Uchiha Itachi

Uchiha Itachi looked at Uchiha Hui, who had appeared at his front door.

Was he a stranger?

As his father's younger brother, he certainly wasn't a stranger.

But could they be called close?

That was absolutely out of the question.

Ever since Itachi could remember, this uncle had often opposed his father. As for the last time he had visited, Itachi could no longer remember exactly when it had been, but it was definitely years ago!

What was he doing here?!

Uchiha Itachi was full of questions, but more than that, he wanted to get away from Uchiha Hui's hand. Having his head patted was an intimacy reserved for his parents, and Uchiha Hui clearly wasn't one of them.

He stubbornly took half a step back.

Uchiha Itachi stared warily at Uchiha Hui, his lips pressed tightly together, without saying a word.

Seeing this, Hui withdrew his hand and took another look at his nephew.

How old was Itachi now?

Uchiha Hui couldn't remember, but he guessed the boy was no older than seven. Judging by his young appearance, he probably hadn't begun his life as a "genius" yet, nor had he officially entered his "thinking like a Hokage" phase.

Of course, his quiet demeanor showed that Uchiha Itachi, who had been taken to the battlefield at four and witnessed the uncertainty of life and death, was already far more mature than others his age.

"From the look on your face, you don't seem very happy to see me!"

Uchiha Hui bent slightly to look at Uchiha Itachi, his hands tucked casually into his pockets. His tall frame suddenly radiated an aura that was overwhelming to Itachi, and a heavy pressure instantly bore down on the boy.

"W-what are you going to do?!"

Uchiha Itachi instantly tensed. He held one hand across his body and planted his feet one ahead of the other, ready to spring into action at any moment. Out of the corner of his eye, he instinctively glanced at the house a short distance behind him.

Inside the house.

His mother was busy, and his newborn brother had just fallen asleep.

He would never let someone like Uchiha Hui hurt the family he cherished, even if it cost him his life!

"Heh!"

Uchiha Hui chuckled.

Clearly, Uchiha Fugaku hadn't returned yet, so Uchiha Itachi was nervous about his visit. The boy had even adopted a stance that left him ready to fight at any moment.

Come to think of it.

Uchiha Hui himself was only a Chunin, and a rather questionable one at that. If he hadn't awakened his Sharingan, he might still have been languishing as a Genin.

Even so, his current strength was enough to make him a "formidable enemy" to Uchiha Itachi.

One glare was enough to freeze Uchiha Itachi in place?!

Uchiha Hui couldn't help recalling a saying: one glare from Orochimaru had nearly robbed Kakashi of the ability to fight, while one glare from Uchiha Itachi had nearly made Orochimaru "kill himself on the spot." And now, one glare from him had Itachi on the verge of charging at him with the resolve to die...

This really was fun!

Uchiha Hui hadn't expected his nephew to be so easy to provoke.

"Itachi! Who's here?"

Just as Uchiha Itachi was drenched in sweat, a voice came from inside the house behind him. Then an elegant-looking woman wearing an apron stepped outside.

"Oh, Hui!"

Uchiha Mikoto smiled when she saw Uchiha Hui, looking genuinely delighted. She hurried over. "Fugaku said this morning that you'd be coming home for dinner. I didn't expect it really would be you!"

Uchiha Mikoto knew Uchiha Hui well. For certain reasons, this younger brother had grown distant from Fugaku, his older brother, but now their relationship seemed to be easing. That was clearly a good thing!

"Itachi! How can you look at your uncle like that? Haven't you greeted him yet? Go on, say hello. You know, Hui held you himself when you were first born. He even gave you your very first present when you turned one month old!"

Uchiha Mikoto had clearly noticed the atmosphere between Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Hui. She turned toward Itachi with a displeased expression, a note of reprimand in her voice.

Even though Uchiha Hui had often caused trouble for Fugaku within the clan over the years, neither of them had ever resented him. They had always been forgiving.

"Mikoto."

Uchiha Hui greeted his sister-in-law softly, then discreetly looked her over. This Uchiha lady had an intelligent face and gentle features, while her figure still retained just the right amount of fullness from having recently given birth to Sasuke...

No wonder there had been so many doujinshi in my previous life... ahem!

Uchiha Hui promptly stopped his wandering thoughts. Having absorbed fragments of his predecessor's memories, he felt some fondness for Uchiha Mikoto. Unlike Fugaku, toward whom those memories were full of resentment, even his predecessor had never thought ill of this sister-in-law.

"U-Uncle!"

Under Uchiha Mikoto's stern gaze, Uchiha Itachi slowly relaxed. Apparently, he had realized that this uncle he hadn't seen in so long wasn't here to cause trouble, but had been invited over for dinner.

That also explained why his mother had started cooking so early and had even bought plenty of fresh fish and beef, things they rarely ate.

"Good boy!"

Uchiha Hui was quite satisfied with Uchiha Itachi's reluctant "Uncle." He just wondered whether that "Uncle" might make the boy go a little easier when he wielded a blade in the future.

He couldn't help making that snide remark to himself.

"I never thought Itachi would be this big already. He's so cute!"

Uchiha Hui praised him again, then, under Uchiha Mikoto's slightly surprised gaze, reached out and pinched Uchiha Itachi's slightly chubby cheeks, tugging at them as though they were marshmallows.

Uchiha Itachi covered his cheeks and stared at Uchiha Hui, apparently taking it quite personally.

But Uchiha Hui, who was now walking toward the main room with Uchiha Mikoto, clearly didn't notice. He wouldn't have cared anyway.

"It's been so long since I last saw you, Hui. You've changed a lot, too. You seem to have grown even stronger?"

Uchiha Mikoto had once been a ninja as well, though she hadn't been assigned to combat duties. She had worked in logistics, or more specifically, the Sealing Support Division. However, her status as an Uchiha had limited her opportunities for further advancement. After Itachi was born, she had happily returned to family life and given up her ninja career.

Her senses, however, were still keen.

Uchiha Hui was a little surprised by his sister-in-law's perceptiveness, though he showed none of it. He wasn't sure whether it was his predecessor's influence or the Uchiha soul at work, but even when he consciously tried to show more expression, his face couldn't help remaining cold.

At least he no longer looked gloomy.

That seemed to count as progress.

"I'm not particularly gifted as a ninja. If I want to gain more strength, I can only start with the basics. After all, the Uchiha's Sharingan also provides a substantial advantage in Taijutsu."

Uchiha Hui offered a simple explanation.

He had integrated Shikotsumyaku into his body.

His physique was now much stronger than before, and he looked considerably more muscular as a result. Fortunately, the change wasn't too obvious. Anyone who didn't know him well probably wouldn't notice.

Uchiha Mikoto didn't press him about his answer. She brought Uchiha Hui inside and had him sit down, served him a cup of hot tea, and brought out some sweets. Then she called Uchiha Itachi over to keep him company before excusing herself and returning to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Uchiha Hui looked at Uchiha Itachi, who had sat down directly opposite him, and another mischievous smile spread across his face.

"Itachi, have you started school yet?"