"My foolish little otōto…"
While Sasuke was still frozen in shock, Kai had somehow already appeared in front of him. He lifted a finger and lightly tapped Sasuke's forehead.
"Does this technique look familiar?"
Swish.
The moment those words fell, Sasuke's ears flushed a deep red.
Of course he recognized it!
Lately, he'd been pestering Uchiha Itachi every single day, drooling over that shuriken trajectory-control technique.
And just this morning, before heading out, Itachi had finally agreed—
Even personally guiding Sasuke through the technique twice in the courtyard.
It was only because of that hands-on instruction that Sasuke had barely managed to hit the bullseye that afternoon.
But—
This lazy bum, Kai?!
When did he learn it?
Sasuke had never once seen him practice!
Don't tell me he'd just glanced at it while sunbathing this morning and learned it on the spot?!
The thought made Sasuke's legs go weak.
If that were true, then this lazy brother's talent was downright terrifying.
"Don't tell me… it really is related to sunbathing?"
His thoughts stalled for a second before his gaze unconsciously drifted toward the sunlit wall.
A reckless urge bubbled up.
Should he… lie up there for a while too?
"Kai, you're bullying Sasuke again!"
At that moment, a mildly reproachful voice drifted over from the corridor.
Uchiha Mikoto approached slowly, carrying a plate of three-colored dango and fruit.
When her eyes swept over Sasuke—who looked like a hedgehog pinned in place—her steps quickened instinctively.
Only after confirming that the blades had merely pierced fabric, leaving Sasuke unharmed, did she finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Yet a flicker of surprise still flashed through her eyes.
Those shuriken landing points—
They were exactly the technique Itachi had taught Sasuke this very morning.
She'd watched for a bit before losing interest and leaving.
But that didn't mean she hadn't noticed.
So then—
Who had placed those shuriken?
Don't tell her… it was Kai?
Her brows twitched as Fugaku's earlier words surfaced in her mind.
Mikoto, if Kai isn't causing trouble, don't disturb him. He has his own ideas.
She'd never quite understood that, thinking Fugaku was just indulging the boy.
But now…
Her eyes flickered again before she shook her head with a wry smile.
What nonsense was she thinking?
They were all her children.
She handed the plate up to the wall, then tugged Sasuke toward the house.
"Your clothes are all torn up. Come inside and change."
"But—Mom, Kai—"
"Don't call him Kai. Call him brother."
That familiar tone shut Sasuke up immediately.
He could only glance back at the wall under the fading sunlight, lost in thought.
...
Drip.
When moonlight climbed onto the eaves of the compound, Itachi flipped into the courtyard, his body carrying a heavy scent of blood.
Because of rising tensions with Kumogakure, he'd been sent to the front lines almost immediately after graduating.
Recon missions were routine.
Skirmishes happened from time to time.
Today, after running into a small enemy squad, he'd barely managed to fight his way back.
In the darkness, the Sharingan in his eyes glowed a weary crimson.
"Today's ten minutes."
A lazy voice suddenly drifted down from the wall.
Itachi's movement halted.
Turning his head, he saw Kai sitting atop the wall, legs swinging idly.
An apple bounced lightly in Kai's hand, reflecting a faint glow under the moonlight.
As elusive as ever.
Itachi sighed and tried to negotiate.
"Kai, I'm really tired today. How about tomorrow?"
"Oh? Is that so."
Kai hopped down, tossing the apple neatly into Itachi's arms.
Then he turned his head and said cheerfully,
"Father, One-Hit-Seven said you hid it in the second guest room's cabinet—"
Thud.
Itachi froze mid-catch.
In the next instant, he shoved the apple straight into Kai's mouth at lightning speed.
"Let's talk," he said quickly. "Right now."
"That's more like it."
Kai grinned and patted his brother's shoulder.
If he let this drag on until tomorrow, that was another day added to the cooldown.
And what about everyone else he still had scheduled to talk to tomorrow?
His daily plan was tight.
"Stop frowning."
He reached out and smoothed the crease between Itachi's brows, speaking like a little adult.
"Your tear troughs already look bad enough. If you add forehead wrinkles, Sister Izumi won't like you anymore."
Before Itachi could respond, Kai stuffed a piece of dango into his mouth.
Smiling, he asked,
"So—why are you this tired today? You killed someone, didn't you?"
As expected.
Itachi's heart skipped.
This brother of his wasn't just hard to detect—his perception was frighteningly sharp.
With a bitter smile, Itachi explained,
"Kumogakure sent envoys these past two days to discuss peace."
"There've been a lot of shady types lurking around the perimeter."
And then he kept talking—details and all.
It was as if he'd already rehearsed it in his mind.
For the past four years, Kai hadn't cared for much—
Except dragging him into one conversation every single day.
Just one.
As Kai listened, the smile on his face slowly faded.
Peace talks with Kumogakure.
Envoys visiting Konoha.
Unusual gatherings of Lightning Release ninja near the borders.
These words felt uncomfortably familiar.
As if—
This was part of a conspiracy he'd read before.
While he hesitated, a prompt suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Conversation Target: Uchiha Itachi]
[Analyzing copyable traits…]
[Brother Complex (Black), Excessive Wisdom, Short Lifespan (Black), Chronic Illness (Black), Three-Tomoe Sharingan (Purple), Triple-Nature Mastery (Purple), Fire Release Mastery (Blue)…]
After several years, Itachi had fully grown into a shinobi proficient in three chakra natures.
His strength far surpassed his earlier self.
And yet—
At the very top, those three pitch-black traits still sat there.
Just looking at them made one's vision darken.
[Conversation with Uchiha Itachi exceeded ten minutes. Attempting to copy trait…]
[Copy successful. Congratulations, host has obtained Epic Trait: Three-Tomoe Sharingan (Purple).]
Success!
Kai smiled faintly.
The wait hadn't been in vain.
The system delivered.
Good job.
He immediately thought, System, feed this trait to my Sharingan.
Of course, he already had three tomoe.
He'd even awakened it a year earlier than Itachi.
[Three-Tomoe Sharingan (Purple) is fusing…]
[Fusion complete. Host's Three-Tomoe Sharingan has been reinforced.]
"Still didn't upgrade?"
Seeing that it still hadn't evolved into a Mangekyō, Kai's small face scrunched up.
Unhappy.
Very unhappy.
Damn system.
It had eaten over twenty Three-Tomoe Sharingan traits already and still refused to upgrade!
Still—
He could clearly feel the change.
The surging ocular power within his eyes felt strong enough to bind his brother in front of him with ease.
Unbeknownst to him, that very expression meant something else entirely to Itachi.
"Hm? He's frowning… did I fail to interest Kai?"
After a brief pause, Itachi shifted the topic.
"Oh, right. I heard those Kumogakure ninja also paid a special visit to the Hyūga main house."
Crack.
"Oh?"
"Kumogakure… visiting the Hyūga?"
In an instant, lightning flashed through Kai's mind.
He finally remembered.
This plot.
This conspiracy.