After dinner, I made my way to my room and started working on Fire Chakra Transformation Fuin. The reason was simple. I can always use more than one Chakra Storage Fuin and Chakra Containment Fuin but using more than one Fire Chakra Transformation will just needlessly complicate things. With that in mind, I started grinding.

I was in my -at least- the hundredth fuin when I heard a knock on my window. I stood up to see Itachi on other side of it. I opened the window and let him get in.

When Itachi got inside, the first thing he did was to look at the Fire Chakra Transformation Fuin strewn around. He then looked at me and said, “I heard my father wants to adopt you.” I flinched minutely but Itachi still caught it and smirked a little. He then continued, “And I heard you wanted to create your own clan by getting a dozen wives.” His visage turned serious suddenly and I saw dark clouds looming overhead. “Don’t tell something like that to my brother ever again. You have no right to take away his purity.”

I coughed weakly. “Sorry. I saw my mistake and won’t do it again. So, why did you come?”

Itachi looked at me seriously. “I am here to look at how you are doing and to see you making another copy. In exchange, I will help you ward off my father.”

I beamed. “Deal.” I raised my hand for a handshake. He took it and as soon as he did, I released a burst of chakra. There was a puff of smoke. What was left behind was Itachi but his eyes were red. I sighed. “Itachi-san. I am not in a genjutsu am I?”

Itachi shook his head. “It’s a habit.” His eyes then turned to normal. He took a fuin from the ground and asked, “Why are you working on this one particular?”

“It transforms normal chakra to fire chakra. By improving the capacity of this one, I can increase the output of fuin by a lot.” I said while looking at the particular fuin Itachi was holding.

Itachi nodded, “What are you intend to do?”

I frowned, “What do you mean?”

“You are working to help Uchiha. Then you help other kids at the academy.” I nodded. “Why?”

I shrugged. “I am just trying to help mostly.”

Itachi hummed. “Trying to help. I need help with something. Will you help?”

“You? What do you need?” I said, frowning since I couldn’t think of something Itachi can’t that I can, other than fuinjutsu that is. Even with that, I am pretty sure he could do it.

Itachi pointed at the window. “We should get out first.”

“Out? But I can’t get out Hana…”

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“She won’t know.” Itachi interrupted me. He looked at me seriously and continued, “I need help right now. We don’t have time.”

I sighed. “Okay, but just this once.” Itachi smiled and put his hand on my shoulder. I read side along shunshin was disorienting but that was not the case for me. I was in my room one second and next, I was inside a forest. When we stopped, I asked, “Itachi-san, will you tell me what this is all about?”

Itachi gestured me to follow, so I did. After a while, he started talking. “There is a man. He is suspected to be a cannibal that killed at least six people. I have my orders to kill him.”

‘Odd.’ “You mean Hokage-sama wants you to kill him? I was under the impression that there is another punishment. What was it called? Yeah, correction facility. Why don’t you just apprehend him and send him there?”

Itachi suddenly stopped and turned to me. He then whispered, “it’s not Hokage-sama who gave me the mission but one of the council members.’

‘Council? That’s not right. You can’t keep Hokage out of something like this. If it’s something to do with the death of a citizen, then Hokage is the one to tell you what to do.’ I shook my head. “Itachi-san. What you intend to do is wrong. We should tell this to Hokage-sama.”

Itachi took a step towards me, getting inside my area of comfort. He then pointed to a direction and said, “This is not something we can let Hokage deal with. He is soft, he won’t do what’s necessary.” He dropped his hand and continued, “Help me with this, and I will give you and will help you with anything you want, even becoming Hokage.” He came even closer. “And if you don’t, you won’t leave this place.”

I gulped loudly. ‘There is something wrong with this. Itachi… What is he trying to do? I don’t care to become Hokage but I would like to stay alive, thank you very much. Maybe I should help him. The man is a cannibal after all.’ I sighed. “No. I won’t help you with this. This is wrong on many levels and I want nothing to do with it.”

Itachi shook his head. “You are as soft as the Hokage. I will do this myself.” With that, he disappeared.

I looked around to find my way back to the city, but all I got was Itachi’s trail. Where Itachi ran, there was a glowing, blue line. ‘Do I have a doujutsu?’ I shook my head. ‘Now is not the time.’ I started following the line. The line disappeared from time to time but it came back as soon as it was gone. I followed the trail for a while and came upon a two-man standoff. Itachi was looking at a man with hair so bright that I could see that it was green even in the dark. On the ground was a mangled corpse of what I guessed to be a human. ‘It was true. He is a cannibal.’ I shook my head and ran towards the corpse. I put my hand on it and expelled all my chakra but what I hoped would happen, didn’t happen. Corpse remained. I wanted to say Itachi to stop but I couldn’t make myself do it.

Then Itachi moved. He was so fast, I couldn’t see him while moving. There was a kunai in his one hand and with the other, he was holding the cannibal's head. I closed my eyes and started waiting for the voice of kunai tearing flesh but it didn’t happen. I opened my eyes slowly with some apprehension and found myself in my room. I quickly looked at the window but it was still open. There was a note on the ground in front of the window. I took it and read it. ‘I don’t need my eyes to trap you in a genjutsu.’ The writing was in such a way that I could feel Itachi’s amusement resonating with it. I continued reading. ‘Your fairness and care of people have been noted. My father won’t bother you since he doesn’t think you can do what you said you could still. And if you need something, tell Sasuke and I will do what I can.’

I sighed. “So Sasuke lied when he told me his father sent me. Damn. I didn’t know he was that good of a liar.” I sighed and turned back the note and there was a different writing. ‘And don’t walk around with a leaf stuck on your forehead. A six-year-old isn’t supposed to have that good chakra control.’ I put my hand on my forehead and sure enough, there was a leaf there. I shrugged. ‘Noted.’