I am the most popular character in Naruto!

Sasuke looked at him hesitantly and said, "Will this illness affect your strength? Does that mean I can't be a ninja anymore, brother?"

The powerful and intelligent Itachi Uchiha was Sasuke's idol. From childhood to adulthood, Itachi Uchiha was the person Sasuke admired most.

But if such an older brother were to disappear from his life, Sasuke felt he would find it unacceptable.

"Ah."

Itachi withdrew his hand from Sasuke's head and turned his gaze back to the setting sun.

"Perhaps it's not so bad if I can't be a ninja."

“Sometimes it’s more interesting to be an ordinary person than to be a ninja.”

"I'm starting to understand why Sister Chiaki has always lived deep in the mountains."

"Brother...?"

Sasuke didn't understand Itachi's words. He looked at Itachi's front and could see the layers of bandages hidden under his clothes through his collar.

"Don't worry, Sasuke, I'm fine."

Itachi noticed Sasuke's gaze and touched his chest. "It was just a minor operation performed on me by Chiaki-neechan. It's nothing serious."

That's right.

So it's just that they cut off their own lung and then sculpted a new one.

To prevent excessive power from affecting him, Chiaki also had Otohime completely seal his power, leaving him only with the chakra and life force needed to heal his wounds.

To others, Itachi appeared to have become a cripple. Instead of explaining himself, Itachi instructed Shisui to spread the news.

"But...the people in the clan all say...elder brother, you..."

Sasuke couldn't bear to look at Itachi. He knew that Itachi, having lost everything and become a cripple, would be extremely disappointed, and he himself couldn't accept this fact at all.

"Forgive me, Sasuke."

Itachi extended two fingers and gently tapped Sasuke's forehead.

If his "fall" could deter the Uchiha clan's ambitions and keep them in line, then Itachi Uchiha was willing to remain silent forever.

Even though Qianqiu had told him that his strength would be gradually unlocked after his lungs fully recovered, and that once his body was strong enough to withstand it, his strength would be fully unlocked and even experience a surge.

For Itachi Uchiha, his strength was not important; what mattered most was preserving the Uchiha clan and ensuring the survival of the young Sasuke before him.

"...Big brother, let me train with you!"

After a moment of silence, Sasuke pulled Itachi up and forced a smile, saying, "It's okay. I believe that with your talent, even if you can't become a ninja because of your life, you can still become a very powerful person!"

"Chiaki once said that if you want to grow and become a powerful ninja, you must be patient and work hard to train yourself!"

"I think, big brother, you can also become a very capable person by training yourself!"

Itachi was slightly taken aback, then laughed, "Alright, then I'll train with you."

"However, my body can't withstand very intense exercise."

"It's okay! My older brother used to train me, now it's my turn to train him!"

Sasuke patted his chest and said proudly, "I'm the best in the whole school, I can handle this kind of basic training very well!"

"Then we'll wait and see, Sasuke."

Itachi's smile grew even gentler; he doted on his younger brother to the extreme.

Just then, several Uchiha clan ninjas suddenly appeared beside Itachi and Sasuke.

Itachi raised an eyebrow and instinctively reached out to protect Sasuke.

"What do you want to do?!"

Sasuke jumped in front of Itachi, protecting him while raising his head high and saying, "Are you trying to rebel?!"

"Young Master, the Patriarch requests your presence!"

The Uchiha clan ninjas glanced at Itachi arrogantly and spoke coldly to him.

A wasted genius, even if he was once the eldest son of the Uchiha clan, is of no use.

As for the second young master, he's not good enough for the time being.

"What is Father looking for?"

Sasuke, who was protecting Itachi, was stunned. Being so young, he didn't know how to handle this situation, so he could only turn to Itachi for help.

Itachi frowned and began to think rapidly. Logically speaking, he had already lost his usefulness, greatly reducing the possibility of the Uchiha clan betraying him.

So why is my father coming to find me now?

"Young Master, please hurry up, don't make things difficult for us."

Another Uchiha clan ninja said to Itachi with a forced smile, "No matter what, you are still the young master."

"you!"

Sasuke caught the ninja's sarcastic tone and glared at him angrily, saying, "I'll remember you! Even without my brother, I'll make you suffer!"

"Young Master, you're too kind. We were just following the orders of the family head."

The few Uchiha clan ninjas smiled. They were all die-hard fans of Fugaku Uchiha and didn't care about Itachi or Sasuke at all.

"hateful……"

Sasuke clenched his fists, wanting to punch these guys who looked down on him and his older brother, but Itachi patted him lightly on the head.

"Sasuke, don't forget what I said, and be mindful of your manners."

Itachi spoke calmly, taking a step forward to block Sasuke's path. He then sneered at the other ninjas, saying, "Let's go. It seems some things are simply unavoidable."

Chapter 546 Uchiha Shrine

Inside the Uchiha clan's tea room.

Fugaku Uchiha was quietly brewing tea, looking completely relaxed and content.

"Master, the eldest young master has arrived."

A ninja from the Uchiha clan approached Fugaku Uchiha, bowed, and spoke to him.

Fugaku Uchiha paused in his actions, then sighed softly and said to the ninja,

"Okay, bring him in."

The Uchiha clan ninja bowed slightly and opened the door to the tea room to let Itachi in.

"Father."

After entering the tea room, Itachi bowed respectfully to Fugaku Uchiha, looking at his father with a calm and indifferent gaze.

Itachi didn't know when it started, but he felt that his father had become different, like a stranger.

He is no longer the father he once was.

Do not……

Or rather.

From the very beginning, Itachi Uchiha never truly understood Fugaku Uchiha.

Fugaku Uchiha always held a deep sense of pride in the glory of the Uchiha clan. He was a person who came from that era, and he knew very well what the Uchiha were.

But it is precisely because of this glory and pride that the Uchiha clan has been doomed and plunged into an abyss of suffering.

The biggest contradiction lies in the fact that Konoha is not the Konoha of the Uchiha clan.

That battle, that epic war, ended with Hashirama Senju emerging victorious, not Madara Uchiha. That decided everything.

"You came."

Fugaku Uchiha put down his tea and looked at his most beloved child.

Itachi possessed extraordinary talent and wisdom. His existence was the hope of the entire Uchiha clan and their greatest trump card for future rise.

Just a few days ago, Itachi Uchiha was crippled by Chiaki Senju!

He lost all his strength and his body became extremely weak.

Fugaku Uchiha initially thought his son was just sick, but after several days of sensing and investigation, he finally realized that his son had lost his fighting ability and could no longer become a ninja!

All hope vanished, and the very foundation of the future was uprooted!

Thousand hands, it's a thousand hands again!

Every time the Uchiha clan is about to rise to power, it is the Senju clan that is causing trouble!

They always manage to seize the achievements of the Uchiha clan and make them their own!

Enraged, Fugaku Uchiha smashed everything in Itachi's room. He was venting his anger at Itachi, whom he had always doted on, and he was also venting his anger at himself.

Because of the Uchiha clan's incompetence, he didn't even dare to show the slightest bit of anger to Chiaki.

Itachi understood this disparity and change, but he still had to do it. He wanted to change the Uchiha's ambitions, and he would inevitably have to pay a price.

However, at this moment, Fugaku Uchiha looked somewhat strange.

"Itachi, how have you been feeling these past few days?"

Fugaku Uchiha smiled and asked Itachi, who was slightly taken aback but nodded in reply, "Everything is fine, and my body is recovering quite well."

"Oh? Your strength has recovered too?"

Fugaku Uchiha's eyes lit up, and he asked Itachi with surprise.

Itachi calmly shook his head. "I have no chance of becoming a ninja anymore."

"That's it..."

Fugaku Uchiha sighed slightly, but quickly changed the subject and started chatting with Itachi Uchiha about everyday things.

Itachi was surprised, but he calmly continued to pull at Fugaku Uchiha with his expression unchanged.

After the two chatted for a while, Fugaku Uchiha took a deep breath, stood up from his seat, and said to Itachi, "Itachi, I know it's a pity that I can't become a ninja, but it doesn't matter. You can still contribute to the Uchiha clan, and you are still the young master of the Uchiha clan!"

"...Thank you, Father."

After a moment of silence, Itachi bowed to Fugaku Uchiha in thanks, his head bowed as he awaited Fugaku's next words.