Naruto: I Am Uzumaki Naruto!?

The corners of Uchiha Fugaku's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

He naturally trusted Itachi's words—if his son said it was a fair kunai-throwing match, then it must have been fair.

But… 160 million ryo.

Just thinking about that number made Fugaku feel like fainting on the spot.

Dear gods…

Why didn't you just bet me instead, Itachi?! Losing your father to Uzumaki Naruto would've been better than losing 160 million!

Where in the world am I supposed to get that kind of money?!

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Fugaku asked, his voice dry, "Itachi, are you absolutely sure Uzumaki Naruto didn't cheat?"

He already knew the answer, but a tiny shred of hope still clung to his heart.

Itachi shook his head bitterly.

Fugaku sighed heavily. It's over.

---

The office fell silent.

Then, Fugaku stood up, his voice low and firm.

"If it was a fair match, then the Uchiha clan must accept the loss."

His expression darkened as he turned toward his son.

"Come on. Let's go. We'll sell the house and see if we can recover at least some of it."

Itachi hesitated, looking deeply embarrassed.

"Father… about that…" He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Our house… I, uh… already lost it."

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Fugaku nearly choked, his vision swimming.

WHAT?!

This brat and Sasuke really are blood brothers!

One sold out his big brother. The other one…

You actually bet our house?!

How the hell are we supposed to live now?!

Fugaku clenched his fists and shot both of his sons a murderous glare.

"How much, exactly, did you two lose?"

Itachi swallowed hard, his face burning red.

"Well… Including me, the total is 160 million ryo… plus our house… and also Uchiha Shisui's house… and, uh… the clan's Fire Release ninjutsu…"

Fugaku: "..."

Why didn't you just bet your mother too?!

At that moment, Fugaku found himself inexplicably envious of his old rival, Hyūga Hiashi.

Sure, Hiashi had two daughters.

But at least they wouldn't bet their own damn house!

As the entire Uchiha clan stood there, frozen in disbelief, a calm voice suddenly cut through the air.

"I'll handle this."

A young man stepped forward, his sharp eyes gleaming with the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan. A short sword rested at his waist, and his expression was composed.

Uchiha Shisui had returned.

Fugaku's eyes lit up in surprise.

"Shisui, when did you get back?"

Shisui smiled slightly. "I just returned. The mission has been completed."

Fugaku let out a breath of relief.

Finally, some hope!

If there was one person in the Uchiha clan who could surpass Itachi in kunai-throwing, it was Shisui.

As one of the clan's strongest shinobi, Shisui had entered the battlefield at a young age. Now, with his Mangekyō Sharingan—hailed as the Eye of God—his strength had reached Elite Jōnin level.

Letting him challenge Naruto almost felt like overkill.

But still…

"Alright, Shisui. I'm counting on you!" Fugaku said with newfound determination.

For the sake of our family not sleeping on the streets…

You must win this back!

---

Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped through paperwork, sighing as he leaned back in his chair.

"I'm really getting old," he muttered, stretching his sore back. "When I was younger, I could sit all day without feeling stiff."

Setting the documents aside, he reached into a drawer and pulled out a framed photo. A man with long hair, a goatee, and a cigarette in his mouth stared back at him.

"Asuma… You should be coming back soon, too."

He sighed, placing the picture back in the drawer.

Just then, a thought struck him.

"Speaking of which, shouldn't Uchiha Shisui have reported back from his mission by now?"

A masked Anbu suddenly materialized before his desk, kneeling.

"Yes, Lord Hokage. Uchiha Shisui returned to Konoha an hour ago."

Hiruzen frowned.

"An hour ago… and he still hasn't reported in?"

That was strange. Standard protocol required all shinobi to report their mission status as soon as they returned.

But Shisui…

Hiruzen's frown deepened.

"The Uchiha clan has been growing restless lately. Could it be that… Shisui is also dissatisfied with Konoha?"

He leaned forward, his brows furrowed in concern.

"Or worse… could he be considering joining their coup?"

His gaze darkened as he tapped his fingers against the desk.

"Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan grants him Kotoamatsukami—the strongest genjutsu. If he were to turn against Konoha…"

The room grew tense.

The Anbu kneeling before him hesitated. Then, with great effort, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"Lord Hokage… I don't think that's the reason."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.

The Anbu ninja seemed to be struggling to hold something back. Finally, he exhaled sharply and forced out the words:

"Well… um… Uchiha Itachi… sort of… gambled away Shisui's house."

Hiruzen: "…"

For a long moment, the Third Hokage just… stared.

The Anbu ninja continued, his voice cracking with suppressed laughter.

"Shisui had no choice but to go win it back, or else he'd be sleeping on the streets tonight…"

Hiruzen: "…"

The old Hokage rubbed his temples.

Of all the reasons he had imagined for Shisui's absence… this was not one of them.

He had envisioned political intrigue, Uchiha unrest, maybe even Shisui questioning his loyalty to the village.

But gambling away his house?!

And who was responsible?

Uchiha Itachi.

Uchiha Itachi.

The same Itachi who was supposed to join Anbu next year.

This genius prodigy…

Just bet away his own house.

Hiruzen massaged the bridge of his nose.

How did it come to this?

The Anbu agent trembled slightly, his shoulders shaking.

"Lord Hokage, with all due respect…"

A snort escaped.

"Hahaha—"

He doubled over, barely able to contain himself.

"I'm sorry—I can't—hahaha!"

"Shisui—haha—he really might have to sleep outside—pfft—hahahaha!"

Hiruzen's eyebrow twitched.

"Enough." His voice was sharp. "Take me there. Now."

"Y-Yes, Lord Hokage—hahaha—right away!"

The Anbu ninja wiped tears from his eyes, trying to compose himself.

Hiruzen sighed, his face dark.

This is the future of the Uchiha clan?

As he followed the Anbu toward the commotion, the only thought running through his head was:

What the hell is going on with these kids?