If Itachi insisted on stubbornly walking down his original path, then Jie Uchiha would just have to show him the iron fist of a brother's love.
He glanced down at his own heavy fists and nodded to himself.
"Joren, hold off on giving me any new missions for a while. I have some matters to settle," Jie instructed casually. "I've been running myself ragged for over half a year. It's time for a proper break."
"Understood, Young Clan Head!" Joren replied respectfully.
Before leaving the Anbu headquarters, Jie removed his mask and changed back into his casual civilian clothes. Catching sight of the chipped and battered Sword of the Thunder God resting nearby, he couldn't help but sigh.
'Three years. Even a blade once wielded by Tobirama Senju can't hold up to this kind of relentless combat.'
The Sword of the Thunder God was essentially just a hilt. Only when a user channeled their chakra into it did the glowing blade actually manifest. While undeniably flashy, it was a weapon better suited as a symbolic status piece than a practical battlefield tool.
Jie simply hadn't found the time to commission a proper, high-quality chakra-conductive weapon, so he had reluctantly made do. But after three years and dozens of brutal, head-on clashes, the relic was struggling to keep pace with him.
'Whatever. My savings should easily cover the cost of a custom chakra-metal blade by now. If I come up short, I'll just squeeze a subsidy out of the clan.'
Hooking the hilt to his waist, Jie began the familiar walk back to the Uchiha clan compound.
"The Young Clan Head is back!"
"Welcome home, Lord Jie!"
"He looks so cool!"
As soon as Jie crossed into the compound, civilians and shinobi alike lined the streets to welcome him back. This wasn't just due to the [+60 Clan Prestige] system reward. It was genuine respect. His undeniable strength had thoroughly won over the clan.
Over a year ago, when Jie was just eight years old, he had seized the right moment to reveal his fully-matured, three-tomoe Sharingan. To the clan elders and the rest of the Uchiha, an eight-year-old awakening the Sharingan—and bypassing the early stages straight to three tomoe—made him the undisputed best candidate for the next clan head.
Fugaku Uchiha hadn't missed a beat. He struck while the iron was hot, officially naming Jie the Young Clan Head in front of the entire clan.
Not to be outdone, Itachi had shown his own terrifying talent, following closely in his older brother's footsteps and unlocking his two-tomoe Sharingan shortly after.
Two prodigies in one generation. Or, if they counted little Sasuke, three.
Every other ninja clan in the Hidden Leaf could only watch in awe. The Uchiha were truly living up to their ancient, Warring States-era pedigree. To produce so many generational talents all at once meant that, with Jie leading the charge, the Uchiha were guaranteed at least another fifty years of absolute prosperity.
Whispers were already circulating that Konoha's next Hokage would inevitably be one of the three brothers. Whether certain figures in the village shadows liked that speculation or not, Jie couldn't care less. The Uchiha clan was ecstatic. The booming morale had even improved the clan's notorious temperaments. Uchiha officers in the Konoha Military Police Force were noticeably more polite, and their relationship with the common villagers was healing by the day.
No one could have predicted such a result.
"Brother! Brother!"
Even from a distance, Jie could spot a tiny pair of legs sprinting toward him, a high-pitched voice shrieking with pure excitement.
Three years had passed, and little Sasuke was now old enough to form memories. Every time Jie left on an Anbu deployment, Sasuke would hound Mikoto and Itachi, demanding to know where his older brother had gone. The profound disappointment on Sasuke's face whenever Jie was gone for a long stretch secretly tore at Itachi's heart.
Itachi couldn't figure it out. He was the one who doted on Sasuke perfectly! Why was Sasuke always pining for Jie, the terrible older brother who constantly flicked his forehead and teased him relentlessly?
Ever since Sasuke had learned to walk, the first thing Jie saw upon returning home was the toddler waiting stubbornly by the front door. Facing such an aggressively clingy little brother, Jie couldn't help but spoil him rotten.
Scooping Sasuke into his arms, Jie stepped into the house. Mikoto Uchiha was kneeling gracefully in the main hall, her eyes curving into a warm smile.
"I'm back!"
"Welcome home, Jie. Thank you for your hard work," Mikoto said gently.
"It wasn't much," Jie waved it off, smiling. "Just a routine mission. Think of it as a paid stroll."
"By the way, Mother, where's Itachi?"
"Itachi? He should be training in the back mountain right now," she mused.
'The back mountain.'
Jie frowned imperceptibly, recalling the intelligence report Joren had handed him earlier.
"Then I'll take Sasuke to see how his training is coming along."
He needed to verify the situation himself. He had to see exactly how much influence Shisui Uchiha was already exerting over Itachi.
"Alright," Mikoto agreed happily. "You've been gone so long, I'm sure Itachi misses you too. Just stay safe and don't be out too late."
Nodding, Jie adjusted his grip on Sasuke and began the slow walk toward the back mountain.
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