Within the Uchiha clan compound, Zoro finally removed his Anbu mask after returning from his mission.
A year earlier, he had already begun appearing openly in Konoha without concealing his identity. Naturally, part of that arrangent had also been Hiruzen Sarutobi's intention from the beginning.
After all, Hiruzen had never truly wanted to drive Zoro out of Konoha.
And now—
Even if he suddenly changed his mind, he no longer possessed the ability to do so.
As for the gossiping ninja around the village who constantly questioned why Uchiha Zoro was still allowed to remain in Konoha despite his increasingly dangerous reputation—
Most of them mysteriously vanished the very next day.
Whether they were silenced, transferred, or simply frightened into obedience, nobody knew.
And nobody dared to investigate.
"Young Master Zoro, no mission today?"
"Young Master Zoro, good afternoon."
Along the path through the clan compound, Uchiha clansn greeted him enthusiastically one after another.
Zoro responded with a faint smile and occasional nods as he walked past.
The reason they treated him with such respect was actually very simple.
Strength.
The Uchiha clan worshipped power more than anything else.
No matter how impressive your status sounded or how intelligent you claid to be, without enough strength to back it up, you would never truly possess authority within the clan.
And although ordinary clansn knew almost nothing about the classified missions Zoro carried out as a mber of Anbu—
The clan sparring grounds had already made one thing painfully obvious to everyone.
Each ti Zoro appeared, he beca stronger than before.
Stronger to the point that it felt unreasonable.
At this stage, aside from the clan head himself, probably nobody within the Uchiha clan could still confidently stand against him.
Of course, that conclusion only existed because Fugaku had never truly crossed blades with Zoro in a serious fight.
Passing through the rugged stone pathway lined with wooden fencing and blooming flowers, Zoro finally pushed open the gate to his courtyard.
The mont he stepped inside, a lively voice imdiately rang out.
"Master, you're finally back! Hurry and see if my swordsmanship improved!"
Inside the courtyard, a little Uchiha girl instantly jumped out of her chair the mont she heard the gate open.
"Shizuka, were you slacking off again?"
Zoro looked at the little girl helplessly.
Uchiha Shizuka was Uchiha Setsuna's granddaughter. After pestering her grandfather endlessly for months, Setsuna had eventually shalessly arranged for her to stay at Zoro's residence.
Naturally, he had also requested that Zoro teach her swordsmanship whenever he had free ti.
And so, he beca her teacher in swordsmanship.
"I wasn't!"
Shizuka puffed her cheeks and shook her head repeatedly while sticking out her tongue mischievously.
At only five years old, she already possessed delicate features, curved brows, and bright sparkling eyes full of life.
Combined with her lively personality, she looked extrely adorable.
"And you still say you weren't slacking?" Zoro said flatly. "There isn't even sweat on your forehead. You were obviously playing around just now."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward the cherry blossom tree nearby.
Underneath the tree stood another child about the sa height as Shizuka.
The boy lowered the wooden sword in his hand after noticing Zoro's arrival. Sweat lightly covered his forehead as he hurried over respectfully.
"Master, welco back."
Three-year-old Uchiha Itachi looked up at Zoro with admiration shining clearly in his eyes.
No—
To be more accurate, there was nothing in his eyes except admiration.
Unlike Shizuka, who simply liked following Zoro around because he spoiled her from ti to ti, Itachi had practically grown up listening to stories about him.
For three entire years.
Stories about his missions.
Stories about his swordsmanship.
Stories about the terrifying "Three-Sword Death God" feared by enemy villages.
To the young Itachi, the person he admired most was second only to his own father.
"Mm. Good work, Itachi." A rare smile appeared on Zoro's face as he rubbed the boy's slightly damp hair. "At least you practiced seriously, unlike Shizuka, who spends all day fooling around."
Truthfully, even Zoro himself had not expected Fugaku to eventually send Itachi here to learn swordsmanship.
But after thinking about it carefully, it made sense.
Besides ninjutsu, close-quarters combat and swordsmanship were also essential skills for shinobi.
And besides—
Who said swordsn lacked long-range attacks?
Thinking of that, Zoro beca even more determined to correct Itachi's future mindset before it fully ford.
Although Itachi would eventually witness the cruelty of war sooner or later—
Zoro intended to make him understand sothing else as well.
A clan should always be more worthy of sacrifice than Konoha itself.
If even one's own clan no longer existed, then what aning would Konoha still have?
That was also one of the reasons Zoro intentionally allowed Shizuka and Itachi to train together.
To so extent, emotional bonds truly were among the strongest thods of binding people together.
Feeling the warmth of Zoro's hand resting on his head, Itachi revealed a small but satisfied smile.
To a child, there was nothing more gratifying than being acknowledged by the person he admired most.
Because Fugaku spent nearly all his ti occupied with clan affairs, Zoro—the older-brother figure beside him—had instead given Itachi quite a bit of care and companionship during these years.
Those who stayed near vermilion beca red. Those who stayed near ink beca black.
Without Shisui constantly instilling those self-sacrificing ideals into him in the future, Zoro believed Itachi absolutely would not walk down that treasonous path.
"Hmph. Master is biased. You've never spoken to that gently before."
Shizuka puffed up her cheeks unhappily and turned her head away with exaggerated annoyance.
She disliked Itachi a little.
Because every ti he appeared, he always stole away the attention and warmth that belonged to her.
Smack!
Half-crouching slightly, Zoro flicked her forehead lightly before pulling out several pieces of candy along with a pack of tricolor dango he had brought back beforehand.
The instant Itachi saw the dango, his eyes noticeably brightened.
"These are for both of you," Zoro said casually. "Don't complain about favoritism. You're both my students."
The mont she saw the candy, Shizuka imdiately forgot all about the pain in her forehead.
"Thank you, Master! I love you the most!"
Excitedly grabbing the candy, she jumped up and planted a kiss directly onto Zoro's cheek before bouncing around happily.
Feeling the sticky saliva left behind, Zoro looked slightly helpless.
Then he handed the tricolor dango to Itachi.
"Itachi, this is yours."
"T-Thank you, Master."
Itachi accepted it sowhat shyly.
As the clan leader's son, Fugaku held him to extrely strict standards in almost every aspect of life.
Sweet foods were rarely allowed.
So even sothing as ordinary as tricolor dango was difficult for him to eat normally.
Only when he stayed here with Zoro could he quietly enjoy things like this without imdiately being lectured by the guards secretly assigned to watch over him.
The Uchiha guards hidden around the courtyard noticed the dango in Itachi's hands and instinctively wanted to stop him.
But after recalling the terrifying strength Zoro displayed during clan arena matches—
They all silently chose to pretend they had seen nothing.
"Master, is there any more?"
Shizuka had already finished all her candy and still looked completely unsatisfied.
"No more," Zoro answered rcilessly. "And stop staring at Itachi's food. Who told you to eat so fast?"
"Huh? Why would I stare at Itachi's food?"
Shizuka casually wrapped one arm around Itachi's shoulders while her eyes remained completely fixed on the two remaining dango in his hands.
Her intentions were written plainly across her face.
"Big Sister Shizuka…" Itachi hesitated slightly before quietly handing one over. "Two are enough for ."
"Okay! Thanks, little brother Itachi! You're such a good person."
Shizuka swallowed the dango in one bite before licking her lips happily.
Then—
Her eyes secretly drifted toward the final remaining dango.
Itachi noticed the look in her eyes imdiately.
This ti, he decisively handed over the last one as well.
"Big Sister Shizuka, one is enough for . I actually don't like sweet things that much anyway."
Itachi smiled gently as he spoke.
"Hm? Really?"
Shizuka blinked in surprise while awkwardly taking the final dango.
You should've said that earlier.
Then I could've helped finish them from the start.
"You little glutton."
Zoro pinched Shizuka's soft cheeks before glancing thoughtfully toward Itachi beside her.
Only three years old—
Yet he already understood how to suppress his own desires and accommodate others.
Was this the so-called "capacity" Itachi would display in the future?
The sa "capacity" that eventually led him to slaughter his own clan.
The kind of "capacity" that abandoned personal emotions for the sake of so greater ideal.
"Mmgh~~ I-I'm going! I'll twain properly now!"
The mont Shizuka imagined her grandfather's stern expression after hearing she had been slacking off again, she instantly panicked.
Compared to that scary old man—
Staying with Big Brother Zoro was obviously far more enjoyable.
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