Bearing the Uchiha Name!

Inside the Uchiha Compound.

Uchiha Sasuke was happily enjoying a delicious meal.

Mikoto Uchiha watched Sasuke from the side, a thoughtful look on her face.

Meanwhile, several people with grave expressions had gathered in Fugaku Uchiha's study.

Fugaku Uchiha, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Nagasawa, Uchiha Natsume, and Uchiha Shisui.

"Clan head, although we shouldn't interfere with Sasuke's choice of friends..."

"But... that's Uzumaki Naruto..."

After a moment of silence, Uchiha Nagasawa spoke up.

As Fugaku's loyal supporter and the captain of the Military Police Force's First Division, every one of Nagasawa's thoughts and words came from the perspective of the clan.

As the second son of the Uchiha Clan's head, Sasuke's actions would often draw the High Command's attention and even reflect on the Uchiha Clan.

The Uchiha Clan had only just finished moving the compound, and now the clan head's second son was getting close to the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.

This would undoubtedly stir the wariness and attention of many people in the village.

For the Uchiha as things stood, this clearly had serious drawbacks...

"Nagasawa's right."

"Lord Sasuke should be more cautious in his words and actions."

"What happened today can be dismissed as a child's caprice, or as him being tsundere and wanting to stand out from the others."

"But, clan head..."

Uchiha Natsume was a member of the hard-line faction.

He didn't want Sasuke getting close to Naruto at a time like this, either.

If those Anbu started keeping an eye on him, it would be a real headache...

"Father... Clan head, Sasuke has only just left the clan compound, so as for the outside world..."

"Enough. I understand."

"If this is just about Sasuke, then we can set it aside for now."

"If there's nothing else, you may leave."

Before Itachi could finish, Fugaku cut him off.

He still didn't understand his second son.

Especially lately, Sasuke had changed quite a bit, both in talent and temperament.

Until he understood what had caused these changes, Fugaku wasn't going to interfere with Sasuke's actions.

"Understood, clan head."

"But..."

Nagasawa nodded and stood, preparing to leave.

He also pulled Natsume along, who had been about to speak again.

Uchiha Shisui said nothing. After respectfully bowing, he too left Fugaku's study.

"Are you puzzled?"

"Or do you think something like this will cause trouble for the clan?"

"Or perhaps... make Konoha's High Command unhappy?"

Seeing the puzzled look on Uchiha Itachi's face, Fugaku let his displeasure show.

As someone the clan had placed near Konoha's High Command, Itachi's performance had left something to be desired.

Then there was Uchiha Shisui's attitude, and Itachi's relationship with Shisui.

Most importantly, his second son now had extraordinary talent as well.

Taken together, these things had subtly changed Fugaku's attitude.

"No, Father. I'm just worried about Sasuke..."

"Focus on your own duties."

"The clan needs you to take action..."

Fugaku waved a hand as he spoke.

"Go."

"And tell Sasuke to come to my study after dinner."

Having finished speaking, Fugaku picked up the files on his desk and began reviewing them.

As head of the Military Police Force, he had plenty to deal with every day.

Seeing this, Itachi had no choice but to leave for now.

Since he couldn't get a solution from his father, he could still handle the problem in his own way.

After all, that was his little brother!

By the time Itachi went looking for Sasuke, Sasuke was already training on the training ground.

Even his first day at school hadn't dampened his resolve to grow stronger.

Seeing Sasuke like this, Itachi briefly forgot what he'd come to do.

"Brother, could you stop staring at me like that?"

"Got some free time today, so you're here to train with me?"

Sasuke stopped training and looked at Itachi with disdain.

As far as he remembered, Itachi had been swamped with missions lately.

Partly, Hiruzen Sarutobi was testing his abilities. At the same time, they wanted to remove Itachi from the Uchiha Clan's center of power.

That would make him easier to control later.

That was why Itachi hadn't been in the village when Danzo moved against Shisui.

By the time Itachi rushed back, everything had already been settled.

"Next time, I definitely..."

"Um, Father wants you to go to his study."

"I have a mission. When I get back, I'll definitely spend some proper time training with you."

Itachi had been about to promise that he'd make it up to Sasuke next time.

But Sasuke's scornful look stopped him short, and he could only awkwardly pass along Fugaku's message.

"I know."

Sasuke gathered his things and headed out of the training ground.

"Brother, I don't agree with some of Shisui's choices."

"If you start out heading in the wrong direction, then no matter how hard you try, things won't turn out well."

Sasuke left him with those words, then slowly disappeared from Itachi's sight.

"Shisui?"

Itachi was confused.

But with a mission to attend to, he didn't think about it any further and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.

Inside Fugaku Uchiha's study.

"Father."

Sasuke sat down in front of Fugaku and addressed him respectfully.

"Why did you approach that boy?"

Fugaku didn't waste words and got straight to the point.

"Because I like him."

"And there's something about him that nobody else has."

"As for that talk about him being the son of the Demon Fox, I don't believe it."

Sasuke gave a simple explanation.

But when he mentioned Naruto, Sasuke's eyes visibly brightened.

He hadn't continued tempering his body with Lightning Style chakra today because his body had reached its limit.

More tempering wouldn't help him meet the system's requirements.

So Sasuke was eager to give Naruto another jolt.

He wanted to find a way to push his body beyond its limits at his age.

But hearing this explanation left Fugaku stunned.

After all, a five-year-old wanting to be friends with another child...

Didn't need a reason.

Had he... been overthinking it?

"Sasuke, I have a question."

"If a rift opened up between the clan and the village..."

"How would you choose?"

Fugaku asked him the same question he'd once asked Itachi.

Itachi's answer back then had been: I'll become a bridge between the clan and the village, and mend the rift with my own efforts.

It was the sort of answer one was expected to give, but it wasn't the answer Fugaku wanted to hear.

"A rift?"

"I don't have a choice, do I? I'm a member of the Uchiha, too."

"I am now, and I always will be!"

Sasuke's answer was resolute.

For once, a smile appeared on Fugaku's face as he listened.

That's right. They were Uchiha...

They were Uchiha now, and they always would be!

So if a rift appeared, every Uchiha needed to be prepared to make that choice!