Eiji is a Good Person

The moment the hand seals were completed, his chest suddenly swelled.

Blazing flames erupted from Eiji's mouth, instantly spreading across the river's surface into a sea of fire.

The water vaporized on contact with the flames, sending up billowing white steam.

Inaho stared dumbfounded at the scene before him. "You've got to be kidding me!"

What the hell—was this even human?

He couldn't fathom that Eiji had mastered Great Fire Annihilation to this degree in just a short while.

As expected, a genius was a genius; comparing himself to that was nothing but asking for trouble.

After a long moment, the flames slowly dissipated.

Inaho even felt the water level had dropped a notch.

Besides "badass," he couldn't think of any words to express what he felt inside.

Clatter.

The sharp sound of metal hitting the ground shattered the dead silence.

Over a dozen meters away, Sasuke's ninja tool pouch had fallen to the ground.

Sasuke's pupils trembled violently, reflecting the still-smoking scorched earth.

Behind him stood Itachi.

Itachi's expression wasn't good.

Whether it was because he hadn't fully recovered yet, or because he was stunned by the power of Eiji's jutsu, was unclear.

Sasuke heard Itachi's suppressed cough.

Just moments ago, Sasuke had once again asked Itachi to teach him shuriken techniques.

As a doting brother, Itachi naturally agreed.

So they had come to the river; from here, a short walk would take them to their secret training ground.

Who would have thought Itachi would run into Eiji here?

Itachi's mood was a bit sour.

The last time they met, Eiji had beaten him half to death.

That had given him a whole new understanding of the phrase "genius ninja."

This time, he witnessed the power of Eiji's Fire Release once more.

He had originally thought Eiji had only won through elemental advantage.

Now it seemed, even in a direct Fire Release clash, he wouldn't come out ahead.

Eiji and Itachi stood there in silence, the two of them staring at each other, neither speaking.

"Back then, you weren't going all out, were you."

Eiji flicked at the stray hair on his forehead. "It was just an exam."

Sasuke looked at Itachi, then at Eiji.

He remembered Eiji—the White Hair who had put his brother in the hospital.

"You're the one who hurt my brother!"

Sasuke charged at Eiji with a kunai, only to be lifted up by Itachi.

"Let's go. Home."

Itachi's voice was eerily calm, but his knuckles were white from gripping too hard.

"Huh?" Suspended in midair, Sasuke was taken aback. "You promised to practice shuriken with me, big brother."

"Another day. I suddenly remembered there's a mission I haven't finished."

"Alright, then."

When the two brothers' figures disappeared from sight, Eiji was bending over to pick up the scrolls on the ground.

"Brother Inaho, did that fishing tackle shop owner confess or not?"

Inaho shook his head, thought carefully, and then recalled who Eiji was talking about.

"No. He just said you used excessive force and threatened a model merchant. He denies all the charges you listed."

Eiji rubbed his chin. This stubborn bastard sure had a tough mouth.

Inaho leaned in and whispered, "If it's no good, just let him go. We still have to feed him at the Security Division."

He counted on his fingers. "In a few months, the heating season starts. This punk costs a pretty penny just for one person a day."

A flicker of surprise crossed Eiji's eyes. "Free meals?"

Inaho shot back, "What else?"

Eiji slapped his thigh. Foolish, utterly foolish.

No wonder these unruly civilians are getting bolder.

Locked up inside with food and drink, can't hit him, not cold in winter, not hot in summer—who the hell's afraid of that?

Forget it, let it be.

When a "Fishing Tackle Shop Theft" case popped up that night, the Security Division finally broke even.

"I'm off to work at the Security Division, Eiji."

Can't find the book by title? Try searching by author—maybe it just got renamed.

"Okay."

Eiji leaned against the tree to rest for a bit, then picked up the scroll and dove back into studying it.

"Tobirama's swordsmanship is incredibly strong, and the Uchiha's Taijutsu is suited for real combat. If I could fuse these two together, would there be something there..."

While Eiji was researching, Itachi and Sasuke had already returned home.

Sasuke noticed his brother seemed different today—he'd shut himself in his room as soon as he got back.

After thinking it over, he decided to tell his father about it.

Fugaku heard the whole story and got a general picture in his mind.

He went to Itachi's door, got permission, and walked in.

Seeing his father arrive, Itachi immediately sat up straight.

"Father."

Fugaku nodded and sat down across from Itachi.

"Don't dwell on the frustration of that loss. Eiji is a year older than you, after all."

"That one year, for a ninja, might be the critical period for improving strength."

"Itachi, you're an extremely rare genius in the clan. If you train hard, you can definitely surpass Eiji."

Fugaku didn't hold back in his encouragement for Itachi.

He had always been full of hope for his son Itachi.

Fugaku believed that Itachi was the one who could restore the Uchiha's glory in the future.

And it was true—Itachi's performance so far had surpassed ninety-nine percent of the clan members.

Until he met Eiji in the Chunin Exams not long ago...

But!

None of that mattered.

Fugaku still thought Itachi had a lot of untapped potential.

What he needed to do next was craft a more complete plan to help Itachi reach his peak.

Just as Fugaku was thinking, Itachi looked up.

"Father, I just ran into Eiji. He was training in Fire Release."

That piqued Fugaku's interest. "How was it?"

"Strong. Stronger than me."

Hearing this, Fugaku's brow furrowed slightly.

At the same time, he formed a new assessment of Eiji.

Fugaku had taught Itachi himself, so he naturally knew how far Itachi's Fire Release had come.

But who would have thought Eiji was even stronger?

After a brief moment of distraction, Fugaku comforted his son again.

"Itachi..."

But Itachi suddenly stood up. "Father, I'm going to ask Shisui to help me train."

"Ah, alright. Come back early tonight. Sasuke says it's been a while since you had dinner together."

"Understood, Father."

With a creak, Itachi pushed the door open and left.

Only when Itachi's footsteps faded into the distance did Fugaku let out a sigh.

The image of Eiji surfaced in his mind—a white-haired brat skilled in Water Release.

Fugaku found it a headache. Eiji's appearance had thrown off some of his plans.

In the original plan, Itachi would display his powerful abilities and catch the attention of the Hokage's higher-ups.

But judging by the current situation, they seemed more focused on Eiji.

And that guy Eiji had even brought some trouble to the clan because of Naruto.

Fugaku rubbed his face in irritation. Why had he ever taken on the position of clan head?

Regret, immense regret!

While Fugaku was regretting, Itachi had already sought out Shisui.

To Itachi, Shisui was not only his close friend but also his mentor.

Shisui wore a black tight-fitting combat suit, with a green jonin armor vest over it.

The Uchiha clan crest was embroidered on both shoulders.

After hearing that Itachi was deeply shaken because of Eiji, he simply patted Itachi on the shoulder lightly.

"Don't dwell on the wins and losses of the moment; you youngsters still have a long future ahead."

"Itachi, both you and Eiji possess powerful Kekkei Genkai. You should train together and jointly protect the future of Konoha."

Itachi always heeded Shisui's guidance.

"Yes."

Wait, Itachi felt something was off.

Did Eiji truly want to protect the Uchiha and protect Konoha?