Hearing the Report

His round little face was full of barely restrained joy.

After playing with Sasuke for a while, Itachi said, "Be good, Sasuke. I'm going to help Mom prepare dinner. Go play by yourself first."

"But, Brother, you only played with me for a little while." Sasuke looked aggrieved, as if tears were welling up in his eyes.

"Come here." Once Sasuke came closer, Itachi gently flicked his little forehead with his right index finger. "Be good. You're already grown up, so you need to be sensible!"

Hearing Itachi say that, Sasuke felt wronged but did not know how to argue back. He could only go play with his ball by himself.

Itachi went into the kitchen to help wash and prepare the vegetables.

Night soon fell.

Fugaku returned home as well, and being observant, he noticed something was off with his son.

The meal was eaten in silence.

After dinner.

Fugaku called Itachi into the study.

Looking at the unhappy Itachi before him, Fugaku sighed softly.

"You lost to Genya today. You must be feeling terrible, right?"

A bitter smile appeared on Itachi's lips. He shook his head and said, "Genya is very strong. I accept my defeat wholeheartedly."

Itachi had his own pride.

It was impossible to say he was not upset after losing to an unknown person like Genya.

Fugaku felt that if he did not guide him properly, even if Itachi did not give up on himself, it would still greatly affect his training.

"Come here," Fugaku said.

After Itachi walked closer.

Fugaku pulled him into an embrace.

He rubbed Itachi's head.

Just as Itachi had rubbed Sasuke's head.

Fugaku encouraged him.

"Itachi, ever since you were young, your path has been too smooth. Today's defeat may serve as a warning: there are always greater mountains beyond mountains, and greater people beyond people. Only by bravely facing failure can you climb to the summit."

"No matter what you become in the future, you and Sasuke will forever be the pride of your mother and me."

Ever since he was young, Fugaku had always been a strict father in Itachi's heart. He had never shown him such intimate affection as a hug.

At this moment, Fugaku's actions deeply moved Itachi. Even the gloom of today's defeat was swept away.

"Father, I'll work hard!"

A determined light gradually appeared in Itachi's eyes!

Itachi swore.

He would definitely become his father's pride!

At this moment.

Itachi found the direction in which he should move forward!

Listening to the Report

Hokage Office.

Hiruzen sat in his office chair.

He smoked.

He listened to an Anbu ninja's report on the Uchiha's recent activities.

"You're saying that over a month ago, the Uchiha began aggressively bidding on residential land in the village?"

Hiruzen took a deep drag on his cigarette and asked the Anbu Jonin making the report.

The Anbu Jonin had silver hair.

He wore a black mask and the standard black, tight-fitting Anbu combat uniform. His expression was extremely cold.

Hatake Kakashi answered, "Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Even before the Hokage, he remained strictly businesslike, like an emotionless machine.

Kakashi was a tragic figure.

When he was seven, his father, the White Fang of the Leaf, had been driven to suicide by the village's slander.

At twelve, during the battle at Kannabi Bridge, his friend Uchiha Obito had tragically "died" while saving him from Iwagakure Ninja.

Later, Kirigakure's scheme caused Rin Nohara to die beneath his Chidori.

During the Nine-Tails Incident a year ago, his teacher and teacher's wife had died in battle.

Now, he was the only one left.

This had directly caused Kakashi's personality to become strange and cold.

As he listened to Kakashi's report, a thoughtful expression appeared on Hiruzen's wrinkled face.

The Sarutobi clan had once considered entering the real estate business, but the enormous initial investment and long return period had made them abandon the idea.

The other clans had the same concerns and were likewise uninterested in real estate.

The Uchiha actually wanted to develop real estate projects?

They were simply grasping at straws in desperation!

A meaningful smile gradually appeared on Hiruzen's face.

He seemed to be able to foresee the Uchiha's predicament once their real estate project went bankrupt.

When that time came, the Sarutobi clan could reclaim the project at a low price without lifting a finger and make a huge profit.

Seeing Hiruzen's strange smile, Kakashi was puzzled. However, he was too cold and detached to ask further questions, so he continued his report.

"Besides that, there have been fewer complaints from villagers about the Uchiha recently. Instead, complaints against the major clans have increased."

"What happened?" Hiruzen frowned, feeling that this was not a good sign.

It turned out that the Uchiha leadership had adopted Genya's suggestion.

When dealing with all kinds of conflicts in the village, the Uchiha Military Police Force had adopted an approach of minimizing major issues and smoothing over minor ones.

They firmly ignored matters they could avoid handling.

For matters they had to handle, they dealt with them casually.

Whenever conflicts arose between the major clans and villagers.

The Uchiha employed extremely gentle methods.

They constantly tried to smooth things over.

They secretly shifted the conflicts onto the major clans.

As a result.

The major clans could not say much.

After all, they had been at fault first.

The villagers also knew that the Uchiha had done their best.

The Uchiha Military Police Force withdrew from the conflicts.

Thus, the major clans and the villagers became opposing sides.

"This Fugaku is truly cunning!" Hiruzen cursed inwardly before speaking to Kakashi.

"Deliver a message to Fugaku Uchiha for me. From now on, any public security incidents in the village must be handled seriously, and those responsible must be dealt with."

Kakashi paused for a moment before saying, "Lord Hokage, but... many public security incidents are started by the Sarutobi clan. Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Hearing Kakashi's response.

Hiruzen fell silent.

Ever since Hiruzen became the Third Hokage, many clan members had indeed become arrogant and overbearing with him backing them.

Hiruzen let out a deep sigh and said, "Put it on hold for now."

Kakashi nodded without saying a word.

After the report ended.

Kakashi used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished from the office in an instant.

Hiruzen stood and gazed out at the village through the window.

During the Nine-Tails natural disaster a year ago, the Fourth Hokage and his wife had died, causing Konoha to lose two super-strong experts at once, along with many Jonin and Chunin.

After all, no matter how many Jonin and Chunin there were, they were nowhere near enough against the Nine-Tails.

Even the Fourth Hokage and his wife had sacrificed their lives just to barely split the Nine-Tails in two and seal it away.

Of course, Kushina's weakness after childbirth had been one reason.

On the other hand, it was also because of the Nine-Tails' immense power.

Hiruzen's wife, Sarutobi Biwako, had also been killed by Uchiha Obito that day.

Hiruzen had taken office again in the midst of the crisis and returned to power.

Although regaining power was something worth being happy about.

Konoha's loss of fighting strength still pained Hiruzen greatly.

Fortunately, the Third Shinobi World War had already ended.

Conflicts occasionally broke out between the hidden villages.

But only one or two ninjas died each time.

To Sarutobi Hiruzen, that was insignificant.

They had sacrificed themselves for the Will of Fire.

They were heroes of the village.

Their deaths were worthwhile.

The village would remember them forever.

As Hiruzen inhaled and exhaled.

A faint smell of tobacco began to spread through the office.

He returned to his seat and used the Telescope Technique.

The figure of a child appeared within the crystal ball on his desk. He looked about one year old, with blond hair and faint markings on both pale cheeks.

Six Paths Markings!

The child was Naruto Uzumaki.

At that moment, he was playing with building blocks alone.

Perhaps because he could not stack them properly, he became upset and began crying loudly.

There was no one in the room.

He could only be left to cry and shout.

After a while.

The nanny, who had gone out to buy groceries, finally returned.

Hearing Naruto cry, she hurried into the room, picked him up, and soothed him.

Through the crystal ball.

Hiruzen could only see little Naruto's movements, but could not hear his cries. There was a faint trace of disgust in his eyes.