Itachi Uchiha walked aimlessly along the road back to the Uchiha Clan's district. Just moments ago, he had questioned several villagers, all of whom gave him nearly identical responses.
It was hard to believe that in the short time he had been away from the village, his clan had changed so drastically.
In the past, while the Konoha Military Police Force had occasional conflicts with the villagers, it had never escalated to the point where the entire force was mobilized to violently assault them.
"Did Shisui just stand by and watch this happen?"
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With that question in mind, Itachi returned to the Uchiha district. As he passed by the Konoha Military Police Force's training grounds, a scene inside once again caught his attention.
Inside the training field, Saito Uchiha was relentlessly throwing shuriken and Jutsu at a young boy wearing the standard Konoha Military Police Force training uniform. The boy dodged frantically, but explosions from the Great Fireball Jutsu burst behind him.
Failing to evade in time, the boy was caught by the blast's shockwave and was sent tumbling to the ground. He rolled several times before stopping, his face scraped by the rough ground, and thin streaks of blood seeped from his cheek.
Yet, at that moment, the perpetrator of all this, Saito Uchiha, merely shouted at him with a stern expression: "What kind of look is that? What kind of expression do you have? And those tears, do you think your tears can protect the village? Can they uphold the Will of Fire?"
"Get up! Don't dodge! Run straight into my shuriken and jutsu!" Saito gripped a kunai and shouted at the boy.
After a while, Yoki Fujiwara finally gathered his courage. He stood up, let out a loud cry to steel himself, and charged straight at Saito Uchiha.
Seeing this, Saito immediately hurled multiple shuriken at him and followed up with consecutive Great Fireball Jutsu attacks. Yoki shouted as he skillfully dodged the incoming projectiles and flames. When he couldn't avoid them, he used the Substitution Jutsu to take the hit instead.
After enduring several close calls, he finally closed the distance to Saito and thrust his kunai toward him.
But Saito simply extended his hand and caught Yoki's wrist, causing the kunai to drop to the ground.
Exhausted, Yoki collapsed onto his knees while panting heavily.
Saito glanced down at him and spoke coldly: "Is that all? How useless."
Watching this, Itachi frowned deeply. He shook his head before continuing toward his home.
"Even their own comrades are treated this way? This clan is really beyond saving."
However, after Itachi left, Yoki trembled but struggled to his feet once again.
Seeing this, a faint and nearly imperceptible smile flickered in Saito's eyes. But when he spoke, his tone remained as cold as ever: "At least you're starting to look like something. But it's still not enough. Go home and get some rest. Be back tomorrow for extra training."
"Yes, sir!" Yoki lifted his head with difficulty and responded.
The next second, a small token was tossed into his arms. Yoki looked down at it, confused.
"I haven't collected my stipend for this month. Go pick it up for me before you leave, then head to the Nara clan's pharmacy and buy five portions of medicinal herbs for a recovery bath. Use them for yourself when you get home. Bring me the leftover money tomorrow morning."
"Leader, that won't be necessary. I still have money." Yoki said hesitantly.
"Just take it!"
Saito said coldly. "Keep whatever money you have and use it to buy something nutritious. If you slow us down on the next mission, I won't be so forgiving."
"Yes, sir!"
Yoki nodded, a hint of shame flashing across his face. During the recent Konoha Military Police Force operation, only a few members were injured, and he was one of them. That embarrassed Saito, so as soon as Yoki's injuries healed, he was dragged in for extra training.
But Yoki didn't feel resentful. After all, Saito was one of the strongest among Konoha's young ninja. Even some of the village's Jonin had trouble gaining the upper hand against him. The opportunity to receive one-on-one training from such a powerful person was not something just anyone could get.
After training ended, Yoki grinned as he headed home while Itachi had just arrived at his own house.
"I'm home!" Itachi called as he opened the door.
"Itachi? You're back." Mikoto poked her head out from the kitchen while smiling warmly at her eldest son.
"Mom, are you home alone?" Itachi asked.
"Yes, your father is working late at the Konoha Military Police Force, and Sasuke is training with his teacher."
"Teacher? Since when did Sasuke get a teacher? How come I didn't know?" Itachi was taken aback.
"It's Clan Head Kuragami."
Mikoto said with a smile. "Sasuke's talent in Fire Style isn't as strong as in Lightning Style, so your father asked Clan Head Kuragami to mentor him."
"What?"
Itachi's expression changed dramatically. "Sasuke can't be learning from Kuragami Uchiha!"
"Itachi, he is the head of our clan. How can you address him so informally?"
Mikoto's gaze turned serious. "Your father and I have taught you proper etiquette, haven't we?"
"I'm sorry, Mom, but—" Itachi began.
"No buts. Sasuke likes his new teacher." Mikoto said firmly.
"Fine."
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Itachi had no intention of arguing with his mother. He put down the items he had brought home and immediately turned to leave.
In his mind, Kuragami Uchiha could only lead his adorable little brother astray, and he couldn't allow that to happen.
"Sigh, that boy."
Mikoto muttered with a helpless sigh as she watched Itachi hurry out the door.
... ... …
In the backyard of Kuragami Uchiha's home, Sasuke quickly formed hand seals and summoned a ball of lightning. Compared to when he had first learned the technique, he had made great progress.
The Lightning Ball was now much more stable and had changed from a faint yellow to a pale blue. Though it was still far from the deep blue of Kuragami's own refined lightning techniques, for someone Sasuke's age, his progress was remarkable.
As Sasuke manipulated his fingers, the Lightning Ball circled around the two of them before soaring into the sky and exploding in midair.
"Sensei, I did it!"
Sasuke turned to Kuragami, his face full of expectation, eager for praise.
"Hmm, not bad."
Kuragami said while patting Sasuke's head.
"Then what are we learning next?" Sasuke asked excitedly.
Sasuke's question actually stumped Kuragami for a moment. Most of the high-level jutsu he knew, whether learned or self-developed, were still beyond Sasuke's Chakra Reserve to handle.
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