Chapter 332: Uchiha Itachi's Ninja Way; Uchiha's Dad [HN]

The Hokage Rock of Konoha looked especially majestic in the morning light.

Uchiha Itachi stood alone atop the stone head of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. From this position, he could overlook most of Konoha.

The cold morning wind blew fiercely, ruffling his short black hair and thin clothes.

But he seemed unable to feel the cold. He simply lowered his eyes and gazed at the village below as it gradually awakened.

Thin cooking smoke rose into the air. Scattered pedestrians began appearing on the streets, while faint shouts drifted over from the training grounds.

The prosperous and peaceful scene before him stood in sharp contrast to the thoughts surging within his heart.

“Protection…”

He quietly repeated the word, his brows slightly furrowed.

“The village… the clan…”

Teacher Chiya’s words echoed in his mind.

“The stronger your power becomes, the more important it is to understand why you use it… to protect the people you want to protect…”

He thought of his father, Uchiha Fugaku, a man who always wore a stern expression and carried the future of the entire family on his shoulders.

Yet whenever Fugaku occasionally looked at him and Sasuke, a faint warmth could be seen deep within his eyes.

He thought of his mother, Uchiha Rinbi, who always surrounded them with a gentle smile and loving care.

He thought of Shisui nii, the Uchiha genius who was both an older brother and a close friend.

Shisui was always smiling brightly, guiding him again and again during training and telling him that protection was not only about protecting the village, but also about protecting every important person within it.

He thought of Teacher Chiya, the man standing at the very top of the village, possessing enough power to change the world, yet using that power to build the peace and prosperity before his eyes while carefully protecting his family and companions.

His teacher had told him that the clan was the source of his strength and the first place he needed to learn to protect.

His thoughts were tangled like a mass of threads, wrapping around the seemingly simple yet incredibly complicated concepts of the individual, the family, and the village.

Individuals formed families, and families connected by blood formed clans.

Then, because of shared beliefs, a shared place to survive, and the things they all wanted to protect, countless clans came together to form Konoha.

His gaze became distant as he remembered the ancient scroll he had found in the clan archives.

It recorded the events that had led to peace when the village was first established.

It told the story of Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju.

They had once been close friends who shared the dream of building a peaceful paradise, yet they ultimately parted ways because of their differing beliefs about how that peace should be protected, eventually leading to the brutal battle at the Valley of the End.

What was the true meaning behind establishing the village?

Wasn’t it to end the endless wars, allow children to grow up in peace, and prevent families and comrades from being so easily lost?

If protecting the clan and protecting the village became opposing choices, wouldn’t that mean betraying the original purpose of its creation?

Teacher Chiya…

He seemed to be walking a different path.

He was the Hokage, yet he maintained his bonds with Lady Tsunade and Lady Mikoto at the same time. He allowed the glory of the Uchiha to shine once again within Konoha, while bringing the various clans closer together.

He was proving through his actions that the clan and the village did not have to be divided, but could exist as a unified whole.

True protection might not be a choice between one thing or the other.

Perhaps it meant finding a path that allowed everything precious to coexist.

Powerful strength was not meant to create divisions.

It was meant to preserve that precious balance and harmony.

At that thought, the confusion in Uchiha Itachi’s eyes disappeared.

In its place was a firm and clear determination that came from suddenly understanding everything.

He took a step forward.

Beneath his feet was an almost vertical cliff.

Without the slightest hesitation, he leaned forward and jumped.

A powerful sensation of weightlessness instantly overwhelmed him.

The freezing wind cut across his young face like blades, making it almost impossible for him to keep his eyes open.

The howling wind filled his ears as the buildings and trees below rapidly grew larger.

Yet during the rapid descent, his mind remained unusually calm.

The concerned faces of his parents flashed through his mind.

Shisui’s trusting smile flashed before his eyes.

Then he saw Teacher Chiya’s calm and wise gaze.

“Protection…”

He repeated the word silently in his heart, his eyes becoming as sharp as an eagle’s.

Just as his body was about to lose control, he suddenly pulled out the kunai from behind his waist.

He infused his arm with chakra and viciously drove the kunai into the hard cliff face.

“Shhk!”

The kunai scraped violently against the rock, sending a string of dazzling sparks into the air.

The harsh sound tore through the tranquility of the early morning.

A powerful resistance surged through his arm.

Uchiha Itachi’s arm bore an enormous strain, but he clenched his teeth and held the kunai tightly.

He was not recklessly trying to die.

He was using this extreme method to experience the feeling of standing between life and death and confirm the ninja way he had just understood.

At the same time, this was also an ultimate test of his own skills.

Using the resistance created by the kunai scraping against the cliff, his falling speed suddenly slowed.

His slender figure adjusted its posture nimbly in midair, and his feet occasionally stepped precisely against protruding sections of the cliff, further dispersing the force of his descent.

His movements were smooth and graceful, carrying a composure far beyond his age, as though he were not falling from a cliff but performing a carefully arranged dance along its surface.

After several changes of direction, his descent was completely under control.

Finally, he spotted the crown of a large tree below and landed lightly on its thickest branch.

He then performed a somersault and landed steadily on the soft grass without making a sound.

Uchiha Itachi breathed slightly heavily as he calmed his racing heart and somewhat numb arm.

Yet his face carried a look of relief and determination.

He put away the slightly worn kunai with meticulous care.

Just then, several black crows flew past him while cawing, then landed on a nearby branch and curiously watched him.

Uchiha Itachi sensed something and turned around.

Uchiha Shisui was standing there with his arms crossed, leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree.

He wore his usual bright smile, but his eyes were filled with understanding and approval.

“Figured it out?”

Shisui asked with a smile.

There was not the slightest hint of surprise in his voice, as though he had already known Itachi would be here and had even expected him to do this.

Uchiha Itachi looked at his close friend and elder brother, then nodded.

“Yes.”

There was no need for further explanation.

Everything was already understood without words.

Shisui believed Itachi could figure things out on his own, and Itachi had proven through his actions that he had not betrayed that trust.

“Good.”

Shisui walked over and affectionately ruffled Itachi’s hair, messing up the strands that had already been slightly disheveled by the wind.

“Come on, let’s get something to eat! I’ve been training all morning, and I’m starving! I know a new dango shop that tastes amazing!”

The moment he heard the word dango, Uchiha Itachi’s eyes clearly brightened.

Although his face remained as calm as ever, his feet had already instinctively followed Shisui.

“Okay.”

The two walked side by side toward the commercial street.

The sunlight stretched their shadows across the ground, and the morning’s little episode seemed to have never happened.

Yet something important had already taken deep root in the young boy’s heart.

…

Meanwhile.

The Uchiha Clan compound was filled with a special mixture of the scent of milk, medicine, and warmth inside Chiya’s residence.

Chiya quietly entered the master bedroom where Tsunade and their daughter, Mirai, would be staying.

Tsunade was leaning against the headboard.

Although her face was still somewhat pale after giving birth, her spirits had clearly improved, and the gloom between her brows had faded considerably.

She was holding little Mirai in her arms and clumsily but patiently trying to feed her.

Little Mirai’s eyes were closed as she sucked hard, making satisfied little smacking sounds.

Her two fair little fists were curled up, occasionally moving slightly.

“You’re awake? How are you feeling?”

Chiya walked over with his voice lowered as much as possible, afraid of disturbing his daughter.

Tsunade raised her head and, upon seeing him, unconsciously smiled.

Her expression carried the gentle glow unique to a mother.

“I’m fine. This little one has quite an appetite, though she can be a bit troublesome.”

Despite saying that, her eyes were filled with affection as she looked at her daughter.

Chiya sat beside the bed and gently touched little Mirai’s tender cheek with his finger.

The soft sensation made his heart melt.

Little Mirai seemed to sense her father’s touch.

She stopped sucking and moved her little head slightly.

Then…

She let out a tiny burp, and a little milk escaped from the corner of her mouth.

Chiya and Tsunade froze at the same time.

Then they both could not help laughing softly.

“Look at you. You’re so clumsy that you can even make our daughter burp while feeding her.”

Chiya teased her with a smile as he picked up the warm soft cloth beside him and carefully wiped the milk from his daughter’s mouth.

His movements were incredibly gentle.

He was completely different from the Hokage who usually ruled Konoha and could decide countless people’s fates with a wave of his hand.

Tsunade gave him an annoyed glare, but her eyes were filled with amusement.

“If you’re so capable, why don’t you try? It’s easy to talk when you’re standing there.”

Chiya smiled and said nothing.

He simply continued watching his daughter attentively.

Little Mirai seemed to sense her father’s gaze.

Although her eyes remained closed, she slightly opened her toothless mouth and revealed an unconscious smile as innocent as an angel’s.

That smile instantly struck the softest part of Chiya’s heart.

An indescribable sense of emotion and happiness filled his chest, almost bringing tears to his eyes.

This was his daughter.

The continuation of his and Tsunade’s lives.

He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his daughter’s smooth forehead.

Then he raised his head and kissed Tsunade’s slightly tired yet happy face.

“Thank you for all your hard work.”

He spoke softly, and countless words were contained within those few words.

Tsunade felt his thoughtfulness, and warmth filled her heart.

The weakness and unease she had felt after giving birth seemed to gradually disappear in his company and amid their daughter’s laughter.

She gently rested her head against his sturdy shoulder.

The family of three enjoyed this quiet and warm moment together.

After staying with Tsunade and little Mirai for a while and watching his daughter fall into a deep sleep once again, Chiya quietly got up.

He gestured for Tsunade to rest as well, then turned and went to Mikoto’s room.

Mikoto was currently leaning against a soft couch.

Her complexion was much better than it had been a few days ago, and she was holding the nearly finished baby clothes she had been making, carefully sewing the final few stitches one by one.

Little Chimi was sleeping soundly in the cradle beside her, her breathing even and steady.

Uchiha Sosuke sat in a chair nearby.

He appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, but the slight upward curve of his lips showed how happy he was.

“Chiya-nii.”

Mikoto put down her sewing when she saw Chiya enter, and a gentle smile immediately appeared on her face.

“Grandpa.”

Chiya first greeted Uchiha Sosuke, then walked over to Mikoto’s side and naturally took her hand.

“How are you feeling? Does the wound still hurt?”

“Much better. The medicine Miss Shizune prepared is very effective.”

Mikoto shook her head and looked toward her daughter in the cradle.

Her eyes became so gentle that they seemed ready to melt.

“Chimi is very well behaved. She rarely cries unless she’s hungry or needs her diaper changed.”

Chiya walked to the cradle and looked down at little Chimi.

Unlike little Mirai, whose features carried a hint of heroism, little Chimi had more delicate and refined features that strongly resembled Mikoto.

Her sleeping face was as peaceful as that of a little angel.

He extended a finger and gently touched her tiny fist.

The small, soft sensation made his entire heart melt.

Little Chimi seemed to sense her father’s touch in her sleep.

Her little fist loosened slightly.

Then, instinctively, she grasped Chiya’s finger.

That faint yet unmistakable grip felt like an electric current, instantly spreading throughout his body.

A completely new and powerful sense of responsibility and protectiveness emerged within him.

‘So this is what being a father feels like?’

‘To be depended on and trusted so completely by your own child.’

He did not dare to use any force, afraid that he might hurt her.

He simply kept his finger still and allowed his daughter to hold it, a silly yet deeply satisfied smile appearing on his face.

After living two lives, he had finally become a father.

This feeling…

Was truly wonderful.

Mikoto covered her mouth and could not help laughing softly as she watched this scene.

Her eyes were filled with happiness.

Uchiha Sosuke had also opened his eyes at some point.

He looked at the warm scene with satisfaction in his eyes.

“She likes you.”

Mikoto spoke softly.

“Yes.”

Chiya answered quietly.

He remained half crouched beside the cradle and watched his daughter for a long time.

Only then did he carefully withdraw his finger little by little, afraid of disturbing her sweet dream.

He returned to Mikoto’s side, put an arm around her shoulders, and spoke softly.

“Our Chimi is wonderful.”

Mikoto leaned against him, feeling the reassuring warmth of his presence.

At that moment, she felt that everything was complete.

Over the next few days, Chiya completely immersed himself in what it meant to be a father who was both exhausted and happy.

He did his best to arrange his time, moving between the Hokage’s office, Tsunade’s room, and Mikoto’s room in a three point routine.

He was not only the Hokage of Konoha.

He was also the father of two little lives.

What he needed to protect was not only the peace and future of the village.

It was also the two delicate treasures in his arms, the two little lives he was willing to give everything to protect and love.