Unnecessary Power

If one day you meet a girl who has eyes only for you, would you… snatch all her three-colored dango? Not even letting the taiyaki in her snack bag escape.

Beiyuan stared blankly at their interaction…

After not seeing them for a while, Uchiha Izumi couldn't stop talking about the Ninja Academy, and the little boy couldn't stop eating. He squinted, nodding occasionally, it was unclear if he was agreeing with Izumi or savoring a dessert he hadn't enjoyed in a long time…

The smiles on both their faces never stopped… In just one afternoon tea, their relationship made Beiyuan feel like an eyesore. Is the cub trying to charm the cabbage?

Uchiha Izumi watched Itachi wipe his mouth, her eyes curving as she said, "Itachi-kun, I'll become a ninja soon… I really want to grow up faster…"

The response she received was Uchiha Itachi's burp; he was full.

"Izumi…"

Before they parted, the little boy looked into Uchiha Izumi's eyes, wanting to say more, but in the end, he stopped. He just said solemnly, "Thank you."

Beiyuan: "Caw…"

What kind of move is this! Hopeless…

Do you like Uchiha Izumi… or the three-colored dango she's holding? Beiyuan wasn't used to Itachi's taciturn nature; it preferred the cub to speak his mind.

"The three-colored dango Izumi brought was delicious," Uchiha Itachi replied after careful consideration. "I might not like it when others buy it for me in the future."

"…Caw…"

Beiyuan didn't offer any opinions but suddenly posed a question: what about Shisui? Hearing his friend's name, Uchiha Itachi bit his lip in distress: "…"

Beiyuan cheerfully nudged his arm: "Caw…"

After all, besides the two of them, no one else had ever bought it for you… To be honest, I'm finding the act of twisting the knife increasingly interesting.

Apart from Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Izumi, not even Mikoto and Fugaku had noticed Itachi's preferences.

The little boy hid his picky eating habits very well because Fugaku wanted him to be the pillar of the family or clan in the future… According to Konoha's rules, when a person becomes a ninja, they are expected to bear responsibility.

Beiyuan was not a ninja.

It saw Uchiha Mikoto watering flowers in the yard and quickly pounced, rushing towards Sasuke, who was toddling around near Mikoto… The little brat had managed to take a few steps in such a short time… He was still crawling on the floor when they left Konoha.

The moment he saw the crow, Sasuke, standing on his short legs, reached out to grab the crow's wing. His body, which was struggling to maintain balance, instantly lost it, and he fell to the ground with a thud…

The little brat burst into tears on the spot, feeling wronged…

(_)…

"Sasuke, why… Beiyuan?"

Uchiha Mikoto, who had been looking at her younger son, suddenly beamed with a smile. Then, helplessly, she grabbed the crow and placed it on her shoulder, bending down to help Sasuke up…

A pair of small arms reached out and picked up Sasuke first. Uchiha Itachi's expression was identical to Mikoto's: "Are you trying to pick a fight with Sasuke as soon as you get back…"

"Caw!"

Beiyuan's red eyes remained fixed on the sobbing Sasuke. It clearly wanted to tell the little brat how much it missed… bullying him!

"Well… it's still the same as always!" Uchiha Mikoto said with a smile, supporting Beiyuan's wobbly wings, and asked softly, "Itachi, did you just return to the village?"

"Mhm… No more crying, Sasuke…" Uchiha Itachi coaxed his younger brother to calm down, then looked at his mother. "We just came from the Hokage-sama. Mom, Dad isn't home yet?"

A hint of worry appeared on Mikoto's face. She forced herself to suppress her emotions and nodded. "There's a clan meeting at the Naka Shrine today… they might be a bit late…"

"Then I'll take Sasuke to the shrine to wait for Dad to come back together!" Uchiha Itachi placed Sasuke on his shoulders, and the little brat clapped his hands joyfully, laughing…

Uchiha Mikoto looked at the crow on her shoulder in surprise and smiled. "Huh? Beiyuan, aren't you going with them?"

The crow opened its beak and yawned, shaking its head… It had had enough of roughing it. After returning, it just wanted a good night's sleep.

Uchiha Mikoto watched the crow stagger towards the bedroom and could only call out from behind, "If it's a bit later, it'll be dinner time. Don't sleep too long…"

Beiyuan didn't sleep comfortably. In its drowsy state, it felt something pressing on it, and it seemed like a small hand was pulling its feathers…

Beiyuan's red eyes gradually opened, and it saw Uchiha Sasuke looking at it with innocent eyes, still clutching a feather from its head.

Caught red-handed, Sasuke suddenly called out, "Bed…"

Beiyuan, groggily confused about the situation: "…"

Beiyuan simply grabbed Sasuke's collar with its beak and carried the little brat to the main hall…

Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi, father and son, sat at the table in silence, neither speaking to the other. It was unclear what had happened between them; perhaps they had just finished a conversation…

"Sasuke, come over here…"

Upon seeing his brother return, Uchiha Itachi smiled and rescued Sasuke from Beiyuan's beak. "Sasuke is amazing! You managed to wake Beiyuan up!"

"Caw…"

Beiyuan glanced at him, as if it often overslept…

Uchiha Mikoto peeked out from the kitchen, looking at the father and son sitting rigidly at the table with a slight smile. "Are you done talking? It's time for dinner! Itachi, can you help?"

Her eyes were slightly red, as if she had been crying… It was likely that the father and son at home had had some sort of argument.

As expected, has everything happened earlier than it should have?

Beiyuan speculated inwardly. In the original timeline, Uchiha Fugaku wanted Uchiha Itachi to obtain information about the village from the Anbu… but now that Itachi had become Jiraiya's disciple, he had the opportunity to directly contact the village's high-ranking officials.

Given Uchiha Itachi's personality, especially Jiraiya's dedication during his absence, it had also occupied a significant place in Itachi's heart.

Perhaps I should have a good talk with Itachi tonight...

"I'm sorry, Mikoto, I don't have much of an appetite tonight." Uchiha Fugaku suddenly stood up, put on his wooden sandals, and left the main hall.

Uchiha Mikoto and Itachi's expressions froze.

Before leaving, Fugaku paused for a moment and then said in a low voice, "Itachi, I don't want to do this either... As your father, I will never hurt you."

"I understand." Uchiha Itachi lowered his head, his expression unreadable. All that could be seen was a somberness beneath his ninja headband. "Dad, I don't need this cursed power to become a strong ninja."

A pair of black wings unfurled silently from his back. The family didn't even notice Itachi's transformation. Beiyuan watched him in astonishment...

Since when could a cub independently activate Sage Mode?

No, no, what exactly happened that required him to activate Sage Mode at home to show Uchiha Fugaku his power?

It's cold, stay warm and protected from the cold