Here comes Sasuke!

The two entered the restaurant.

Four dishes were already laid out on the table, their enticing aroma wafting through the air, tempting their senses.

"Go ahead, Itachi. Eat," Shiroishi said calmly.

"Yes, Senior Shiroishi," replied Itachi with a respectful nod.

As they ate, Shiroishi observed Uchiha Itachi carefully. Though only nine years old, there was nothing childlike about him anymore. Instead, he exuded a mature and composed demeanor that belied his young age.

Shiroishi recalled how in the original plot, Itachi had already begun contemplating the weighty concepts of life and death by the time he was six. A young boy, sitting beneath an ancient tree, pondering the true meaning of the Will of Fire—Wherever the leaves fly, the fire burns eternal.

"How's the food?" Shiroishi asked, breaking the silence.

"It's delicious," Itachi replied after a pause. "This is the best meal I've ever had."

Shiroishi smiled. "Glad you like it. Eat as much as you want."

After their meal, the two returned to the lounge. Shiroishi turned to Itachi, his expression more serious now.

"Itachi, before we get into the complexities of the clan and the village, how about we talk about something else first?"

"Like what, Senior Shiroishi?" Itachi asked, his curiosity piqued.

"You have a brother, don't you?"

"That's right," Itachi confirmed.

Shiroishi's gaze softened. "A long time ago, I had a younger brother too. Unfortunately, he fell seriously ill as a child, and… well, he didn't make it. He never got the chance to grow up. It's something that's always weighed on me."

The sadness in Shiroishi's tone was genuine. He wasn't lying. Sharing this part of his past felt like a way to connect with Itachi, to maybe win a bit of his trust and get closer. And of course, it made the conversation about Sasuke feel more natural.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Itachi said, his voice quiet.

Shiroishi waved a hand dismissively. "It's not your fault, Itachi. There's no need to apologize. It's been years. I've come to terms with it."

After a brief pause, Shiroishi continued, "By the way, Itachi, could you tell me about how you and Sasuke get along?"

Itachi grew silent for a moment, reflecting.

"I wasn't very old when Sasuke was born," he finally began. "Back then, I didn't really understand what having a little brother meant. But the moment I saw him, there was this… connection. It felt natural."

A faint smile touched Itachi's lips as he recalled the memory. "It's funny, when Sasuke would see our parents, he'd cry and make a fuss. But whenever he saw me, he'd stop immediately. He was always so calm around me."

"Sounds adorable," Shiroishi commented.

"Around the time Sasuke was born, the Nine-Tails attack happened," Itachi continued, his tone darkening. "Sasuke was just a few months old, but it was as if he understood what was going on. He didn't cry or cause trouble. He just let me hold him, quiet and still."

He paused, his voice softening again. "But these days, I'm so busy that I hardly spend any time with Sasuke. I know he's disappointed, but… there's nothing I can do."

Shiroishi nodded thoughtfully. "The tension between the Uchiha and the village has been growing, and I imagine a lot of that weight falls on you."

Itachi sighed. "Yes, it does."

"When Shisui and I talked, we considered two approaches," Shiroishi said. "One option was to find a way to fix the Uchiha's relationship with the village directly, without dwelling on why things have deteriorated. The other option was to address the root cause of the problem, though that would be much more complicated."

Shiroishi looked at Itachi closely. "Which approach do you think is better?"

Itachi considered for a moment before answering. "I think the first one makes more sense. If we start digging too deep, it'll take too long, and we might never get anywhere."

Shiroishi nodded in agreement. "I thought the same. But the problem is that the conflict has been festering for so long. A lot of Uchiha are deeply dissatisfied with the village. Containing that resentment won't be easy."

He paused before asking, "What about your father? What does he think?"

Itachi shook his head. "Father's trying, but he hasn't been very successful in managing the situation."

"Shisui's plan is to work through the Security Department," Itachi added. "It's where the Uchiha have the most interaction with the village. He believes that by reforming things there, we can start to rebuild trust."

"The Security Department definitely has its issues," Shiroishi agreed.

They continued talking, but Shiroishi could sense that Itachi was holding back. Despite their lengthy conversation, Itachi hadn't opened up fully. His real thoughts and feelings were still hidden. Shiroishi could tell by the slight shift in Itachi's demeanor and, more tellingly, by the lack of any significant increase in their bond.

After lunch, Itachi's favorability towards him had only gone up by two points. It was a minor improvement, thanks mostly to the delicious meal from Alice. But in truth, Itachi still remained guarded.

"I should get going, Senior Shiroishi. I have some other matters to attend to," Itachi said, rising from his seat.

"Of course," Shiroishi replied, standing as well.

At the door, Shiroishi handed Itachi a small bag. "Here, Alice made some snacks for afternoon tea. Take them home to Sasuke."

Itachi hesitated, then took the bag. "Thank you, Senior Shiroishi."

As Shiroishi watched Itachi walk away, he smiled to himself. So cautious, so guarded.

Despite eating Alice's delicious food, most of what Itachi had said was just to be polite, without revealing his true thoughts.

His trust in Shisui isn't as deep as I thought, Shiroishi reflected.

Even so, he wasn't discouraged. It's not impossible to win Itachi over.

And one thing was for sure: the snacks he sent home with Itachi would reach Sasuke. That alone would increase the odds of Shiroishi crossing paths with the younger Uchiha in the future.

Not long after, Uchiha Itachi returned home.

"Father, mother, Sasuke, I'm back."

A woman raised her head and looked at the door. After seeing Uchiha Itachi, she showed a gentle smile.

"Itachi, you're back. Your father is out, and Sasuke is in the backyard. Have you eaten?"

Uchiha Itachi shook his head. "No, I just came back from the Ninja Tool Shop. I had lunch there and brought back some refreshments. Mother, do you want to eat some together?"

"From Nekobaa's shop?"

"Yes."

Uchiha Itachi nodded.

"But Nekobaa is not around now. Shiroishi-senpai is looking after the shop. The refreshments are made by Alice, the chef at the shop. Alice's cooking is... incredible, truly impressive."

"Better than mine?" Uchiha Mikoto asked with a playful smile.

Uchiha Itachi paused for a moment. "Different styles."

Hearing that, Uchiha Mikoto smiled knowingly, realizing Alice's cooking must be far superior for Itachi to phrase it that way.

"Now I really want to try it. Let's go to the backyard together."

"Alright."

"Brother! Mother!"

Sasuke's eyes lit up as soon as he saw his older brother. He rushed toward Itachi, excitement bubbling in his voice. When he reached him, he jumped into Itachi's arms, who caught him effortlessly.

"Brother, it's been forever since you've been back. Will you practice kunai throwing with me today? You promised last time."

Itachi hesitated, initially wanting to refuse, but then nodded.

"Alright."

"Awesome! Thanks, brother!" Sasuke's face beamed with excitement.

Itachi gazed down at Sasuke, the gentleness in his eyes undeniable. This softness, however, was reserved only for Sasuke—something he did not show to anyone else, not even the rest of the Uchiha clan.

"Here, have some of the refreshments I brought. They're delicious," Itachi said, placing the tea and sweets on the table.

"Wonderful."

Mikoto opened the package, and the rich aroma of the tea and snacks filled the air. Her eyes brightened slightly as she picked up a small piece.

"Indeed, this is very good."

Sasuke wasted no time and quickly began eating.

"So tasty!"

"Brother, you should have some too."

Itachi shook his head. "I've already eaten. I brought these for you all."

Sasuke, slowing down, picked up a piece and extended it to Itachi.

"Come on, just one more, brother. Please?"

This time, Itachi didn't refuse.

"Alright, just one."

Sasuke set aside another portion. "These are for father. By the way, where did you get these? I want to buy them myself next time."

"I didn't buy them. I brought them from the ninja shop."

Sasuke's curiosity was piqued even more.

"Which ninja shop?"

After a brief hesitation, Itachi replied, "I'll take you tomorrow, Sasuke. Along with ninja tools, there are many ninja cats there, and Shiroishi-senpai, who works there, is a good person."

"Really? Thanks, brother!" Sasuke's excitement doubled, and Itachi couldn't help but smile as he ruffled his younger brother's hair. Sasuke squinted in contentment, much like a happy little ninja cat.

Though Itachi didn't fully trust Shiroishi, he felt that Shiroishi was decent enough. Furthermore, within the boundaries of the Uchiha compound, no one would dare harm Sasuke.

Feeling the weight of responsibility and guilt toward his younger brother, Itachi had remembered Shiroishi's mention of once having a younger sibling. With Sasuke's love for the snacks, he decided to take him to the ninja shop as a gesture of affection.

After they enjoyed their tea, Itachi and Sasuke headed to the nearby woods for practice. They didn't return until dusk, when the sky had darkened.

Meanwhile, at the ninja tool shop, Uchiha Shisui made his appearance.

"Shiroishi."

"Shisui."

Shiroishi called for Alice to prepare some late-night snacks, and the two settled down to eat as they spoke.

"I never thought a ninja shop would have such a talented chef. Shiroishi, I'm a little envious."

"If you like, feel free to come often. We just need to stock more ingredients and set more places at the table. As long as you pitch in for the food, Shisui, you're welcome anytime."

"Really? Then I won't hold back."

Shisui pulled out his coin purse, but then hesitated.

"Actually, wouldn't this be unfair to you, Shiroishi? I mean, Alice is the shop's chef. If she gets upset, what if Nekobaa is mad at you when she returns?"

"That won't happen," Shiroishi reassured. "Alice and I get along well."

Hearing that, Shisui relaxed. "Good, then. So, what did you and Itachi talk about today? Did you find out anything?"

"Itachi's trust in me isn't very high yet. We only scratched the surface regarding Uchiha and the village's situation. There's no clear conclusion, but I did find a potential way in."

"What's that?"

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Shiroishi explained, "From what Itachi said, it's obvious how deeply he cares about Sasuke. I think building a connection with Sasuke could be useful."

"Perhaps we can gather important information through him."

Shisui nodded in agreement. "That sounds promising."

"And what about you? How's progress with the Security Department?"

"I officially start tomorrow. I'll be leading a small team and handling a district. I'm still not sure how I'll approach it, but we'll see."

"What exactly does the Security Department handle?"

Shisui responded, "Mainly enforcing village regulations and mediating disputes between villagers."

"Both are bound to create friction. No wonder the Security Department has such a bad reputation among the villagers, which in turn reflects poorly on the Uchiha."

"I plan to observe how the others handle things first. Ideally, I'd like to find a way to soften the tension between the department and the villagers."

"Is the entire Security Department under Uchiha control now?"

"That's right."

"And who makes the village's rules?"

"The higher-ups."

After a brief pause, Shisui's expression shifted as a thought occurred to him.

Shiroishi continued, "So, the village's leadership sets the rules, the villagers break them, and Uchiha—being responsible for enforcement—ends up in direct conflict with the villagers. If you don't enforce the rules, the leadership criticizes you."

"I've been thinking of a solution."

Shisui asked, intrigued, "What's your idea?"

"Well, the villagers may dislike the Security Department, but they don't seem to have the same level of frustration toward the village leadership. This means the regulations themselves aren't necessarily the issue—it's the interaction. If we introduce a buffer between the Security Department and the villagers, someone who can handle these situations directly, it might reduce the tension."

Shiroishi elaborated, "This intermediary could be a hired villager or an ordinary ninja. That way, the Security Department would have fewer direct confrontations with the villagers, making it more high-level."