"Sasuke, wake up, it's time to eat." Sasuke opened his eyes to see a woman with long black hair and deep crimson eyes, around thirty years old—it was his mother, Uchiha Mikoto. Although Sasuke understood, he couldn't speak yet, being less than three months old. He could only manage a few cries. The woman picked him up, "Sasuke, be good, don't cry."

Sasuke wished he could explain that he wasn’t crying, but no matter what he tried to say, it came out as wails. This frustrated him deeply. In his previous life, Ando Yuto had been twenty-five, yet now he was mistaken for crying all the time.

The woman took out a bottle and placed it in Sasuke’s mouth. He was indeed hungry, so he sucked eagerly, drinking until he was exhausted, then drifted back to sleep. As an infant, most of Sasuke’s time was spent sleeping.

Suddenly, a loud "bang" startled Sasuke awake. He realized he was being carried outside by his mother, and the house was shaking continuously—was it an earthquake? Outside, he saw not only Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Fugaku but also many members of the Uchiha clan, nearly a hundred in total. "Mikoto, take Sasuke and join the others in the Uchiha underground shelter," Fugaku quickly instructed.

"Husband, what's happening? Why are we in such a hurry?" Mikoto asked anxiously as she followed the others. Sasuke also looked towards Fugaku, hoping for an answer, though he already had a suspicion he wanted confirmed.

"Hmph! Someone has unleashed the Nine-Tails, and it's now attacking Konoha," Fugaku said, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.

"What? The Nine-Tails?" Mikoto and Sasuke exclaimed simultaneously, though Sasuke's response was merely a cry. "So it’s exactly as I suspected—Naruto. Hmph! In my previous life, Sasuke was constantly pestered by Naruto," Sasuke thought. Back when Ando Yuto used to watch Naruto, he couldn't understand how someone with Naruto's personality could thrive so freely in the harsh world of shinobi. Sasuke mused, "No matter. I’ll never align myself with Naruto. I’ll keep my distance; I don't want to be entangled with him. He’s far too troublesome."

"Father, shouldn’t we assist the other shinobi? After all, we are part of Konoha," Itachi asked, rushing forward.

Sasuke’s train of thought was interrupted by Itachi's question, so he looked up at Fugaku, waiting for his response. Though he had accepted his identity as Uchiha Sasuke, Ando Yuto still didn’t view Fugaku as his father.

Fugaku slowed his pace, his previously smiling face darkening. He turned slowly to Itachi, and Sasuke followed his gaze. This time, Itachi did not lower his head as he had before; instead, he met Fugaku's gaze with a resolute look. Their eyes locked, and suddenly Sasuke felt the air around them freeze, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

Their gaze only lasted three or four seconds, but to Sasuke, it felt like an eternity. He didn’t dare breathe as he quietly watched them. Finally, Uchiha Mikoto broke the tension. "Fugaku, Itachi, hurry! We're still too close to the Nine-Tails; it’s not safe here. Let’s get to the underground shelter," she urged, noticing the strain between them and deliberately interrupting their standoff. Yet Itachi continued to stare at his father, waiting for an answer, undeterred by his mother's words.

Fugaku looked at Itachi, then suddenly smiled softly, speaking gently, "Itachi, do you understand? The Nine-Tails is the most powerful of the tailed beasts. Even sending more shinobi would be futile. Only those as strong as the Hokage can inflict any damage on it, and both the Third and Fourth Hokage have already gone. If we were to intervene, we’d only be a hindrance."

"But as part of Konoha, shouldn't the Uchiha clan contribute to its defense?" Itachi pressed, still seeking a satisfactory answer from his father.

"Itachi, remember this: the Uchiha are Uchiha, and Konoha is Konoha. They are not to be confused," Fugaku said firmly, his voice growing louder as he exerted his authority over Itachi.

"So this is the power of a shinobi," Sasuke thought, astonished by the sheer force of Fugaku's presence. "If he’s this strong, how powerful must the Nine-Tails be? And what of the First Hokage, who defeated it, or Madara Uchiha, who controlled it?" Sasuke wondered. "I must learn to speak and walk as soon as possible; only then can I begin to strengthen myself. I can’t waste time now when I’m so helpless."

"But..." Itachi began to argue.

"No buts," Fugaku cut him off. "Remember, I am the head of the Uchiha clan, and you are to obey. If you were not my son, you wouldn’t even be standing before me."

Fugaku then turned to the clan members and declared, "Anyone who leaves the Uchiha compound without permission today will be punished for treason."

"Yes, sir!" the clan members responded in unison.

"Let’s move," Fugaku ordered, waving his hand as he walked forward.

Sasuke observed the expressions of the clan members, noticing that none of them seemed surprised. It was as if they believed it was natural not to assist Konoha. "No wonder Konoha’s leadership can’t tolerate the Uchiha clan. Who could trust a powerful subordinate that refuses to follow orders? The Uchiha are bringing about their own downfall," Sasuke thought.

However, there was one person whose face betrayed a mix of resentment and struggle—it was Uchiha Itachi. Sasuke saw Itachi's fists clench and unclench repeatedly, revealing his inner turmoil. Eventually, Itachi glanced at the sky, now illuminated by a red glow, and resignedly followed the others towards the Uchiha shelter.

A deep roar echoed in the distance, and Sasuke looked towards the blood-red sky, where a massive fox roared, its body engulfed in flames, with nine enormous tails thrashing about, stirring up clouds of dust and uprooting trees. The Nine-Tails was a truly imposing sight. "So this is the Nine-Tails? It looks far more formidable and powerful than in the anime," Sasuke thought.

"I never imagined the Nine-Tails would be this strong. How incredible must the First Hokage have been to defeat it, and Madara Uchiha to control it?" Sasuke pondered. "I must quickly learn to speak and walk. Only then can I start to grow stronger. Right now, I’m wasting valuable time," Sasuke resolved, realizing that the Nine-Tails had a profound impact on him, serving as a stark reminder of the dangers ahead.