Itachi Cornered Him from Behind! Don't Let the Third Hokage Get Away!

Just like that.

"Thump! Thud, thud, thud!"

"Take this, Lord Hokage!"

"Itachi, get him from behind! Don't let that old man get away!"

Fugaku Uchiha hurried to the Hokage's lounge. The moment his hand touched the door, he heard the voices of his two little troublemakers inside.

The repeated sounds of fighting made his scalp prickle.

Itachi! What are you doing in there?!

An ominous feeling grew stronger in Fugaku's heart. As he pushed open the lounge door with trembling hands, a kunai gleaming with cold light zipped past his ear, taking a tuft of his black hair with it before embedding itself in the wall behind him with a thud.

Fugaku's pupils contracted in shock. Frozen in place, he stared into the room.

"Ha! Got you, old man!"

A shout rang out. Qing Xuan leaped backward through the air, both hands controlling Chakra Threads. Azure strands spread behind him like a spiderweb, their kunai-tipped ends tracing arcs of light and sealing off every avenue of escape.

Itachi darted around the room with incredible speed, moving so fast he was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye. His gaze was calm and focused, his dark eyes fixed on his target. Like a hunter lying in wait, he struck without hesitation whenever he spotted an opening, aiming for a decisive blow!

Itachi's attacks were fierce and swift, like a sharp spear, constantly forcing his target to face him head-on. Qing Xuan, meanwhile, was like a sturdy shield, using Chakra Threads and shuriken to disrupt his opponent's movements and ensure that each of Itachi's attacks had the greatest possible impact.

Their teamwork was flawless, combining offense and defense as if they were two halves of a whole—independent yet closely connected. It was hard to imagine this was their first mission together.

Their target, the Third Hokage, strolled through their attacks with his hands behind his back, a pipe in his mouth and a smile on his face. Even with such perfect coordination, the two still hadn't managed to touch a single corner of the old man's clothes.

"Argh! You old geezer! Itachi, use the Great Fireball Technique!"

At the end of his patience, Qing Xuan angrily flung the kunai in his hand to the ground and began forming hand seals.

The Three Tomoe in Fugaku's eyes spun. The moment he saw the first seal Qing Xuan made, he knew which jutsu the boy intended to use.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.

It was a powerful jutsu that unleashed a gale to destroy everything in its path. Combined with Itachi's Great Fireball Technique, the resulting combination jutsu would be enough to blow the entire lounge sky-high!

"That's enough! Stop this at once!"

Thinking of the consequences of the jutsu, Fugaku broke out in a cold sweat. He had to stop this from happening!

But the hand seals for the Wind Release technique were too few. Itachi's hands moved so fast they left a blur, and by the time Fugaku shouted to stop them, both jutsu were already complete.

As the gale and flames threatened to engulf everything, Fugaku's face turned ashen. This is going to be bad!

"Gate of Death!"

A triangular barrier suddenly descended. Faint blue lights flickered as a breeze seemed to sweep through the entire lounge. In an instant, the fiery storm melted away like the last snow of winter.

Seeing the six Anbu who had suddenly appeared, Fugaku let out a sigh of relief. Then an inexplicable anger began to rise within him. His crimson eyes glared at the two bewildered boys, a clear warning that he was on the verge of losing his temper.

"Heh heh..."

A kindly laugh rang out in the silence, breaking the tense stillness.

"Don't be angry, Fugaku."

The Third Hokage chuckled as he held his pipe. He leisurely picked up the outer robe from the floor, then rolled his wrists and shoulders a little. "It's been a long time since I've moved around this much. I feel like my bones are getting rusty!"

The old man crossed one leg and sat down on the tatami. He waved the Anbu away, then turned his gaze to Qing Xuan and Itachi, his expression warm and fond.

"These two children are both very talented!"

Fugaku's grim expression finally softened. The Three Tomoe in his eyes slowly faded, and he said in a low voice, "You're praising them too much. When we get back to the clan, I'll make sure to teach these unruly boys a lesson!"

The Third Hokage laughed as he smoked his pipe. "There's no need to be so formal. I called you here mainly because of Qing Xuan. The wait was a little dull, so I took the opportunity to give the boys some pointers."

"Qing Xuan?"

Fugaku frowned again. Then he heard something that left him stunned.

"This child is already as strong as a Chunin. The Ninja Academy can't teach him much more, so I'd like him to stay by my side. I'll guide him carefully and train him to become an even more capable ninja."

Perhaps Fugaku had experienced more emotional ups and downs today than on any other day. He stared at the Third Hokage in disbelief and asked, "You want to take him on as your student?"

The Third Hokage paused, then looked over at Qing Xuan. "What? Didn't he tell you yesterday?"

Fugaku: ...

He suddenly remembered Qing Xuan asking him at the dinner table yesterday if he wanted to hear what he and the Third Hokage had discussed. He seemed to have turned him down...

Thinking back on it, Fugaku could only stare at the little brat in utter exasperation. How could he not have told him something as important as being taken on as the Third Hokage's student?

Night fell.

Konoha was cloaked in soft moonlight, as if draped in a thin veil of silver. The Naka River gleamed beneath the moon, a winding silver ribbon flowing quietly along the edge of the village. Its clear waters shimmered with reflected moonlight, like countless tiny stars sparkling on the surface.

Lush trees lined both banks, their leaves swaying gently in the night breeze and whispering as if telling ancient stories. Now and then, a few leaves drifted down to the water and floated slowly away with the current, like little boats carrying the night's peace and gentleness.

The river wound through the entire village, flowing past the cliff where Itachi and Shisui sat before gradually vanishing into the shadows beneath the moonlight.

"That's a gathering for the adults..."

The night breeze rippled the water, then swept straight upward, making the straps of Shisui's forehead protector flutter behind his head.

Shisui stood from the rock at the top of the cliff and gazed into the distance. "Usually, only clan members who have reached Chunin rank are eligible to attend."

He turned to Itachi, who was listening quietly, and continued in a gentle voice:

"And now, I qualify."

"A gathering?"

"They hold meetings regularly at Naka Shrine."

Itachi didn't understand what Shisui was talking about. He had only wanted to ask where his father had taken Qing Xuan after dinner.

Seeing Itachi's confusion, Shisui lowered his gaze.

"Just now, the clan head suddenly announced that a meeting would be held."

After saying this, Shisui's expression grew solemn.

Itachi still felt uneasy as he watched Shisui. Then he heard Shisui's voice carry through the cold night breeze.

"But today isn't the scheduled day for a meeting. Do you know what that means, Itachi?"