Naruto: I Use Chakra to Upgrade Bloodline Limit Chapter 13

A round, chubby face was filled with an irrepressible smile.

After playing with Sasuke for a while, Itachi said, "Be good, Sasuke. I'm going to help Mother prepare dinner, so go play by yourself for now."

"Brother, you've only played with me for a little while." Sasuke looked aggrieved, tears seemingly swirling in his eye sockets.

"Come here." Once Sasuke drew near, Itachi used his right index finger to gently flick the boy's small forehead. "Be good. You've grown up now; you need to be sensible!"

Hearing Itachi say this, Sasuke felt wronged, but not knowing how to refute him, he had no choice but to go play with his ball alone.

Itachi entered the kitchen to help wash and prepare the vegetables.

Night soon fell.

Fugaku returned home, and being observant, he noticed his son's unusual behavior.

The meal was eaten in silence.

After dinner.

Fugaku called Itachi into the study.

Looking at Itachi, who was in low spirits, Fugaku sighed slightly.

"Losing to Genya today must be very hard for you to take, right?"

A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Itachi's mouth as he shook his head. "Genya is very strong. I am convinced of my defeat."

Itachi possessed a pride all his own.

To be defeated by the unknown Genya—it would be a lie to say he didn't feel bad.

Fugaku felt that if he didn't offer guidance, even if Itachi didn't give up on himself, it would greatly affect his training.

"Come here," Fugaku said.

After Itachi walked closer.

Fugaku pulled him into an embrace.

He stroked Itachi's head.

It was just like how Itachi stroked Sasuke's.

Fugaku encouraged him.

"Itachi, from childhood until now, your path has been too smooth. Today's failure might serve as a wake-up call. There is always someone better than you; only by courageously facing failure can you climb to the peak."

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

From childhood to adulthood, Fugaku had always been a stern father figure in Itachi's heart, never having shown such an intimate gesture as a hug.

At this very moment, Fugaku's actions deeply moved Itachi, and the gloom of today's failure was swept away.

"Father, I will work hard!"

A firm light gradually emerged in Itachi's eyes!

Itachi swore.

He would definitely become his father's pride!

At this moment.

Itachi had found the direction for his own path forward!

Chapter 14: Receiving the Report

The Hokage's office.

Hiruzen sat in his office chair.

He puffed on his pipe.

He was listening to an Anbu ninja's report regarding the recent situation with the Uchiha.

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

Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe and asked the Anbu Jonin who was reporting.

The Anbu Jonin had silver hair.

He wore a black mask and the standard black Anbu combat uniform, his expression extremely cold.

Kakashi Hatake replied, "Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Even though the person before him was the Hokage, he remained strictly professional, like a machine devoid of emotion.

Kakashi was a tragic figure.

At seven, his father, the White Fang of the Leaf, had chosen to end his life after being slandered by the village.

At twelve, during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, his good friend Obito Uchiha had unfortunately "died in battle" while saving him from Iwagakure Ninja.

Later, the schemes of Kirigakure led to Rin Nohara dying by his Chidori.

A year ago, during the Nine-Tails Incident, his teacher and his teacher's wife were killed in action.

Now, he was left all alone.

This directly resulted in Kakashi's personality becoming eccentric and cold.

Listening to Kakashi's report, a look of contemplation appeared on Sarutobi Hiruzen's wrinkled face.

The Sarutobi clan had previously considered venturing into the real estate industry, but they abandoned the idea after realizing the massive upfront investment and long return period required.

Other clans shared the same concerns, which is why they were also uninterested in the real estate sector.

The Uchiha actually wanted to develop real estate projects?

It was simply a case of grasping at straws in a panic!

A meaningful smile gradually emerged on Hiruzen's face.

He seemed to be able to foresee the desperate straits the Uchiha would be in once their real estate project went bankrupt.

When that time came, his Sarutobi clan could effortlessly acquire the project at a low price and make a huge profit.

Watching Hiruzen's strange smile, Kakashi felt puzzled, but being cold and detached, he did not ask further and continued his report.

"Besides that, complaints from villagers against the Uchiha have decreased recently, while complaints against the various other clans have increased."

"How did that happen?" Hiruzen frowned, sensing that this was not a good sign.

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

Regarding the various conflicts arising in the village, the Uchiha Military Police Force had adopted a policy of downplaying major issues and ignoring minor ones.

For matters they could avoid, they firmly stayed out of them.

For matters that required intervention, they handled them perfunctorily.

Whenever conflicts arose between the various clans and the villagers.

The Uchiha employed very gentle tactics.

They consistently played the peacemaker.

They secretly shifted the focus of the conflicts onto the various clans themselves.

In this way.

The various clans could not say much.

After all, they were the ones at fault in the first place.

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

The Uchiha Military Police Force had successfully extricated themselves from the conflicts.

Consequently, the various clans and the villagers had moved toward a state of opposition.

"That Fugaku is truly cunning!" Hiruzen cursed inwardly, then said to Kakashi.

"Pass a message to Fugaku Uchiha for me: from now on, all public security incidents in the village must have the responsible parties dealt with strictly."

Kakashi was stunned for a moment and said, "Lord Hokage, but... many of these security incidents are provoked by the Sarutobi clan; wouldn't that be problematic?"

Hearing Kakashi's reply.

Hiruzen fell silent.

Ever since Hiruzen became the Third Hokage, with him as their backing, many of his clansmen had indeed begun to act in an overbearing and arrogant manner.

Hiruzen sighed deeply and said, "Hold off on it for now."

Kakashi nodded, saying nothing more.

After the report concluded.

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

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

The Nine-Tails disaster a year ago, which saw the Fourth Hokage and his wife fall in battle, had caused Konoha to lose two super-powerhouses at once, along with a significant number of Jonin and Chunin.

After all, in the face of the Nine-Tails, no amount of Jonin or Chunin were enough to make a difference.

Even as strong as the Fourth Hokage and his wife were, they had sacrificed their lives to barely manage to split the Nine-Tails in two and seal it.

Of course, this was partly due to Kushina's weakened state after childbirth.

On the other hand, it was also due to the sheer power of the Nine-Tails.

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

Hiruzen had stepped up in a time of crisis to take back the reins of power.

Although regaining control was something worth being happy about.

It was just that the loss of Konoha's combat strength truly pained Hiruzen.

Fortunately, the Third Shinobi World War had already ended.

While conflicts occasionally broke out between the hidden villages from time to time.

They only resulted in the death of one or two ninja here and there.

To Sarutobi Hiruzen, this was of no great consequence.

They sacrificed themselves for the Will of Fire.

They are the heroes of the village.

They died for a worthy cause.

The village will remember them forever.

With Hiruzen's exhale.

A faint scent of tobacco began to permeate the office.

He returned to his seat and cast the Telescope Technique.

The figure of a small child appeared within the crystal ball on the desk; he looked to be about a year old, with a head of golden hair and faint markings on both of his fair cheeks.

Six Paths Markings!

The child was Naruto Uzumaki.

At this moment, he was playing with building blocks all by himself.

Perhaps because he couldn't build them properly, he began to cry out in frustration.

There was no one else in the room.

He was left to cry and wail on his own.

After a while.

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

Hearing Naruto's cries, she hurried into the room to pick him up and comfort him.

Through the crystal ball.

Hiruzen could only watch the movements of little Naruto, unable to hear the latter's cries, his eyes holding a trace of faint disgust.