The rain fell softly from the dark clouds. A gloomy mountain, built with stacked rocks, stood in darkness, its solemn silence broken only by a faint orange glow emanating from a cave halfway up the slope.

A man with black hair and eyes stared quietly at the flames in front of him. The firelight danced in his deep, pitch-black eyes.

Suddenly, his eyes flickered, and he stood up, walking to the cave entrance. Under the black cloak, the empty left sleeve swayed with the airflow from outside.

In the heavy rain, a white dot appeared in the distance. As it approached, it revealed itself as an ink-painted bird.

The man silently watched as the large bird neared. Just as it extended its claws and began to fold its wings, he made a swift motion with his right hand, unveiling a scroll in the air. The bird collided with it, and a long paper slowly fell, caught by the man's right arm.

On the snow-white paper, two characters were formed.

——Return quickly.

Even in this heavy rain, the special waterproof ink on the paper slightly blurred. Nevertheless, the gracefully written words conveyed the urgency of the writer.

The man's brow furrowed imperceptibly. He looked up, glancing in a certain direction, a seriousness passing through his black eyes.

Turning around, he tossed the scroll into the fire, watching it burn to ashes. Then, with a flash, the man disappeared from the spot.

The airflow caused by the black cloak extinguished the fire, leaving only a faint wisp of smoke, indicating the recent presence of someone.

***

Hidden Leaf Village.

In the Hokage's Tower, the most central office with a giant floor-to-ceiling window revealed the back of a blond man.

Suddenly, the man, as if sensing something, looked up. The next moment, the window behind him was pulled open. A man in black stood by the window, and with just one glance at the smiling face of the blond man who had stood up to greet him, the expression on the arriving black-haired man's face became tense.

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——It had happened before; the idiot Hokage used his position to summon him back to the village.

"Naruto, you better explain to me—"

The cold and impatient voice came to an abrupt halt when the speaker saw the person in the office. The black-haired man, upon seeing the boy standing in front of the desk, was suddenly stunned. His pupils shrank to needle-like points, and the composed expression on his face finally revealed cracks.

A soft whisper escaped his lips, calling out the name engraved deepest in his heart—

"Itachi..."

Wearing a robe embroidered with "Seventh Hokage," the blond man certainly heard it. He bitterly curved his mouth, walked slowly to the boy, and, with his right hand wrapped in bandages, he placed it on the boy's shoulder, looking at his dear friend across the desk:

"Sasuke, this kid—"

"What's your relationship with Uchiha Itachi?" Sasuke interrupted, cutting off the blond man's words.

The boy looked at the sudden appearance of the man, showing a hint of confusion without any expression, making both Naruto and Sasuke slightly tense.

——Too, too cute, this kid! Then, the boy looked at Sasuke again. Looking at those eyes, which were exactly like his older brother's, Sasuke suddenly became nervous.

Finally, in a voice that was childish yet cold, the boy spoke.

"My father's name is Uchiha Itachi."

Sasuke was stunned. A strange feeling surged in his heart. Unbelievable as it may be, the boy's answer coincided with the feeling that rushed to him when he first saw this boy.

Yes, at first glance, he was sure that this boy must be Itachi's son.

——This child looks exactly like a miniature version of Itachi. Although he lacks the distinctive forehead crease of his deceased older brother, his features are almost identical to Uchiha Itachi.

However, feelings do not necessarily represent everything. What puzzled him first was the age of this child.

Fourteen years had passed. Now even his own daughter was ten years old. Itachi, who was six years older than him, was already 22 when he killed him at the age of 16.

But the boy in front of him looked only about ten.

——How is this possible?

As if understanding what Sasuke was thinking, the boy, who had been expressionless with his black eyes, finally showed a slight fluctuation.

"It's true."

Sasuke stopped his contemplation and looked at the boy.

"My mother said that when I see Uchiha Sasuke, I can admit..."

Naruto, looking at the boy, seemed to remember something, and a heavy feeling flashed in his eyes. However, Sasuke, who had been staring at the boy, did not notice.

"My father is Uchiha Itachi. I bear the Uchiha name."

The boy looked at Sasuke, and his voice carried the same coldness as him.

"I was born in Konoha in the year 064, but now, I am still only 10 years old."

——This year is Konoha's year 078.

——Fourteen years have passed since Uchiha Itachi's departure.