"Why?!"
After Kaze refused, Sasuke immediately widened his round eyes, not even thinking before shooting the question back.
"You're not my disciple. Why should I teach you ninjutsu?" Kaze crossed his arms and responded, a teasing tone in his voice.
Sasuke was the second main character in Naruto, after all.
When it came to battle strategy or innate talent, he wasn't exactly lacking.
If not for the Uchiha massacre, he never would've been driven to become a vengeful avenger at such a young age.
Living every day under that dark shadow.
In other words, had he been able to stop that fateful night and given the right guidance, Sasuke wouldn't just have had a normal, happy childhood.
One day, he might've grown up to be a cheerful, well-adjusted young man.
The real kicker?
Sasuke didn't have that deep-rooted "Will of Fire" like Shisui or Itachi.
Kaze realized that while Sasuke was still impressionable, and hadn't yet had the chance to form a skewed worldview, he still had the opportunity to guide him down a different path.
Before Sasuke's future was set in stone by his own grief, Kaze felt he could still shape him.
Of course, Kaze was thinking all this, but he wasn't being too obvious about it.
He was planting the seed subtly, using a little bait-and-switch in Sasuke's heart.
"Then I... will too..."
Just as Sasuke was about to say he'd be willing to become Kaze's disciple as well, his voice suddenly trailed off. Everything around him went dark, his body tipping backward, and he collapsed straight to the ground.
In the crucial moment, Kaze's reflexes kicked in. He grabbed Sasuke's shoulder and stopped him from hitting the ground.
"It's probably chakra exhaustion. He's totally spent," Shisui observed, using his Sharingan to check on Sasuke, realizing his chakra reserves were nearly gone.
Chakra, in essence, was a mix of mental and physical energy.
No matter how gifted a child might be, their chakra couldn't compare to that of an adult.
And considering how many times Sasuke had cast Fireball Jutsu— even a Chūnin would struggle to keep that up for long. It was enough to drain an entire kettle.
Let alone a five-year-old like Sasuke.
"This kid's got some serious determination," Kaze commented, looking at Sasuke's delicate, almost feminine features. He effortlessly scooped Sasuke into a princess carry. "I'll take him home."
"Take care, Shisui."
With that, Kaze didn't wait for Shisui's reaction and with a powerful push of his legs, vanished from the spot.
"By the way, Kaze's probably going to the clan meeting tonight, right?" Shisui thought aloud, suddenly recalling.
After the rooftop incident, Fugaku, as the clan leader, had given Kaze the go-ahead to attend the clan meeting.
"I hope tonight's clan meeting goes without a hitch."
With those words, Shisui turned and headed in the opposite direction, leaving the southern riverbank.
As the head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku had been assigned the largest house, even though the family had been pushed to the village's outskirts.
A few minutes of running later, Kaze arrived at the entrance of Fugaku's home.
"Kaze?"
Just as Kaze was about to step into Fugaku's yard to hand Sasuke over to Mikoto, a low voice called out to him.
Without thinking, Kaze turned around, finding that it was none other than Sasuke's older brother— Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi had just finished his work with the ANBU and was heading home for dinner.
Unexpectedly, he found Kaze standing at the entrance, holding Sasuke in his arms.
Itachi raised an eyebrow, his voice tense. "What happened to Sasuke?"
His expression and tone showed clear concern.
"Chakra exhaustion," Kaze met Itachi's gaze. "This kid's been working really hard on his Fireball Jutsu lately."
Without waiting, Kaze vanished in a flash and appeared in front of Itachi, tossing Sasuke into his arms.
"Alright, I'm heading back."
Itachi glanced at Sasuke in his arms, confirming that Kaze's explanation was true— it was nothing more than chakra exhaustion. Only then did the weight in his chest lift.
"Wait a second, Kaze... older brother."
Itachi paused for a moment, his tone softening before he added formal honorifics.
Earlier that day, he had attended a meeting with Fugaku and witnessed Kaze's Lightning Release chakra mode firsthand.
He had seen how Kaze instantly wiped out someone as strong as Aburame Torune.
The sheer strength Kaze possessed was on par with his own, if not greater.
"I don't understand something."
"Hmm?" Kaze stopped in his tracks, turning around to face Itachi.
"It's just... why does someone like you, Kaze, with such incredible strength, go to such lengths to conceal it?" Itachi asked seriously.
Before Kaze had made his move, Itachi had thought that Kaze's position as a Chūnin was only because he was backed by the Uchiha clan. He had assumed he was just another weak Uchiha.
But the truth had been the complete opposite.
Kaze wasn't weak—he was powerful.
Itachi even suspected that if it hadn't been for Torune's surprise attack with the poisonous phosphorus beetles earlier, Kaze's biggest secret might have remained hidden.
Compared to those Uchiha who were full of pride, chasing after power for power's sake, Kaze was a breath of fresh air.
Itachi needed to understand the reason behind Kaze's actions.
What was his motivation?
And… his stance.
Did Kaze still cling to the narrow concept of clan loyalty, like so many Uchiha did?
Or, was Kaze like him, like Shisui—someone who had inherited the Will of Fire and believed in the values of the village?
"When did you get the idea that I'm deliberately hiding something?" Kaze tilted his head, looking at Itachi with a confused expression.
Sure, he had hidden the truth about his Sharingan before, but when it came to his Lightning Release abilities, he hadn't been hiding anything.
Because that power was something he had only recently gained.
Had he eaten the Thunder Fruit five years ago, he would have stormed out on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack to protect Namikaze Minato.
"Uh..." Itachi blinked, caught off guard.
Of course, he had no way of knowing that Kaze had consumed the Thunder Fruit. He simply interpreted Kaze's words as meaning that Kaze hadn't made a move for a reason.
It was as though they had already decided, from the start, that he was weak.
Deliberate?
Concealment?
Those things had never applied to him.
"True," Itachi nodded. "We definitely underestimated your abilities."
"But…"
"Itachi," Kaze interjected with a smile, "with that kind of power, if I'd stayed in the Konoha Military Police Force, I might as well have been buried underground, like gold hidden in the dirt."
Itachi's words hinted that he hoped Kaze would follow his example, stepping away from the narrow mindset of clan loyalty.
To dedicate himself wholeheartedly to the village.
"Mind your own business."
However, Kaze didn't even bat an eye at Itachi's "well-meaning advice."
After all, when Itachi was only four years old, Kaze had tried to change his mindset.
That attempt had ended in failure, and he had been lectured by a young Itachi at the time.
Now, seeing Itachi's face, the same one that seemed to think he had everything figured out, Kaze wasn't interested in arguing.
Without another word, he simply turned and walked away.
In just two hours, the Uchiha clan meeting would begin.
This meeting was of vital importance to him.
"Hey, Kaze."
Itachi watched Kaze's retreating figure, his thoughts more complicated than usual.
He remembered when he was younger, how Kaze had been kind to him, like a big brother from the neighborhood. He would often invite him over to his house to play, always bringing out sweet three-colored dumplings for him.
But somewhere along the way, a distance had grown between them.
Their relationship had become more and more distant.
Sometimes, when Kaze looked at him, there was a hint of disdain in his gaze.
Itachi couldn't help but feel increasingly confused about Kaze.
"To have such power, yet not the same broad-mindedness..."
Itachi shook his head as he walked inside the house, holding Sasuke in his arms.
(T/N: Seems like there was some history between them, or at least a closer bond, until the "Monkey" brainwashed him and turned him against his clan. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Also, I feel there are a few places where the honorifics could be used more effectively, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know!
P.S: Since we're here, feel free to drop some power stones or leave a comment for motivation! I know many of you are reading, but it still feels a bit dull without any feedback.)