As the days passed, things did not unfold the way everyone had expected.
Rather than using the momentum from conquering the Land of Wind to launch campaigns against other nations, Yuzuru unexpectedly became quiet.
This allowed the rulers of many countries to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
After all, for many people, it was better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.
Compared to becoming a minor part of a great power, they would rather maintain their current position as petty rulers enjoying their own authority.
Konoha.
After finishing his meal, Yuzuru walked into the courtyard and basked in the sunlight.
Because the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire had already served as examples, reforming the Land of Wind did not require much of his effort.
All he needed to do now was quietly wait for the Land of Wind to develop to a certain stage. After that, he could proceed step by step toward his next target.
Of course, before that happened, the small nations scattered across the shinobi world could be conquered along the way.
In the courtyard, Sasuke, Naruto, and Gaara were sitting around Itachi, their faces filled with curiosity.
Sasuke spoke first.
"Nii-san, can you tell us about what happened on the battlefield?"
"Were those ninja from Sunagakure as strong as the ninja of Konoha?"
"If I were a little older, maybe I could have gone with you."
Hearing this, Itachi's smile faded slightly.
He spoke softly.
"The battlefield is not as beautiful as you imagine. It is filled with cruelty."
"No matter who you are, the moment you step onto the battlefield, the only path left is to kill the enemy in front of you as quickly as possible."
"Severed limbs are everywhere, and burned corpses lie scattered across the ground. Blood flows together like rivers..."
"If possible, I hope you never have to experience these things."
After hearing his words, Sasuke showed a dissatisfied expression.
"Nii-san, you're underestimating us. We're not the type to be scared by things like that."
Naruto loudly declared, "Flowers raised in a greenhouse can't survive a violent storm. Fighting enemies is the path we must walk to grow stronger."
Gaara added, "For Father's ideals, we won't hide behind Nii-san either!"
Seeing the determined looks of the three boys, Itachi smiled helplessly.
He shook his head and stood up.
"You three... honestly, there's nothing I can do with you."
Seeing him preparing to leave, Sasuke immediately asked, "Nii-san, where are you going?"
"We were planning to spar with you."
Itachi extended his finger and lightly tapped the foreheads of Sasuke, Naruto, and Gaara one by one.
"Forgive me. Next time, for sure."
Sasuke frowned.
"Father didn't assign you any missions. Where are you going?"
"I haven't seen Tsuki in a while. I promised her I'd play ninja games with her."
Upon hearing that, Sasuke, Naruto, and Gaara instantly deflated.
Tsuki was the youngest child in the family and the only little sister. Since birth, she had always been doted on by everyone.
Now that Itachi was going to accompany Tsuki, they could only agree.
"Hahahahaha..."
After Itachi left, Yuzuru walked over when he saw Sasuke and the others looking dejected.
"Oioioi~ you little brats seem full of energy. Want me to play with you?"
Hearing that, Sasuke, Naruto, and Gaara suddenly felt a chill run down their backs. They hurriedly waved their hands and stepped back.
"Dad, there's no need to trouble yourself with that. We just remembered we still have something to do, so we'll head out first."
Watching the three of them flee in panic, Yuzuru could not help but shake his head.
'Did I train those little guys a bit too harshly before?'
———
———
After running out of the house, Sasuke, Naruto, and Gaara headed directly outside the clan district.
Walking along the streets of the village, all three of them looked somewhat helpless.
Sasuke said with lingering fear, "That was close. We almost got another training session from Dad."
Naruto nodded in deep agreement.
"Yeah. According to what Uncle Obito and Uncle Kakashi told me, Dad is basically a demon incarnate."
The moment he said that, Gaara and Sasuke immediately nodded in agreement.
The three of them chatted as they walked, but soon noticed a stage being constructed beneath a shopping plaza.
Naruto immediately walked over curiously and asked one of the busy workers.
"What's this for?"
The worker glanced at Naruto and explained, "A songstress who came from far away will be holding a concert here. If you have time, you can come watch."
Naruto's eyes instantly lit up.
"A songstress? Where did she come from? Is she famous?"
The worker shook his head.
"I'm not sure either. I still have work to do, so I can't chat with you."
With that, he turned and left.
Sasuke snorted.
"Naruto, what's so great about a songstress? Why are you interested in something like that?"
Naruto glanced at him calmly.
"A little kid like you wouldn't understand my thoughts."
Sasuke gritted his teeth.
"Little kid? You're younger than me. You should be calling me big brother!"
Naruto said nothing and simply made faces.
"Blep blep blep!"
Just as the three of them were fooling around, a woman with long black hair and a gentle appearance walked over.
She spoke softly.
"Little ones, I'm the songstress who came from far away. I heard you were looking for me?"
Naruto and the others froze for a moment, then quickly grew excited.
"Big sister, what's your name? Where did you come from?"
Hearing this, the woman who called herself a songstress covered her mouth and laughed softly. The tear mole at the corner of her right eye made her appear like a gentle older sister.
She smiled.
"My name is Hanare. I'm a songstress from the Land of Rice Fields."
"And you?"
Naruto grinned.
"We're students from the Ninja Academy."
"I see..."
Hanare nodded, then suddenly bent down and stared at Naruto without blinking before smiling.
"Here are three tickets. If you have time, you can come watch."
Naruto nodded and accepted the tickets.
"Then we'll be going now."
With that, he immediately left with Sasuke and Gaara.
Once they reached an empty alley, Naruto's smile suddenly disappeared.
He spoke in a low voice.
"This songstress named Hanare is a ninja. I just sensed fluctuations of chakra inside her."
"Just now, she definitely had the intention to attack us."
Hearing this, Sasuke's face immediately showed excitement.
Naruto had inherited the powerful sensory abilities of the Uzumaki clan, so he had no doubt about Naruto's words.
Thinking of this, Sasuke said, "This time the three of us should plan carefully and try to capture her."
"If we do that, Father and Nii-san will definitely look at us in a new light!"
Naruto and Gaara exchanged a glance and nodded firmly.
As the sons of Yuzuru, they wanted to prove themselves at every moment.
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