"..."
"This is the gift?", Aoba couldn't help but roll his eyes.
He had even looked forward to a scene where the other party slapped a hundred thousand ryo onto his face.
"This is a kiss from big sister, you little pervert, aren't you happy?", Looking at Aoba's plainly disappointed expression, Kurenai Yuhi couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed inside.
Aoba really wanted to say, 'This is an illegal act.'
"I'm very happy, but if it was a material gift, I'd be even happier."
"Hmph, such a materialistic brat!", Kurenai Yuhi, failing to tease the little boy, was a bit annoyed and handed Aoba a book.
"Here, this is for you. These are the genjutsu insights left behind by my father. They're much better than the books in the library."
"Thank you!", Aoba received the book, and this time showed a happy expression on his face.
'Materialistic brat!'
Kurenai Yuhi silently complained in her heart, then continued speaking.
"I'll take Yakumo and leave first. These days, I'll be bringing Yakumo here. If Lady Tsunade agrees, I'll visit with Yakumo's parents," After speaking, Kurenai Yuhi stood up and walked out.
Kurama Yakumo bowed again to Aoba to show her gratitude.
Then the two of them left the library, hand in hand.
Seeing the two leave, Aoba also packed away the book.
And ran quickly toward the school gate.
"Aoba, why are you so slow?"
"I just ran into a ghost at the library!"
"Eh?"
"Let me explain slowly…"
———
"I'm back, mom!"
Sasuke opened the door, listlessly said, then sat on the sofa and began spacing out.
"Welcome back, dinner is almost ready," Uchiha Mikoto, wearing an apron, also came out of the kitchen.
The gentle smile on her face gave her an overall air of warmth.
But seeing Sasuke looking so down, her face revealed a trace of confusion.
'Did something happen?'
Uchiha Mikoto took off the apron and sat beside Sasuke, rubbing his head.
"Sasuke, are you in a bad mood today?"
"No," Sasuke answered instinctively.
"Did something upset you outside?", Uchiha Mikoto's voice became even gentler.
"No!", Still the same answer.
"Sasuke, the only places in the world where it's okay to cry are the bathroom and in your parents' arms. Any grievance can be told to mom," Uchiha Mikoto hugged Sasuke, her chin rubbing against his hair.
"I'm not gonna cry!", Sasuke couldn't take it anymore and spilled everything that happened.
After hearing it all, Uchiha Mikoto blinked her pretty eyes, "So Sasuke wants to know why Naruto got angry?"
"No, what does it matter to me if that guy is angry, I didn't do anything wrong," Sasuke pouted unhappily.
Uchiha Mikoto approvingly nodded, "It's not wrong that you wanted to change opponents."
"But you and Naruto are friends. You shouldn't have said it in front of so many people during the match, but should've talked to the teacher alone, or discussed with Naruto first."
"Your actions may seem right to you, but embarrassing a friend in front of so many people is really not okay."
Sasuke felt that Naruto's reason for getting mad definitely wasn't this. That idiot wouldn't feel embarrassed over something like that.
'But what mom said makes sense too. Next time if I want to change opponents, it will be better to talk to Iruka-sensei privately.'
'So that guy won't be so annoying again.'
"That guy's not my friend…"
"Pfft!", Uchiha Mikoto couldn't help but laugh, "Tomorrow mom will help prepare a gift. You can give it to Naruto, maybe he won't be mad anymore."
"I'm not giving that guy anything!"
"Then treat it as a gift from mom to Sasuke's friend, I'll prepare one for Aoba too."
"..."
"…Thanks."
"Too quiet."
"..."
———
[Konoha Military Police Force]
Uchiha Fugaku was still handling official matters.
The door suddenly burst open, and someone walked in.
"Itachi, what's the matter?", Uchiha Fugaku was a bit surprised. Uchiha Itachi rarely came to the police force.
"Father, there's something I want to talk to you about," Uchiha Itachi's expression was a bit cold.
Uchiha Fugaku was stunned for a moment, "What is it?"
Uchiha Itachi fell silent, not speaking.
But in his eyes, the three tomoe Sharingan appeared, and finally transformed into a pinwheel-shaped Mangekyo.
Uchiha Fugaku's eyes widened, "Your eyes?"
Before he could finish his sentence, the scenery before him suddenly spun. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in a space of only black and red.
"This is… Tsukuyomi?", As the head of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Fugaku naturally understood the power of the Mangekyo.
"This is the power I gained after Shisui died," Uchiha Itachi explained, "Some matters are easier to talk about here."
Uchiha Fugaku also snapped out of his shock and looked at his eldest son with complicated eyes. "What do you want to talk about?"
"A person claiming to be Uchiha Madara came to me!"
"Who?"
Uchiha Fugaku cried out in shock, thinking he must have misheard.
Uchiha Itachi continued, "He claims to be Uchiha Madara, possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan, and is the true culprit behind the Nine-Tails attack…"
"At the same time, he said he'd help me kill all members of the Uchiha clan."
As Uchiha Itachi revealed piece after piece of information, Uchiha Fugaku's eyes grew wider and wider.
Especially upon hearing the last part, even the three tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly, almost forming a line.
"Kill all clan members… Are you insane?"
All the information before was nothing compared to this blow to Uchiha Fugaku.
"If it were before, for the sake of the village, I would've chosen to bear this darkness," Uchiha Itachi's expression turned a bit indifferent.
Uchiha Fugaku opened his mouth, but suddenly receiving all these explosive revelations, his brain couldn't keep up. In the end, he could only let out a long sigh, "I thought you had changed. Turns out you're still only standing on the village's side?"
"No. Right now, it's because I'm standing from the perspective of both village and clan, that I've found a third path."
"A third path?"
Uchiha Itachi's gaze deepened, "I will reveal these eyes, and use the pretense of betrayal to gather the hawks within the clan, and let Uchiha Madara kill them."
"After that, the Third Hokage will act to deal with Uchiha Madara. Father, I hope you can cooperate with the Third Hokage."
"Sarutobi Hiruzen is only using you. If all the hawks die, the Uchiha will only become meat on the chopping block. What the clan will face will still be destruction," Uchiha Fugaku's expression likewise turned cold.
"Once Uchiha Madara is dealt with, the Third Hokage will step down, and Lady Tsunade will take over," Uchiha Itachi spoke of Konoha's terms.
"By then, you and the hawks will be promoted as Konoha's heroes. The Uchiha's infamy will all be reversed."
"We'll eliminate 'Uchiha Madara', but who will ensure that Sarutobi Hiruzen will actually keep his promise?"
"Then I'll use these eyes to guarantee it!"
Looking at Uchiha Itachi's blood-red eyes, even Uchiha Fugaku didn't expect him to say something like that.
A long while later—
"Itachi, you really have changed…"
"Father, we will fall into darkness, but mother and Sasuke will return to the light…"
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