I Will Protect You  

(I will stake my life to protect you.)

Chitose was very unhappy.

He hadn't tasted what it was like to be second place in a long time. And this feeling was brought by Boruto Uzumaki - someone he didn't like much to begin with, who had many other problems, and who in his eyes was simply unworthy to be the son of the great Seventh Hokage.

He swore he wasn't unhappy just because he lost to Boruto in the water walking training. After all, Boruto had so many other problems! To be honest, it wasn't that he couldn't stand being surpassed, it was just - he didn't know why either - when the person surpassing him was Boruto Uzumaki, this fact became so unbearable to him.

—Anyone else was fine, but absolutely not Boruto Uzumaki!

"So that's why Chitose was desperately practicing water walking?" Sakura, who was passing by the river with a basket of groceries, looked down at Chitose who was trying to control his chakra on the turbulent waters of the river, and asked her daughter who was instructing him on the side.

Sarada reluctantly nodded. "Yes. Even though it was brother's first time practicing water walking and he completed all the water training in second place, which was already quite impressive, he's unhappy because the person who took first place provoked him, so..."

As she spoke, Sarada was also a little speechless. After all, her usually rational and mature brother actually had such a childishly competitive side too.

—But it's all that idiot Boruto's fault!

Sakura was a little surprised. She probably had the same thoughts as Sarada. But she thought much more than her daughter did. Because she knew Chitose's mother wasn't a ninja. No one had taught him how to extract and control chakra before he came to them. Of course he hadn't done tree climbing training, let alone water walking. And she remembered this was a course Sarada and the others had started learning last year.

Sakura sighed deeply in her heart. She remembered when Chitose revealed his Sharingan with three tomoe before going to school, worried that he would fall behind, and Sasuke gave him pre-school guidance. She and Sasuke had been so shocked then.

The Sharingan unique to the Uchiha clan, awakened by painful emotions. The deeper the pain, the higher the level of the eyes.

This child... was really too pitiful.

And facing the shocked and silent couple, Chitose showed no negative emotions at all. He just smiled and said, "So the special kind of energy that flows through the whole body and can also surge to the eyes to activate them is called chakra?"

What could they say? Facing the boy's genius and strength, they could only keep silent.

This was why Chitose didn't get the pre-school textbooks for those under 10 years old. Because for him, there was no need.

Sakura gazed at Chitose who could now come and go freely on the water's surface. She kept silent. Suddenly, Sarada beside her softly said, "Mom, what was brother doing before... and where? His parents..."

Sakura was startled. Her perceptive and rational daughter had probably realized something long ago. It took great effort for her to only ask about it now.

Thinking so, Sakura squatted down to look straight into her daughter's green eyes. Her own green eyes were sad and gentle, "Chitose's parents... are no longer around. When he was 10 years old he went through something very special and painful, which is why even though he was born in 064, his age is the same as Sarada's, born in 068. That's why I told you before not to bring up his past in front of him."

Sarada knitted her brows in distress and lowered her eyes, unconsciously clenching her hands on her lap tighter.

"Then what kind of painful-"

"Sarada, let's go back. I've practiced enough." Chitose's voice sounded from behind. Sarada was so startled she jumped. Turning her head she saw Chitose nimbly flip over the railing. He landed steadily, looked up to see Sakura, showed no surprise at all, and directly said, "Aunt Sakura, I'll take that."

He walked over a few steps and took the vegetable basket Sakura had been carrying. Then he turned and met Sarada's slightly distressed and probing gaze.

His calm expression didn't change. Chitose smiled faintly, "What's wrong, Sarada?"

Meeting those beautiful deep black eyes, Sarada hesitated for a long time before finally shaking her head. "No, nothing."

Watching the two children walk shoulder to shoulder back home, Sakura followed behind them with an imperceptible pensive expression.

Was this child Chitose... stopping Sarada from understanding his past?

Uchiha residence.

"What?! Dad is leaving tomorrow?!" Sarada exclaimed in shock, even letting go of her chopsticks and standing up from her chair, hands braced on the table.

"There, there, Sarada. Your dad has an important mission. He'll be back after it's done!" Sakura smoothed it over at the side.

Sarada lowered her head in silence, her whole body trembling slightly. Just when she was about to erupt with the dissatisfaction and reluctance in her heart, Sasuke's cold voice finally sounded. "This mission will probably take three months. You two need to diligently practice what I taught you while I'm away. Understand?"

He was looking at Sarada and Chitose as he said "you two".

Sakura was astonished. Sarada was even more shocked. She raised her head sharply, her eyes shining brilliantly.

—He won't disappear for years again this time?

Chitose put down his chopsticks with a slightly gloomy expression. However...

"After dinner, you two come with me to the training grounds." Sasuke lightly continued eating as he spoke.

Chitose raised his head, the earlier hesitation already filled with impatience. "Cultivation?"

"Yes." Sasuke paused for a moment. "I'm going to teach you all of the Uchiha's secret shuriken techniques and fire style ninjutsu. Copy them down with your Sharingan for now and practice them yourself. By the time I return home next time, have them completely mastered. And become skilled with using your Sharingan. If you still can't last more than 5 moves against me next time..."

His sharp black eyes flashed sharply at the boy. Seeing the barely concealed eagerness in the child's eyes, he nodded in satisfaction and lowered his gaze again, the corners of his lips quirking up smugly.

"Sarada's physical strength and muscle endurance isn't enough yet. Focus on strengthening your foundation and taijutsu training during this period - follow the intensity and amount I demanded before, or it'll be useless. And practice more shuriken techniques. Understand?"

What answered him was his daughter's silly nodding and smiles.

For Sarada, it was just running laps around Konoha Village every day, and doing pushups and sit-ups... no problem. The shuriken techniques were not as difficult as what brother had to practice either, no big problem. As for Chitose... there would be potential danger without anyone looking after him while cultivating those things. But since it was Chitose, there was no need to worry. After all, he was Itachi's son.

Late at night.

Chitose lay in bed with eyes tightly shut, brows deeply furrowed.

[Big brother Chitose, save me!]

[Tch—]

[Why didn't you come faster... Why?! Why?!]

[Why didn't you die instead?!]

[Kufufufu... what's with that expression...]

[Live on! No matter what, you must live on!!]

[Chitose—!!!]

His eyes snapped open abruptly. Breathing heavily, the last heart wrenching cry still echoed by his ears for a long time. The ghastly scene of the woman with long hair reaching out towards him in a sea of flames seemed to still be right before his eyes. He could almost feel those scorching flames licking his skin again.

Chitose propped himself up with one hand. With the other he covered half his face, gasping like a fish out of water. Cold sweat flowed down the sides of his face, dripping onto his clothes.

He blankly zoned out for a while. Then the pain from forcibly squeezing his cells due to chakra deficiency spread through his body, bringing him back to reality. He closed his eyes, covering up that blood red background and the bizarrely aesthetic black windmill pattern formed from the three tomoe in his eyes. When he opened them again, everything was pitch black once more.

—That ominous pattern appeared again.

Chitose thought, determined to continue hiding the matter of these eyes that made him uneasy from everyone.

He calmed down a little. But the undercurrent swirling in the depths of his eyes still could not be concealed no matter what.

—Power... he needed power, unmatched power that no one could control him with, any more!

The next day.

Chitose went to see Sasuke off with his face full of bandages and huge eye bags, together with Sakura and Sarada. Seeing Sasuke poke both women on the forehead, Chitose watched Sasuke walk towards him and tilted his head slightly in puzzlement.

Could the forehead poke also be a family tradition? He wondered.

Just then, a voice deeply engraved in the depths of his spirit sounded, making his pupils shrink almost unnoticeably as he swiftly raised his head to look at the newcomer.

"Yo, Sasuke!"

"Lord Seventh Hokage!"

The two voices rang out almost simultaneously. Naruto smiled wryly and slapped the boy on the shoulder, blue eyes curving happily. "So I've said, Chitose. Just Seventh Hokage is fine."

"That would be too disrespectful to Lord Seventh Hokage." Chitose stared at Naruto insistently, expressionless face plus automatic mimicry of Naruto's speech habits enabled whenever they met resulting in a very strange and amusing combination that made Naruto laugh out loud. He reached out a fist towards Chitose. "Haha, fine, do as you wish then."

Chitose raised his own right fist to bump it against Naruto's.

The Uchiha family's two neglected females: "..."

Sasuke gave a cold snort and directly walked away, oppressive black air pressure leaving Naruto stuck there gaping.

"Uh... should I go after him and apologize?" He scratched his head awkwardly, asking Sakura uncertainly.

Sakura flashed him a sweet smile. "No need... idiot Seventh Hokage." With that she headed towards the hospital.

Naruto was rendered immobile by that smile that had haunted his entire childhood, adolescence, youth and now adulthood with its "sweetness". He remained trapped in the heavy mental trauma for a long time, unable to break free.

At this moment, the grand and glorious image of Nanadaime Hokage Uzumaki Naruto completely shattered into smithereens in young miss Sarada's heart.

And the mastermind behind it all, Uchiha-genuine-number-one-fan-of-Nanadaime-completely-oblivious-to-how-wrong-things-are-with-the-elders-and-little-sister-Chitose, unleashed a fatal sideways tilt of the head attack on Naruto. "Hey, Seventh Hokage, can you teach me the shadow clone technique?"

Naruto snapped back to reality and hastily tried to salvage his seemingly already ruined image. "Uh... shadow clone technique, no problem! My best technique after all! Come come, Sarada learn together... I'll send you kids to school..."

—Seventh Hokage, congratulations on successfully earning "nephew-con duo's favor ×1" and "brother-con little missy's dissatisfaction ×1". May you live joyfully, amen.

***

A studying craze recently swept through Ninja Academy. The reason was simple. That dreamlike morning when Seventh Hokage personally came to send the injured-face Chitose Uchiha to school and encouraged them passionately.

Chitose, who had listened attentively to Naruto's entire speech, looked at his roused and excited classmates who also wanted to train themselves into injured faces, and silently expressed: Kids, don't imitate this. I can't guarantee you all can evade Uncle's shuriken to my degree of injury.

—Accidental disfigurement could happen so nevermind. Take it slow.

And facing Boruto Uzumaki's divine annoyance later with his diehard pestering arts, all Uchiha Chitose could do was beat him up, beat him up, beat him up some more.

Although it was always an instant KO, it seemed to have little effect in dampening Boruto's enthusiasm.

Forgot to say, ever since snatching first place back from Boruto in the water walking training, Chitose noticed Boruto was completely opposed to him now.

In every exam afterwards, Uchiha Chitose was always first place. Second place alternated between Sarada and Boruto. Occasionally Shikadai could compete with Chitose's scores in theory too, but when it came to practicals, Chitose was basically invincible. Wasabi was also often in the top five.

That was the cream of the crop in Ninja Academy's ninjutsu class.

However, Boruto gradually discovered that in the face of his not infrequent provocations and insisting on competing every class, although Chitose always responded, he always seemed a little absent-minded.

Although it was always an instant KO, but this Chitose gave him the feeling of being somewhat different from the one who competed against Iwabe. But he couldn't say exactly what was different.

Until one day when their teacher Shino assigned him to get stuff from the library, he saw Chitose who was just in the classroom a while ago. Only then did he understand that Chitose had used shadow clone technique.

He made excuses to return to the library after handing the stuff to the teacher and stayed there the whole afternoon. Not until the last school bell rang signalling the end of classes did the person he stared at the entire time walk out of the library and vanish into smoke with a "poof" at the turn of the stairwell.

Boruto stood at the spot Chitose disappeared from for a long time before somewhat losing strength and slumping back against the wall.

Maintaining a shadow clone for an entire afternoon... No, I still don't know how many he made to do stuff... His chakra reserves are just as unbelievable...!

Really... Hands shoved in pockets, leaning against the wall, his gaze was piercing.

—Can't fall behind! He's so worth catching up to!

Sakura noticed Chitose's desperate efforts very early on. She even talked to Chitose about it specifically. No other reason. After experiencing that kind of thing, she really couldn't bear to see the child still push himself so hard.

But seemingly inheriting the Uchiha clan's stubbornness, Chitose appeared cold and unfeeling, yet was stubborn and unyielding to the bone. Sakura advised earnestly but Chitose's response was always silence.

Sakura felt somewhat downcast. This kind of fanatical pursuit of power, the extremely urgent desire to become stronger, made her think of Sasuke time and again. She then realized she could no longer stop Chitose.

That kind of feeling... that kind of feeling of wanting revenge. She was unable to stop it, and doomed to be unable to stop it.

Sarada expressed her worry for Chitose on the way home from school. Chitose treated her extremely well. Other than obviously steering the conversation away that one time she asked about his past, he hid nothing else from her. All good stuff was left for her too. He wouldn't hide things from her when doing stuff. If she wanted to know, she could definitely discover the truth. Just like now, she knew Chitose had a clone staying in the classroom aside from his main body. He also had one clone by the lake practicing ninjutsu, one in the training grounds practicing the shuriken techniques Father taught him, and one in the library reading all kinds of books extensively.

She was often astonished and full of admiration for the many things Chitose steadily revealed, like his extensive knowledge, exceptional taijutsu and stamina, the three tomoe Sharingan, massive chakra reserves.

And Sarada knew all these were intricately tied to her brother's past.

"...Brother, why did you interrupt me when I asked Mom back then?" She thought and thought, and finally still asked this one sentence.

As long as she knew about the past, the reason brother was so powerful would naturally become clear. Furthermore, she wanted to understand her brother better if possible, and be closer to him.

But Chitose just stared at the sunset in the distance with his large but slightly narrow eyes, bag slung over one shoulder. His eyes weren't round, but somewhat narrow and elongated. Usually expressionless, he would only appear cold and unapproachable. But when he knitted his brows even unconsciously, those profound eyes would seem cold and sharp due to his temperament even if unintended, gaze piercing and merciless yet penetrative, pressuring anyone who met his eyes.

The current Chitose had that kind of expression. He just didn't let Sarada who was walking alongside him see his eyes.

In an unmodulated tone, he casually threw out a sentence. "Sarada, you only need to know I'm very strong."

He stopped walking and turned to face Sarada eye to eye, his eyes showing firmness Sarada didn't notice. 

"As for my past, it's completely unimportant."

Perhaps sensing that Sarada was scared by his abrupt words, Chitose paused, softened his brows slightly, "It's okay."

Sarada, puzzled, uttered a monosyllable, "...Huh?"

Chitose's lips curved slightly, and he raised his hand to pat Sarada's head— he was much taller, and the gesture was effortless.

"No matter what happens, I won't harm you. Even if I have to stake my life, your brother will protect you."

In that moment, the world seemed to freeze. Only that clean and handsome boy, with an extremely focused and determined expression, made a promise while lowering his head. In that instant, she could see the overwhelming determination and resolution in his eyes.

As if all the beauty in the world had converged into this moment.

Sarada was stunned for a long time before vaguely coming back to her senses. The next second, her face turned completely red, even her ears were as red as tomatoes, and there was a faint steam rising from the top of her head.

She exaggeratedly stepped back two steps, cradling her face and pushing up her glasses, "Wh-what, brother is too unfair! Th-these cheesy words—"

She suddenly remembered something, took two steps back, walked in front of Chitose, and stared at him with an uncomprehending gaze, her cheeks puffed up, "Brother! The words just now, besides me, you absolutely can't say them to any other woman, got it?!"

Chitose was amused by her performance, surrendering by raising both hands, helplessly smiling, "Okay, I got it."

"Brother! I'm serious!! At this rate, except for me, all the unmarried women in the world will be vying to be my sister-in-law!"

"Haha..."

"Brother!!"

Just when the brother and sister were getting along well (?), a voice behind them interrupted, "Chitose, Sarada, why are you two so happy chatting?!"

Sarada stiffened all over, took advantage of her elder brother's low-pressure atmosphere, and said with low morale, "Seventh... Hokage... Are you this free every day?"

Chitose's reaction was completely opposite, enthusiastic, "Seventh Hokage!"

Naruto smiled bitterly as he approached, "Hey... I'm not here for nothing. Sarada, I'll return him to you after delaying him for a while, alright?"

Sarada looked at her eagerly waiting elder brother next to her and felt the contrast was too much for her to accept.

#Handsome brother for only three seconds#

#Good, have to maintain a smile#