Uchiha Itachi! You Must Practice Shuriken With Me Today!

Morning.

Another bright, sunny day.

Qing Xuan sat on the veranda outside the eaves, hands braced behind him, looking up at the clear, cloudless sky.

He was supposed to visit the Hyuga main family today, but due to the impending arrival of the Land of Lightning's envoy, the Hokage's office was holding a meeting, and all the named ninja in the village had gone to attend. Naturally, this included his own uncle—the Uchiha Clan head, Fugaku Uchiha.

"Yaya ya!"

A childish laugh came from behind him. He turned his head and saw little Sasuke, who was almost three years old, toddling over. He grabbed Qing Xuan's clothes and wouldn't let go.

Qing Xuan sat up straight, picked up the little guy, and placed him on his lap. He pinched his chubby little cheeks and said disdainfully, "You're three years old and still can't talk, you little waste!"

"Dudu, ooh!"

Sasuke kicked his legs and laughed even more happily.

"He's so cute!"

Haku's pure face wore a fake smile, her tone flat but with a hint of genuine joy.

If it weren't for the fact that you'll stab him full of senbon in the future, I might have believed your nonsense.

Thinking of the fated entanglement between these two in the future, Qing Xuan had a strange look on his face. I wonder if the world will still have the Haku from Zabuza's timeline if this Haku appears?

He was really curious about what would happen when the two of them met.

Just then, a sound came from the side. Qing Xuan's face broke into a smile. He tossed Sasuke to Haku and then happily trotted over to Itachi, who was putting on his shoes.

"Nii-san!"

Itachi sat by the threshold and looked back at the jubilant Qing Xuan inexplicably.

"Will you practice shuriken with me today..."

Itachi was silent for a moment. "I'm very busy..."

"I have a mission today too. Ask Father to teach you!"

Qing Xuan immediately showed his displeasure. "Compared to Uncle, your shurikenjutsu is more impressive... Even a child like me can see that."

Am I better than Father?

Seven-year-old Itachi froze for a moment, then heard Qing Xuan say, "Brother, why do you always treat me like a bother!"

Looking at this younger brother who was only a year younger than him yet suddenly so clingy, Itachi's face involuntarily softened.

He beckoned Qing Xuan over. When the boy came close, he tapped his forehead with two fingers.

"Qing Xuan, forgive me... Next time..."

However, before he could finish, he heard Qing Xuan snort.

"No!"

The little guy snorted coldly and stomped his foot.

"Where are they?"

Swish!

Two figures suddenly appeared under the veranda where there had been no one before.

They stood behind Qing Xuan, bowing slightly, their slightly rotating double tomoe filled with fervor.

"Young Clan Head!"

These were two Special Jonin, assigned by unanimous decision of the clan elders as Qing Xuan's personal bodyguards, inseparable from him.

"Stop Young Master Itachi. He must stay home with me and Sasuke today! Also, inform his teammates that the mission will be postponed until tomorrow!"

"Yes! Young Clan Head!"

Under the gaze of two pairs of Sharingan, Itachi stared blankly at Qing Xuan, completely bewildered.

Meanwhile.

Hokage's Office, Conference Room.

Jiraiya sat in the seat below the Hokage, arms crossed, his expression terrifyingly foul.

He was still dwelling on yesterday's events.

"Hey! Tsunade! Did that brat get the punishment he deserved?"

He asked in a low voice to the person beside him, but he didn't get an answer for a long time.

He turned his head and saw that the woman who had gotten drunk last night was now nodding her head, dozing off.

"Tsunade!"

"Huh? What is it?"

Tsunade rubbed her forehead lazily, her eyes vaguely scanning her surroundings. Staying up late last night had left her with no energy this morning.

"Be mindful of your image."

The Third Hokage was still rambling on about something. Below, people were whispering to each other, their low murmurs making this spring morning feel quite hazy.

I couldn't concentrate at all.

"Damn it, why does the old man have to call a meeting so early... Wouldn't it be better to just sleep in?"

She grumbled in a low voice. Woken up by someone, she couldn't fall back asleep and was bored, so she turned to Jiraiya. "What were you asking me just now?"

Jiraiya was speechless.

He had always considered himself a free spirit, but Tsunade's current state of dejection was almost too much for him to bear.

"Where's your kid?"

"You mean Qing Xuan."

Mentioning him, Tsunade's spirits immediately lifted. "He made breakfast for me this morning and then ran off to play with Itachi. Kids really have endless energy!"

Seeing her motherly affection overflow, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Is that so..."

He thought back to yesterday's events, and a surge of anger welled up in his heart again.

"But this child is still a bit too unruly."

"He's just a child."

Tsunade put on the standard villain parent expression. "What does a child know? How long are you going to hold onto this grudging feeling at your age?"

Jiraiya was furious! Why did he suddenly feel like spanking this kid?

"You spoil him too much, Tsunade. Your doting might not necessarily lead him in a good direction..."

Jiraiya said in a deep voice, but then he saw Tsunade's dejected expression.

"I know..."

Tsunade sighed, deflating completely, devoid of any conviction.

"I wasn't around much when this child was growing up, and I've left him with a bad impression. I have no authority in front of him."

Jiraiya had never seen Tsunade look like this before. This sense of dejection, from the inside out, made him feel a sense of weakness in her for the first time.

"He won't even call me 'Mom.' He always insists on calling me Tsunade, no matter how much I tell him. In front of him, I always feel like I'm the one who needs to be taught..."

This kind of casual complaint was surprising. Was this really the straightforward, bold, decisive, and violent Tsunade?

Having a child really changed things.

Jiraiya cleared his throat and mumbled, "Perhaps I can help you?"

"Forget it, Jiraiya."

The weak woman instantly crossed her arms, looking down at him with a cold sneer. Was that Tsunade back again?

"What can you do? Get played like a fool by my son?"

Jiraiya stared blankly at the woman before him, his restless heart finally dying at this moment.

Tsunade, you've changed! Ever since you got together with Liu Yun, your personality has become as terrible as his.

Do you guys just love picking on honest people?

Jiraiya's heart was filled with grief and indignation. Just then, a low voice suddenly came from the crowd.

"I think the delegation from the Land of Lightning coming here this time is clearly up to no good!"

The meeting was drawing to a close. The Hokage and other high-ranking officials had finished their speeches, and it was now time for the various ninja to voice their opinions.

Under the gaze of many, Fugaku, the patriarch of the Uchiha clan, lived up to his formidable reputation. His imposing aura suppressed the surrounding clan leaders and elite ninja.

His words carried strong deterrence and were said in a gloomy tone.

"They claim to be here to form an alliance, but who knows what they're really up to behind our backs!"

He immediately launched into a conspiracy theory!