Itachi rubbed a bit of toothpaste onto his small hands, clung to the edge of the bathroom door, and peeked inside...
Silence was the guest in the living room today...
Mikoto lightly tapped Roy on the back, chiding, "What nonsense are you talking."
Across from them, Fugaku watched Roy without a hint of a smile, his thoughts momentarily returning to the clan meeting at the Uchiha Shrine, recalling the young man's audacious claim that he could help clan members awaken their eyes. It struck him like a bolt of lightning, leaving him in disbelief.
"Mikoto," Fugaku raised his hand to interrupt her, his sharp gaze fixed on Roy, and after a moment said, "I understand."
It seemed like he had said everything, yet nothing, purposely changing the subject, saying, "Go ahead."
Roy glanced at the time, 7:45. With 15 minutes left until the 8 o'clock assembly, he smiled and nodded at Fugaku, then turned to Mikoto and said, "Mother, I'm off now. Tonight I'd like to have katsu don..."
As he spoke, he supported himself on the tatami mat and stood up, his feet revealing a stretch of mudflat. Under Uchiha Mikoto's stunned expression and Uchiha Fugaku's tense gaze, Roy slowly sank into the ground and then resurfaced...
Crossing the entire living room,
Suddenly appearing at the bathroom door,
"Buzz..." An inaudible ripple spread out, as the mudflat opened a passage from the void, revealing the boy's thick, black hair...
He emerged from the ground with a smile, appearing right next to Itachi, whose not-quite-childlike mature eyes shone with unprecedented brightness. Finally understanding what had occurred... Then, feeling warmth, Roy grabbed his head in his palm and gently ruffled his hair....
"Nissan, what kind of jutsu is this?" The young boy looked up at his older brother, puzzled. It was as if while he slept, his brother had suddenly grown taller. Previously, he could easily reach his brother's chin, but now... only by standing on tiptoes could he barely touch his neck. Such a growth speed was enviable....
"hmmm..." Roy held his chin, momentarily stumped by the question....
The original form of the [Swamp Space] came from the [Shadow Demon]'s talent "Blood Demon Art", merging his understanding of "terrain" with his insight into "space"... It's said to be the fusion of [Earth Release] and [Space]... but it can emerge from the surfaces of water, trees, flowers, grass, and all other "tangible objects"....
Obviously calling it [Earth Release] is inaccurate,
"I don't know myself..." After pondering for a while, Roy smiled at Itachi and said, "Itachi, what do you think it should be called?"
Itachi's eyes gleamed brightly, and he blurted out, "Nissan, can you come out from water?"
"Yes."
"What about from a tree?"
"Yes."
"Stone, then?"
"Of course..." Roy felt the gaze coming from behind him... deepening from Fugaku and Mikoto, and warmly said, "As long as it's something with form, it's possible."
Itachi thought for a moment, and sincerely said, "[Chichi ni Taniya]!"
"Nissan always tells me, the world is both very large and very small. If walked around, it might all be traversed..."
"I think there's no better name."
"Chichi ni Taniya..." Mikoto murmured,
"Chichi ni Taniya..." Fugaku whispered in a deep voice...
Indeed, as Itachi said, the world is vast yet small, with mere steps spanning horizons, although....
That only applies to those gifted in "time-space jutsu," a select few genius ninjas...
Ordinary people, including the elite Jonin from Konoha, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and others, if believing it, their lives are set....
Uchiha Fugaku coughed twice lightly, "Itachi, let your older brother go wash up..."
The man's tone left no room for objection.
Obediently, Itachi stepped aside, accompanied by a gentle breeze brushing his shoulder, and heard softly, "Chichi ni Taniya, a very good name."
The young boy watched Roy's retreating figure picking up a toothbrush in the bathroom, and a rare smile appeared....
It's morning, 7:50, with about ten minutes left before reporting.
After washing up and coming out, Fugaku had already finished breakfast and dressed in his Jonin vest, fastening his forehead protector, leaving a step ahead for the police department to start his shift.
Uchiha Mikoto tidied up the dishes, and instead of him, saw Roy out the door. At the entrance, she bent down to wipe the boy's shoes, saying, "You've grown and have your own skills, mom won't say much,"
"I'll listen to you; tonight when you come back, I'll make katsu don for you."
Roy smiled and said, "Alright," finally, waving to Itachi sitting on the tatami beside, saying, "When Shisui comes, tell him that today is just like yesterday, still two sessions of 'Ten Thousand Basic Swings'... I'll check in the evening..."
Itachi's cheeks puffed up, filled with sushi, silently nodding... Feeling like he hadn't started practicing with the sword yet, his arms were already faintly sore again....
"Alright, with me and your father keeping an eye, there won't be any problems." Mikoto patted the boy, opening the door.
Roy smiled, saying no more as he turned to leave through the door, under the rising morning sun, taking a deep breath of fresh air, heading towards the reporting place located at the southern forest, near the entrance of Konoha village towards a training ground....
"Step... Step..." Passing through streets, away from the bustling crowd, bypassing shopping streets filled with commercial vibes, entering the forest, feeling the damp air touching his face, at a certain moment, Roy paused by a towering tree leading deeper into the southern forest where he encountered a head of swaying white hair....
The white hair was tied back with a forehead protector serving as a hairband, with the center embossed with the leaf symbol representing Konoha, implying... "The unyielding Will of Fire"....
Roy met eyes with Konoha Sakumo from ten meters away,