older brother, Itachi often went out on missions after all.
So Sasuke inevitably felt lonely, and with a new friend appearing, there was naturally no reason to refuse.
Fugaku asked again: “Did you see anyone else today?”
Sasuke answered honestly: “I also saw an old grandpa, and I heard my brother say he seems to be the Third Hokage.”
He thought for a moment and added: “He said I can only play with Naruto in the center of the Village and cannot go near the Uchiha Compound, because he is worried about danger when the Konoha Military Police Force members make arrests.”
“I see…” Fugaku nodded thoughtfully.
After thinking for a while, Fugaku said directly: “It’s fine to bring him home to play.”
“Why?
The Third Hokage said I can’t go near our Uchiha Compound,” Sasuke asked naively.
Fugaku smiled: “I am the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, and your brother is an Anbu Ninja.
Do we still need to worry about safety?”
“I see, I understand!” Sasuke’s eyes lit up when he heard this.
Itachi sat to the side, never saying a word.
After dinner.
Mikoto cleared the dishes, and Sasuke helped carry the plates.
Itachi stood up, glanced at his father, and walked towards the hallway.
Fugaku stood in place, and after a while, followed him.
At the end of the hallway, moonlight shone in from the window.
Itachi stood there, with his back to his father.
Fugaku walked behind him and stopped.
The two were silent for a while.
Itachi turned around, looked at Fugaku, his voice very calm, but with a hint of questioning: “Why…
He paused, his tone deepening: “If the two get close, will it be thought that our Uchiha Clan wants to use the Nine-Tailed against the Village?”
Fugaku looked into his son’s eyes and was silent for a few seconds.
Then he took a deep breath and said slowly: “Who Sasuke makes friends with is his own business.”
“It has nothing to do with the Village or the clan.”
Itachi opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back.
He looked at his father’s face; there was exhaustion, helplessness, and something he couldn’t understand on that face.
Itachi lowered his head and said nothing more.
Fugaku also said nothing more.
The two stood in the hallway, neither of them moving.
Meanwhile.
Nara Compound.
Dinner at Shikamaru’s house had just finished as well.
There were several empty bowls on the table.
Shikamaru sat in front of the table, hands clasped behind his head, showing a lazy expression.
Shikaku sat opposite him, picked up his teacup for a sip, and silently looked at the scroll in his hand.
“Father, do you know that child in the Village who is often hated by everyone?” Shikamaru suddenly asked.
Shikaku put down his teacup and thought about it.
Could it be Naruto?
“The child hated by the Village…” He frowned slightly, “I have a bit of an impression.
What about him?”
Shikamaru lowered his head, his tone as lazy as usual but with a bit more seriousness: “He seems to have done nothing, yet he is hated by everyone.
It’s pitiful, isn’t it?
He doesn’t even have any friends…”
Shikaku looked at his son and didn’t rush to speak.
Shikamaru paused and then said: “That guy seems to be called Uzumaki Naruto.”
Shikaku nodded, his face expressionless: “Then what do you think?
Are you willing to be friends with him?”
Shikamaru nodded gently: “Yeah, I don’t hate him, and I can try to be friends with him.”
Shikaku looked at his son for a few seconds and then nodded: “Then go ahead.”
After he finished speaking, he lowered his head and silently looked at the scroll in his hand.
Shikamaru was stunned for a moment, not expecting his father to agree so readily.
He glanced at Shikaku and didn’t ask further.
Shikaku didn’t explain either.
As the captain of the Jonin, he naturally knew about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
He also knew what those rumors in the Village were about.
He did not reject his child making friends with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki; after all, that was also Minato’s child.
There was no malice at all.