"You're not my daddy!"
"Haha, then just call me 'Big Brother.' No 'Uncles' allowed—I'm not that old yet!"
Hiruko rolled his eyes and ruffled the boy's hair before pulling him into a one-armed side hug. "So, little guy, what's got you looking so lost?"
"I want to know the meaning of being alive. What is the significance of life? What... is life, truly?" Itachi Uchiha spoke with an intensity and seriousness far beyond his years.
He didn't seem to mind the heavy flick to his forehead, nor did he dwell on the "daddy" joke. He remained trapped in his own head, murmuring like a pint-sized philosopher, "What is the ultimate meaning of life?"
Hiruko patted the boy's head again, his voice softening with a smile. "Life, kid... it doesn't necessarily have a pre-set meaning. But as long as you stay alive—as long as you keep going—one day, you might just stumble upon a reason for it all. Being alive, in and of itself, is a pretty beautiful thing."
He tilted his head back, eyes drifting toward the sky as if lost in thought. "Take me, for example. My parents were brutally murdered right in front of my eyes by those bastards from the Land of Lightning. But I never let it break me. Because as long as I'm breathing, there's hope. I fully intend to settle that debt one day."
A slightly roguish smirk played on his lips. "Besides, Konoha is full of such gorgeous women... I'm not exactly in a hurry to leave this world behind."
"Living means hope. Death is simply the end. Once life stops, everything vanishes. That's why no one truly wants to die. Struggling to survive is the most basic instinct of every living thing."
As Hiruko spoke, he kept a reassuring arm around Itachi, slowly articulating his own realizations about existence.
The deeper he integrated into this ninja world, the more he—as a transmigrator from a modern era—loathed its cruelty. He harbored a deep-seated desire to change this world, yet he knew his current power wasn't enough. Without a unified nation, conflict would never end. He dreamed of a unified Shinobi World where, even after he eventually left, war would cease to exist, giving the common folk a chance to breathe.
He felt no pity for the nobles and elites who were killed; those leeches living off the blood of the poor deserved what they got. Hiruko only felt for the people who worked their fingers to the bone their entire lives, only to be mindlessly slaughtered in their own homes by some "Lord Ninja."
Back in his past life, he was just an ordinary office worker, repeating the same monotonous tasks day after day. But here, a grand ambition had taken root. He craved life. He pursued immortality with a near-religious obsession, wanting to witness the boundless wonders of the multiverse.
He refused to die. That fierce desire for survival had forged the Hiruko of today. And as long as he stayed alive, there was always a chance he might find a way back to his true home.
He wouldn't settle for being a big fish in a small pond. He wanted to see everything the heavens and worlds had to offer, and for that, he needed eternal life and absolute power as his foundation. He never wanted to relive that childhood feeling of being weak and helpless while his parents died. Never again.
Hiruko had set a modest goal for himself: achieve immortality within twenty years. Fully master the Chimera Technique, become the ultimate lifeform, and possess a limitless, undying existence. In that sense, he and his classmate Orochimaru were truly kindred spirits.
"Beautiful... hope... living represents hope," Itachi Uchiha repeated to himself, his small head tilting as he processed the words. An inexplicable feeling began to stir in his chest. Though the fog hadn't entirely cleared, he felt as though he had finally grasped a thread of something vital.
Hiruko reached out with his strong arms, tucked them under Itachi's armpits, and hoisted him high into the air, giving him a "big lift" like a playful father.
He laughed and said, "That's right! Never give up on living, because only the living have hope!"
"Every child is the hope of the adults who came before them."
Hiruko set the boy back down. As a modern soul, he felt a profound pity for these child soldiers. They weren't even adults yet, yet they were forced to survive in a meat grinder of slaughter. Itachi, in particular, had been dragged to the battlefield by his idiot father at the age of four; it would be weirder if the kid didn't end up with mental health issues.
In a time of peace, they should have been in classrooms, enjoying a carefree childhood. Instead, they were learning how to end lives. Hiruko knew he couldn't save everyone, but for those he happened to cross paths with, he was willing to lend a hand.
"Ahem..." Itachi felt a bit awkward under Hiruko's heavy palm, constantly trying to wiggle his head free.
"Meeting is a form of fate. Come on, I'll treat you to a snack." Without waiting for an answer, Hiruko led Itachi away from the quiet riverside toward the bustling snack street.
"No... there's no need." Little Itachi tried to maintain his "cool and aloof" Uchiha persona, but before he could finish his sentence, Hiruko had already taken his small hand and was striding forward. Itachi had no choice but to take quick, short steps to keep up.
To be honest, the boy thought this "Uncle" was actually quite handsome. He had smooth white hair and a permanent, gentle smile that gave off a warm vibe. However, the aura of his chakra felt somewhat cold and eerie.
Like Lord Orochimaru, he had pale skin and a small diamond-shaped mark on his forehead, which somehow added a unique charm to his appearance. Itachi observed the kind stranger silently as they walked.
As they approached a familiar dessert shop, Hiruko suddenly realized he hadn't actually asked the kid's name—after all, he couldn't just admit he already knew.
"By the way, I forgot to ask. What's your name, little guy?" Hiruko asked with a grin.
"I am Itachi Uchiha," the boy replied in his childish voice. "And you, Uncle?"
"Me? I'm Hiruko."
Hiruko usually kept a low profile, preferring to stay holed up in his lab. He hadn't built a legendary reputation on the front lines like the world-famous Sannin. However, due to certain specialized achievements, he was quite well-known among the Konoha shinobi—certainly enough to rival the Sannin's prestige in specific circles.
Thinking of the Uchiha, Hiruko recalled Mikoto Uchiha. She was a classic Yamato Nadeshiko—the ideal of refined Japanese womanhood. He had seen her a few times on the battlefield back in the day; she was genuinely striking. His "collector's spirit" began to itch.
A cheeky phrase from his past life suddenly popped into Hiruko's head: "Entering a man's yard makes you want his melons; teasing a man's kid makes you want his wife."