After a long while, Uchiha Itachi finally caught his breath.
"Tell me," Yosuke said, "what did you feel during this trip down and up the mountain?"
Itachi thought for a moment before answering.
"It was hard—much harder than I expected. Without using chakra, my stamina drained very quickly, and I couldn't focus. It felt like my hands and feet were tied down… it was very uncomfortable."
"Good. Realizing your own weaknesses means you've already made progress. The purpose of this training is to temper your body. Think of chakra as water, and your body as the container. The larger the container, the more water it can hold."
Itachi nodded thoughtfully. No one had ever spoken to him about physical conditioning before. From beginning to end, the elders of the clan always said the same thing: the Uchiha rely on their Sharingan—once you awaken it, you can stand among the strong.
"You people in this world—cough—well, you ninja have outstanding physical gifts by nature. But chakra isn't everything. True strength lies in yourself. Chakra can run out. When that happens, your body's condition becomes crucial—it's what determines whether you can survive in a difficult battle."
Yosuke had experienced taijutsu first-hand from Asuma. But what confused him was that so-called "taijutsu" wasn't purely physical—it always required chakra support, which strayed far from what he considered true taijutsu.
To be honest, without chakra, a ninja's taijutsu techniques were fairly ordinary.
Yosuke squatted down and patted his shoulder.
Itachi didn't understand.
"Get on my back. I'll show you."
Itachi's little face reddened, but after hesitating a moment, he climbed onto Yosuke's back.
"Pay attention to my breathing and my footwork. Sometimes, don't rely solely on your eyes to observe. Sight is just one sense—what it can perceive is limited. You must fully use your other senses to understand your surroundings."
With that, Yosuke rushed down the mountain.
He kept his pace steady so Itachi could clearly observe his breathing and steps.
Even though the path was steep, Yosuke moved with complete ease, as if walking on flat ground.
Before long, they reached the bottom.
"Itachi, we're here."
Itachi, lost in the moment, let out a dazed "Ah?" before realizing he was still on Yosuke's back. He hurriedly climbed down.
"Well? Did you memorize my breathing and footwork?"
Itachi nodded quickly. "Yes! I did."
Yosuke ruffled his hair.
"Good. That's all for today's training. Go home and rest well. I'll be waiting for you on the mountain again tomorrow."
"Then I'll take my leave, Yosuke-dono."
Itachi bowed deeply before heading back toward the Uchiha compound.
On the way home, he ran into Uchiha Shisui again.
"Itachi—what happened?! Why are you covered in injuries?" Shisui asked anxiously.
"It's nothing. I got this from training."
Shisui frowned.
"What kind of training would leave you bruised all over like this? Itachi… you're not practicing some forbidden technique, are you?"
"No, it's just basic physical training."
"…If that's really the case, then fine. But don't push yourself so hard next time. Go rest."
Shisui clearly didn't believe him. After watching Itachi walk away, he thought for a moment and headed deeper into the Uchiha compound.
He knocked on a door. A deep male voice responded:
"Enter."
Shisui slid the door open. Inside, a man in a kimono sat calmly on the tatami, drinking tea.
"It's you, Shisui. What is it?"
"Clan Leader Fugaku," Shisui said, kneeling on one knee, "it's about Itachi."
"Itachi? What happened to him?"
Uchiha Fugaku cared deeply for his son. Itachi had exceptional talent and, at the age of four, had witnessed the brutality of the Third Great Ninja War—and even killed an enemy ninja who ambushed him.
Despite his young age, Itachi already thought like an adult. To Fugaku, he was the perfect heir.
"Itachi returned to the compound today covered in injuries."
"Injuries? What happened?!"
Fugaku's voice tightened. As the clan leader's son, who would dare lay a hand on Itachi?
"I asked him. But he brushed it off, saying it was from training," Shisui reported truthfully.
Fugaku thought for a moment, then said, "I understand."
Shisui bowed and left.
"Hui!" Fugaku called out into the air.
In the next second, a ninja appeared kneeling at the doorway.
"Do you know where Itachi went today?"
Uchiha Hui OC( reported, embarrassed, "After young master Itachi left home today, he seemed wary of me. He shook me off, and I lost track of him."
Hui felt ashamed. He was assigned to protect Itachi, but ever since Itachi befriended Shisui, the boy often slipped away.
Previously, Hui had followed secretly and discovered Itachi was only training with Shisui. After reporting this to Fugaku, the clan leader had allowed it and told him not to interfere.
So Hui had grown lax, assuming every disappearance meant Itachi was training with Shisui. He never expected Fugaku to suddenly question him now.
But Fugaku didn't scold him—he simply said, "I understand."
After Hui withdrew, a beautiful woman—her stomach slightly rounded—approached Fugaku.
"Fugaku, did something happen?"
Fugaku's stern expression softened.
"It's nothing, Mikoto. Why aren't you resting?"
His wife, Uchiha Mikoto, smiled gently.
"I was just thinking… the baby is due soon, and we still haven't decided on a name. Have you thought of one?"
Fugaku pondered briefly.
"If it's a boy, let's call him Sasuke—Uchiha Sasuke.
If it's a girl, Sana."
Mikoto placed a hand on her stomach and whispered sweetly,
"Did you hear that, child? Your name has been decided. I wonder whether you'll be Sasuke or Sana."
Mikoto suddenly asked,
"Fugaku, has Kushina come to see me recently? I haven't seen her in a long time."
At the mention of Uzumaki Kushina, Fugaku's expression hardened again.
"Mikoto… don't meet with Kushina for the time being."
"…Why?"
"You don't need to know. Just rest and stay calm. After Sasuke is born—if everything goes smoothly—you'll be able to see Kushina again soon."
Seeing her husband so serious, Mikoto didn't press further.
She too had sensed the growing tension within the clan lately.
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