17 Shout Again If You Dare

"Dad, are you sure you are alright? You are injured quite badly." Itachi asked, staring at the swell on his father's right hand.

In response, Fugaku simply shrugged and moved his hand up and down. "This is nothing. I have survived injuries much worse."

"Actually, now that I think about it, I had never seen you injured before." Itachi moved his eyes away from Fugaku, setting his hands against the grass as he put on a wonderous expression. "Was Zeus actually that strong?"

Fugaku took a seat next to Itachi, as the beautiful view of a clear lake opened up before him. However, he remained stoic and indifferent. "That's actually a question that I have wanted to ask you, Itachi. Did you think he was strong?"

"Yes, from my perspective, he was very powerful. He managed to hold on against you for a long time, even though you have not used your full power. He was extremely fast, and I could barely react to his movements even with a sharingan. His jutsus were unique and I couldn't understand the principle behind any of them." Itachi finished his little monologue. "The Uchiha clan has deemed me a genius, yet I was unable to even deliver a proper battle against Zeus. Does that mean that people were mistaken about me?"

"No, Itachi, you are indeed someone of exceptional talent, even among the Uchiha's. However, in this world, there are always irregular people." Fugaku stared Itachi in the eyes. "Have you ever heard of Madara Uchiha?"

Itachi hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I have read about him in the library."

"Well, Madara is one of those few irregulars that have been known to walk this earth." Fugaku's face was filled with emotions that Itachi hadn't quite seen in his father before. "I am sure that Zeus is also an anomaly just like Madara. So, your words were indeed correct. Zeus is strong both mentally and physically. However, what do you think is his most frightening quality?"

Itachi thought for a moment, putting his hand against his chin. "His intelligence?"

"That's exactly right. During our battle, Zeus had used a myriad of interesting jutsu, and I had never seen any of them, which means that Zeus had probably created him by himself." Fugaku explained. "That kid might act crude and unpolite, but he is actually very smart. His ways of using chakra are fundamentally different from our own since he judges everything in a distinct way, and that is what makes him dangerous."

"Yeah..." Itachi put his head down, staring at his own hands. 'If I had to fight him again, would I be able to find a way to defeat him?'

However, Itachi was forced out of his thoughts when he felt a slight touch on his shoulder. Lifting his head, Itachi saw Fugaku's serious face just a few feet away from him. "Itachi, I admit it. For your age, you are remarkably strong, and you will overshadow any of the kids your age. However, Zeus is different."

Fugaku put both of his hands on Itachi's shoulders. "Remember, never in your life think about making Zeus your enemy. Rather than that, try to become his friend, as I am sure that you will be able to learn many things from him. However, in the case that you are unable to avoid confrontation with Zeus, then escape. Run as fast as you can and never look back. Do you understand?"

"I do," Itachi mumbled with a bit of uncertainty. Fugaku nodded with a frown on his face, standing up from the grass and leaving. Before that, however, he glanced one last time at the lake, as his mind went through a myriad of thoughts. 'The tension between Uchiha and other clans is growing. I have not felt any hate from Zeus towards us, but that might change in the future.'

His eyes gleamed with killing intent. 'I had never thought that Hiruzen was raising such a monster, or maybe he doesn't even know what Zeus is truly capable of, as I haven't heard anything but rumors about this kid. Perhaps I should dispose of Zeus whilst that is still possible...'

However, it was just a passing thought, just like the wind moving Fugaku's hair.

It was faint but always felt.

-

"I swear I will have my revenge," Zeus said, scratching the back of his head. In the end, Zeus was left with no other choice but to directly cut the rope, causing him to fall against his back from quite a high distance. His back was sore, but the pain was overshadowed by Fugaku's betrayal.

Despite the bitter feeling left in his mouth, Zeus couldn't help but feel that the battle had been fruitful. Of course, losing against someone made him feel strange, but it only increased his determination to grow stronger. Additionally, this battle made him realize how lacking he was compared to top-level shinobi, and Zeus understood the path he had to take to become more powerful.

Zeus had a lot of tricks up his sleeve, but he needed to increase their proficiency and, as Fugaku said, take things slower. From today onwards, he was going to wake up early and practice Overlock till complete exhaustion. That would not only increase his stamina but enable him to make quicker decisions during battle.

Then, Zeus would try to increase his physical capabilities by training with weights, as he really lacked sheer strength. At night, Zeus would try to come up with any useful ninjutsu, maybe even finally trying to take his first step into mastering genjutsu.

'Yeah, I think that's quite a good schedule.' Zeus thought, jumping onto another rooftop. Finally, he arrived at his apartment and hopped inside, thankful that Naruto hadn't woken up during his leave. He glanced momentarily towards the bed, his infant years resurfacing in his mind.

'For some reason, I am thankful that Kurama's attack didn't damage this bed.' Zeus thought, walking up to Naruto and seeing him sleep blissfully. He stretched his hands, preparing to go to sleep himself, but stopped mid-way, as he heard a knock on the door. Hiruzen slowly opened the door, walking inside with a smile.

"You are finally back, Zeus. I have been waiting for quite a while." Hiruzen said with a quiet voice, also hoping to not wake up the kid. Scanning Zeus up and down, Hiruzen smiled weakly, noticing the soil gathered on the kid's attire. "You must have had a wild night."

"Oh, yeah, old man, it was quite wild," Zeus answered, a bit startled, not expecting Hiruzen to come in. "Usually, you would be still at work during this time, so something must have happened for you to come back this early. Did I do something?"

"No, Zeus, not at all." Hiruzen put his hand on Zeus's shoulder. "In fact, I am bringing some good news. Do you remember how, before the Kyuubi attack, you were meant to participate in a chunin exam? Well, the village is finally back on its track, and I have decided to honor Minato's request."

"So, I am going to take that exam?" Zeus asked, not really knowing whether to feel happy or not about this.

"Indeed. However, we have decided to make your exam a bit private. I already know that you have an incredible gift, and you will probably pass the examination without too many difficulties, but you are still a kid. I fear that other villages might take action to hinder your future growth." Hiruzen said with a bit louder tone, completely forgetting the fact that Naruto was sleeping beside him. "So, tomorrow in the morning, I will guide you to the place where the test will commence."

"Alright, old man." Zeus yawned, nodding to Hiruzen, who smiled once more and left. Then, Zeus didn't even remove his clothes before falling onto the bed, unable to withstand the exhaustion any longer.

However, his rest was disturbed by a scream.

Opening his eyes, Zeus saw Naruto crying violently as if he had lost his most precious toy.

"I wonder... can kids twist their necks 360 degrees?" Zeus asked himself, malice within his eyes.

***

Insert Gif: Sleep Depravation

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