In a courtyard within the Uchiha compound
A young boy, around four or five years old, stood with a shuriken in hand. His face was scrunched up in an effort to appear serious and focused.
However, because he was still so young, his attempt at a stern expression came off more adorable than intimidating.
He threw the shuriken, which flew straight toward a nearby target.
The shuriken hit the bullseye dead center.
Eyes lighting up, the boy quickly pulled another shuriken from his pouch and threw it at a second target.
One after another, his shuriken flew through the air, each one embedding itself perfectly into the bullseyes of the various targets set around the yard, accompanied by a chorus of crisp impacts.
Moments later, every target in the courtyard had a shuriken lodged squarely in its center.
"Yes!" the boy cheered, clenching his little fists in excitement before turning to a nearby man.
The man gave the boy a gentle pat on the head as a reward, which the boy clearly enjoyed his eyes sparkled with joy as he basked in the affection.
This father and son were none other than Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Sasuke.
In the past, Fugaku hadn't held high hopes for Sasuke's talent, believing that he paled in comparison to Itachi. Most of his attention and expectations had been placed on his elder son, with Sasuke often receiving the cold shoulder.
But now, armed with foreknowledge of the future, he knew the truth: as the reincarnation of Indra, Sasuke's potential would one day surpass even Itachi's.
And someone with that kind of potential—he had to keep firmly within reach.
So whenever he had free time, Fugaku would personally train Sasuke, using the opportunity to strengthen their bond.
Their natural father-son relationship, combined with this personal attention, had made them grow remarkably close.
"Father, you promised me if I hit all the targets, you'd teach me a ninjutsu!" Sasuke said eagerly, eyes wide with hope.
"Of course. I keep my promises. Today, I'll teach you the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."
With a smile, Fugaku began to explain the hand signs and release technique for the jutsu.
Suddenly, a sharp sensation tingled at the edge of his awareness an instinct born of his Kage-level perception. Someone was watching them.
He turned his gaze toward the source of the feeling and immediately spotted a figure standing quietly beneath the veranda beside the courtyard: Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi stood silently in an inconspicuous corner, his eyes fixed on the scene before him.
The old Fugaku might've thought nothing of it. After all, Itachi was his pride and joy, his most accomplished son.
But this Fugaku—who knew Itachi's true, traitorous nature—couldn't help but feel a flicker of suspicion.
Is Itachi spying on me?
To test his theory, he spoke casually.
"Itachi, don't you have any missions lately?"
"Yes, Father," Itachi replied, his voice calm and respectful. A flicker of tension crossed his face for the briefest moment, but he quickly composed himself.
"You're usually quite busy with missions. Since you've got some free time, you should rest while you can."
Fugaku's expression didn't change, but inside, his suspicion deepened. It was highly likely Itachi had been assigned to monitor him.
Ever since Itachi joined the ANBU, it had been rare to see him idle. Sometimes days would pass without any trace of him.
That alone suggested how busy ANBU assignments were.
Now, with the village deploying large numbers of ANBU to investigate the deaths of Shimura Ryōma and his two companions, there was bound to be a shortage of personnel for everyday missions.
Under such circumstances, how could Itachi possibly be free?
There was only one plausible explanation: this was his mission.
And it was a special one monitoring either Fugaku himself or the Uchiha clan as a whole.
"I will," Itachi replied, bowing slightly his tone obedient, his demeanor flawless.
If Fugaku hadn't known the truth, he would never have suspected that Itachi the clan's prodigy had already become a backstabbing traitor.
"That's great, big brother! Train with me too!" Sasuke said cheerfully, delighted to hear that his brother was free.
"Alright," Itachi replied, a rare, genuine smile spreading across his face.
These days, Sasuke was the only one who could still draw out that kind of smile from him.
"Itachi doesn't get much time to rest don't bother him. I'm here to train with you, aren't I?" Fugaku interjected.
"Okay…" Sasuke agreed obediently, though a bit disappointed.
Big Brother must be really tired. It's fine—Father's here to train with me.
"Go on, Itachi. Take a walk, relax a little," Fugaku said, gesturing toward the door.
"Understood, Father," Itachi replied. Despite his mission, he nodded and turned to leave, not wanting to raise suspicion.
Once Itachi was gone, Fugaku resumed teaching Sasuke the Fireball Jutsu.
He hadn't wanted Itachi to stick around during training for good reason. He didn't want Sasuke to grow too close to his treacherous brother.
Itachi had already betrayed the clan. Fugaku wasn't about to let Sasuke be influenced by him as well.
Even though Itachi didn't possess the manipulative charm of the Third Hokage, it was better to be safe than sorry.
After teaching Sasuke the hand signs and release mechanics of the jutsu and letting him practice on his own, Fugaku began to ponder the surveillance.
Why would the Third Hokage suddenly assign Itachi to monitor me?
The Third wouldn't issue such an order without cause. Something must have triggered his suspicion.
Could it be… the deaths of Shimura Ryōma and the others?
That was the first possibility that came to mind. But he quickly dismissed it.
If that operation had been exposed, they wouldn't be watching him they'd be interrogating him.
Then could it be the recent clan meeting?
With the ambush ruled out, the most likely cause was the Uchiha clan assembly held not long ago.
The Third Hokage must have learned of the contents of that meeting and it had put him on high alert.
But neither Shisui nor Itachi were present… so how did the Third find out?
That could only mean one thing there was another traitor within the clan.
Fugaku's eyes narrowed coldly.
So aside from those two snakes Shisui and Itachi there's someone else leaking information.
Unbelievable. The former me really failed as a clan head. One traitor after another, and now a hidden one too.
His gaze sharpened with a glint of killing intent.
"I'll find out who it is… no matter what."