"Uchiha Itachi, let's settle this once and for all!"
A chuunibyou's voice rang out across the training ground. Itachi continued practicing with his shuriken, not responding at all.
Kamano, who had shouted something so chuunibyou, looked as if a flock of crows had just flown over his head.
"Didn't you hear me? Uchiha Itachi."
Looking at Kamano and his two lackeys, who had rushed over, Itachi reluctantly lowered his shuriken. "If you want a rematch because of the sparring match earlier, I don't think there's any need."
Kamano pointed at Itachi. "Are you scared? Coward."
Itachi sighed and turned to leave. "There's no point in fighting you. In other words, I'm not interested in you."
Behind him, Kamano burst out laughing and started bragging to his two lackeys, pointing at Itachi.
In the distance, Uchiha Yun played with a leaf and chuckled. "Itachi's still the same as ever, with that deadpan look on his face all day, like everyone owes him tens of thousands of ryo."
Tokuma Hyuga smiled and asked, "Actually, there's something I've always wanted to know: who's stronger, Yun or Itachi?"
Yun glanced at Hana Inuzuka, who was looking over at him too, then yawned. "What does it matter who's stronger? We're only at the Ninja Academy. Being top of the class will just bring a lot of trouble."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Kamano and the other two surrounding Itachi and escorting him back.
"Lord Itachi is coming! Hurry up and get out of the way!"
"Our Lord Itachi just beat the upperclassman Gian. Everyone, move!"
"Make way, make way! Lord Itachi is here..."
Amid the shouts, Yun could clearly see Itachi clenching his fists as he was escorted along. He was probably not far from social death.
"See? I told you."
Tokuma and Hana exchanged a look, then both nodded emphatically.
If this happened every time he came and went from school, Itachi really would die of embarrassment.
Watching the farce, Yun slipped the leaf he'd cut in half into his pocket, then took out another one.
Changing the nature of Wind Release Chakra wasn't as easy to train as it had seemed in the original story.
Based on his own experience, he had to admit that both Naruto and Konohamaru deserved to be called geniuses.
Irregularly rotating Chakra gathered into a sphere. Adding the nature transformation of Wind Release Chakra turned it into Wind Release: Rasengan; adding shape transformation after that formed the Rasenshuriken.
This series of techniques progressed from low to high, and they were all performed without hand signs. Every one of them was perfectly suited to the Flying Thunder God.
Before the fusion of Water and Earth Release Chakra could produce the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, his clone, Sora, would develop along Minato's combat style.
While he trained in changing the nature of Wind Release Chakra, Sora would use Shadow Clone Technique to practice changing the nature of Water and Earth Release Chakra as much as possible.
That would greatly accelerate the progress of Wood Release. Once he could bring his hands together and use Deep Forest Emergence, then bring them together again and use Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, he could toss aside things like the Rasengan.
He didn't know how long it would take before either Danzo or Uchiha Nanadai was alone. He'd finally made it back, so killing only Aburame Ryoma would be a terrible waste.
At the Three-Color Dango shop, Yun picked up a skewer and frowned. "Shisui, you've been a jonin for years. Is treating us to dango really appropriate?"
As he spoke, Yun glanced at Itachi, who still seemed to be savoring his food. Maybe he only smiled when he was eating sweets like this.
"I never thought that Itachi, hailed as a Uchiha genius, would like sweets like these. If the girls at school found out, could you keep up your image?"
As soon as Yun said that, Itachi stopped mid-bite, freezing in place as if he'd been struck by the remark.
Shisui across from them came to his rescue. "Itachi's only seven. It's perfectly normal for him to like sweets. But you've already eaten three skewers, Yun. Is it really appropriate for you to say that?"
Yun shot back, "It's not like there's anything else to eat. Grilled meat suits me better. I can eat more of that."
At that moment, Itachi put down his dango and looked at Shisui. "I want to apply for early graduation."
Early graduation?
Shisui froze at the suggestion, but Yun, who had seen it coming, laughed. "If I were him, I'd graduate early too. If he stayed, he'd die of embarrassment hundreds of times a day at school."
Shisui asked in confusion, "Did something happen?"
Itachi didn't answer, but Yun explained the whole thing. "Every day, his lackeys clear the way, shouting 'Lord Itachi' and 'Itachi-kun.' Hahaha... Only Itachi could put up with it. I'd use Earth Release to burrow into the ground on the spot."
Itachi replied, "I feel like there's nothing more for me to learn at the Ninja Academy. Graduating seems like the best choice, doesn't it?"
The mood fell quiet for a moment, and Shisui considered what Itachi had said.
After a long while, his lovesick younger sister at home flashed through his mind.
Sighing, Yun spoke up. "The Ninja Academy can teach you more than just ninjutsu..."
Seeing the two of them look at him, and Shisui still not saying anything, Yun could only continue. "Once you become a ninja, you'll have less and less time to relax. The years you spend at the Ninja Academy will be the most carefree years of your life."
"The bonds you form with your classmates are born during those years at the Ninja Academy, too. The Uchiha's sense of isolation is partly because they're too talented."
"You're always tense. Maybe the only time you relax is when you go home and see your little brother. You need to unwind. You're constantly thinking about life and death, revenge for your father, the village, and your clan. You're only seven, and you don't have enough life experience to make sense of all that."
"Itachi, if you ever go crazy, I'll be the first to kill you!!!"
After those final words, the atmosphere grew even colder.
But both Shisui and Itachi could see how serious Yun was. He was completely confident, too.
Itachi didn't doubt Yun. Instead, he thought for a moment and asked, "You haven't awakened your Sharingan yet, but every time we spar, I can tell you're completely at ease. I want to know why."
Shisui also looked at him questioningly.
But Yun answered Shisui instead. "If you need overwhelming power, then you'll have to wait a little longer for me."
Shisui's gaze turned slightly grave. Overwhelming power? If it could help him side with the Fourth and bring the clan and village together, then he could wait a little longer...
Itachi was also lost in thought. Shisui and Yun's cryptic conversation made him alert. The two of them had definitely discussed something behind his back.
Night fell. When Yun got home, he found Izumi waiting by the door, cheeks puffed out in anger.
"Were you waiting for me? You're being so well-behaved today."
As he spoke, Yun reached out and poked her puffed-up cheeks. Izumi immediately lost her angry expression.
"Big brother left with Itachi as soon as class ended and didn't wait for me. I wanted to come along, too."
Yun replied casually, "Shisui called us over for something, so we went to the dango shop. Here, I brought you some."
At the sight of the dango she loved, Izumi forgot all about her complaint and started eating.
"Remember to save some for Mother."
Before you continue