Naruto hodgepodge

From then on, Uchiha Itachi embarked on his secret mission every morning, silently monitoring the actions of his clan members as a Konoha Anbu ninja. He held a high-powered telescope and stood in the high tower opposite the family to clearly observe all the subtle changes in the Uchiha mansion and its surroundings. Although this task was heavy and stressful, Itachi always maintained his unique calmness and indifference on his face.

During the long period of surveillance, Itachi's eyes occasionally inadvertently passed by the direction of the Konoha Ninja School, where his younger brother Sasuke grew up. Whenever he saw Sasuke sweating on the playground, followed by a few little fans with admiring faces, Itachi's heart would always surge with an indescribable tenderness and relief. The corners of his mouth slightly raised, it was an imperceptible but extremely warm smile, as if at this moment, all the fatigue and burdens temporarily disappeared. Sasuke was the softest part of his heart. Seeing his younger brother growing up healthily in the sun, he became more determined to protect his younger brother and maintain peace.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on Uchiha Itachi's slightly tired figure. He finished his long and tense surveillance mission and walked towards home with heavy but determined steps. When passing by the door opposite his house, his eyes involuntarily fell on the mottled wall. The outline of the family crest looked particularly solemn under the reflection of the setting sun, and the hole in the middle left by his last impulse with a kunai looked particularly glaring at this moment.

"Brother, you're back!" A clear voice broke the silence around them, and Sasuke ran out of the yard, his face filled with joy after seeing his brother. He looked at Itachi excitedly, his eyes flashing with anticipation, "I'm about to go to the training ground, brother, can you accompany me?"

Itachi looked at his brother's energetic face, and a complex emotion surged in his heart. He shook his head slightly, with a hint of fatigue in his voice: "Sasuke, brother just finished a mission today, and he is really tired."

Sasuke heard this, a trace of confusion flashed in his eyes, he muttered: "But brother, you can always complete the task so quickly, how can you be tired?"

Itachi smiled helplessly, stretched out his finger and gently poked Sasuke's forehead. Perhaps because of the pent-up emotions in his heart, the force was a little heavier than usual. Sasuke frowned instantly and shouted exaggeratedly: "It hurts!"

When Itachi saw this, a trace of apology flashed through his heart, but he did not stop. He just said lightly: "Forgive me, Sasuke, next time." After that, he turned and walked into the house, leaving Sasuke standing outside the door alone, covering his forehead, with both grievance and confusion in his eyes.

Sasuke looked at his brother's lonely back and felt unhappy. His brother had been very busy recently, but he also wanted to spend more time with him. Finally, he sighed, put away the grievance on his face, straightened his back, and walked to the training ground alone. In the afterglow of the setting sun, Sasuke's figure seemed particularly determined. He secretly vowed to work hard to practice and become a person that his brother would be proud of and his father would recognize.

Itachi's mood was as if shrouded by a dark cloud, and every step he took seemed unusually heavy. He had been closely monitoring the actions of his clan members recently, and those subtle changes and tense atmosphere all made him worried, as if he had a premonition that a storm was coming. On the way back to his room, he lowered his head and walked through the familiar corridors with empty eyes, until a familiar figure blocked his way. It was his father, Uchiha Fugaku, with his arms folded across his chest and a serious face.

Itachi looked up and met his father's sharp eyes. Although he had a thousand words in his mind, he didn't know where to start. He tried to avoid the upcoming conversation, so he pretended not to hear it and continued to move forward unconsciously. However, his father's voice sounded like an irresistible command when he was about to pass by his father: "You should know that there will be a gathering in the clan in three days."

Itachi paused, then responded coldly: "I don't know." There was a hint of stubbornness and evasion in his voice, as if he was trying to hide his inner turmoil.

Fugaku did not get angry, but continued to calmly instruct: "After the meeting, you go to Nanga Shrine alone, and do not bring any ANBU subordinates."

However, Itachi chose another way to respond: "I will be leaving the village to carry out a mission starting tomorrow." He wanted to escape and stay away from what was about to happen.

Fugaku turned around, stared at Itachi with a sharp gaze, and said with an unquestionable firmness in his tone: "Don't run away."

Itachi finally couldn't keep calm anymore. He stopped, turned around angrily, looked straight into his father's eyes and asked, "Escape? What am I running away from?" His voice was full of confusion and grievance. The clan had been prejudiced against for so long and had gotten over it, but what had happened recently? Just after a year of peace, his father and these boring tribesmen wanted to make trouble again. Why?

Fugaku did not answer directly, but looked at Itachi deeply, then said slowly: "Escape your fate as an Uchiha. Remember, I will wait for you."

After saying that, Fugaku turned and left, leaving Itachi standing there alone, looking at his father's receding figure, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. He didn't know what to do, should he escape or face it?

Three days later, in the morning, as the first ray of sunlight broke through the clouds, Sasuke got up with great anticipation. His brother was not at home, so he hurried to his father Fugaku, his eyes gleaming with excitement and confidence, ready to show the result of his hard work for many days, the Fire Style - Great Fireball Technique.

Sasuke took a deep breath and quickly formed seals with his hands. The chakra in his body seemed to be ignited and surged. With a low shout, a blazing fireball suddenly spewed out of his mouth, breaking the tranquility of the early morning, drawing a gorgeous trajectory in the air and then dissipating without a trace.

Fugaku saw this, and although his heart was heavy because of Itachi's matter, facing his son's outstanding performance, he still tried to control his emotions and tried not to let his worries affect Sasuke. He forced a smile, although the smile seemed a little forced and his voice was a little perfunctory: "Not bad, Sasuke. You are worthy of being my son."

However, Sasuke was very happy to hear this, but he keenly noticed the unusual tone in his father's voice. He looked up at Fugaku, and a trace of grievance and confusion flashed in his clear eyes. Sasuke knew that his father must be worried, and his success at the moment did not seem to really make his father happy. He bit his lip lightly, turned around and left silently.

Sasuke sat at the dining table, his hands folded lightly, his eyes drifting to his mother Mikoto who was busy in the kitchen. He took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to speak.

Sasuke shouted with a hint of uneasiness: "Mom..."

Mikoto heard the voice and immediately stopped what she was doing. She turned around gently, her eyes full of concern: "Well, Sasuke, what's wrong? Is there something on your mind?"

Sasuke's eyes flickered. "Mom, I've always wanted to know what kind of existence I am in the eyes of Dad and Brother. Especially Dad, he always said to Brother, 'You are worthy of being my son.' Recently, he also said the same to me, which made me both surprised and happy."

Mikoto smiled softly when she heard that: "Really? That's great, Sasuke. To be recognized by your father means that you have really grown up and become very outstanding. This is the praise that every child longs for."

Sasuke changed his tone slightly: "But, I have also noticed that the relationship between my father and my brother seems to be a little strained recently. This makes me a little worried that I am just a substitute for my brother and not that important in their hearts."

When Mikoto heard this, her eyes became soft and deep. She sighed softly, as if thinking about how to answer this sensitive question, while Sasuke nervously waited for his mother's answer.

Mikoto finally spoke, her voice warm and firm: "Sasuke, you have to remember that everyone is unique. Brother has his own light, and you have your own color. Dad's love for you is equally deep and sincere. He has always been paying attention to you in his own way and is proud of you. So, please don't doubt your place in their hearts. You are irreplaceable."

Sasuke frowned slightly, with a hint of confusion: "Then why did he always treat my brother like that before..."

Mikoto interrupted gently, her eyes full of understanding: "Sasuke, that's because Dad, as the leader of the clan, has a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He needs to ensure that every member of the family can do their part to protect our home. Itachi is your older brother, older and more outstanding, so he will naturally be given more missions and responsibilities. Dad supervises him because he trusts him and is responsible for the entire family."

Sasuke thought: "Oh..."

Mikoto smiled, with a warm light in her eyes. "But you know what, Sasuke? Even though Dad pays more attention to Itachi in public, he often mentions you in private, his eyes full of pride. He's just not good at expressing this emotion directly, and he always has a stern face, making people feel that he is difficult to approach. In fact, his love and expectations for you are no less than Itachi's."

Sasuke was surprised and moved. The scene of his family having dinner together appeared in his mind. His father was serious and deep, and his brother was gentle and powerful: "Really..."

Mikoto nodded gently and handed over the lunch box: "Here, Sasuke, this is your lunch box. Whether you are practicing or training, remember to take care of yourself. When you come back, mom is willing to practice shuriken with you."

Sasuke took the lunch box, his eyes flashing with determination: "It's not practice, it's training!" After saying that, he quickly stood up and ran towards the school, leaving only one sentence: "I'm leaving!"

Mikoto looked at Sasuke's departing back and whispered, "Be careful on the road, Sasuke."