I thought I could raise a Hokage!!!

Uchiha Itachi was even more careful than Mikoto when taking care of Sasuke.

In the streets and alleys of Konoha, the little boy running around the village with a baby in his arms and a crow on his shoulder appeared once again.

"Boss, can you pack a bag of three-color dango and sticky rice balls for me?" Itachi stood at the entrance of the sweets shop, holding Sasuke in one arm while patting his free hand lightly against his clothes. His grip on the baby was steady, as if he was already familiar with carrying children.

The shopkeeper was stunned by Itachi's posture. "O-okay..."

"Gah..." The crow on Itachi's shoulder flew down and landed on the table, holding a note from somewhere in its beak.

The customers in the shop seemed taken aback by the scene, though there were exceptions—like the group of ninjas at a nearby table who were too preoccupied with something more important.

Arguing. And trying to mediate.

One of the young men, clearly hot-tempered, slammed his hand on the table. "Old man, no matter what you say, you can't change the fact that you're continuing as Hokage! Lord Third!"

His raised voice caught everyone's attention. Sitting at that table was an old man, his Hokage hat resting in his hands.

Beiyuan studied the people sitting with him. They looked familiar, yet he couldn't immediately place them—except for one. Even at a young age, there was no mistaking the green jumpsuit, thick eyebrows, and bowl-cut hair.

Konoha's one and only Might Guy.

Guy, rubbing his head, forced a smile and tried to defend his superior. "Asuma, the Third was Hokage to begin with..."

A young woman at the table, calmer in demeanor, added flatly, "Besides, there's no one more suitable in the village. Lord Hokage clearly has the village's best interests in mind."

"...Bullshit," Asuma spat, rising to his feet. "He just wants to hold on to power!"

With that, he pushed past the ninja trying to hold him back and stormed out. His friend, unwilling to let him go alone, hurried after him.

Might Guy exhaled, then suddenly shot up from his seat, standing at full attention. "Lord Third, don't worry! I will talk some sense into him!" He then rushed out after them.

"...Blah blah blah..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen continued smoking his pipe, staring after them with an unreadable expression. He didn't look particularly hopeful. Finally, he blew out a large smoke ring and slowly stood up, preparing to leave the shop.

Smoking in public like this is just asking for complaints, Beiyuan thought. But given Sarutobi's status, no one dared to say a word.

"Customer, your dango and rice balls!"

The shopkeeper's sudden call drew Sarutobi's gaze. The old man looked down and finally noticed Uchiha Itachi, standing there with a baby in one arm and a crow extending its claw to hook the food bag.

"Itachi... What a well-behaved child."

There was a weary warmth in Sarutobi's voice—the kind of tone parents used when looking back on better days. If Biwako were still alive, Asuma wouldn't be such a headache.

"Lord Hokage," Itachi greeted.

"This is Fuyue's second child? A girl?" Sarutobi asked, glancing at the swaddled baby.

"No, he's my younger brother. His name is Sasuke."

Cough! Cough!

Sarutobi nearly choked on his pipe. He had almost forgotten—Fugaku had mentioned long ago that he planned to name his second son after Sarutobi Sasuke, his own father.

That realization left a strange taste in his mouth. The old man suddenly thought of his father... Was he like this with Asuma back then?

"It's a fine name," Sarutobi finally said after regaining his breath. He reached out and gently stroked Sasuke's barely-there hair. "Grow up well and become a dependable man."

Itachi looked at his younger brother's tiny face and rubbed his forehead against Sasuke's affectionately. "Did you hear that, Sasuke? Grow up quickly!"

"Hum hum hum~" Sasuke let out a few sleepy hums, then yawned and nestled further into Itachi's arm. He had been too exhausted by the noises on the way here and had dozed off.

"Gah!"

The crow perched itself on Itachi's head, the bag still in its beak. It glanced at Sasuke with its piercing red eyes, full of disdain. Like a little piglet—just sleeping and sleeping. If you've got the guts, keep crying.

Sarutobi observed Beiyuan for a moment before commenting, "So this is the crow you raised? Everyone in the village talks about it… It does seem quite fierce."

"He's my friend," Itachi said as he reached up to stroke the bird. "Actually, Beiyuan has a very gentle personality!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen: "..."

Is there something wrong with this child's eyes? That bird doesn't look gentle at all. Those eyes just now—if it had the chance, it looked like it would've torn Sasuke apart. And the chakra… It's clearly abnormal.

Normally, this would be the moment when some unfortunate subordinate with no sense of timing would interrupt to report something urgent, giving the Hokage a reason to leave.

As if on cue, an Anbu ninja appeared, kneeling before Sarutobi.

…Although, with that white hair, did the mask even matter? How many people in Konoha aren't immediately recognizable with white hair?

"Hokage-sama, Anbu has received top-secret information!" Kakashi lifted his head, his tone sharp and urgent.

Sarutobi took a long drag from his pipe, exhaling slowly. He didn't seem too concerned about discussing matters on the street. "Ah? Just hand me the scroll..."

"The informant is in your office. He wants to see you in person."

Kakashi was already leading Sarutobi away. The Third was always busy, always personally overseeing things. He had just come out for a simple afternoon tea, only to be chewed out by his son. His mood had already soured.

Now Kakashi was about to deliver even worse news.

The encounter with the Third was nothing more than a brief interlude. Itachi paid it no mind. Carrying his bag of sweets, he went off to find a quiet spot to enjoy them with Sasuke.

Beiyuan agreed with the plan—though he personally would've preferred swapping "teasing Sasuke" with "beating the brat." Beating children shouldn't just be reserved for rainy days.

But today wasn't going well.

Their usual spot was occupied.

This area was close to the Memorial Stone—a place where people with questionable brain circuits came to enjoy the scenery. That included, but was not limited to, Itachi and Shisui.

Now, they could only watch as a little girl sitting on the grass stood up. She turned, eyes lighting up, and came running toward them.

Uchiha Izumi waved excitedly. "Itachi-kun!"

A fable suddenly came to Beiyuan's mind—Waiting for the Rabbit.

Itachi Uchiha was, without a doubt, the rabbit.