"Father… Mother?"
Just returned from the graveyard, Sasuke pushed open the door to find his mother setting steaming dishes on the table, while his father sat on the sofa, sipping tea and watching TV.
Even his big brother was bustling around the living room with a mop.
Standing at the doorway, Sasuke inhaled the familiar aroma of ho-cooked food, listened to the sounds from the TV, and watched his brother doing chores.
For a fleeting mont, it felt like he had been transported back a month ago.
Back when their family was together like this, warm and united.
Everything felt so familiar.
Except there was no Kaito jumping out to call him stupid or asking his brother impossible either-or questions. There was no Father scolding the two brothers either.
During these days, he had claid he was fine on his own, but deep down, he yearned desperately for his family to be together again.
Sohow…
Ever since Kaito left, this household had beco… strange. Father and Mother would often disappear for days, and Big Brother not only spent less ti with him but also spoke far less.
Still…
The long-awaited reunion struck a chord in six-year-old Sasuke's heart. His eyes shimred with unshed tears, moisture swirling relentlessly.
He bit his lip hard to keep himself from looking weak.
"Sasuke, you're back?"
Mikoto picked up a cloth from the table, wiping her greasy hands. The smile she gave her youngest son blood like a spring flower—gentle and radiant.
"Wash your hands and eat."
"I even brought you so dango today. If you get hungry tonight, you can share them with your brother."
Even Fugaku, who usually scolded the kids for snacking too much, rely gave a quiet hum this ti, tacitly permitting his wife's doting.Itachi, holding a mop, paused for a few seconds upon hearing his mother's words, lost in thought.
Finally, he turned to his younger brother with a gentle smile. "Put your bag down first. Let's eat."
"We've been waiting for you."
"Yeah!"
Sasuke nodded vigorously, a few tears dampening the floor. He rushed into the room, wiped his face, and composed himself before forcing a smile and joining his family for this hard-earned dinner.
"By the way, Father…"
"Isn't the clan really busy lately?"
Sasuke glanced at his stern father. He knew the clan head was swamped with work but didn't dare ask directly what was going on. Then he looked at his brother.
"Nii-san… aren't you going on a mission today either?"
Hearing this, Itachi chuckled softly and patted his brother's head without answering directly.
Fizz—
Fugaku opened a bottle of beer, first pouring a glass for his eldest son before filling one for himself.
For the first ti, he directly answered Sasuke's question at the dinner table.
"Tomorrow, all the clan's shinobi will be deployed on a mission."
"Your brother will be going too."
Clink—
Without waiting to see if Itachi would drink, Fugaku lightly tapped his glass against the one in front of his eldest son and downed it in one go.
It was clear he was in an exceptionally good mood.
After all, nothing could make him happier than fighting alongside his eldest son.
Itachi stared at the glass in front of him for a full three seconds before finally raising his own to drink with his father.
Though Sasuke was dissatisfied, he rely muttered a small complaint under his breath, refusing to throw a tantrum and cause unnecessary trouble for his family.
"So that's how it is…"
"No wonder everyone ca ho today."
The three of them fell silent. The strict old man suddenly laughed and began rambling about taking care of themselves at ho. Mikoto simply listened quietly.
But Itachi, who adored his brother the most, remained unusually silent throughout.
Sasuke enjoyed the al, but once it was over, the thought of Kaito—who had been dead for so ti—made his heart ache again.
"Nii-san… I wish Kaito were here too…"
Leaning against Itachi's shoulder and gazing at the starry sky, Sasuke couldn't help but think of that annoying guy.
"If only… our whole family could be together every day."
Listening to his brother's naive wish, Itachi didn't respond directly. Instead, he changed the subject and spoke solemnly.
"Otouto, while we're away…"
"Take care of yourself."
"Of course! I can handle things on my own."
Not wanting to worry his brother, Sasuke's tone unconsciously took on a hint of Kaito's mannerisms as the image of his late friend flashed through his mind.
The two brothers talked for a long ti, sharing many words, until Sasuke drowsily fell asleep against Itachi. Glancing at his adorable little brother, Itachi lightly poked his forehead and whispered,
"Forgive , Sasuke… this is the last ti."
Then he looked up at the moon and murmured again.
"Sorry, Kaito…"
anwhile, the very Kaito that Itachi was thinking of—along with Uchiha Hikari—was walking through Agakure.
"Idiot, why are you just standing there?"
Hikari crossed her arms, glaring coldly at her dazed disciple from behind.Just monts ago, he had been talking about hurrying to Agakure, yet during the journey, his mind kept wandering. Every few minutes, he would glance back toward the Land of Fire.
Kaito frowned, took a deep breath, and stared in the direction of Konoha, his emotions suddenly complex.
Itachi...
What will you choose next...?
Standing there lost in thought, Kaito clenched his right fist tightly. He had already received news from the ninja cat Little Flower yesterday that Konoha would dispatch troops tomorrow.
And this timing...
Was extrely delicate.
Next, he had to ensure the Akatsuki Organization wouldn't collapse under the combined assault of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Nagato was indeed powerful, but...
At this point in ti, the Six Paths of Pain puppets were likely not yet completed. Combined with the toll of battle and the fact that Akatsuki mbers weren't fully assembled yet.
To save his family—even his entire clan—amidst this chaos and fake his death to leave Konoha, the prerequisite was that Akatsuki had to withstand the initial assault.
"It's fine, let's keep going."
Shaking off the tangled thoughts in his mind, he quickened his pace to catch up with his great-grandmother.
Originally, he had planned to use his teleportation ability to enter the village directly. But the mont he activated it, he realized there wasn't even a single dog in Agakure.
Clearly, Nagato had prepared for this.
Uchiha Hikari had never seen the brat so preoccupied before and couldn't help but glance at him a few more tis. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to ask directly, so she changed the subject instead.
"That... technique of yours..."
"How's your shurikenjutsu training coming along?"
"That's the Sword Control Technique!" Kaito corrected firmly, even sounding a little indignant.
During these days of training in swordsmanship with his great-grandmother, Kaito had finally mastered the Sword Control Technique he had longed for.
The technique was indeed powerful—when wielded, the swords seed to co alive, moving as effortlessly as his own limbs.
He could even achieve brief flight with it.
But...
When he actually used it, he encountered a serious problem.
With his current Qi Condensation stage cultivation, he could only control two kunai at once. The spiritual energy consumption was like turning on a faucet—his reserves drained rapidly.
And the Left and Right Guardians couldn't replenish his energy.
As for how he managed to fly...
He simply stepped on two kunai to ascend.
At full power, he could push the two kunai to their limits, creating trails of fire in the air and delivering devastating physical strikes at extre speeds.
He had tested the Sword Control Technique's full power before—forget the destructive force, just the distance alone allowed him to launch the kunai beyond the atmosphere.
Hearing the brat's nonsense again, Hikari closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to suppress the urge to smack him.
She really shouldn't have brought it up.
Just as the two stepped into Agakure's territory, Konan's figure suddenly appeared in the air above them, looking down at them coldly.
"Uchiha Kaito, state your purpose."
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