Having explained everything clearly, Jie Uchiha left the study and made his way toward little Sasuke's room.
Just as Jie had expected, Itachi Uchiha was already there, entertaining the babbling infant.
"Sasuke, say 'brother'. I'm your brother," Itachi coaxed, a gentle smile on his face as he patiently tried to teach the baby his first words.
"Lolo!" Little Sasuke stared back with wide, innocent eyes, completely perplexed by what this strange boy in front of him was trying to do.
"Not 'Lolo', it's 'brother'," Itachi corrected patiently.
Suddenly catching sight of Jie entering the room, little Sasuke started waving his arms and kicking his legs in excitement. "Goh... goh... goh!"
"Not 'goh-goh', it's 'brother'!" Itachi sighed.
"Give it a rest, Itachi. Sasuke is only seven months old; the fact that he can even make those sounds is impressive enough," Jie said with a chuckle.
"Brother Jie?" Itachi finally turned around, realizing his older brother had quietly slipped in behind him. "Where have you been these past two days? Father mentioned you were out helping the clan accomplish something great. What kind of great thing was it?"
Itachi looked at Jie with hopeful eyes, eagerly awaiting an answer.
"Something great? Is that really what Father thinks?" Jie paused in surprise before a smile touched his lips. He looked down at his younger brother's expectant expression and explained, "It wasn't anything grandiose. I simply joined the Anbu to help the Uchiha clan step into a new domain."
"Joining the Anbu is a great thing! Then I'll join the Anbu when I grow up too. I'll help the clan enter new domains, just like you, brother," Itachi declared firmly.
Looking at the small boy making such bold declarations, Jie couldn't help but think of the future. It was this very same child who, in just a few short years, would slaughter the entire Uchiha clan. He wouldn't even spare their parents, Fugaku and Mikoto, leaving only little Sasuke alive.
But things were different now. Jie was his older brother, which meant it was his responsibility to guide Itachi and instill the right values in him—values that would protect and benefit the Uchiha.
"Itachi, you must always remember this," Jie said earnestly. "The clan comes first, and the village second. A village is only formed because individual clans exist together. As long as the clans thrive, the village survives. Without its families, the Hidden Leaf is nothing but an empty shell."
"I understand, Brother Jie." Itachi was far from foolish; in fact, he was exceptionally bright.
He carefully chewed over Jie's words. Suddenly, a bright light flashed in Itachi's eyes, and he spoke with clear excitement.
"The village is only a village because of the combined efforts of the ninja clans and the civilians working together! If the ninja clans disappeared, the village wouldn't be a village anymore. So, I have to work hard to protect the Uchiha clan! By making sure our family survives, the village will exist forever. That way, everyone living in the Hidden Leaf can continue to have peaceful, stable, and happy lives!"
Jie nodded, pleased with the realization.
Even though Itachi's interpretation slightly missed the mark of what Jie had originally intended, the core concept of protecting the Uchiha had successfully been planted in the boy's mind.
Given Itachi's intelligence, this seed of thought would surely grow. Even if he joined the Anbu in the future, or was subjected to the brainwashing of that traitor, Shisui Uchiha, Itachi would analyze things from different perspectives. He would look for a path that genuinely benefited both the village and the clan. He wouldn't just impulsively slaughter his own family, leaving only Sasuke to suffer alone.
"Bro... ther..."
Just as Itachi was diving deeper into the philosophical meaning behind Jie's words, little Sasuke suddenly yelled in excitement.
"Sasuke, what did you just say? Say it again! 'Brother'!" Itachi immediately dropped his thoughts and rushed back to Sasuke's side, his face beaming with excitement as he waited for the baby to repeat himself.
However, the infant didn't even glance at Itachi. Instead, Sasuke stared enthusiastically at Jie, chanting "brother" over and over again.
Seeing Sasuke's reaction, Itachi's face instantly dropped. He was clearly the one who doted on little Sasuke the most in this household! Why was Jie the first person the baby called out for?!
"Aren't you a good boy, Sasuke!" Jie laughed. He picked the baby up and skillfully tapped Sasuke's forehead.
[Ding! Host tapped the forehead of Indra's Reincarnation. Reward: 1% Indra's Reincarnation Chakra. Current Total: 20%]
"Hehehe!" Little Sasuke didn't understand the significance of the gesture at all. Thinking his older brother was just playing with him, the baby's laughter bubbled up even brighter. He kept chanting "brother" over and over, each time growing clearer and louder.
[Ding! Host has been recognized and called 'Brother' by Indra's Reincarnation, Sasuke Uchiha. Reward: 5% Indra's Reincarnation Chakra.]
[Current Total: 25%]
The System's mechanical voice echoed in Jie's mind. Hearing the final tally, he couldn't help but be a little surprised.
'What?!!!' Jie thought. 'Tapping his forehead usually only gave a random one percent reward, but him calling me brother actually gave five percent?'
Upto 40 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Vristikk