Akira brought Sasuke and Hinata to the backyard.
Hinata curiously examined her surroundings.
Sasuke, however, seemed somewhat unhappy with her.
He felt as though someone had come to steal his older brother from him.
His eyes shifted as he searched for a subject Hinata couldn’t participate in.
“Big Brother, Itachi seems to be getting busier and busier.
Once you become a proper shinobi, will you be that busy too?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I won’t be like him and constantly involve myself in unnecessary matters.”
“What unnecessary matters?”
Akira smiled and rubbed Sasuke’s head.
“Who knows?
But that’s simply Itachi’s personality, isn’t it?”
“If you don’t hold a particular position, you shouldn’t concern yourself with its responsibilities.”
“People only need to properly handle the things they’re responsible for.”
“There’s no reason to interfere in matters that have nothing to do with them.”
Akira strongly disliked this aspect of Itachi.
Even when Itachi had been nothing more than a genin, he was already contemplating life, death, the village, and the so-called greater good.
Konoha’s leadership hadn’t even needed to manipulate him.
Itachi had already brainwashed himself.
Which was more important—the village or the clan?
Which had existed first?
Wasn’t the answer obvious?
Had the Uchiha and Senju clans not existed before Konoha was founded?
Sasuke nodded with only a vague understanding.
“I understand.
You mean we only need to eat and don’t need to wash the dishes afterward, right?”
“That’s right.
How clever.”
Before long, Fugaku and Hiashi entered the backyard.
“Hinata, it’s time to go home.”
“Yes, Father.”
Hinata hurried over to Hiashi.
“Goodbye, Uncle Fugaku.
Goodbye, Big Brother.”
She waved at Fugaku and Akira.
“Goodbye.”
After watching Hiashi and Hinata leave, Fugaku turned toward Akira.
“Akira, come to the study with me.”
“All right.”
Sasuke wanted to follow them, but Mikoto stopped him.
He pouted unhappily.
“It’s always like this.”
“When Itachi goes to the study with Father, I’m not allowed to follow.”
“Now Big Brother is going to the study with Father, and I still can’t follow.”
“What secrets are they hiding in there?”
“Are they secretly eating something delicious?”
Mikoto laughed.
“Perhaps.
You’ll understand after you grow up, Sasuke.
Even I don’t know what they do inside.”
Fugaku closed the study door behind them.
“Akira, tell me exactly what happened when you encountered Hinata.”
Akira concealed nothing.
“I encountered her while returning home.
Several children had surrounded her in a corner, so I intervened.”
“Was anyone else present?”
“No… Wait, that’s not right.
There was also a little blond kid.”
“A blond kid?”
“That’s right,” Akira said.
“He was around Sasuke’s age.
His clothes were dirty and tattered, and he had blond hair.
He looked like an orphan who had lost his parents.”
Someone immediately came to Fugaku’s mind.
“You didn’t have any conflict with him, did you?”
“No.”
“That’s good.”
Fugaku smiled before changing the subject.
“Akira, you’ve been attending the Ninja Academy for three or four months now.
How does it feel?”
“Boring.”
Akira shrugged.
“The instructors aren’t even as strong as I am.
I don’t believe there’s anything I can learn from them.”
“Father, I think I’m ready to learn the ninjutsu you mentioned before.”
“Have you completely mastered everything I previously taught you?”
The moment Fugaku asked the question, he realized it had been unnecessary.
This son of his was far more talented than he had ever been.
Akira could master those techniques after seeing them only once.
Furthermore, he could perform them without hand seals.
All he needed to do was bring his hands together, and the ninjutsu would be unleashed.
If that couldn’t be considered complete mastery, what could?
“I’m sorry.
I’ve been far too busy lately.”
Fugaku looked at Akira.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted.
Two tomoe were slowly revolving within each of Akira’s eyes.
“Two tomoe?”
Fugaku was stunned.
Awakening the Sharingan at six years old was already an exceptional achievement throughout the Uchiha clan’s entire history.
Yet only three or four months had passed, and Akira had already advanced to the two-tomoe Sharingan.
It was terrifying.
Fugaku already knew that his son’s talent might even surpass Itachi’s.
Even so, this rate of improvement was far too fast.
“Father, is this enough?”
“It is.
It’s more than enough.”
Fugaku was overjoyed, but he also felt a faint trace of jealousy.
Even he couldn’t help envying the talent Akira displayed.
“Then can you teach me tomorrow?
The Academy happens to be closed.”
“That’s fine.”
That night, Fugaku returned to his bedroom.
“Mikoto, Akira’s talent has once again exceeded my imagination.”
“What happened?”
“Akira has already awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan.”
“Two tomoe?”
Mikoto involuntarily raised her voice.
“It has only been a few months.”
“That’s right.”
Fugaku sighed.
“At this rate, Akira might truly become capable of rivaling the First Hokage of old.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time.”
“If only Akira had been born when Itachi was.”