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"Itachi! Where are you going!"
Seeing his son, who had lost all reason the moment he received the news upon returning from his mission, Fugaku roared, stopping Itachi in his tracks.
"Do you have any idea what this impulsive decision of yours means!"
Fugaku's voice was filled with severity!
Itachi's steps halted, his body trembling violently, his eyes flickering between anxiety and conflict.
That man, Haruko's teacher, had suddenly become a missing-nin.
He knew what this meant!
As that man's disciple, Haruko would inevitably be subjected to investigation, interrogation, and even torture!
"Father."
"Every second I remain here could be an eternity of torture for Haruko."
"Even so, you still won't allow me to go find her?"
Itachi struggled to keep his voice calm, to prevent his anger from showing.
This was his father.
The father he respected most, yet was gradually finding harder to understand.
That man's defection had happened long before his own mission ended...
As the head of the Uchiha clan, shouldn't his father have immediately brought Haruko back and protected her?
Itachi didn't understand.
Nor was he in the mood to try and understand his father's thoughts.
Right now...
He just wanted to leave this place and find Haruko!
That was all...
"The Third Hokage informed me at the earliest opportunity. Regarding Haruko... the Anbu will not act recklessly."
Fugaku sighed, his tone softening considerably as he tried to comfort his son.
"Konoha is not as simple as it looks right now. As my son, you must have the ability to see through the surface."
"For the sake of the Uchiha, a certain amount of patience is unavoidable!"
"You are too impulsive... Itachi!"
Hearing this.
Itachi's face paled, his eyes suddenly filled with disbelief!
He couldn't believe... that these words came from his own father!
The ability to see through the surface, not to be impulsive, necessary patience...
What are you trying to say? Are you teaching me that I should abandon her when it's necessary!
She's a clan member you were also very fond of!
"I know how you feel right now, Itachi."
Fugaku continued to persuade him gently.
"But I also hope you can respect Haruko's decision."
"Haruko, caught in the middle of this whirlpool, chose not to reach out to the Uchiha for help. Haruko is not short-sighted."
"Do you understand, Itachi?"
When speaking of Haruko, Fugaku's tone, though heavy, carried an undeniable note of admiration.
As expected, she's no ordinary girl.
Anyone else would have probably returned to the Uchiha at the first possible moment...
But the young girl did not.
Not only did she not return to the Uchiha for help, she didn't even send out a normal call for help or inquiry.
She did her utmost to minimize the connection between this incident and the Uchiha clan.
Fugaku admired this girl and her courage.
But...
Why couldn't his own son see this point?
The Uchiha clan was more than just Haruko...
Itachi's expression gradually returned to a calm state, the endless rage and anxiety forcibly suppressed deep within his heart.
His father's teachings seemed to have had some effect.
Itachi slowly turned, faced his father, and bowed deeply.
"I apologize for disappointing you, Father."
A practiced motion, a practiced apology.
Fugaku's expression immediately softened.
"Rest assured, I will keep a close watch on Haruko's situation..."
"But, Father."
Just as Uchiha Fugaku was about to comfort his son again, Itachi suddenly raised his head, interrupting him in a low voice.
It was the first time Itachi had ever done this.
The first time he looked his father in the eye and spoke his mind.
"If... the one in Haruko's position right now, were Mother."
"Would you use your foresight and patience to do the same thing?"
"Please tell me the answer. It is very important to me, Father."
Itachi's tone was as calm as still water, without a single ripple.
Itachi's gaze was incredibly firm, full of questioning.
Just as he said.
If it were Mother instead of Haruko, what would Father do?
Smack!
The answer Itachi received was a slap from his father.
"Insolent son!"
"Men! Take this short-sighted fool and lock him in his room!"
"He is not to come out without my permission!"
The enraged Fugaku roared, and two Uchiha clan members instantly rushed in, restraining Itachi and quickly leading him away.
However.
Itachi's gaze never left his father, from beginning to end.
"You... still haven't answered my question."
"Father."
As he was being led away, Itachi asked, still perfectly calm.
.......
Meanwhile.
Still practicing the most basic of slashes, Qingchuan was experiencing his brand-new training buff.
He could feel it completely.
After his power increased, that initial feeling of improving with every single swing had returned.
The side mission had also changed from a novice mission to an advanced one.
Become a Chunin.
For Qingchuan, who had no teammates and had never completed a single mission, this was clearly a difficult problem.
However... for now, this problem likely couldn't be solved anytime soon.
"Uchiha Haruko. This location, as the former residence of the missing-nin Orochimaru, has now been sealed by the Anbu."
Several figures appeared suddenly.
They wore masks, and their aura had a more decisive, killing intent compared to Root, but lacked that sinister viciousness.
And they seemed more intimidating than the Root members, who were often hidden in cloaks.
"Lord Third Hokage will not make things difficult for you."
"But for now, please put down your sword and cooperate with us by coming to the Konoha Interrogation Unit for investigation."
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