Itachi Uchiha's single sentence instantly plunged the dinner table into an awkward silence. It wasn't until a bewildered Sasuke Uchiha reached out with his chopsticks for a piece of tempura that the stillness was broken.
Sasuke suddenly realized something was off, and his small hand froze. He looked left, then right, noticing that his father, his mother, and even his beloved older brother were all completely still in their chairs. Sasuke also observed that his brother was looking at his father, and both his father and mother were looking at his brother.
"What's wrong with you guys?" Sasuke swallowed, unable to resist breaking the silence.
But his father ignored him, speaking directly to Itachi. "Itachi, I told you this afternoon, at such a critical moment, I absolutely won't allow you to harm our own clan members without a proper reason."
"Furthermore..."
Fugaku said gravely, "You and Akainu are both prodigies who can shoulder the Uchiha clan's future. If you two clash, how will others view our clan? We're already heavily ostracized; if they discover severe internal discord, the Uchiha's situation will become even more precarious."
"Itachi, even though you're only twelve, you should understand what I'm saying. You're a mature child for your age."
Itachi shook his head. "Father, I won't clash with him," he stated expressionlessly. "I just want to talk with Uchiha Akainu."
A moment later, Itachi added, "I promise."
The next day, before dawn, Itachi Uchiha stood before a modest two-story house. There were faint dark circles under his eyes, a clear sign he hadn't slept well. He looked up, his gaze falling on the doorbell.
"Ring it."
A slightly deep voice sounded from behind Itachi: "Didn't you say you just wanted to talk with Akainu?"
It was Fugaku!
Fugaku believed that since Itachi had given him his word, he absolutely wouldn't use force against Uchiha Akainu. He prided himself on understanding his eldest son, whom he was so proud of.
However...
He also prided himself on understanding Uchiha Akainu quite well, and Fugaku wasn't entirely sure if Akainu would attack Itachi. After all, Akainu had made a move once several years ago. Although Akainu seemed to have "calmed down" since then, even occasionally crossing paths with Itachi only resulted in a brief exchange of glances, Fugaku still didn't want to risk it.
So he followed.
But just then, both Itachi and Fugaku simultaneously shifted their gaze upwards. They both saw an orange ninja cat perched on the second-floor balcony railing, its eyes watching them.
Such a fat cat.
That was both father and son's first impression.
"It's Akainu's ninja cat," Fugaku told Itachi. "A very formidable ninja cat. It's been with Akainu since the Third Great Ninja War, accompanying him on the battlefield. It's said that even elite jonin find it hard to catch this ninja cat."
"I recognize it," Itachi said indifferently. "The day Uchiha Akainu and I had our physical confrontation, this ninja cat left three deep claw marks on my ankle. The scars are still there."
Fugaku fell silent. It seemed that even the ninja cats around Uchiha Akainu were no ordinary creatures!
"Lord Fugaku."
Kikujirō (the cat) still gave Fugaku some respect. But it showed no such courtesy to Itachi, not even greeting him. Kikujirō licked a paw, then added, "Lord Akainu is already in the living room downstairs, and the tea's ready, meow. No need to ring the bell; the door's open, just push it and come in."
Fugaku was startled. He quickly realized that his eldest son had been standing at the door for over three minutes without ringing the bell. It was clear that Uchiha Akainu had detected them the moment they arrived.
Itachi stepped forward and pushed the door open. This was his first time entering this place, and it was the first time in several years that he stood face-to-face with Uchiha Akainu—this young man, several years his senior, was Shisui's peer, perhaps even a little older than Shisui. His reputation within the Uchiha clan had once rivaled Shisui's.
Fugaku followed him in. Fugaku found himself the most nervous of the three. He feared that the two young men before him might resort to violence. He was ready to intervene. Even if it meant revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan, he couldn't stand by and watch two Uchiha prodigies destroy each other in an internal conflict.
Itachi Uchiha didn't sit down. He walked over to a sofa, looking at Uchiha Akainu, who sat there dressed in casual home clothes.
"I thought the first thing that would greet me upon entering would be a surge of molten lava. I was prepared for a death match."
Itachi glanced again at the steaming cups of strong tea on the coffee table. The tension in his mind eased slightly. What he said wasn't just polite talk; it was his genuine thought. Facing a man who was once as renowned as Shisui, Itachi wasn't careless in the slightest. Even with his legendary eyes, he wasn't overconfident—because he wasn't sure if the man before him, whose "capacity" was equally astonishing... also possessed such eyes, like himself and Shisui.
Itachi unfastened his ninja blade from his waist, placed it aside, and spoke without inflection. "There's something about that incident years ago that has always puzzled me. As far as I can recall, I never offended you."
"So, why did you want to kill me?"
Meanwhile, not far from the house, Izumi Uchiha, who had learned her lesson from being late before, had woken up before dawn and rushed to Senior Akainu's residence.
"Ah, finally here..."
But just then, she suddenly noticed that the door to Senior Akainu's residence was open! The young girl was momentarily stunned. The absurd thought that "Senior's house was robbed" flashed through her mind, and she quickly dismissed it. Izumi figured there wouldn't be anyone foolish enough in Konoha to try and steal from Senior Akainu's house, right?
With a hint of curiosity, Izumi patted her sleepy, listless face. She quickened her pace and walked over.
"Senior! Uchiha Izumi, Military Police cadet, reporting for duty!" The young girl raised a hand and shouted energetically from the doorway, drawing all three gazes from inside.
"Eh?"
"Eh!"
Izumi hadn't expected to find Clan Head Fugaku and Itachi-kun at Senior Akainu's house!
Gulp!
Was she here at a bad time?