Jin was stunned.
Mikoto's slap had truly been a stroke of genius.
Fugaku was startled too. He hurriedly set down his tea and stood up.
But he moved so hastily that he spilled tea all over himself.
Yet he didn't even dare wipe it off. He quickly explained with a laugh,
"Ahem... The brothers are just sparring. Just sparring."
"Sparring?"
Mikoto looked a little suspicious.
But before she could ask anything else, Fugaku ushered her back into the house.
"Phew..."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Itachi.
"Your mother doesn't know what's going on. Could you maybe..."
Creak—
Just then, the wooden door opened again.
"Oh, Nisan, hug me."
Little Sasuke rubbed his sleepy eyes and bounced over in his pajamas, reaching out to hug Itachi.
Without the slightest hesitation,
he then snuggled into Itachi's arms and gave Jin a disdainful snort.
In the solemn, heavy atmosphere of the shrine, things grew even stranger.
"Ahem. Looks like we're not going to manage the killing this time." Jin hesitated, then ventured, "How about you come back and try again in a couple of days?"
Itachi: ...
He paused for a moment, then struck.
Thud!
As little Sasuke watched in disbelief, Itachi knocked him unconscious.
After carefully setting him aside, Itachi shook his head. "There won't be another chance."
As he spoke, his aura changed again.
Vmmm!
Orange-red Chakra gradually spread over his entire body.
He looked toward Jin, his voice unusually solemn. "Jin, I have a reason I can't avoid fighting you, so—"
"So take this! Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
Thud!
Before he could finish speaking, he was sent flying.
With a bang, he crashed into the courtyard wall.
Crash!
The wall collapsed.
Itachi was buried beneath the rubble.
"You're so long-winded. I'm getting a little fed