Akira originally had no intention of interfering.
The Uchiha clan already had more than enough problems of its own.
There was no need to become entangled with the Hyūga.
However, another possibility occurred to him.
“If the Uchiha could form an alliance with the Hyūga and gain their support, we wouldn’t be so passive when confronting Konoha’s leadership, would we?”
With that thought, Akira walked over.
He grabbed one of the bullies by the back of his collar and lifted him into the air.
“Who’s that?”
“Help!”
The bully immediately panicked.
Akira casually tossed him aside.
“You’re all just a bunch of little brats.
Of all the things you could learn at your age, you chose to bully a girl.”
“Get lost!”
The bullies initially wanted to fight back, but they lost their courage after seeing how much taller Akira was.
“We’ll be back!”
Akira extended a hand toward the girl.
“Get up.”
“Th-thank you, Big Brother.”
Akira withdrew his hand.
“They probably won’t return anytime soon.
Hurry home.”
“You’re too young to wander around alone without anyone accompanying you.”
“It’s dangerous outside.”
With that, Akira walked away.
He couldn’t make his intentions too obvious.
If he personally escorted Hinata back to the Hyūga compound, they might suspect that the Uchiha had deliberately arranged the incident to make the Hyūga owe them a favor.
Even without escorting her home, the Hyūga clan would undoubtedly learn what had happened.
What mattered now was how they chose to respond.
Akira continued toward the Uchiha compound.
Suddenly, he stopped.
“How long are you planning to follow me, blondie?”
Akira turned toward a nearby corner.
A small figure emerged from behind the wall.
The boy was around the same age as Hinata and Sasuke.
His clothes were dirty and tattered, as though they hadn’t been washed in days.
His bright blond hair was impossible to miss.
A name immediately appeared in Akira’s mind.
Uzumaki Naruto.
Akira disliked everyone among Konoha’s leadership.
However, he didn’t dislike Naruto—the village’s future leader—nearly as much.
Naruto was also someone worthy of sympathy.
Both his parents had sacrificed themselves for Konoha, yet he hadn’t received the care he deserved during his childhood.
Konohamaru had a special jōnin like Ebisu assigned exclusively to teach and care for him.
Couldn’t Konoha have assigned Naruto a special jōnin as well?
Even a chūnin would have been enough.
If that wasn’t possible, then a genin would have sufficed.
Even an ordinary civilian caretaker would have been better than nothing.
Yet Naruto had been given no one.
“Can you teach me?”
Naruto stared intensely at Akira.
“I want to become as strong as you.”
“Not interested.”
Akira rejected him.
“If you have nothing else to say, then leave.
I’m almost home.”
For the time being, Akira didn’t want any contact with Naruto.
Naruto was a jinchūriki, so Konoha’s surveillance of him never ceased.
Furthermore, Sarutobi Hiruzen frequently used the Telescope Technique to observe Naruto from afar.
The moment Akira established contact with Naruto, Konoha’s leadership would undoubtedly take action.
It would give them yet another excuse to target the Uchiha clan.
Itachi had barely returned home over the past three months.
He had visited only once, and even then, he had stayed for an extremely short time.
He had merely greeted his family before immediately leaving again.
It seemed he was occupied with something extremely important.
Fugaku had also become increasingly busy.
The division between the Uchiha clan and Konoha seemed to be growing deeper.
Many people had sensed the change.
Konoha’s leadership continuously employed various methods to weaken the Uchiha clan.
Every baseless accusation was placed upon the Uchiha.
Naturally, the clan was extremely dissatisfied.
The village had clearly been founded by the Senju and Uchiha clans.
Now, however, the Senju had almost completely disappeared.
Meanwhile, the Uchiha were ostracized and pushed to the margins.
The shinobi village founded by those two clans was gradually falling under the control of others.
This wasn’t how the Uchiha clan deserved to be treated.
The deeper the division became, the stronger the attitudes and intentions on both sides grew.
This was precisely what had kept Fugaku so busy.
He found it difficult to choose a path because even he didn’t know how to resolve the predicament facing the Uchiha clan.
Until today.
When Akira returned home and opened the door, he discovered two additional guests inside.
One was a stern-looking middle-aged man.
The other was a young girl.
Both possessed the Byakugan.
“Big Brother.”
Akira recognized Hinata, so he naturally understood the middle-aged man’s identity as well.
Hyūga Hiashi.
“Akira, come here.
This is your Uncle Hiashi.”
“And this is Hinata.”
Fugaku beckoned him over.
Akira nodded.
“Hello, Uncle Hiashi.
Hello, Hinata.”
Sasuke curiously examined the two guests from the side.
Hiashi looked at Akira.
“So you’re Akira.
Thank you for helping Hinata when she encountered trouble the other day.”
“I brought you a small gift as thanks.
I hope you’ll like it.”
“You’re too kind, Uncle Hiashi.
It was only a small matter.”
Fugaku said, “Akira, take Sasuke and Hinata to play in the backyard for a while.”
“All right.”