Brother's Approval

Akimichi Choza stood to the side, explaining to Choji, "This is your new big brother. He was in the Land of Rain before..."

Choji didn't seem to mind that he'd suddenly gotten a new, adopted big brother. Maybe it was because his mother had passed away years ago, and he and his father had always lived together.

Everyone in the Akimichi family was easygoing, carefree, and pleasantly plump.

But a thought suddenly popped into his head: "Did my wish come true? Can I eat as much as I want now?"

He still couldn't stop thinking about the lunch Denji had made.

After Choza finished explaining, Choji asked, "Okay, so what are we having for dinner?"

The Uchiha Clan Compound was quiet and peaceful that evening. The Night of the Clan Massacre had yet to happen.

Smoke curled up from the rooftops of every home.

In Sasuke's family kitchen, Uchiha Mikoto wore an apron as she bustled around the stove.

Outside the window, dusk was falling.

Steam rose from the dishes on the table.

The miso soup bubbled gently in the pot, the savory scent of kelp and bonito flakes wafting through the room.

Sasuke sat cross-legged at a low table in the living room, with several dishes already set out in front of him.

Two saury lay side by side on a long platter, their skins grilled golden and lightly charred. Oil seeped from their bellies, gleaming in the light. The chilled tofu was sprinkled with finely chopped scallions and bonito flakes, while thinly sliced pickles were arranged on a small plate. Steam still rose from the miso soup, and the white rice sat in a black lacquer bowl, each grain distinct.

Sasuke was especially happy because his big brother, Uchiha Itachi, had come home for dinner for once.

Itachi sat opposite him, his black hair falling over his shoulders. He had changed out of his Anbu uniform and into the Uchiha Clan's usual clothes.

His movements were gentle. He lifted his teacup and took a sip, his gaze resting on his little brother with warm patience.

"Big brother," Sasuke suddenly said, a hint of pride in his voice. "I understand the Will of Fire better now after what I learned at school today."

"Oh?" Itachi set down his teacup. "Tell me about it."

Sasuke straightened his back. Confidently, he recounted what he'd heard at school, leaving out the part about the Land of Rain and retelling it in his own words.

To his surprise, Itachi fell silent for a long while.

Then he looked at Sasuke's face. The boy's dark eyes reflected his own—clear, bright, and without a hint of impurity.

"You didn't come up with that yourself, did you?"

Itachi smiled warmly. "Did someone give you the idea?"

Sasuke's face turned bright red. He stammered, unable to get a word out.

"Whoever said that must have been caught in the rain and gone through something terrible.

That's something you, Sasuke, haven't experienced."

Sasuke opened his mouth to argue, but found he couldn't say anything.

It was obvious that his speech about the Will of Fire wasn't something he could have come up with on his own.

"Who said that?"

"A-Akimichi Denji," Sasuke mumbled.

"Akimichi Denji..." Itachi repeated the name, turning it over in his mind. "The Akimichi boy who came back from the Land of Rain?"

He was now the Anbu Captain, and the Anbu kept watch over the entire village. They were the first to react whenever anything happened.

Naturally, he'd heard that Akimichi Choza had brought home the son he'd lost.

"That's right. He came from the Land of Rain," Sasuke replied.

"Sasuke, good job! You did well!

"The path of a ninja is about learning from role models, and growing stronger by following their example.

"You can take Denji as a role model.

"Try to learn something from him."

Itachi affectionately ruffled Sasuke's hair, though unfathomable worry lay hidden in his eyes.

The conflict between the clan and the village had grown increasingly fierce. He was trying to mediate, hoping to help his clanmates integrate into the village and embrace the Will of Fire.

But there were still too many hardliners in the clan. They stubbornly believed the Uchiha Clan's power was invincible, that they could take on the entire village by force and restore Uchiha Madara's glory.

If only the clan could embrace the Will of Fire, too.

If he could, he wanted Sasuke to get along with the village and avoid being influenced by the hardliners.

"Big brother, he just transferred into our class, and he doesn't even know the Three Body Technique. What am I supposed to learn from him?"

"Sasuke! Powerful ninjutsu doesn't make someone a powerful ninja.

"Truly powerful ninja are those who stay true to their own ninja way. That is the seed of strength.

"And Denji already has that seed."

Sasuke was unhappy, but he always listened to his big brother. Pouting, he said reluctantly, "I understand, big brother!"

[Wish fulfilled: Brother's Approval]

The Uchiha family was together, happy and whole.

A gentle evening breeze drifted through the Akimichi family's courtyard.

Seeing the notification suddenly pop up on the system, Akimichi Denji froze. He remembered that this wish belonged to Sasuke, who was obsessed with his big brother.

But for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what his wish being fulfilled had to do with him.

Could it be because I'm a chest guy, too?

Unable to make sense of it, Denji decided to stop thinking about it.

Akimichi Choza watched Denji, who had led him out into the courtyard, saying he wanted to share his progress.

To him, it meant his son was making progress and had taken the initiative to share how his training was going, seeking praise. That was a good thing.

It showed that Denji trusted him. No matter how much progress he'd made, it was worth encouraging.

He'd only just begun, but Choza should still give him plenty of praise.

Akimichi Choza had great confidence in his parenting skills. He'd raised Choji, who didn't have much to show for himself besides eating and sleeping—but at least he had a good disposition, was cheerful and optimistic, and hadn't gone astray.

Now Denji was back, too. Though Choza had missed out on the first few years with him, there was still time.

Akimichi Choza was brimming with confidence. He was already thinking about what to say to motivate Denji without letting him get too full of himself.

He could even picture Denji's usually tense little face breaking into a slightly bashful smile after hearing his praise.

"I've mastered the Chakra Refinement Technique."

"Good! Show your old man what you can do!"

Denji shook his head. "I'm already doing it."

Choza's smile froze.

Being able to refine chakra without sitting down to focus or forming hand seals meant Denji had mastered the Chakra Refinement Technique to an impressive degree—at least the level of an elite Chunin.

An ordinary clan member needed one or two years of hard training before the Chakra Refinement Technique would run subconsciously.

Yet only one day had passed since Choza had taught Denji the Akimichi Clan Chakra Refinement Technique.

He had never seen anyone learn it so quickly.

Akimichi Denji had no sensory abilities like the Byakugan, so Choza could only place a hand on Denji's shoulder. He found that the Chakra Refinement Technique was indeed running subconsciously inside Denji, continuously absorbing chakra.

And the speed was far beyond that of an ordinary clan member.

That meant Denji was exceptionally compatible with this Chakra Refinement Technique.

The technique passed down through the Akimichi family was different from ordinary refinement techniques. It was better suited to members of the Akimichi Clan.

In other words, the stronger an Akimichi's bloodline, the faster they could refine chakra.

Even within the clan, few could refine chakra this quickly. He might even be approaching the speed of their ancestors.

As expected of my son!

"Not bad. Just like your old man, I mastered it to this level in a single day. Looks like you inherited my peerless wisdom!"

Still, he had to stay humble and avoid getting carried away.

Akimichi Denji continued, "But it feels different from what you told me."

"What feels different?"

"It seems like there's a new ninjutsu?"

Denji's vague answer piqued Choza's curiosity. "Show me."