I thought I could raise a Hokage!!!

Young people probably react this way when faced with something scary or disgusting—whether it was a person or an animal.

Beiyuan turned his head and observed the children's movements.

Amid the little girl's startled scream, stones flew from their hands—tracing arcs through the air towards Uchiha Itachi.

A childish, pointless trick…

If only they could hit their target.

"Qu… qua… qua…"

Beiyuan clung tightly to Itachi's clothes, his body swaying uneasily.

These Konoha children, eager to earn their forehead protectors, were already skilled at throwing. Since they weren't allowed to practice with shuriken yet, they used small stones instead.

Itachi easily dodged them, relying on his chakra perception. The half-dazed crow on his other shoulder, however, wasn't so lucky—he reacted too late, and two stones struck his wings.

There was no real pain. It felt like nothing more than a breeze brushing against his feathers.

But the real problem?

The group of brats had found something even funnier.

"Look at that ugly crow! It's so hideous!"

"Smash it! Smash it!"

"It flies around the village every day—it must be stealing food!"

"You guys… don't throw at Itachi…"

"I practice shuriken every day! I won't miss!"

The children's laughter grew louder. They had a new target now—one they found much more amusing. That flustered crow was just too annoying to ignore.

"Gah…"

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

Itachi's young voice rang out. A massive fireball burst from his mouth, lighting up the air. Stones exploded mid-flight, reduced to fragments. The ground beneath them blackened from the scorching heat.

One of the little boys burst into tears on the spot.

The rest of the children stood frozen. Even the more mature girl, Izumi, felt her eyes welling up with tears.

"Itachi…" she murmured.

"Gah!"

Beiyuan raised a wing and gave a thumbs-up. Nice work.

Itachi sighed, pressing down on the crow's back.

"Let's go. To the training grounds."

"Aaaahhh!" Izumi stomped her feet in frustration as they walked away.

…How amusing.

Even at this level, she wanted to be a puppy?

Very few things in this world disappear without a trace. Everything leaves a ripple in people's hearts, triggering the next event.

Uchiha Mikoto was discharged from the hospital not long after, and the family gradually got back on track. With a baby in the house, changes were inevitable, and Fugaku restructured Itachi's training plan. Since he was still young, his mornings were dedicated to taijutsu and shuriken practice, while his afternoons focused on ninjutsu. For normal people of course even this intensity was too high...

"In terms of time, you arrange it yourself. Pay attention to your body..." Fugaku's gaze wavered slightly before continuing, "And Itachi, try to make more friends."

"Yes, Dad." The little boy knelt obediently.

"The Uchiha Hazuki family has recently returned, but they haven't moved into the main compound yet. Itachi, you might still—"

"Wah... waa... waaaah..."

Before she could finish, the baby in Mikoto's arms wailed, making further conversation impossible.

"Gah!"

Beiyuan's cry instantly silenced Sasuke. Perched on Mikoto's shoulder, the crow observed as the baby swallowed his sobs... but his cheeks puffed up.

"Puff puff..."

The little guy wanted to spit. The crow refused to back down, his scarlet eyes locking onto the infant's determined face.

"Gah!"

"Pfft... pfft..."

"Sasuke is very energetic," Mikoto said with a gentle smile. "And he seems to like Beiyuan a lot!"

Fugaku and Itachi: "..."

Sorry, but let's be honest—we don't see it.

Fugaku originally wanted Itachi to socialize more, but the boy's withdrawn nature was already well-known. What he didn't expect was that the very next day, Itachi would step into the ranks of child-rearing, a small backpack slung over his shoulder, Sasuke in his arms.

Through the streets and alleys of Konoha, a little boy wandered with a baby. Sometimes, he even pushed a stroller as tall as himself. Was the Fugaku family serious about raising them like this?

The ever-dutiful Itachi made things much easier for his parents, and Mikoto's postpartum recovery went smoothly. As she had hoped, the home felt more lively.

But a new problem arose—Beiyuan and Sasuke were constantly at odds, always making a fuss. Despite being completely different species, they somehow understood each other well enough to compete.

After learning how to cook, Itachi rarely took Beiyuan out for ramen. But today was different.

"Bang bang bang!"

Beiyuan's sharp beak tapped insistently on the menu. A little girl shrieked nearby.

"Dad! There's a terrifying crow!"

"..." Another day where I long to be human again...

"Ayame, don't be rude," said Teuchi, ever kind. "Oh? Is this Itachi's crow? It's been a while..."

"Gah!"

"A bowl of tonkotsu ramen!"

Ayame, preparing the noodles, glanced at Beiyuan with uncertainty. "Um... if a crow eats ramen, does it pay for it?"

"..."

Kids really do focus on the strangest things.

Little girl, you're amazing... You thought of a question even I didn't consider!

"It's fine. Mr. Crow is a regular," Teuchi reassured her, patting her head. He brought out a steaming bowl of ramen. "This one's on me. Besides, we still have plenty of 'ramen on the wall' left!"

The ramen on the wall—an idea first suggested by Itachi.

After the Third Shinobi War, Konoha was full of orphans.Ichiraku Ramen couldn't solve all their problems, but one day, Itachi bought four bowls of ramen and suggested a new system.

From then on, customers could buy extra bowls, which would be distributed to the homeless. Many ninjas, having seen the horrors of war, donated generously. Ichiraku Ramen became more popular than ever, a go-to spot for Konoha's shinobi.

Ironically, the one who started it all now found himself benefiting from it.

Ayame, now intrigued by the crow, chatted endlessly. Other customers, upon learning Beiyuan belonged to the boy who pioneered the charity program, became much friendlier.

Then the Konoha Police Force arrived. Their stern presence filled the shop, and the atmosphere changed instantly.

Ayame's budding fondness for the Uchiha vanished.

A father and son entered in a hurry, and the little boy left, carrying the crow in his arms.

"Even if you lost to Sasuke, running away from home was unnecessary! Dad almost launched a search party!"

"He's not even two months old. He just spat at you. Why are you arguing?"

Ayame caught two words—Sasuke Uchiha.

Later, she learned from her father that the boy holding the crow was Itachi Uchiha.

To be fair, the kid looked decent. But his pet? Too damn fierce.