I Am Fugaku Uchiha

Choza watched Fugaku’s departing figure and turned to Shikaku with a puzzled look. "Shikaku, don’t you think Lord Fugaku has changed a lot lately?"

Shikaku nodded slightly, closing his eyes, and his lips curled. " Indeed, he seems like a different person now."

"Could it be because of his marriage?" Choza asked tentatively.

Inoichi chuckled and said, "Why don’t you get married and find out for yourself?"

"Hey, we are only nineteen years old. Isn’t it too soon to talk about marriage?" Choza protested.

Shikaku shook his head and said, "Come on, let’s not waste time on this topic. We have more important things to do. I have a bad feeling about this mission."

The three of them left to gather their teams and head to the border.

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Fugaku was in the kitchen, preparing a meal for his family, while Megumi paid him a visit. Despite her kind offer to assist him, Fugaku politely declined, as he wanted to spend quality time with his wife after a long absence.

He was not worried about the Third Ninja World War that had just started. He had faith in his comrades and his clan. He also wanted to enjoy the peace and happiness while he could.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. He wondered who it could be.

Mikoto went to open the door. She saw a boy with goggles standing outside. She recognized him as Obito, one of the young Uchiha genin.

"Hello, Obito. What brings you here?" Mikoto asked kindly.

"Um... is the clan leader here? I need to talk to him." Obito said nervously.

Mikoto smiled and said, "Yes, he is. Come on in; he’s cooking right now."

She welcomed Obito into the house and showed him to the living room. She was curious about what Obito wanted to talk to Fugaku about. She knew that Obito was an orphan who dreamed of becoming a great ninja.

Obito felt a little nervous as he entered the clan leader’s home. He wondered if Fugaku would agree to his request. He was surprised when he heard that Fugaku was cooking.

Fugaku finished preparing the meal and brought it to the table. He heard voices in the living room and went to check. He saw Obito sitting on the couch, wearing goggles. He recognized him as one of the Uchiha genin.

"What can I do for you?" Fugaku asked politely.

"Clan…clan leader… I want to be your disciple." Obito said in a low voice. He felt like he had used up all his courage to say this.

Obito had been waiting for Fugaku’s return for half a year. He had a burning desire to become his disciple. He heard that the clan leader was back this morning, and he couldn’t contain his excitement. He ran to Fugaku’s house as fast as he could.

"disciple?" Fugaku was surprised by Obito’s request. He looked at the boy in front of him and wondered what to do.

He was aware of the vast disparity between teachers. Minato was his teacher, but he only taught him some basic skills, took him on some missions, and helped him gain some experience.

He remembered how Kakashi, his former teammate, was with Naruto and the others. He often read a small H book, "Intimate Paradise," and ignored their training. He only taught Naruto chakra nature changes with Yamato in the later stage.

But being a master meant being like jiraiya and Naruto or Tsunade and Sakura. It meant investing more time and energy to nurture a disciple.

He also had some concerns about Obito’s future. He knew that Obito would become a threat to the world one day. Now he wanted to be his disciple. He was lucky that he hadn’t killed him before.

Fugaku hesitated for a moment, but Obito urged him: "Please, clan leader, I know you are very busy, but I really want to be your disciple. Please accept me."

He bowed to Fugaku sincerely. Fugaku looked at Obito with interest. He couldn’t see any resemblance between this boy and the one who would cause four Ninja World Wars in the future. He was just a naive and ambitious boy.

"Why do you want to be my disciple?" Fugaku asked him.

"I... want to defeat Kakashi, and then become Hokage, and become a person everyone admires." Obito spoke of his dream with confidence.

Looking at the ten-year-old Obito standing in front of him, Fugaku hesitated. Logically, he should eliminate him to prevent potential trouble in the future.

Though he couldn't carry out the task himself, he could perhaps orchestrate a secret mission for Obito. However, considering Obito's innocence and potential, Fugaku couldn't bring himself to do it. As a traveler, he should be capable of altering the future, right?

Mikoto noticed the longing in Obito's eyes and felt moved. Maybe it was because she was pregnant and had a soft spot for children, or maybe there were other reasons. She tugged on Fugaku's sleeve.

Fugaku let out a sigh, understanding Mikoto's intentions. "Never mind, let's go have dinner," he said, turning and heading towards the dining room with a heavy heart.

It was a predicament they couldn't escape, a mix of fortune and misfortune.

Obito was initially shocked and struggled to comprehend the situation. But Mikoto's warm smile and invitation broke through his confusion: "Obito, please join us for dinner!"

Finally comprehending what was happening, Obito blurted out, "The clan leader...you agreed?"

The three of them took their place at the dinner table, and Obito gratefully smiled as he bowed to Fugaku, saying, "Thank you, clan leader."

Fugaku waved his hand dismissively. "Think nothing of it. You are a promising young shinobi. It’s only right to nurture you."

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