Naruto: I Am Itachi Uchiha!

"Itachi! You actually went out without telling me! Not only that, but you went on such a dangerous mission!"

The scene was all too familiar. Uchiha Fugaku was chasing after Uchiha Itachi, fuming with anger. Uchiha Izumi lay on the windowsill, watching them, while Uchiha Mikoto stood calmly, holding Uchiha Sasuke in her arms.

Without a hint of fear, Uchiha Itachi grinned and made a face at his father. "Just a little... I don't know what it means to be scared! If you have the guts, come and catch me... try and stop me."

Bang!

Unfortunately, Itachi bumped into something. Rubbing his face, he glanced at what he had hit. It didn't make sense—there shouldn't have been anything in his path.

"What will you do if i catch me?"

Hearing the question, Itachi's eyes darted up. He realized the shadow standing before him was none other than his father, Uchiha Fugaku.

"Damn!" Itachi muttered under his breath, clearly frustrated, but before he could retreat, Fugaku, already familiar with his son's mischievous nature, grabbed Itachi and lifted him off the ground. He glared at his son.

"Answer me, Itachi. What will you do if I catch you?"

"Ha! Fugaku, you're the one in trouble now. Which of us is chasing whom?" Itachi slapped Fugaku on the shoulder, and as expected, Fugaku's fury reached new heights. He grabbed Itachi by the ear.

"This kid's getting more and more troublesome. If I don't teach you a lesson this time, I'll—"

"And what will you do?" Itachi cut in, raising an eyebrow.

Fugaku hesitated, unsure what to say in response. He took a deep breath, but instead of an answer, Itachi received a hard thump on the head.

Fugaku dragged his son by the ear into the back room and made him sit in front of Mikoto, helpless. If he didn't keep a close eye on Itachi, he'd vanish again and no one would know what he was up to.

"It's been a while, Mom," Itachi finally spoke, shifting his gaze from Sasuke to Mikoto. His playful smile was still there, but Mikoto wore an expression of helplessness. No matter how many times Fugaku tried to discipline Itachi, his son's wild streak remained.

"Itachi, can you please just listen to me for once? I know you're powerful, but what you did this time… It's too dangerous. What if something happened during that mission?"

Listening to Mikoto's worries, Itachi wiped the grin from his face and spoke seriously. "I may have been wrong this time, but… I just want to test myself. You know, when birds are kept in a cage, they don't grow as strong as those that soar freely. I can't stay locked up here forever. If I do, I'll only get weaker. The Third Great Ninja War opened my eyes to what life really is. Survival—true survival—requires power. Without strength, how can I survive?"

Mikoto listened in silence, her face softening as she spoke with a faint smile, "I understand, but next time, at least tell us when you're leaving for a mission. If it's too dangerous, we'll decide if you should go or not."

"We'll see," Itachi responded nonchalantly, a mischievous glint in his eye. His tone was light, but in his mind, the mission wasn't just about playing with Shisui… It was about honing his strength.

Fugaku, overhearing Itachi's words, felt conflicted. Was it right to show him the horrors of war? While it had been effective in making Itachi aware of the dangers outside, it had also fueled his desire for power. Over the years, Fugaku had seen how his son trained obsessively, pushing himself further and further in the clan's library. Itachi's indifference to life was concerning, but it was evident that the boy cared deeply on the inside. Fugaku had witnessed his struggle before he activated his Sharingan—could he let Itachi continue down this path?

It seemed the only way forward was to push his son harder, but Itachi had always been stubborn, often refusing to listen to his father's advice. Maybe Mikoto could help get through to him.

---

"What did you learn from this trip?" Fugaku asked, his voice calm but with a hint of curiosity.

Itachi, usually so playful, became serious as he responded. "I learned a lot. But… are you sure you're not being watched from the shadows?"

"Who's hiding in the shadows? ANBU? Or someone from Danzo?" Fugaku asked, raising an eyebrow. Itachi's sharp mind never ceased to impress him.

"Of course not. Who am I? They might be watching from a distance, but they wouldn't dare enter my house." Itachi chuckled, his confidence unwavering. "They may be close, but they don't have the guts to come in."

"You're quite confident," Fugaku remarked, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Itachi was growing into someone he could truly rely on.

"But it's good to hear that you're not blind to the danger around you. From what you've seen, it's clear that the Third Hokage's ANBU are monitoring all of us, even people like Shisui and me. And Danzo's roots are involved too. It seems Konoha's leadership is terrified of the uchiha's."

Itachi's eyes gleamed, and he spoke with the calm certainty of someone who understood the true nature of their village. "Danzo Shimura. One of the apprentices of the second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. After the second Hokage passed the title of Hokage to the third, Danzo went underground, building his own power. His roots are a secretive force, much like ANBU, but they carry out the dirty work that ANBU can't. This is what I've learned about him. And as for Konoha…" Itachi's eyes shifted into the Sharingan, the three tomoe spinning with eerie precision. "Konoha? It's a lie. And Uchiha? We're just lost lambs. But I've never been optimistic about Konoha. As for Uchiha's… we're simply unbeatable."

Fugaku, pleased with Itachi's belief, laughed heartily. "It's good that you believe in the strength of the Uchiha. But don't be too arrogant. You're still young and must keep your power hidden. You must be careful. Danzo may have found out about your capabilities, but we must be strategic."

"I know, Father. I'm too good for them to catch me." Itachi shrugged nonchalantly, but Fugaku couldn't help but laugh.

Mikoto smiled, watching her husband and son interact so comfortably. It was rare to see Fugaku so relaxed, but Itachi had a way of getting through to him. As women, Mikoto and Izumi knew when to stay silent during these secret conversations between men.

Izumi, though too young to understand everything, knew enough to realize the weight of the conversation. Itachi's words had made it clear—he was being entrusted with a big family secret. As a member of this family, she would keep quiet about it, no matter what.

And as Itachi continued to talk with Fugaku, Mikoto couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. At least her son wasn't entirely alone in his thoughts—Fugaku was finally starting to understand him.

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