Food had already been laid out in the Japanese-style room. Fugaku, Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi, and Sasuke were all seated, with a tableful of steaming breakfast before them.
Zongyan pushed the door open, settled into his seat, and quietly picked up his bowl and chopsticks to start eating.
Sasuke was especially excited that day. His little face brimmed with irrepressible energy, and he could not keep quiet even while eating, chattering away nonstop:
"Big brother, second brother! Today's the day I officially start at the Ninja Academy!"
He lifted his sparkling eyes, his voice full of enthusiasm and competitive spirit. "I can already use Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique really well!"
Ever since his earliest memories, Sasuke had lived beneath the dazzling brilliance of his two genius older brothers.
His eldest brother, Uchiha Itachi, had made a name for himself at a young age and possessed unparalleled talent;
although his second brother, Zongyan, was less famous than Uchiha Itachi outside the family, those in the family knew the truth: Zongyan's talent was even more extraordinary than Uchiha Itachi's.
With those two mountains looming over him, Sasuke's innate refusal to lose grew stronger by the day. He did not want to live in his brothers' shadows forever, so he kept doing extra training on his own, never slacking off even without anyone pushing him.
Precisely because of that drive, his foundations were now much more solid than at the same point in the original story, and he was considerably stronger too.
"Will you take me to the Ninja Academy today?"
Sasuke looked up, gazing hopefully at Uchiha Itachi and then Zongyan, with a child's immaturity. "I want both of you to take me there for my first day!"
Hearing his little brother's request, Uchiha Itachi nodded gently and agreed with a faint smile:
"All right. I have nothing to do today, so your second brother and I will take you."
Zongyan casually added, "Don't worry. We'll take you over after breakfast."
With their answer, Sasuke grew even more excited. He shoveled down his food while rambling about his upcoming training plans, his mind filled with thoughts of catching up to his brothers and becoming a top genius.
The atmosphere at the table was warm and lively. The usual rule against talking while eating or in bed had vanished amid the family's casual conversation.
After a while, Fugaku suddenly turned his gaze to Zongyan. His expression grew more serious as he brought up an important matter:
"You officially graduated from the Ninja Academy a little while ago, so your studies have reached a stopping point. What plans do you have for your training and development next?"
As soon as he said that, much of the room's lively atmosphere subsided, and everyone turned to Zongyan.
Only Uchiha Itachi remained composed, as though he had vaguely guessed something. In fact, with Zongyan's strength, he could have graduated early two years ago.
It would not even have been an exaggeration to say he could have graduated upon enrollment.
But he had kept using the Shadow Clone Technique to handle his schoolwork while his real body trained hard at home, because once he officially graduated, he would be placed on the Konoha Ninja duty roster, liable to be sent running around on missions at any time, with no time at all to train in peace.
Zongyan set down his bowl and chopsticks and slowly explained his plans:
"Now that I've officially graduated, I no longer have to divide my attention to deal with schoolwork. My idea is to join the Konoha Military Police Force."
Fugaku raised his eyebrows slightly, a little surprised:
"Are you sure? With your talent and strength, you could easily take on high-ranking missions and catch the attention of Konoha High Command. There's no need to confine yourself to the clan's police force."
Zongyan looked up at his father, his gaze clear but his tone firm:
"Father, the strength I've shown publicly is only at the Genin level. Besides, I don't want to work for Konoha High Command."
Beside him, Uchiha Itachi showed little reaction to those words, as though he had long since grown used to them.
He had seen from childhood that this younger brother of his had never had much affection for Konoha High Command.
"Duty in the Military Police Force is steady, and the work follows a regular routine. I can lie low without revealing my true combat strength while still having plenty of free time to keep training hard and honing myself. It suits me best at this stage."
Zongyan paused, his voice deepening as he spoke solemnly,
"I want to protect my family and the Uchiha. I want to become a blade the clan keeps hidden in the dark. A butcher's blade that, if Konoha dares strike at the Uchiha or hatch any schemes, can suddenly leave its sheath and crush every plot."
After those words fell, the entire room instantly sank into deathly silence.
Mikoto's pupils contracted slightly. She stared blankly at her usually calm and gentle second son, her face filled with disbelief.
She had never imagined that an eight-year-old child could harbor thoughts so sweeping and sharp.
Beside her, Sasuke also stopped eating and stared wide-eyed at his second brother in bewilderment. He only half understood, yet he could clearly feel the severity and edge in those words.
Even Uchiha Itachi, who had expected something, had a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
He had not expected Zongyan's plans to be far more uncompromising than he had imagined.
Fugaku stiffened slightly and gazed at his second son for a long time, shock surging through him.
He had thought Zongyan simply wanted to train in peace and develop quietly, never expecting that the child had already seen Konoha's undercurrents so clearly.
After a few seconds of silence, Fugaku let out a deep breath. All the surprise in his eyes faded, replaced by utter seriousness and approval.
He nodded firmly and gave his decisive assent. "Good. As your father, I approve of your choice."
With that, Fugaku turned toward the bewildered Sasuke beside him. His expression abruptly grew stern as he warned him gravely:
"Sasuke, you are not to mention a single word of anything discussed at this table today to outsiders. Whether they're classmates at school or clan members you know, you must not tell any of them. Do you understand?"
Startled by a seriousness he had never seen on his father's face before, Sasuke hurriedly dropped his playful expression and nodded hard:
"I-I understand! I won't say anything!"
A child's thoughts came and went quickly.
After Fugaku's stern warning, Sasuke behaved himself for only a little while before immediately putting that solemnity behind him. His face lit up with excitement again, his heart and mind filled with anticipation and excitement for his first day at school.
He quickly finished the rice left in his bowl, set down his bowl and chopsticks, and looked eagerly at Uchiha Itachi and Zongyan, urging them repeatedly:
"Hurry, hurry! Big brother, second brother, we should go! We'll be late if we wait any longer!"
The sight of their little brother's bustling energy instantly swept away the heavy atmosphere that had hung over the table.
Uchiha Itachi smiled helplessly and slowly stood.
Zongyan stood as well, casually adjusting the Murasame Sword's sheath hanging at his waist.
The two briefly said goodbye to their parents, then followed the exuberant Sasuke out of the Uchiha main residence.
As soon as they reached Konoha's main street, Sasuke seemed to become a different person.
The lively, restless energy he had shown at home vanished completely. He set his little face and lifted his chin, perfectly embodying the Uchiha Clan's signature cold aloofness, the very picture of a miniature iceberg.
Konoha's streets were fresh and clear in the early morning. Cherry blossoms drifted on the breeze, and new students heading to the Ninja Academy in groups were everywhere along the way, their chatter rising and falling.
Yet as soon as the three brothers stood there in their Uchiha clothing, the people around them all detoured as if by prior agreement, automatically leaving a ring of empty space around them.
It was as though some invisible repulsive field surrounded them.
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