"Uchiha Itachi?" Uzumaki Tong furrowed his brows and asked in a doubtful, uncertain tone. Although Itachi had once been one of his favorite characters in the Naruto series, reality was different. Seeing him in real life, he couldn't quite believe it.
After all, anime is anime. Reality is reality. But upon closer inspection, the resemblance was undeniable. Still, in person, he seemed even colder… even cooler than in the manga.
Itachi gently tapped his forehead and said in an incredibly calm tone, "A crowd is starting to gather. Let's get out of here for now."
Only then did Uzumaki Tong and his mother realize that quite a few people had already gathered around. After all, the Uchiha were still one of the major clans in the village, though in recent years, they had been under heavy scrutiny by the higher-ups and were slowly being pushed away from the center of power.
Of course, ordinary citizens didn't know much about that. Even most ninjas weren't aware of the deeper politics.
Uzumaki Tong quickly responded, "Then let's go to my house—it's not far. Also, my eye needs to be treated."
He pointed helplessly at his injured eye. Though closed, it was still oozing a small trickle of blood. It was a truly pitiful sight.
Itachi glanced at Uzumaki Keiko and nodded. "You should get treated properly. The eyes are a ninja's most important weapon."
He walked forward without hesitation, picked Uzumaki Tong up onto his back, and followed Keiko in the direction of their home. As for the food stall—honestly, even if it was left unattended, no one would bother to steal anything from it.
Inside their small home, on a wooden tatami mat, Itachi let out a quiet breath as he looked at Uzumaki Tong, whose eye was now wrapped in bandages. He hadn't expected that Uchiha clansman to be so ruthless.
Tong's entire eyeball had blood vessels running wild, and it was clear that his vision had already started to blur. The normally calm, deep expression on Itachi's handsome face now carried a trace of anger.
"Thank you for your help, Lord Itachi," Uzumaki Keiko said with a deep bow. For such a poor family, treating an eye injury like this was not easy.
Without access to the specialized medical supplies only ninjas could afford, her son's eye might've been permanently damaged. Even now, she couldn't tell whether Tong could still see clearly.
"They… have they always bullied you like this?" Itachi asked quietly after taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
For some reason, Itachi's presence made Uzumaki Tong feel warm inside. Although his expression was still stoic and cool, there was something in him that felt… reassuring.
Emotions like these were bound to appear now and then. Especially after everything Itachi would go through in the years ahead—his ANBU training, his time as a double agent… and the eventual massacre of his clan. That's what shaped the Itachi of the future.
But right now, he did seem like a big brother.
Uzumaki Keiko opened her mouth to say something, but Tong stopped her. He curled his lips slightly into a calm smile and said, "I'm someone the Uchiha clan couldn't tolerate."
He pointed to himself and continued, "I'm the result of a failed experiment. One that also led to my father's death. All because he chose to protect my mother and me, we were cast out by the Uchiha clan."
"But in the end… what did we get in return?"
With his one good eye, he stared straight at Itachi and said again, "Even if you want to help us now… You don't have the power yet. Just like me, before I awaken the Sharingan, even if I'm top of my class in school, what does it matter? I was still taken down in one move by that chūnin."
Itachi was stunned. His hands clenched tightly, his whole body beginning to tremble.
But Uzumaki Tong wasn't done yet.
"Power… is alluring. Addictive. But let me ask you something, honestly—does the Uchiha clan still have the glory it once had?"
Itachi's eyes flashed, and in that instant, his Sharingan activated—two tomoe spinning in each eye—as he stared directly into Tong's.
"Oh? You've already awakened your Sharingan?" Tong asked calmly. "Then let me ask something more extreme: since they created me… why didn't they wait a few more years? What if I had awakened the Sharingan? What if, with a strong chakra foundation, I awakened a powerful version?"
He gave a low chuckle.
"The current Uchiha clan… seems a little too eager to seize back power, doesn't it?"
Keiko's eyes widened in shock—not just at Tong's thoughts, but also at his boldness. Speaking this way to the pride of the Uchiha clan?
What if Itachi got angry?
Even the chūnin from earlier wouldn't have dared talk to Itachi like this. And her son, just seven years old—how could he understand so much? How long had he been thinking about this?
She had never mentioned these things to him—not once!
"Do you… resent them?" Itachi didn't answer directly, instead asking a different question. His two-tomoe Sharingan now gazed at Uzumaki Tong with admiration.
Tong looked back at him and suddenly smiled. "If I said I didn't resent them at all, I'd be lying. But honestly… I don't blame anyone. My father left the Uchiha compound for us. My mother raised me all these years without ever complaining. If anything, I'm grateful to them."
"But still…"
"You're about to bring up the Uchiha's current problems, aren't you?" Itachi's eyes sharpened again.
Tong couldn't help but find it a little amusing.
You're starting to think about these issues… but you haven't fully processed them yet, have you? No matter how talented you are…
Right now, you still don't have that kind of power.
He shook his head and said softly, "But at least… I'm still alive."
When Itachi heard those words, he visibly froze.
Then, without warning, he stood and walked out of the house. Just as he was about to disappear, he muttered:
"Thanks… for reminding me I'm still alive."
And with that, he vanished from view.
Though Uzumaki Keiko still looked a little nervous, the moment Itachi left, she hugged Tong tightly.
"Why… why didn't you tell me anything? Our little Tong… you've grown up, huh?" she said, letting out a quiet laugh.
Wrapped in his mother's arms, Tong closed his eyes. In that moment, he was just a child again—just a child being held by his mother's warmth.
Then suddenly, a crisp but mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
"System initialization complete. Would you like to activate your first spin on the roulette wheel?"
He froze for a moment. Out of habit, he answered, "Activate!"
And just like that, an image appeared in his mind, just like those old-school slot machines he used to play with in his past life.
Red and green lights flashed rapidly. Then, with a ding, the lights stopped inside one of the squares.
"Tong? Are you okay?" Keiko called out, noticing her son frozen in place.
Just as she was about to ask again, Tong suddenly leapt out of her embrace and stood firmly on the floor like a statue.
A few seconds later, he burst into laughter, just like a child who had suddenly found treasure. His eyes shone with excitement, filled with the confidence of someone who had just taken a step toward becoming stronger.
At the same time, down by the riverside, Itachi stood motionless, staring at the water. His expression was full of hesitation and confusion.
"What's on your mind, Itachi?" came a gentle voice from behind him.
A figure stepped forward and sat beside him. Itachi remained seated, unmoving.
"Shisui… do you think the Uchiha clan is right or wrong right now?" Itachi asked in a low voice, without turning around.
Shisui paused, then chuckled softly and ruffled Itachi's hair. "Who cares? Let's just enjoy the little peace we have for now. And if that peace ever needs protecting… I'll do whatever it takes."
As the sun set, the two of them sat in silence, watching the river flow gently by…