A True Man Shouldn't Stay Beneath Others Forever

As Jiraiya was getting ready to leave,

Hyuga Hiashi, lying beside him behind a curtain, was keeping his eyes shut and doing his best to pretend to be asleep.

I didn't hear anything. I didn't hear a thing. Please don't notice me!

Just ignore me!

After all, if Sarutobi Hiruzen's words from just now got out, they would cause a huge uproar and inevitably stir up trouble between the village and the clans.

And it would be bad if the summoning beasts of the Three Great Sage Regions found out, too. It might even spark a conflict between them and the village.

As the person who had heard something so important, how could Sarutobi Hiruzen possibly let him off easy?

But just as Hyuga Hiashi was praying in his heart,

Jiraiya, who usually left through the window, unexpectedly went out through the door—and spotted Hyuga Hiashi pretending to be asleep.

"Hiashi, why are you here too?"

Hyuga Hiashi didn't dare say a word. In his heart, he cursed Jiraiya a hundred, a thousand times. Why'd you have to call me out when I wasn't bothering anyone? Got nothing better to do?

Jiraiya had no idea what Hyuga Hiashi was thinking. Instead, as he watched Hiashi continue pretending to sleep, a happy thought suddenly crossed his mind.

When he'd taken Naruto to school today, Jiraiya had immediately seen how Hyuga Hinata, Hiashi's daughter, felt about Naruto.

What's more, Jiraiya could tell that Hinata was a better match for Naruto than that lovesick girl, Haruno Sakura. He also believed the two of them would eventually end up together.

Though that was what he thought, Jiraiya couldn't help thinking that things might have worked out between himself and Tsunade, too.

But considering that he might one day be Naruto's guardian and have to deal with Hiashi, Jiraiya decided to let him off the hook. Though, even if he did, it probably wouldn't make much difference now.

Oh well. There was nothing he could do to save him. Hiashi had just happened to be there. Jiraiya could only make his escape for now and hope that, if they ever became family, Hiashi wouldn't give him a hard time.

After Jiraiya left, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sitting on the hospital bed, narrowed his eyes as if he'd thought of something. He looked toward Hyuga Hiashi through the curtain and asked,

"Hyuga clan head, how much of what we just said did you hear?"

At Hiruzen's question, Hyuga Hiashi didn't dare keep pretending to sleep. His voice trembling slightly, he replied, "N-not much."

Sarutobi Hiruzen: "..."

A few days later

"You found your footing this quickly?"

Uchiha Fugaku asked as he looked at Uchiha Itachi, who had already managed to begin combining Senjutsu Chakra.

Itachi gave a slight nod.

Izumi Uchiha couldn't help feeling astonished. As expected of the clan's greatest genius.

Feeling the pressure Itachi put on her, Izumi silently resolved to work even harder.

"I'll catch up to you, Uchiha Itachi."

At that moment, Uchiha Itachi felt the powerful force flowing through his body and couldn't help feeling pleased with himself.

He began comparing his strength to that of his father, Uchiha Fugaku.

How much weaker am I than my old man now?

And when will I finally be able to stand on my own two feet? Then I'll take the clan head's position from him, kick him aside, and sit in his place.

After all, a true man shouldn't stay beneath others forever.

Besides, his father wasn't handling anything these days. He'd dumped it all on Izumi and him.

As Uchiha Itachi entertained that thought, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help sensing something similar.

This brat wants to surpass me?

He wants to take my position as clan head?

And he says I don't do anything? Does he have any idea where your Senjutsu came from?

Itachi, you've changed! You're no longer the innocent boy you used to be.

But... why do I have this feeling?

Itachi hadn't done anything in front of him.

Could I hear Uchiha Itachi's thoughts? Or could I hear the thoughts of everyone who trained in the Senjutsu I created?

Thinking this, Uchiha Fugaku decided to test it.

"Itachi, since you've learned Senjutsu, let's have a spar."

"The restaurant opens this afternoon, but there's still time for me to give you some pointers."

"What do you think?"

?????

Uchiha Itachi was stunned by those words.

What's gotten into my old man? Why does he suddenly want to give me pointers?

At the mention of pointers, Itachi couldn't help remembering how he'd been beaten down on the Night of the Clan Annihilation.

He hadn't even had the chance to use Susanoo before falling victim to Genjutsu.

But since his father had asked, Uchiha Itachi could only steel himself and quietly agree.

"Yes, Father."

Feeling Uchiha Itachi's thoughts again, Uchiha Fugaku finally confirmed that he could sense what Itachi was thinking.

The ability had appeared only after Itachi mastered the Senjutsu Fugaku had created.

But since Uchiha Itachi was his son, Uchiha Fugaku still wasn't sure.

He didn't know whether the ability only worked on his close blood relatives, or whether it worked on anyone who trained in the Senjutsu he'd created.

If anyone who trains in the Senjutsu I created gets this ability, then once everyone in the clan has learned it, no one will be able to hide their schemes from me.

But for now, he'd better teach this unfilial son who wanted to rebel against the natural order a lesson.

You think you can surpass me using the Senjutsu I created?

And you say a true man shouldn't stay beneath others forever?

Keep dreaming. Let your father help you face reality.

Uchiha Fugaku then took Uchiha Itachi and Izumi Uchiha to the training ground.

Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi stood facing each other at opposite ends of the training ground.

Seeing that Uchiha Itachi was ready, Uchiha Fugaku asked,

"Shall we begin?"

At Uchiha Fugaku's question, Uchiha Itachi, already prepared, nodded and replied,

"Let's begin."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Uchiha Itachi, who had already gathered Senjutsu Chakra inside his body, instantly entered Sage Mode and charged at Uchiha Fugaku.

He had also prepared a series of tactics.

Using his Sharingan, he tracked Uchiha Fugaku's every movement.

Uchiha Fugaku, who already knew what Uchiha Itachi was thinking, was prepared as well.

Just as Uchiha Itachi's fist was about to land, Uchiha Fugaku quickly dodged the attack.

As Uchiha Fugaku evaded, a glint flashed through Uchiha Itachi's eyes.

Then, suddenly, a second Uchiha Itachi appeared behind Uchiha Fugaku and attacked him.

Uchiha Fugaku played along with Uchiha Itachi's plan and dodged again.

The moment Uchiha Fugaku shifted his stance, a pair of Sharingan appeared before his eyes.

This, too, was part of Uchiha Itachi's plan—Genjutsu.

Though he knew his father, Uchiha Fugaku, had the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and couldn't be controlled by him, Itachi thought he could still affect him for a moment.

All he needed was those two seconds. With the power of Senjutsu, he could knock Fugaku down with a fist infused with Senjutsu Chakra.

But how could Uchiha Fugaku, who was already on his guard, fall for the Genjutsu?

Uchiha Itachi was tripped by Uchiha Fugaku and pinned beneath him.

"Your tactics were good, but you underestimated my Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan—and my vigilance."

Uchiha Fugaku wasn't about to reveal how easily he'd won.

If Itachi found out that Uchiha Fugaku could peek into his thoughts, he'd probably want to kill him.

And Fugaku's plan to revitalize the clan might fall apart, too.