Chapter 16: Scaring the Little Nephew to Tears

Itachi left the surveillance station. He crossed a street and, just as he turned a corner, unexpectedly bumped into his father, Fugaku.

"Off work, Itachi?" Fugaku asked with a smile.

"Yes, Father," Itachi replied, somewhat nervous. He didn't want his father to know that his job in the Anbu was to monitor their own clan.

However, Fugaku had already seen through everything.

"Itachi, do you remember the first day our Uchiha clan moved to the new clan land a few years ago?" He glanced at the tall buildings not far away, his voice deep, "I noticed these tall buildings around the clan land at that time. I suppose they are used by the village to monitor us."

Itachi nodded silently.

"Hmph, the Third Hokage is playing a good game, trying to use my son against the Uchiha clan?" Fugaku looked in the direction of the Hokage building, his eyes cold, "Unfortunately, he doesn't know that you, Itachi, have been our Uchiha spy in the Anbu from the beginning."

"I will strive to be a bridge between the clan and the village, Father," Itachi gave his answer.

He didn't declare which side he was on because he wanted to look at the Uchiha clan and Konoha more objectively. Only in this way could he make the right choice.

Right?

To become a bridge between the clan and the village... Did Itachi want to become Hokage?

Yes.

As long as Itachi becomes Hokage in the future, the Uchiha clan will surely reintegrate into the village.

Fugaku interpreted his son's words according to his own thoughts, his eyes filled with satisfaction, and patted Itachi on the shoulder: "I believe in you, Itachi."

He was always completely at ease with Itachi.

"By the way, Father. I just saw in the surveillance that you and Uncle..." Itachi hesitated, not knowing whether to ask or not.

"Oh, your uncle is coming to our house for dinner tonight to celebrate your mother's birthday. It seems that you, as a nephew, can't invite him. It still requires me, his brother-in-law, to personally take action." Fugaku joked with a smile.

So that's what it was.

Itachi laughed along, no longer asking, but his inner doubts did not disappear.

As the sun set and night fell, Dan returned to the alley and saw Samui waiting alone at the entrance of the gym.

When he approached, Samui greeted him as usual with a bow, "Welcome back, Boss."

"You seem quite worried about me," Dan commented.

"Yes," Samui pretended to be shy, lowering her head, not daring to meet Dan's gaze.

Who's worried about you, narcissist.

What she was really concerned about was what had happened after Dan and Inaho had met with Uchiha Hachidai.

Unfortunately, Dan always kept his emotions hidden, making it impossible for her to discern anything.

"Tonight my brother-in-law invited us for dinner, you should come with me," Dan suddenly suggested.

"Ah?" Samui was surprised, hesitatingly responding, "Isn't that inappropriate? I'm an outsider..."

She seemed to refuse, but in fact, she couldn't wait to agree.

You see, although the Uchiha clan was driven to the edge of the village by the Konoha higher-ups, they took the opportunity to build their clan land into an independent kingdom, even the Anbu of Konoha couldn't enter.

Now, as a spy, Samui had the opportunity to penetrate the Uchiha clan territory and meet the clan leader's family. This was a great opportunity to gather intelligence.

Dan was well aware of Samui's little schemes.

"Inviting you is actually my brother-in-law's idea. If it's convenient for you, don't refuse anymore," he said.

Dan also wanted to know what Fugaku was up to, inviting Samui so specifically.

"Alright then," Samui agreed, feigning surprise.

Ten minutes later, they both changed into black and white kimonos, bought a birthday cake, and headed towards the Uchiha clan land.

In the courtyard of the clan leader's house, Itachi and Sasuke, the pair of brothers, were playing on the porch.

"Big brother, will you teach me the trick to throwing kunai tomorrow?" Sasuke, wearing the cat ears Itachi had given him, was rolling around in Itachi's lap, even showing his belly.

Just like a little kitten.

"Sasuke, I have a mission tomorrow. I'll teach you next time when I'm free," Itachi said with a gentle look in his eyes, patting his little brother's head, his face full of apology.

Suddenly, Itachi turned his head and saw Dan and Samui standing at the entrance. His face changed slightly, and he instinctively wanted to get up to greet them, but Dan gestured for him not to move and walked over with Samui.

Sasuke didn't notice the guests and was still rubbing his head against Itachi's stomach, mumbling, "No, you promised me..."

Huh?

Why did his brother suddenly become so stiff, not moving at all?

Sasuke looked up in confusion, followed Itachi's gaze, and suddenly saw a... a giant looming close by.

The man was expressionless, his huge body blocking the moonlight, casting a dark shadow in front of the two brothers.

A pair of black eyes, like a bottomless abyss.

"Sasuke, call him Uncle," Itachi whispered.

"Unc... wu... wa!" Sasuke looked terrified and burst into tears on the spot.

Uncle was too scary.

"Sasuke has grown so much in a blink of an eye, but he's still as crybaby as before," Dan commented, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had scared his little nephew to tears.

"Uncle, I'm sorry, Sasuke doesn't understand," Itachi apologized to Dan, then patiently comforted his little brother, his eyes filled with love and indulgence.

Samui, who was standing nearby, witnessed this heartwarming scene and remembered Dan's assessment of Itachi: ruthless, sadistic, and even indifferent to parental love.

But...

The Itachi she saw was a good kid, not at all like a sadistic maniac.

The Boss must have been mistaken.

"Let's go in," Dan said to Samui, and the two of them took off their shoes at the entrance, stepping onto the wooden corridor.

After only a few steps, a beautiful black-haired woman heard the noise and hurried out of the kitchen.

The moment she saw Dan, Mikoto Uchiha's eyes turned red, and she threw herself into her brother's arms.

Dan reached out his large hand, gently hugging Mikoto, and said, "Sister, happy birthday."

"Do you know how long it's been since you last visited me?" Mikoto replied softly, burying her face in her brother's broad chest.

Since their parents died on the battlefield when they were young, the siblings had relied on each other. Although Dan was several years younger than Mikoto, he had always protected and taken care of her until the day she got married.

"Such deep sibling love," Fugaku emerged from a nearby study, sounding a bit jealous. In Mikoto's heart, it seemed her younger brother was more important than her husband.

Mikoto gave Fugaku a glare, then turned to Samui standing next to Dan, and said with a smile, "Dan, this is your employee, right? She's very pretty."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Samui quickly bowed in response.

"Don't be so formal, you can call me sister like Dan does from now on," Mikoto approached, taking Samui's hand, her attitude very friendly.

She had heard from her husband Fugaku that Samui seemed to be more than just Dan's employee, their relationship might be more intimate.

That's right.

Dan was already 24 years old. According to his age, he should have been married and started a family by now.