But what caught the mongoose's attention this time was not Might Guy or Hyuga Kahou, but someone else entirely.
"Brother, where are you taking me? And how long will it take?"
As he approached, the voices of the two conversing reached Ye dou's ears.
He was surprised because one of the voices was familiar—he had been hearing it often these days.
"Don't worry, we're almost there."
Hearing his older brother's reassuring tone, the younger boy relaxed slightly.
Some time ago, the elder brother had been away on a mission for the village. Now that he had returned, the village granted him a short period of rest—not much, but enough to unwind. During his break, he had discovered that a new training ground had been set up in an area that had once been desolate. It seemed that someone had been using it frequently for training.
At first, he had no intention of disturbing them. However, in the following days, he noticed that the person who had been training there had vanished, as if the site had been abandoned.
Remembering the promise he had made to his younger brother—to train together once the new academy term started—he decided to bring him here to practice in a different environment.
As for the original owner of the training ground, he wasn't concerned. After all, this was still within the Uchiha clan's jurisdiction. As the eldest and second sons of the clan head, there was little reason to worry about conflicts with outsiders.
After a short walk, they arrived at the destination, only to find that someone was already there. The sight of swaying trees and rustling leaves greeted them as they stepped into the clearing.
"You… Why are you here?"
Sasuke Uchiha frowned upon seeing Ye dou.
He had never expected the strange boy from his class—the one who always had a deadpan expression and barely spoke—to show up in this place.
Even more surprising to Ye dou was the presence of both Uchiha brothers here.
But this was his training ground, his space. There was no reason for him to be the one answering questions.
"I should be the one asking that. Why are you in my training ground?"
"Apologies," Itachi responded, his tone calm yet curious. "I observed that no one had been using this place for the past few days, so I decided to bring Sasuke here to check it out."
Sasuke, still annoyed, was about to retort when his brother's voice cut him off. "Sasuke."
Instead of leaving immediately, Itachi took a few steps forward. He wanted to learn more about his younger brother's school life, particularly from his classmates.
However, his attention was suddenly drawn to a neatly arranged rice ball resting atop a nearby rock. A small smile crossed his lips as a thought came to him.
"Is this your meal?"
Ye dou frowned and responded bluntly, "No."
"It's quite a well-made rice ball. May I eat it?"
Ye dou didn't reply. Instead, he simply placed one hand on the ground and resumed his push-ups, focusing on his training.
"Unexpected. The Hyuga heiress is quite skilled," Itachi mused, his smile unwavering.
Hearing this, Ye dou paused briefly before continuing his exercises without acknowledgment.
"However, not very cautious. Given the strained relations between the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, such interactions could easily be misconstrued. As the future head of the Hyuga clan, associating too closely with the Uchiha might be seen as provocation."
"Brother, don't worry. At the Academy, I'll make sure to teach that little girl a lesson," Sasuke said, puffing out his chest.
Itachi ignored Sasuke's declaration and instead observed Yatou, whose expression remained unreadable.
---
[This is Robbery]
Evening fell, and the training ground remained shrouded in quiet solitude, save for the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind.
Neither Ye dou nor Itachi spoke. The silence between them was almost tangible.
Ye dou paused his training momentarily, then resumed his push-ups without a word.
"I've been here for almost a year, training day after day," Ye dou finally said, his voice steady. "Not once have I heard that this land belongs to the Uchiha."
Sasuke's frown deepened. His pride as a member of the Uchiha clan flared, and he responded with an indignant tone.
"That's just ignorance talking, freak. Our Uchiha clan is the most powerful in Konoha!"
Also the most isolated, Itachi thought to himself but said nothing.
In terms of strength and prestige, the Uchiha were undoubtedly among the strongest clans in the village. Their control over the Konoha Military Police Force granted them a powerful presence.
However, their geographical positioning within the village was telling. Their compound, located on the outskirts, hinted at an unspoken segregation from the rest of Konoha.
This wasn't entirely the fault of Konoha's leadership. Nor was it simply due to the policies of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. The Uchiha themselves bore responsibility for their situation—choosing to monopolize the village's security forces had effectively placed them at odds with the rest of Konoha.
Their once proud clan now stood isolated, its influence waning in the face of growing mistrust.
"How often do you even walk the streets outside the Uchiha compound? Have you ever truly paid attention?" Itachi finally asked, his tone unreadable as he watched Ye dou's reaction.