Gua, what do you think the meaning of life is?

"Dad, I'm going to the Back Mountain to climb with Itachi today."

Early the next morning, Gua told his father, Dashan, before getting ready to leave.

Dashan had wanted Gua to stay home and read some extracurricular books.

Mostly, his son's reckless approach to studying had frightened him. He had thought his son had only average talent and would be fine just growing up happy, but Gua seemed unwilling to settle for that. He insisted on working hard.

It gave him quite a headache as a father.

On the one hand, he feared Gua was being too hard on himself. On the other, Dashan worried that keeping Gua at home for too long would affect his mental well-being.

After all, at his age, he ought to be running around with other children.

In the end, Dashan did not force Gua to stay home. Instead, he reminded him, "Don't push yourself too hard with training, Gua. Understand?"

"Yeah, I understand."

Gua no longer intended to explain. No one would believe he had a cheat; everyone thought it was all the result of his hard work.

But I really haven't worked hard at all.

"Oh, and one more thing. Stay safe. Things haven't been peaceful lately. Even in the Uchiha Clan Compound, you need to be careful."

"Got it, Dad."

Gua left the house.

Dashan left as well.

The Police Force's patrol work could not stop.

The Back Mountain.

Gua arrived at the foot of the mountain to meet Itachi.

The Uchiha's Back Mountain was nothing like those towering mountains. It was more of a tall hill, though its summit was still nearly a hundred meters above the ground below.

That was enough to arrange an accident for Itachi.

Even if he was discovered, Gua had his Taijutsu and Ninjutsu to fall back on. He had no fear of Itachi fighting back.

If he went undiscovered and his assassination plan proceeded smoothly, however...

Then he could simply claim Itachi had lost his footing. Given the clan's fixed impression of him, no one would suspect a dullard like him of murdering the young clan heir.

Everything was flawless.

Today was the day Itachi would die.

I've waited six years for this moment.

"Gua, did you bring any food?"

As they climbed toward the summit, Itachi turned to ask Gua.

"I brought food pills."

Gua said.

"I brought some food. We can share it. The view from the summit is bound to be beautiful." Itachi smiled at Gua.

Even as a child, Itachi already had nasolabial folds. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed into tiny slits. He looked rather cute.

"Uh... sure."

Everyone gets a turn being the bastard. This year, it's mine.

Gua felt that the more Itachi said things like that, the more he himself seemed like the bastard.

This is completely backward!

Have I become the fucking villain?

Throughout the climb, Gua was a little distracted.

One reason was that he often left things running on autopilot, which did make him prone to zoning out. The other was that his mind was occupied with thoughts of Itachi.

So Itachi reminded Gua to be careful many times along the way.

Occasionally, he even reached back to give Gua a hand.

Gua did not need it, though. With his Taijutsu, climbing a mountain like this was easy even when he was distracted.

The two made their way to the summit.

It was noon by then.

Autumn had only just begun, and the weather was still very hot. Fortunately, the trees at the summit provided shade. Their enormous canopies blocked out the sunlight, leaving the boys a large, perfect spot from which to admire the scenery.

Sitting there, they could look down over the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Farther away, they could just make out Hokage Rock, though it was only a hazy outline.

The Hokage Building had dwindled to a tiny black dot in their field of view.

It was far too distant.

The Uchiha had been completely pushed out of the village.

Looking at the distant scenery, Gua inwardly shook his head and sighed.

The Uchiha really have rotten luck.

Life is hard, but you can't blame Konoha...

Who else am I supposed to blame, if not Konoha?!

Konoha had been marginalizing the Uchiha ever since the Second Hokage, even though the Uchiha had never done anything out of line.

Two men founded this village together, so how have the Uchiha become the outsiders now?

Gua could not help feeling indignant on the Uchiha's behalf.

With his father and mother around, Gua was different from those miserable orphan transmigrators who went around slaughtering people. His life among the Uchiha was warm, so he felt a fairly strong sense of belonging to the clan.

At that thought, Gua's gaze involuntarily shifted toward Itachi.

Anyone who kills my clansmen, I will kill in turn!

Gua had found himself a justification for acting that he could live with.

Itachi took out a cloth and unfolded it, revealing four square pastries, neither too big nor too small. He offered Gua one first.

Gua paused.

Then he accepted the pastry anyway.

He put it in his mouth. It was wonderfully crisp, the sort that shed crumbs, and filled his mouth with fragrance. The crust, fried in vegetable oil, kept his mouth watering.

He could even taste a hint of sweetness inside.

Gua found himself pleasantly surprised.

Before long, he had finished the pastry.

The pastry was delicious, and Gua had triggered some kind of passive effect: accepting someone's food made it harder to turn against them.

He needed to seriously consider whether he should attack Itachi.

Itachi had also finished a pastry. He seemed quite fond of them too, picking up a second while offering the only remaining one to Gua.

Gua accepted the pastry.

Food-induced reluctance passive: x2.

Still, the pastries really were delicious. Aunt Mikoto had probably made them.

When he got home, he could ask his mother, Nai, to try making some.

As for why he would not try making them himself, he was still a child. If he did not ask his mother to do things for him now, he would lose the chance as he gradually grew up.

Of course, another reason was that Gua was rather lazy.

The wind rustled through the surrounding treetops. The dappled spots of light on their bodies and around their feet swayed with it, drifting from Gua's feet to Itachi's, then back again.

At last, once Gua had completely digested both pastries...

Gua decided to forget the kindness he had received.

He was going to begin his plan to assassinate Itachi.

"Itachi, is there anything you want to say?"

Gua asked.

If Itachi had any last words, Gua thought he would remember them for him.

"Hm?"

Surprised, Itachi tilted his head to look at Gua from where he sat on the ground.

Gua met Itachi's gaze.

"Do wishes you make on a mountaintop really come true?" Itachi scratched his cheek, uncertain about the idea.

"Maybe. I've heard that during wars, comrades don't even have time to make wishes. All they can do is tell a tree, a mountain, or a river the things they've kept buried in their hearts all their lives. Then they die for no apparent reason."

Gua spoke in an even tone.

He had never witnessed a war, either in his previous life or this one.

So it really was just something he had heard-or read in certain extracurricular books.

Itachi smiled. Gua was talking more than usual today.

Then Itachi grew sad again.

War was a shadow he did not wish to speak of.

Itachi's expression turned solemn as he looked at Gua. Suddenly, a single tomoe spun into view in each of his eyes, tinged with scarlet.

Gua froze.

"The Sharingan?"

I still let my guard down.

Looking a little sorrowful, Itachi deactivated his tomoe-marked eyes.

Itachi regained his composure.

"Gua, you're right. The people on those battlefields never have a chance to speak of what's buried in their hearts. They just die for no apparent reason."

Itachi's voice carried sorrow.

"Gua, what do you think the meaning of life really is?"