That day.
After Fugaku was carried into the bedroom by the combined efforts of the two brothers and Mikoto, he remained bedridden.
When he woke up, he kept shouting things like "ungrateful son," "the Uchiha are doomed," and "unfilial child."
It was clear Fugaku was truly furious.
Honestly...
Even if Kaito had just tried to stop him, he could have consoled himself that the child was still young and didn't know any better.
But to outright declare he wanted to destroy the world...?
What?
Do you really think the Uchiha clan isn't doomed fast enough?
Worried that her husband's anger might harm his health, Mikoto shooed the two children away, saying it was best not to see their father for a while while he was still furious.
Otherwise, she feared the two might end up getting beaten.
Kaito thought this made sense and immediately dragged Sasuke outside.
As they left, their mother, still concerned the boys might go challenge the ninja dogs at the village entrance again, gave them a stern warning.
At this point...
If Fugaku heard any more bad news,
it might genuinely make him ill.
But three days passed, and the two boys showed no signs of returning home...
By the river, Kaito lightly flicked his fishing rod, the transparent line whistling through the air before the float landed in the water, waiting for a bite.
Splash—
Water suddenly sprayed as Sasuke, practicing water-walking, fell in again.
After flailing for a moment, he clumsily climbed back onto the bank.
"Kaito, are you sure... this training really makes you stronger?"
Sasuke was growing impatient. He didn't feel any significant improvement from the first stage of tree-walking or from repeatedly failing at water-walking.
Right now...
His mind was fixated on the image of Kaito defeating their father, and all he wanted was to master that strange clone technique.
Kaito, still fishing, didn't even glance at Sasuke and casually said something that left him utterly confused.
"There are ten lotus flowers in the pond, I pick one..."
Sasuke: ?
Wringing out his shirt, Sasuke stared blankly, unsure what Kaito meant by that...
Testing my math?
Uncertain, Sasuke tentatively answered.
"I... pick nine?"
"What does that mean?"
Kaito nodded approvingly, then repeated Sasuke's words back to him.
"You—if you're bad, practice more."
"Kaito! That's too much!"
Furious, Sasuke threw his freshly wrung shirt at Kaito, who simply shifted his hips to dodge, leaving the attack to miss.
The shirt landed in the water.
Sasuke ran to the shore, completely exasperated. He considered jumping in to retrieve it, but after glancing at Kaito, an idea suddenly struck him.
"Kaito Uchiha."
"Hypothetically—just hypothetically—if Itachi and I couldn't swim, and we both fell into the water..."
"If you could only save one of us..."
"Who would you save?"Kaito paused mid-cast upon hearing Sasuke's question.
He turned to scrutinize Sasuke carefully before seriously pondering the matter.
Unlike Itachi, who often brushed things off, Kaito genuinely considered such questions.
"Hmm…"
After a moment of contemplation, Kaito replied, "Drowning happens when someone falls into water and suffocates from inhaling too much of it, depriving them of oxygen."
"Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen."
Sasuke: ??
Knowledge suddenly forced its way into Sasuke's mind in the most underhanded manner, compelling him to remember this bizarre fact.
Of course, he still didn't understand how the elemental composition of water related to his question.
"So…"
"If I unleash a large-scale Lightning Release Ninjutsu into the river, I could decompose the water to produce oxygen while saving both of you at the same time."
Sasuke was horrified, his hair standing on end as visions of being electrocuted in the water flashed through his mind.
"Kaito Uchiha! Are you a demon?!"
"We're brothers!!"
Kaito shrugged, giving the boy a sidelong glance while sighing inwardly.
Nice try.
Still playing these games with me, huh?
Undeterred by his failed attempt, Sasuke took a breath and pressed on.
"Then tell me, between me and Itachi…"
"Who would you choose?"
"You."
This time, Kaito answered without the slightest hesitation.
To him, this had never been a difficult question.
Sasuke froze for a few seconds, stunned by the response. After a long pause, he suddenly leaned in close and whispered,
"Then… can you teach me the Dog Clone?"
Splash—
Kaito lost his composure at the request and shoved Sasuke into the river with one hand.
"Focus on practicing your water-walking!"
"If you don't master it today, no dinner for you!"
Sasuke resurfaced, gritting his teeth as he shouted,
"Kaito, you liar!"
"I'll never believe you again!"
He had been secretly pleased when Kaito chose him over Itachi, only for the damn guy to push him into the river moments later.
Kaito Uchiha…
What a cold, heartless bastard!
Furious, Sasuke vowed not to speak to Kaito ever again.
"Hey! You two!"
"This is my turf!!"
A blond kid suddenly burst out of the bushes, pointing at Kaito and Sasuke while yelling.
He carried a crude, worn-out fishing rod over his shoulder—a stark contrast to Kaito's high-end, store-bought gear.
The sight was downright pitiful.
In his other hand dangled a battered bucket, its condition teetering between battle-worn and completely wrecked.
Whether it even held water was another question.
Naruto Uzumaki's shouting trailed off as he noticed Kaito's fishing rod and the bucket beside him.
Then, spotting the flailing boy in the river—who bore a striking resemblance to Kaito—a pang of envy twisted in his chest.
Family…
Must be nice.
Shifting uncomfortably, Naruto hid his shabby fishing gear behind his back but still raised his voice.
"This is my spot!"
"If you wanna fish… go upstream!"
"There's more fish there…"
Sasuke immediately bristled at the command.
Though he constantly bickered with Kaito at home and whined to his brother, he never showed outsiders any kindness.Sasuke leaped out of the water, his feet lightly tapping the surface twice before he stood firmly atop it.
He quickly pulled on his shirt, patted the inconspicuous Uchiha clan emblem twice, then tilted his chin slightly in Naruto's direction.
Then, with the arrogance of someone looking down his nose, he spoke.
"Hey."
"Kid, who the hell do you think you are?"
Patting the Uchiha emblem was a display of his background, standing on the water was an effortless show of strength, and his arrogant question was a direct counter to the blond brat's earlier words.
But Kaito could see the truth…
Right now, Sasuke didn't dare move—one wrong step, and he'd plunge into the water.
"Sasuke, that's enough."
"Pack up and let's go home."
Kaito stood, brushing the dust off his clothes, deliberately leaving the fishing gear and the bucket of fish at his feet. Then, he grabbed Sasuke and pulled him close, saving him from the embarrassment of falling in front of an outsider.
"Hmph."
Sasuke scoffed disdainfully but followed behind Kaito as they headed home.
It wasn't until they were already ten meters away that Naruto finally snapped out of his daze.
He hurriedly picked up the heavy bucket and the expensive-looking fishing rod, stumbling as he chased after the two.
"Hey! Wait up, you—!"
"You forgot your stuff!"
Kaito raised a hand and casually waved at Naruto behind him.
"Keep it. Take it if you want, or just throw it away."
But the moment the words left his mouth, the system's voice chimed in, nearly making him trip.
[Ding—]
[Triggered Quest: As a Scholar, You Encounter a Wounded Fox Spirit…]
Kaito: Damn it!
...