Yosuke's speed was so great that even Fugaku's Sharingan—with its exceptional dynamic vision—could barely keep up.
But as a veteran of countless battles, Uchiha Fugaku responded the instant Yosuke moved.
"Genjutsu: Black Darkness Technique!"
Yosuke's vision was swallowed by darkness, and Fugaku's figure vanished completely from sight.
Yet Yosuke did not panic.
Even though he lost his eyesight, he continued to lock onto Fugaku with his senses.
To Yosuke , Fugaku's position was still perfectly clear.
He charged straight forward without slowing, causing Fugaku to doubt his own technique.
Has he broken my genjutsu? No—impossible. This is genjutsu strengthened by the Sharingan.
To break an ocular-type illusion, one must have another person disrupt their chakra flow. A samurai like him couldn't possibly break it!
If the genjutsu isn't broken… then how is he tracking my position in complete darkness?!
Fugaku rolled aside in a desperate evasion.
If not for his Sharingan's dynamic vision, Yousuke's blade likely would have struck him already.
Itachi, observing from the side, was now completely certain—this intruder was indeed his father, Uchiha Fugaku.
And during the battle, Yosuke himself had also realized something:
this ninja had multiple opportunities to abandon the fight and go after Itachi, yet never did.
Which meant Itachi was not his target.
Even so, the killing intent he emitted was unmistakably real.
This ninja's strength was only that of a jōnin, so Yosuke decided to seriously injure him with a single strike before dealing with anything else.
"Breath of the Sun – Sixth Form: Solar Halo Dragon – Head Dance!"
Yosuke unleashed his full power.
His movement traced the path of a blazing dragon, waves of scorching heat surging over Fugaku's entire body.
Feeling death closing in, Uchiha Fugaku instinctively activated the Mangekyō Sharingan he had kept hidden for so long.
Yosuke's strength far exceeded his expectations.
If he continued holding back, he would not escape without suffering grave injury—if he survived at all.
The moment Fugaku's Mangekyō opened, Yosuke sensed his power shoot from jōnin-level to kage-level, leaving him deeply puzzled.
From the side, Itachi called out in worry, almost reflexively:
"Father…"
"Father?!"
Yosuke frowned sharply.
He forcibly diverted his slash, letting it scrape past Fugaku's body and instead gouge into the ground.
Dirt and dust exploded upward, obscuring all vision.
Seizing the opportunity, Fugaku quickly concealed the Mangekyō once more.
This was not the time to expose it.
When the dust finally settled, Fugaku removed his mask.
The Uchiha clan had always worshipped strength, and Fugaku's heart had already accepted Yosuke's overwhelming ability.
For Itachi to have such a teacher was his good fortune.
"My apologies, Yosuke-san. I've caused you trouble," Fugaku said sincerely.
But Yosuke felt no goodwill toward him at all.
After all, anyone would be displeased at being ambushed without reason.
Itachi sensed Yosuke's displeasure—yet he was caught between his father and his mentor, leaving him conflicted.
"You're the one who's been watching me these past days, aren't you?" Yosuke said coldly.
Fugaku felt the heavy tension and tried to salvage the situation.
"Please understand the thoughts of a father. When one's child returns home battered every day… it's impossible not to worry.
As for today's rash behavior, I will find a way to compensate you."
"I chose to teach Itachi simply because I like this child.
If I wanted something from you… do you really think you could give it to me?"
Yosuke's words left Fugaku speechless.
With strength like Yosuke's, obtaining whatever he wanted would be effortless.
His earlier words had only worsened Yosuke's impression of him.
Itachi, fearing that his father's interference would cause Yosuke to stop teaching him, whispered anxiously:
"Yousuke-dono…"
Hearing Itachi's voice, Yosuke's stern expression softened slightly.
He truly did like the boy—gentle, intelligent, rational, thoughtful, and unwilling to run from hardship.
In Itachi, Yosuke saw traces of Tanjiro.
But unlike Tanjiro, Itachi was easily influenced by others—and once influenced, he had a tendency to overthink things.
Thus Yosuke not only trained him, but subtly guided his outlook so he would not stray down a warped path in the future.
"Don't worry. You are you. I won't lump you together with anyone else.
That's enough training for today."
Yosuke waved lightly at Itachi, completely ignoring Fugaku.
Itachi looked at his father beside him.
For the first time in his life, the always-calm Itachi felt something rising within him—anger.
Growing up in the Uchiha clan, he had seen how almost every clansman carried a sense of superiority, dismissing anyone outside the clan.
From as far back as he could remember, Itachi had been taught that the Uchiha were the strongest, that none could rival them.
No one had taught him right from wrong—only that power dictated everything.
Before meeting Yosuke, Itachi had already lived through the horrors of the Third Great Ninja War, and so he despised war deeply.
He sought strength and knowledge in order to better understand the world.
His maturity and worldview had left him isolated—until he met Yousuke.
For the first time, someone taught him right and wrong, what should be done and what should not.
Though he still addressed Yosuke as "Dono," he had long since regarded him as his true mentor.
But his father—who could have chosen a better method—gave in to the Uchiha clan's pride and chose to fight Yousuke directly.
This embarrassed Itachi deeply.
Yet Fugaku, unaware of any wrongdoing and oblivious to Itachi's emotions, simply said:
"Itachi, train under him properly.
His swordsmanship has few rivals in the entire ninja world.
If you master his techniques and awaken the Sharingan, you will become one of the world's strongest.
You will restore the Uchiha name to glory."
After saying this, Fugaku departed.
But for once, the obedient Itachi did not take his father's words to heart.
Instead, he fell into deep conflict and confusion.
A clan? A village? Why must the clan always come first?
Shouldn't the desire to become strong be for the sake of protecting the village?
Itachi wandered aimlessly through the streets, unable to make sense of his feelings.
By the time night fell, through a twist of fate, he found himself below the inn where Yosuke was staying.
Just as he hesitated—unsure whether he should disturb Yosuke—he heard a voice from above.
"Itachi. Come up."
Yosuke enjoyed admiring nighttime scenery; under the darkness, everything felt more real than under the sun.
And by coincidence, because of this habit, he noticed Itachi standing alone outside the inn.
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