During the day, Naruto trained Sasuke while using Shadow Clones as a cheat to further refine the Flying Thunder God Technique and the Rasengan.
At night, he'd mess around and chat with Kurama at home, gradually earning the trust of this life-bound partner. Combined with his usual home–training ground–home lifestyle, Naruto's days lately had been fulfilling and rich in flavor.
At the same time, Sasuke, who had also put aside childish distractions to devote himself to serious training, returned home exhausted every night. But his steadily growing skills earned more and more praise from his father, Uchiha Fugaku.
The long-desired acknowledgment from his father filled Sasuke with motivation, and he poured even more effort into his training—forming a healthy, if slightly painful, cycle of hard work and reward.
Of course, Sasuke's rapid growth, which he didn't even try to hide—in fact, he flaunted it—didn't just impress his father, who proudly marveled at his progress.
It also drew the attention of his older brother, Uchiha Itachi, who had recently returned from a mission.
This development was exactly what Naruto had expected… Or rather, it was the reason he hadn't stopped Sasuke from showing off in the first place—he was using him to bait the big fish: Uchiha Itachi.
With Sasuke's diligence and the resources he now had access to, Naruto was confident that if things continued at this pace, Sasuke could reach jōnin or even near-Kage-level strength by the time the Chūnin Exams rolled around at age twelve.
But since Naruto had decided to preserve Sasuke's cheerful and sunny personality, then creating a chance for himself to meet Itachi—whose future actions would one day decide the fate of the ninja world—was absolutely necessary.
Itachi wasn't just the key to whether the Uchiha Clan Massacre could be avoided… No, Naruto was determined to change Uchiha Itachi's fate no matter what.
To keep the village safe, Itachi had slaughtered his own clan, including his parents, just so Sasuke could live peacefully in the village.
He was a hero who prevented a civil war, yet he was forced to bear the shameful title of a cold-blooded traitor for the rest of his life.
He deliberately guided Sasuke toward awakening the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, turning all of Sasuke's pure trust and admiration into hatred powerful enough to evolve his eyes.
All while hiding the truth—that he'd always loved and protected Sasuke—so that in the end, they'd fight to the death… and he could smile as he died in front of his little brother.
From his defection to their final battle, everything had gone according to Itachi's plan. He had taken most of the risks on Sasuke's behalf and chosen what he believed was the most correct path forward. It looked like everything he did was for Sasuke's sake—but he never once considered…
The Sasuke who had grown up always by his side—if he lost Itachi and then found out the truth, could he really smile again?
…
"Fwaah! I'm full… Mom! Did you pack my ration pills and bento like I asked?"
As usual, Sasuke wolfed down the delicious feast his mother had prepared. With his cheeks shiny from oil and a satisfied belly, he patted his round little tummy and called out sweetly to his mom, who was still busy in the kitchen.
"Almost done. Just rest a little, Sasuke."
In the kitchen, Mikoto Uchiha was packing side dishes into a compact, well-balanced bento box. She answered dotingly while wiping the sweat from her forehead and immediately moved on to the next dish without missing a beat.
"Three… three servings' worth of breakfast… You've really started eating more lately, haven't you?"
Seeing his youngest son getting up early and training without needing to be scolded or watched, Uchiha Fugaku's heart swelled with pride.
His attitude toward Sasuke had grown more relaxed and gentle; no more stern, stoic glares. As he glanced at the mountain of plates stacked up in front of Sasuke, his lips curled into a smile, and he teased him in mock shock.
"Hehe, I guess it's because I've been training harder lately. I get hungry so easily… and Mom's cooking is just too good, so I can't help myself."
Sasuke had gradually gotten used to his father's complete 180 in attitude. No longer shy or scared, he beamed as he answered, happily chomping on a plump, red tomato he'd just picked up.
"It's great that you're so motivated to train, but make sure to take care of your body too. If you overwork yourself and get sick, it won't be worth it, Sasuke."
Uchiha Itachi, who had returned home several days ago, had just finished his own breakfast in elegant silence.
He stood up to help clear the table, casting a sideways glance at Sasuke. His eyes lingered briefly on his little brother's tomato-stuffed face, then curved into a gentle, affectionate smile.
"Speaking of which, I promised to teach you Shurikenjutsu next time I had free time. And I happen to have some now. How about we go train together after breakfast?"
"Mm, I'll be careful, nii-san. Don't worry."
Maybe because he noticed Itachi watching his messy eating, Sasuke slowed down a little, his cheeks flushing pink. He frowned slightly as he pondered: Shurikenjutsu…
"…Let's do it next time, nii-san."
"…Huh?"
"Because I already made plans with my friend today. I won't have time for anything else… We'll train together some other day, okay?"
Sasuke's innocent and sincere reply froze Itachi in place. His always-gentle crescent-moon eyes went wide in disbelief, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.
'Did I… just hallucinate that?'
The sound of his heart breaking echoed repeatedly through his mind.
"…Pfft… haha… cough cough—"
Hearing his youngest son casually reject his older brother's offer, Fugaku nearly burst out laughing. And Itachi's shocked and crestfallen expression reminded him of the time Sasuke refused his suggestion to learn the Dragon Fire Jutsu and insisted on practicing with the Shadow Clone scroll instead.
'Right now, you must be wondering if you're still dreaming, huh, Itachi…'
Looking at his eldest son—just as lost and dumbfounded as he had been when Sasuke rejected him—Fugaku suddenly felt a lot more balanced inside.
Though his face twitched slightly from trying to suppress his laughter, his eyes, as they drifted toward the utterly confused Itachi, began to show a hint of sympathetic mischief.
But there's nothing to be done.
'This is… reality~'