Evening
"Fugaku, why hasn't Itachi come back yet?"
At Mikoto's reminder, Fugaku, who had been reading the Qi Refining Technique, realized that his eldest son still hadn't returned.
Fugaku suddenly remembered the arrangement he'd made. No way...
Had something happened?
If he really worked his eldest son to death, Sasuke aside, Mikoto alone might unlock her Mangekyou Sharingan on the spot and kill him.
The thought that he might get stabbed one night snapped him fully awake.
Then he rushed toward the training ground.
Meanwhile, Mikoto, busy in the kitchen, watched Fugaku hurry off again and couldn't help wondering,
"What's the matter with him now?"
All she'd done was ask a simple question.
By now, Itachi was so exhausted he'd lost consciousness, yet he continued doing push-ups.
Seeing Itachi unconscious but still doing push-ups, Fugaku couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He was still breathing. A packet of Body Nourishing Powder in a bath tonight should do the trick.
With that thought, Fugaku went over to him, knocked him out completely, and carried him back.
After all, Itachi had already lost consciousness. There was no way he could stop on his own.
When they got home, Fugaku ignored Mikoto and quickly used Fire Release to heat a barrel of water. Then he added the Body Nourishing Powder.
Only after it had been thoroughly stirred and dissolved did Fugaku put Itachi in the barrel.
Otherwise, after that much training today, Itachi would definitely suffer hidden injuries.
After positioning Itachi comfortably, Fugaku left to eat when Mikoto called him.
When he reached the dining room and saw the sumptuous Chinese meal in front of him, Fugaku couldn't help giving Mikoto a thumbs-up.
She really was the quintessential good wife and loving mother.
She'd learned the cooking techniques he'd taught her the day before yesterday, and already she was using them with ease.
Beside him, little Sasuke was drawn in by the aroma of the food and kept leaning over the table to sniff around.
Noticing that one person was missing, Mikoto asked,
"Fugaku, where's Itachi?"
Hearing Mikoto's question, Fugaku obviously couldn't tell her that he'd worked Itachi to the point of unconsciousness.
So he could only give her a vague answer.
"Itachi was too tired, so he's resting in his room."
????
Mikoto looked at Fugaku suspiciously, then asked,
"Are you sure?"
Fugaku answered immediately,
"Let's not disturb him for now. We'll save him a portion."
"Let's eat first. Don't worry, I'll take his food to him later."
Only after hearing that did Mikoto relax.
The three of them started eating.
"Sasuke, was your taijutsu training tiring today?"
"No. I'm Sasuke Uchiha!"
"..."
After they finished eating, Fugaku carried a plate of food he'd set aside into Itachi's room.
He placed the food nearby and went back to reading the Qi Refining Technique, deciding to put in overtime tonight.
Honestly, although Fugaku hadn't understood a single thing in the Qi Refining Technique over the past few days, his Sharingan's copying ability had let him memorize about half of it.
Once he'd memorized the whole thing, he could use the Enlightenment Tea to begin his cultivation.
Some time later,
Itachi slowly woke up in the wooden tub.
Wasn't I doing taijutsu training at the training ground?
How did I end up here?
Itachi could feel that his body was exhausted and weak.
But after checking himself, he found that the strains caused by his training had somehow healed.
As Itachi wondered what had happened, the sound of Fugaku turning a page nearby caught his attention.
Itachi looked over and saw his father sitting beside him, reading and keeping him company.
He immediately understood how he'd gotten back.
I didn't expect my father, Fugaku, to remember me after all.
(Fugaku: If it weren't for your mother, I really would've forgotten.)
Itachi was just about to climb out of the tub when Fugaku, absorbed in memorizing the Qi Refining Technique, noticed the movement.
The moment Fugaku looked over, Itachi darted back into the tub like a startled rabbit.
Seeing this, Fugaku understood what he was afraid of and said with a smile,
"I'm your father. What are you trying to hide?"
"And don't forget who took your clothes off and put you in the tub."
Even so, Fugaku obligingly turned around.
After all, being unconscious wasn't the same as being awake.
Once Fugaku had turned away, Itachi slowly stood up and got dressed in the blink of an eye.
Hearing the movement, Fugaku realized he was dressed.
Then he said,
"Itachi, you must be hungry. I set some food aside for you over there. Go ahead and eat."
Itachi's stomach rumbled at just the right moment.
He didn't hesitate and went to sit down in front of the plate.
But looking at the food in front of him, Itachi felt a little puzzled.
What kind of food is this? Why have I never eaten anything like it before?
Still, my father brought it, so it should be safe to eat, right?
Well, my father wouldn't poison me, would he?
After hesitating for a moment, Itachi picked up the rice and started eating with the food.
As soon as it entered his mouth, he experienced an unfamiliar taste.
It was a little salty, but it tasted pretty good.
Itachi quickly ate everything, replenishing the energy he'd used up during the day.
Once he'd finished his meal, Itachi quietly put away his bowl and chopsticks. Watching Fugaku read with such concentration, his thoughts began to wander.
How many times has Father shown this much concern for me?
The first time?
Or the second?
He always seemed busy. He could remember anything about the clan, but he couldn't remember a single one of my wishes.
But...
He really does seem different lately. I can't quite explain it, but I feel as if he's become someone else.
If he hadn't unconsciously kept his old habits, and if he weren't the owner of the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, I would've thought someone had taken control of him.
But perhaps he changed after resolving the problems between the village and the clan.
Maybe the clan's affairs had put too much pressure on him.
If you hadn't been the clan head back then, would I have had to make that choice?
But now everything has changed. Things haven't taken the worst possible turn.
And this version of Father is pretty good, too.
Before you continue