That's right. Just as Itachi suspected, Little Uchiha really used to be a pure, innocent sweetheart—a healing little angel with a heart like a blank sheet of paper...
But that was over a year ago—ancient history now.
'One who stays near vermilion turns red, and one who stays near ink turns black.' Little Uchiha's once-innocent heart had long been tainted after spending day after day with a certain seemingly harmless little devil.
That prolonged closeness led him to pick up a few of Naruto's dark-hearted tendencies. And with Itachi quietly getting himself a girlfriend, it was more than enough to shatter the vinegar jar of a late-stage bro-con like Sasuke, making his once-small streak of pettiness flare up even more.
Nowadays, Sasuke held the exact same mischievous intentions as Naruto.
The only reason he hadn't shown any reaction so far was because he had been deliberately suppressing his jealousy, keeping it in reserve as a final trump card—to deliver one last blow to his "traitorous" big brother.
In other words, among the four people present, regardless of their motives, one thing was certain…
They were all extremely curious about the newly formed romantic relationship between Itachi and Izumi.
And because of that, from the very moment Izumi was accidentally caught by Itachi's family, Itachi had been completely cornered—left in utter despair with no one to turn to!
'This... this can't be happening... First it was Mom and Dad... then Naruto... and now even Sasuke…?!'
Seeing his parents, Naruto, and even the brother who used to obey him without question all turning against him, Itachi finally collapsed in exhaustion. His lips twitched as a helpless cry of despair echoed through the whole house.
"Four against one? You're not even giving me a chance... This is totally unfair…! You guys aren't playing fair at all!"
"T-this… this isn't Itachi's fault!"
Hearing her beloved's anguished cry, Izumi—who had been struggling under the pressure of four overwhelming auras—finally stirred. Thanks to Itachi stepping away to absorb most of the weight, she slowly regained control of her body. Clutching her right arm tightly with her left to steady her trembling, she pressed her lips together, then gritted her teeth and shouted with all her might—drawing everyone's attention back to herself.
But doing so meant the terrifying pressure, which even most grown shinobi couldn't withstand, surged back toward her again.
"Izumi?! You idiot, don't do anything reckless! That pressure—!"
"Shut up, Itachi! You don't get to speak right now!"
As if truly enraged, Fugaku's expression darkened. The playful edge to his face vanished completely as he snapped at his son and turned his full attention to the small, shaking girl.
"Hmph. Not bad, little girl. You've got guts to say something like that out loud… Since you said it, I assume you're ready to pay the price?"
His Sharingan gleamed with a chilling crimson light. Narrowing his eyes, he cracked his knuckles slowly and began walking forward, step by step.
"As an outsider, you secretly got involved with my precious son—fine, I can live with that. But now you're trying to interfere with how I discipline him? Even if you're a fellow member of the Uchiha Clan, I won't let this slide… Let me teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents, Uchiha Izumi."
With those words, Fugaku unleashed his full strength. The oppressive aura slammed into the room like a wave. Even Itachi, who was only caught by the aftershock, couldn't move a muscle despite giving it his all—let alone poor Izumi, who was already struggling.
Fear instinctively surfaced on Izumi's face, but she still clenched her teeth and didn't back down. Her heart pounded as she forced herself to meet Fugaku's eyes directly.
"D-Dad! What are you going to do to Izumi?! She's just trying to be strong—she's completely innocent in all this!"
Crushed by his father's overwhelming pressure, Itachi couldn't even lift a finger. He could only watch helplessly as his father, face darkened and hand outstretched, slowly approached the collapsed Izumi. Panic surged in his voice, tinged with fear.
"Stop… Please stop! Dad, don't—!"