PA!
"How… how is this possible?!"
Little Itachi's eyes flew wide.
His tiny face was full of disbelief.
A full-strength slash from an elite jōnin—
Yet Evan had caught it with nothing but a single hand.
Σ(っД;)っ
His father had always told him Evan was strong…
But this was absurd.
Even Father never dared catch Uncle Kenta's blade bare-handed!
Did Uncle Kenta pull his strength?
Meanwhile, Uchiha Kenta's mind was collapsing.
"Wha—?"
His blade…
It felt like it had slipped out of his control and into Evan's palm—
But even so!
How could flesh and blood withstand a blade?!
Have I been visiting the pleasure houses too much?
Am I… that weakened?
Starting today, I quit drinking!
Evan pinched the cold edge of the blade between his fingers, expression amused.
He knew exactly how to provoke hatred.
Putting on a shy, innocent look, he said,
"Maybe we should stop? There's a child watching."
"You—! Bastard!"
Kenta flushed with rage.
"Again!"
o(▼皿▼メ;)o
He swung horizontally—
But Evan simply reached out.
PA!
Caught again.
Kenta gritted his teeth and stabbed straight forward.
PA!
Caught again.
Seven, eight more strikes—
Every one stopped by Evan's casually outstretched hand.
"How… is this even happening?!"
Kenta's face twitched uncontrollably.
Then he suddenly remembered—
He turned sharply, looking toward Itachi—
Only to see the boy utterly stunned.
No.
He couldn't lose face in front of the future clan head!
Scarlet Sharingan spun wildly in his eyes.
In an instant—
The three tomoe locked onto Evan's gaze.
Evan stilled.
His head drooped slightly, eyes blank.
Kenta exhaled in relief.
Finally—
Finally he'd gotten him!
"Hmph."
"So that's all he is."
He turned to the boy, smug.
"Itachi, see? Against a Sharingan wielder, he's helpless."
Little Itachi clenched his fists.
"Genjutsu… Sharingan is so powerful!"
Even the strongest taijutsu meant nothing before Sharingan illusions.
For the first time, a spark of desire to awaken the Sharingan rose in his heart.
Kenta basked in Itachi's reaction.
The clan head wanted Evan to teach the boy?
Absolutely not!
The Uchiha heir must not have an outsider as instructor.
Unacceptable!
In Kenta's Sharingan vision, Evan was completely trapped in genjutsu.
Perfect.
He approached, intending to place his blade against Evan's throat—
Then dispel the illusion—
So he could thoroughly humiliate him in front of Itachi.
But—
Just as he raised his arm—
Evan suddenly turned his head.
Grinning.
"Hi hi hi~ Just kidding."
"???"
Kenta froze.
Before he could react, two boulder-sized fists flew.
BANG BANG BANG—
A flurry of punches later, Kenta collapsed in a heap, unconscious.
"…"
Itachi's brain shut down.
A moment ago he had been fantasizing about the greatness of the Sharingan—
Now he stood, stunned, face blank.
Evan strolled toward him, calm, unhurried.
"My good boy," Evan smirked. "Surprised? Didn't expect that, did you?"
Itachi stared at him like he was looking at a demon.
"Y-You… you were supposed to be in genjutsu!"
Σ(っД;)っ
Evan clicked his tongue, too lazy to explain.
With Perfect Blade Catch + Kyōka Suigetsu,
Playing with a three-tomoe Uchiha was child's play.
Ignoring Itachi's traumatized stare, Evan turned toward the shadows beside them.
He clapped his hands lightly.
"Alright, you can come out now."
Whoosh—
A figure dropped before him.
Another Uchiha.
"Lord Evan."
The man bowed respectfully, not a hint of arrogance.
"Oh? You?"
Evan recognized him immediately.
Uchiha Jinichi — Fugaku's most trusted subordinate.
A man who shadowed Fugaku constantly, always ready to take a blade for him.
"Lord Evan, the clan head requests your presence," Jinichi said.
Fugaku wants to see him?
Evan thought briefly—
Then nodded.
Jinichi hoisted the unconscious Kenta over his shoulder and led the way.
Itachi followed reluctantly, expression dark.
No one liked having their head rubbed endlessly by someone with no boundaries.
And worst of all—
He couldn't fight back.
The guy was terrifying.
Evan wore a perfect polite smile as he continued rubbing Itachi's head like kneading dough, all while reminiscing about his past with Fugaku.
They had only interacted during the war.
Back then, both men greeted each other enthusiastically—
"Big brother!"
"My good brother!"
How sincere that was… debatable.
Evan had already earned a fearsome reputation on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Fugaku—aware of the political tides turning against the Uchiha—
Wanted to pull Evan onto the Uchiha ship, strengthening their unstable position.
Evan, of course, was simply there for the dumplings.
Both men were acting.
After the war ended, contact faded.
Though Fugaku invited him many times afterward—
Evan avoided stepping foot in Uchiha territory.
Back then, lacking a way to counter genjutsu, he'd worried he might lose more than dumplings if he went…
But now?
With Kyōka Suigetsu, his blind spot was gone.
Time to enjoy those dumplings.
As for the Uchiha clan's eventual tragedy—
Evan didn't care.
Still, the Uchiha truly were… peculiar.
Clan elders and clan head out of sync,
Hawk vs. dove factions,
High-ranking members mentally unstable…
No wonder the boy exterminated them later.
Soon, they arrived at the Uchiha district.
Even walking leisurely, word had already spread.
Uchiha clan members gathered in groups, whispering as they watched him pass.
Curious, Evan slowed his step to listen.
"Kenta lost? Isn't he an elite jōnin?"
"Yeah, and badly too. Look—Jinichi is carrying him back."
"We really going to let an outsider teach the heir? That's humiliating!"
"Kenta shouldn't be weak though. How was he crushed like that?"
"Maybe that Evan guy really is that strong?"
"Tch, you guys didn't fight in the war. You have no idea how frightening Lord Evan is."
"Hmph. No matter how strong, he's not stronger than the clan head."
"Exactly. The pride of Uchiha cannot be challenged."
"We can't let this happen again."
"Next time, send someone stronger."
Evan sighed inwardly.
"Yep. As expected."
Fugaku was really digging a pit for him.
He had no intention of accepting a disciple.
And what if he trained the boy only for him to become a future traitor?
No thanks.
"We're here, Lord Evan."
They arrived at Fugaku's residence.
"I'll take my leave. The clan head wishes to speak with you alone," Jinichi said.
Evan nodded.
Still dragging Itachi by the head, he walked inside.
The compound was enormous—
Fitting for the clan head.
Itachi guided Evan down the corridor to a quiet koi pond.
Clear water, bamboo, flowing streams, colorful fish…
Evan clicked his tongue.
"This guy knows how to enjoy life."
In the pavilion beside the pond sat a middle-aged man sipping tea—
Uchiha Fugaku.
He looked up, saw Evan, and beckoned him over.
Evan glanced left and right.
Something was missing.
Then he grinned widely and called out:
"Big Brother Fugaku! Where's Sister-in-law Mikoto?"
….
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