A Genius's Response: Uncle Shuichi?

Whew whih whih...

Just as Itachi was about to finish off the child from the Kaguya Clan, a slightly hurried rustling sound came from the water plants on both sides of the pond.

Several slender, dark shadows suddenly emerged from the water, their foul-smelling mouths baring sharp fangs as they lunged at the weasel.

At the same time, several Kunai attacked from behind the Shadow Clone, and judging from the speed of their shots, they could hit him first.

"A snake?" The weasel sensed something was wrong before the attack came. After seeing the attacker, it calmly jumped up, easily avoiding the snake's bite, and returned to the shore in another direction.

"Hiss hiss hiss..."

"Huh? Not good!" Orochimaru's figure flickered like a shadow in the nearby jungle. When he got closer and saw Kimimaro's profile, his expression suddenly changed.

Three burning Explosive Tag were stuck to his body. At this distance, even if the Shikotsumyaku used all their defenses, they would be severely injured by the explosion, and might even die. Vulnerable parts like the eyes could not be repaired.

"Such fast movements..." Several snakes that had failed to attack quickly surged towards Kimimaro. There was no time to defend him, so they could only bite off the Explosive Tag...

Boom--

A violent explosion rang out on the shore, and the white-haired child was instantly engulfed by thick smoke. Large amounts of bloody, mangled flesh fell into the pool with a splattering sound, and the water was never clear again.

Orochimaru followed with incredible speed, taking advantage of the thick smoke to pass by Kimimaro, finding him still alive, though severely injured.

Not only is the skin charred black, but the internal organs may also be ruptured. Fortunately, these injuries are not considered serious for the Shikotsumyaku.

"What amazing talent this child possesses..." Orochimaru didn't confront Itachi again. Upon noticing Kimimaro, he reappeared his wicked smile, his snake-like eyes filled with shock and admiration. "Shuichi-kun must value him highly. There's no need to test him any further today."

Even as one of the Sannin, he hadn't expected the battle to end so quickly. In just a few breaths, Uchiha Itachi demonstrated his amazing combat analysis skills and Ninjutsu application, showing no weaknesses in Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, or Genjutsu.

After analyzing Kimimaro's information in a close-quarters confrontation, Kimimaro used the Body Flicker Technique to teleport to the water he had previously observed. This not only avoided any potential ambushes elsewhere but also allowed him to use the water to disrupt Kimimaro's Taijutsu abilities.

Needless to say, the Ninjutsu combos during the battle were incredibly fast; even a regular Jonin couldn't form Hand Seals and release them that quickly. Finally, he used the Shadow Clone Great Fireball to cover his vision and prepare for Genjutsu, controlling Kimimaro before delivering the final blow.

"He probably hasn't awakened his Sharingan yet; this Genjutsu ability might be innate," Orochimaru thought to himself. "If he were to acquire the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, even if Kimimaro were to grow stronger, his chances of defeating this kid wouldn't be very high..."

Orochimaru felt that his attempt to probe the enemy today was purely out of interest, and he found it to be well worth the trip. No wonder the Uchiha Clan was considered one of the strongest in the world, alongside the Senju, during the Warring States Period; they really had something special.

Itachi looked around warily, somewhat weary. The Shadow Clone were a huge burden for an eight-year-old.

The reason for adopting this offensive strategy was also carefully considered. If Kimimaro was not dealt with quickly, his stamina would definitely be continuously depleted by the Shikotsumyaku defense, especially since there was a high possibility of sneak attacks.

I've already given the signal, and I believe the other side understands that a quick victory is necessary. One-on-one is much easier than one-on-two, but I don't know why the other person didn't make a move sooner...

"Swish, swish!"

"Itachi, are you alright?"

Just as the smoke from the explosion was about to dissipate, Ishikawa Tatsuki and Yūhi Kurenai rushed over. Upon hearing the loud noise, they sped up to their maximum speed, fearing that Itachi's life was in danger.

"It's alright, the enemy has already escaped." Seeing that the area was now empty, Itachi relaxed and reported confidently, "The enemy I encountered was a child, the details are..."

Yūhi Kurenai frowned. "The intelligence report didn't mention this at all, and I searched several other back mountain passages but found no trace of it."

Ishikawa Tatsuki: "It's the same on my end. It seems that those missing-nin either escaped or were killed. They definitely won't be found around here now."

"..."

The three had no other choice. In less than a week, the intelligence changed, and a large group of people disappeared without a trace. They couldn't do anything about it.

With about two days left before the end of the mission, the Konoha Squad conducted a full-scale reconnaissance and search within the Land of Fields, but still found nothing. With no other option, they had to follow orders and head to the border.

Upon arriving at the place where they had parted ways, Shuichi was already waiting there. After reuniting, the team immediately exchanged information.

"A child from the Kaguya Clan?" Shuichi asked, somewhat surprised. "You fought that guy?"

"Yes, teacher, you know him too?" Uchiha Itachi asked curiously, "Who rescued him?"

Shuichi was speechless. How did Orochimaru and Itachi, those two sworn enemies, run into each other again? After thinking for a moment, he said to his teammates, "Even if we eliminated those missing-nin, they shouldn't be hiding. We can assume they're all dead. Mission accomplished, we can return to the village."

"As for who that person is, I'll tell you on the way..."

In his estimation, those guys had probably all become Orochimaru's experimental subjects.

Because this news might be too gory and involved the Nine-Tails Incident from a few years ago, Shuichi, as a "high-ranking" ninja, could only keep it from the ordinary ninjas according to the unified narrative.

After completing their mission, Shuichi and his companions leisurely returned to Konoha. Since time was not of the essence, they indulged in eating, drinking, and merrymaking along the way, taking nearly a week to finally reach the village gate.

"You've all worked so hard these past few days, go back and relax!"

After completing the leveling up of the gatekeepers, Shuichi, as the team leader, still had to Hokage Building to submit a mission report, so he immediately announced the disbandment of the team and went to clean up the mess himself.

Just as they were about to part ways, Ishikawa Tatsuki suddenly stopped them, saying somewhat embarrassedly, "Shuichi, Kurenai, um... I have something I'd like to ask you."

"Oh?" Shuichi a little surprised that his childhood friend was showing such a shy expression. What had happened?

"Ahem, well, it's like this..." Ishikawa Tatsuki's expression was slightly strange, "I'm going to meet a girl in a few days, it'll be our first date, so I was hoping you could give me some advice..."

Shuichi and Kurenai exchanged bewildered glances. Shouldn't dating be a private matter? How could they possibly help with something like this? Were they supposed to take his place and do it themselves?

"It's just a date, it's no big deal. We can just chat casually after we get there!" Shuichi said nonchalantly.

Ishikawa Tatsuki's expression became even more awkward. "Actually, this isn't a regular date, it's... a blind date arranged by my mom, and I can't back out even if I wanted to..."

After hearing his childhood friend's vague explanation, Shuichi was utterly astonished.

Because Ishikawa Tatsuki was seriously injured in the last war with the Land of Lightning, his mother, Ishikawa Kyoko, felt that ninjas were too dangerous. So, in order to leave a lineage for the Ishikawa Family, she arranged this matchmaking event.

"Get married next year when you turn 18?" To be honest, Shuichi was rarely shocked.

In my past life, getting married in my early twenties was considered very early. If I had a slightly higher level of education, I probably wouldn't have graduated and entered the workforce until I was 25 or 26.

He didn't know what to say. In two years, his childhood friend's kids would probably be crawling on the floor. And he, not even 20 years old, would officially become Shuichi. This world was truly magical.

"Isn't this a good thing? If you get along well with that girl, it would be a good choice to continue the relationship." Yūhi Kurenai wasn't too surprised; instead, she chuckled and tried to give Ishikawa Tatsuki some advice.

"Sigh, that's the problem. I'm a bit conflicted." Ishikawa Tatsuki scratched his head and whispered, "That girl has been working at my mom's sushi restaurant for the past few years, so we're pretty familiar with each other. But I have more feelings for another girl, and I just don't know how to pursue her..."

Shuichi: "..."

He almost spat out his water after hearing that. How could Ishikawa Tatsuki have the potential to be a scumbag? Is it really okay to be so confident?

In short, the ordinary girl at the sushi restaurant was quite familiar with him. After years of observation by the Ishikawa Family, her character was perfectly fine. She also didn't object to marrying him, Jonin, so they gave her the opportunity for a blind date. It was an option that could be secured with a little effort.

When Ishikawa Tatsuki was injured and hospitalized recently, he took a liking to a Chunin girl in Konoha Hospital. His feelings for her (one-sided) were significantly higher than for ordinary girls, making it a true "first love."

However, the two of them rarely see each other, and pursuing her would definitely take a lot of time. Even if he succeeded, she might not agree to marry him so soon, so he's now conflicted...