"Sorry I'm late. I had to take care of some clan affairs."
Not far from the cherry blossom grove, a rugged man walked over to his wife's side, his gaze softening as it fell on her gradually swelling belly.
As the head of the Uchiha clan, he didn't need to apologize to his wife for such things. But today was different—they had agreed that morning to watch the cherry blossoms together.
At this hour, she would usually lean gently against his shoulder. But today, she was clearly different. Her eyes were fixed, dazedly, on the cherry blossom grove ahead.
Following her gaze, Fugaku Uchiha's pupils suddenly contracted as three crimson tomoe slowly surfaced in his eyes.
Inside the grove, two figures seemed to be dancing. Their movements intertwined and shifted, stirring the cherry blossoms drifting through the air.
Without activating the Sharingan, one could barely keep up with their speed.
Shisui Uchiha.
The young prodigy, famed as Shisui of the Body Flicker.
But who was the other one?
That was...
Itachi's friend?
Hakken Yoru—it was him!
That level of swordsmanship... how could it be?
To exchange blows with Shisui of the Body Flicker purely through Kenjutsu to such a degree—how old was he?
This was Shisui of the Body Flicker, after all!
Shock and astonishment washed over Fugaku. It took more than ten seconds before he finally emerged from his daze.
The three tomoe slowly faded from his pupils. In that moment, he seemed to glimpse something—an extraordinary, hidden power within that boy.
"Itachi has made a good friend."
A faint smile appeared on Fugaku's face as he spoke.
Beside him, Mikoto finally snapped out of her own surprise and nodded naturally. From her perspective, it was simply a good thing that her son had such an outstanding friend.
But Fugaku's thoughts ran far deeper than hers.
Friendships formed from childhood were the strongest of all.
What Fugaku saw was a terrifying swordsman, one who could one day rival the White Fang himself—standing with the Uchiha clan.
His vision reached much further ahead.
...
At dusk, cherry blossoms fluttered through the air.
The small sparring match had long ended. After spending a relaxing day within the Uchiha compound, Hakken and Yūgao Uzuki were escorted by Itachi and the others to the outskirts of the clan's territory.
"Not coming to the baths?"
He had indeed drunk quite a bit today, and even Hakken himself felt slightly tipsy. His match with Shisui had truly sharpened his skills.
That was the kind of growth that came only from real combat—experience accumulated through countless battles. With his basic slashing technique steadily developing, those practical combat instincts had become even more valuable.
There had been no winner or loser. It was simply a friendly exchange meant to deepen their understanding of each other.
Shisui, too, had realized during the match that if he truly wanted to grasp the limits of Hakken's power, only a genuine life-or-death battle would reveal it. His sword was, after all, one meant for killing.
"Sorry, Hakken."
Itachi shook his head apologetically. "Father just sent word for me to come see him. Maybe next time."
At the mention of the bath, Yūgao, standing beside Hakken, suddenly grew flustered and sneaked a glance at Izumi, who was winking mischievously at her.
She was overthinking it again!
Yūgao's cheeks turned faintly red.
"Hey, make sure to get our dear Miss Yūgao home safely, alright?"
Izumi, far more composed than Yūgao, patted Hakken's shoulder casually as she spoke.
It was already late, and escorting a girl home was, of course, a boy's duty.
Hakken nodded calmly, took Yūgao's hand, and turned to leave. The way he held her hand was so natural, so practiced, that it seemed the most natural thing in the world.
As they walked, they spoke quietly to each other.
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Izumi perked up her ears. Finally, after much effort, she managed to catch a few words.
"Let's go. I heard the hot springs aren't crowded today. Let's soak for a bit."
"Mm... okay."
Just as she suspected!
Izumi's breathing quickened, as if she had just stumbled upon a scandalous scene.
...
"They're here."
The shrine—sacred ground where the Uchiha clan honored their ancestors.
It always seemed that whenever something important arose, Fugaku chose this solemn place for meetings.
Standing with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the ancestral tablets within, Fugaku spoke calmly.
Behind him, Itachi knelt formally, responding softly. He had deep respect for his father, the clan head—at least for now.
To him, there was no doubt that his father could lead the Uchiha clan to prosperity.
"Your friend is quite remarkable."
Fugaku was not one for wasted words. Turning around, he went straight to the point.
He had seen everything during the duel beneath the cherry blossoms.
Ken-san, you've been praised by Father.
Itachi smiled, visibly pleased. The fact that his strict father had praised Hakken genuinely made him happy—as if the compliment had been directed at himself.
"Then, for the sake of the Uchiha clan, Itachi—"
"Make sure to maintain your friendship with him."
But at that sudden shift in tone, Itachi froze.
What did Father just say?
The young boy blinked in surprise. "Father, my friendship with Hakken... and the clan—"
"Just listen."
Fugaku's voice was calm and firm.
"He is worthy of it."
That's not... what I meant, Father.
Itachi gave a faint, bitter smile and chose not to argue further.
What he truly believed was simple—friendship between two people should never be mixed with clan matters.
Even if the Uchiha clan ceased to exist, Hakken would still be his friend.
But if such intentions were tied to that bond, then that pure friendship would already be tainted.
Father...
What are you really thinking?
Itachi's gaze followed his father's retreating figure before finally settling on the ancient stone monument standing within the shrine.