Chapter 52: The Promise Between Father and Son
Teach your son in public, teach your wife in private. Then how should one teach a daughter?
Uncle Teuchi pulled his daughter to the back. Separated by the door curtain, he began to earnestly persuade her, yet his voice couldn't escape the ears of Uchiha Itachi and Kitahara... It was unknown whether this counted as in public or in private.
Truly worthy of being the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, he had some skills...
"Ayame, if you find helping out in the shop too tiring, you don't have to come and help in the future."
"Dad, you're starting again..." The little girl pouted and retorted meekly, "You clearly find it tiring too, having to stay open until late every night!"
"But seeing customers enjoy the ramen makes me very happy." Uncle Teuchi said earnestly, "Late at night, being able to eat a bowl of hot noodles warms a person's heart."
"But Dad..."
Uncle Teuchi suddenly smiled, "No buts... I understand a daughter's desire to help her father. When I was very young, I even deliberately threw away my dad's hoe so he wouldn't have to go farming!"
"Tch, then you still had to argue with me..."
"Wasn't that because you were insisting on running away from home..."
"Sooner or later, I'll still go out and learn!"
"Let's talk about it when you grow up... What a headache. How long has little Itachi been a ninja? If Ayame wants to make a request, she should find a reliable ninja!"
"It's precisely because Uchiha Itachi is young and just became a ninja that the price for a private request would be very cheap... After all, I've saved up too little allowance..."
Although the father and daughter inside were still bickering, the confrontational tension was gone, replaced by a warmth of everyday family squabbles... But... could they consider the feelings of that cheap little ninja?
Uchiha Itachi's expression wasn't good, it was unknown whether it was because of Ayame's blunt words or Uncle Teuchi's discussion...
The crow's mood wasn't good either; it was still hungry!
Until finally, someone remembered their shop was still open for business...
The father and daughter enthusiastically brought over two bowls of noodles. Uchiha Itachi's expression remained unchanged. After Ayame symbolically comforted him with a few words, the little boy's mood became even lower...
After leaving Ichiraku Ramen in a daze, the sky gradually darkened, and few figures could be seen on the streets of Konoha Village.
"Kitahara, I should learn more about Dad, about the Uchiha..." Itachi suddenly stopped. He saw a person running around at the end of the street.
Under the streetlight at the end of the road, one could also make out Uchiha Fugaku's figure... He was indeed still worried about his son!
After all, Itachi had been away from home for too long...
Just as Uchiha Itachi was about to walk over, he saw two black shadows suddenly leap down, blocking Fugaku's path.
They seemed to be negotiating something...
Uchiha Fugaku's attitude gradually became agitated, while the two who suddenly appeared remained impassive, standing their ground.
"They... Who are they?" Uchiha Itachi watched quietly and asked doubtfully, "Wearing masks... Are they ANBU from the village?"
"Caw!"
Kitahara flapped its wings and yawned. Since you want to understand your father more, why not go over and take a look?
Their voices were faintly carried by the wind...
"We haven't seen Uchiha Itachi... You can't go over there... This is impossible... Please leave here quickly..."
"I've already searched all the training grounds... Itachi hasn't left the village either... He could only have come to this area..."
"Senior Fugaku... Perhaps it's too dark. You can wait until daytime to search carefully... You cannot continue to stay here... Otherwise, we will request backup from the captain under necessary circumstances!"
Their discussion became clearer and clearer. For some reason, Uchiha Fugaku hadn't been authorized by ANBU to operate in this area, even though it was within the village...
A few steps closer, and one could even see the rare anxiety on Uchiha Fugaku's face, "Senior Jiraiya isn't home. It's so late, I don't know where Itachi could have gone..."
"Dad!"
Uchiha Itachi quickly ran towards Fugaku. The image of his father as respected and omnipotent in his mind... gradually began to crumble...
Why was it like this... His father was the captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, the head of the Uchiha clan...
Clearly... he shouldn't be like this! He was the proudest person in the Uchiha clan...
Itachi didn't ask directly in front of him, but just quickened his steps and bumped into Fugaku... The crow, amidst Itachi's flustered movements, almost fell to the ground and could only take flight to Fugaku's shoulder.
Father and son had never had such an intimate gesture as today. Uchiha Fugaku awkwardly held the child in his arms...
The old father stammered, "Itachi..."
He wanted to say something to his son, whether an apology or a reprimand, he was too nervous to speak.
Ever since Uchiha Itachi turned three, father and son hadn't been this close for a long time.
And...
The ANBU beside them didn't give him time to think, "Senior Fugaku, you've found your son now. Please hurry home!"
After the two ANBU members spoke, they vanished before them using Body Flicker, but Fugaku, his son, and Kitahara could clearly sense that those ANBU were still nearby, monitoring their movements.
Uchiha Itachi's voice was somewhat choked; his tears definitely stained Fugaku's clothes, "Dad... I'm sorry..."
Fortunately, when the little fellow cried, it wasn't a torrent of tears and snot, otherwise Fugaku's clothes would definitely look terrible... Kitahara suddenly felt there was something wrong with its way of thinking. Why would it think of these things?
Uchiha Fugaku's train of thought was definitely fine. He gently patted Itachi's back, "Itachi, let's go home first... Don't cry, it's all Dad's fault..."
"..."
Kitahara remained silent... Fugaku's way of educating, as always, had significant problems.
On the way, the relationship between father and son had clearly eased a lot. Fugaku carefully reached out his palm to wipe his son's tears.
"Dad, those two ANBU just now..." The little boy seemed a bit shy, twisting Fugaku's hand away as he broached the topic.
"Ah? It's nothing..." Fugaku was stunned for a moment, then casually replied as if unconcerned, "Perhaps it's because people aren't allowed to casually approach there at night... After all, the Hokage's residence is nearby."
This sounded too fake. Kitahara could sense a wild beast residing nearby... It should be because the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was there that they wouldn't let Fugaku approach, right?
"But..." Itachi wasn't so easily fooled either.
"Why is Itachi curious about these things now..." Fugaku interrupted his son, trying to change the subject, "Where did you and Kitahara just go? Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?"
"Caw..."
Kitahara responded seriously. It had just finished eating ramen; not only was it not hungry, but its stomach was also a little full...
Uchiha Itachi didn't translate the crow's words, looking seriously at his father, "...Dad, I'm not a child anymore..."
"Then wait until Dad truly believes you can shoulder a man's responsibilities..." Fugaku looked at his son's still red-rimmed eyes and chuckled lightly, "Then I'll tell Itachi everything, okay?"
Crying over such a small thing, still a child... This kid won't grow up to have tear troughs like me, will he?
"How long do I have to wait..." Uchiha Itachi shook his head, disagreeing with such words used to coax a child, "Teacher Jiraiya said I can apply for promotion to Chunin!"
"Truly my son!" Fugaku nodded in admiration. After thinking for a moment, he affectionately pinched the little boy's nose, "Hmm, then... how about until Itachi can join ANBU?"
(End of this chapter)