You Foolish Little Brother

A cloud of dust rose from the ground.

Itachi Uchiha's slender frame nearly slid directly into the crowd, his pale face revealing shock that he could not conceal.

Akashi did not pause for a moment; he strode forward, raised his leg, and delivered another kick.

Itachi, sprawled on the ground, forced himself up. Facing the ferocious attack, he turned his body to the side with one hand, letting the sharp kick graze his shoulder. However, in the next second, another fierce leg strike swept across his waist like a windmill clearing fallen leaves.

Leaf Whirlwind!

It was a two-stage kick, aimed perfectly at the moment Itachi was busy dodging.

Akashi had observed Might Guy's training with his Sharingan, and relying on his own physical talent, he had forcibly simulated this move, sending Itachi flying several meters once again.

This time, Itachi gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and twisted his hips in mid-air. When his right leg landed, he planted it firmly on the ground to keep from falling.

He had lost a great deal of stamina, and his breathing grew heavy.

As soon as he steadied himself, he focused his mind to track Akashi's movements, but the figure had already vanished from his sight.

Suddenly, a chill ran down Itachi's spine.

As expected, Akashi had appeared behind him.

What followed was a complete suppression.

Simple, unadorned punches and kicks rained down on Itachi one after another; the feeling of the older boy bullying the younger one was incredibly satisfying.

"They were evenly matched just a moment ago, how did..." some Chunin muttered in confusion.

Yet, many more began to recall that Akashi, who possessed a two-tomoe Sharingan at this age, was also a genius in his own right!

It was just that his brilliance had been largely overshadowed by the exceptionally talented Itachi.

In this battle, Itachi had failed to prove himself, while Akashi had instead made a name for himself.

"Isn't that a bit too heavy-handed?"

Fugaku's brows twitched as he watched. "Ahem, Shisui."

Shisui, who had been watching the battle too intently, had forgotten for a moment that he was the referee. Reminded by the cough, he finally snapped back to reality.

He hurriedly used Body Flicker to intercept, raising his palm to block the incoming fist.

"The outcome is decided. Let's end it here."

"Is it over already?" Akashi asked with a smile, pulling back his strength.

Although he had enjoyed the beating, the boy was, after all, the clan head's son; he had to show some face.

Seeing that Itachi had been beaten into a bruised mess, it would indeed be too cruel to continue.

Akashi nodded and deactivated his Sharingan. The tomoe gradually faded away, the sharp edge in his gaze vanishing in an instant, returning to his usual lazy demeanor.

Just as Shisui was about to announce the result, Itachi suddenly called out, "Wait! It's not over yet, I can still fight!"

"Itachi?"

"Brother Shisui, I haven't conceded yet. Even if I'm being beaten, I must fight with every last ounce of my strength."

As he spoke, Itachi pulled out a shuriken, his gaze incredibly firm.

He had one final move he wanted to try!

Akashi was slightly surprised and scratched his head. "Shisui, what do you think? He's asking to be beaten—I've never heard of such a request before."

For a moment, Shisui didn't know how to handle the situation and couldn't help but look toward Fugaku.

Although the clan head had already signaled for the sparring to end, everyone had heard what Itachi just said.

The surrounding crowd immediately erupted into heated discussion.

"As expected of Itachi Uchiha!"

"Such courage; I'm almost tempted to cheer for him."

"Honestly, this kid Akashi is really something; I never noticed it before."

"Hey, hey, Itachi is only seven years old after all. Akashi is just winning because he has better stamina."

"That's called tactics, what do you know?"

"I don't know? Do you want to try fighting me to find out..."

The chaotic debate drowned out the chirping of birds and pushed the atmosphere to another climax.

Fugaku was caught in a dilemma. If he favored his son and called it off, Itachi himself was actively requesting to continue, and there were pairs of eyes watching from all around. If he didn't call it off, the result of continuing was obvious, unless Itachi truly had a hidden trump card.

After weighing his options, he gave a slight nod.

Receiving the signal, Shisui waved his hand and said, "Very well, continue. Both of you, be careful."

With that, he used Body Flicker and vanished, moving with incredible speed.

On the field, only Akashi and Itachi remained, but neither made a move immediately.

Itachi gripped his shuriken and said in a low voice, "Brother Akashi, please be careful. This move might actually hurt you."

"Oh," Akashi replied, feeling bewildered.

"Do... do you have nothing to say?"

"I do, actually, but I wanted to wait until you lost to say it. It wouldn't be very convenient to say it in front of everyone."

"..."

Itachi felt a stifled breath catch in his chest, nearly choking him.

Why did this guy never play by the rules?

However, precisely because of this, Itachi's fighting spirit burned even brighter. His stamina had hit rock bottom, and he had to make one final, desperate gamble. Seeing Akashi walking slowly toward him, he took the initiative to attack.

A deluge of shuriken poured out, whistling through the air in a chaotic, high-speed flight.

Shurikenjutsu again?

Akashi frowned slightly, then suddenly sensed something. He smiled faintly and tossed out a dozen shuriken of his own, creating a cacophony of clashing metal in mid-air.

Many of the shuriken either grazed past each other or were simply deflected, failing to pose any real threat.

"Oh no, Itachi has lost control of his shuriken!" a Chunin exclaimed.

"You're wrong. Look closely—there's something attached to those shuriken," a Jonin nearby noted thoughtfully.

Something attached?

Sure enough, the next second, the shuriken soared into the air, defying the laws of physics as they regained momentum, dancing and leaping at the command of Itachi's fingers!

From every direction, his shuriken surged toward Akashi!

At the critical moment, Akashi pulled his arm back, and the shuriken he had launched also sprang to life. Like swallows diving for prey, they collided with the incoming projectiles, grinding out brilliant sparks.

Manipulation Shuriken Technique.

Without looking closely, it was hard to spot the thin wires coiled around the ninja tools.

Itachi's previous chatter had just been to stall for time so he could finish his preparations in secret, yet he was left dumbfounded. This was his own original idea—why did Brother Akashi know it too?

The heavy blow felt like a hammer striking his heart.

At that moment, Akashi cut the wires and closed the distance, landing a punch on his stomach. A low voice rang in his ear, audible only to Itachi: "My foolish little brother..."

Foolish?

I suppose so. To think I could win with this move.

Itachi laughed at himself. He grabbed Akashi's clothes to steady his trembling frame, bracing himself for mockery or a lecture, but when nothing followed, he wheezed, "And?"

Akashi suddenly burst into laughter: "I forgot the rest of the line!"

"Ugh..."

Itachi felt a tightness in his chest, nearly losing his breath again.

Akashi's expression then turned solemn. "For a ninja, information is paramount. You tried to win easily with ninjutsu without knowing my capabilities. Who exactly underestimated whom? Itachi, you disappoint me."

Disappointed?

No one had ever said that to him before. His father, his teachers, his friends—they all called him a genius. Everything he had done since he was a child had been outstanding, and the honors he had received were so numerous they had left him feeling numb.

Could he actually be a disappointment?

As Itachi stumbled to regain his balance, his heart sank.

His defenses were shattered.

He looked up and met a pair of scarlet eyes. The tomoe spun, dragging him into a pitch-black night.

Crows gathered, then suddenly scattered.

A full moon rose from behind the eaves, illuminating a black silhouette perched on a utility pole.

Itachi.

It was himself.

And the words coming from his own mouth were identical to Akashi's—My foolish little brother.

It felt as if he were speaking to himself, or perhaps declaring some kind of despair to someone else.

Immediately, the figure vanished into the night, and the ground turned into a river of blood.

"Ahhh!" Itachi screamed, shattering the vision before collapsing to the ground. It felt as if all his blood had been drained, his clothes soaked through with sweat.

Genjutsu?

Now awake, Itachi lay on the ground, gasping for air, his heart still racing with lingering fear.

Shisui stepped into the arena once more. Without asking for anyone's opinion, he announced the result.

The winner: Uchiha Akashi.

Everyone could see that the outcome was clear as day.

Akashi knew that Itachi's chakra was his weakness and that his mind was sensitive. Thus, he used ninjutsu to drain his stamina, taijutsu to gain the upper hand, and finally, a psychological blow to break his defenses, ending the fight with genjutsu.

The plan was a perfect success.

After venting his energy, he felt refreshed and clear-headed.

Shisui helped the bruised and battered Itachi to his feet, sighing softly, "He is still just a child; you could have gone a little easier on him."

"Not at all, he should be thanking me."

Akashi felt not the slightest bit of guilt; not only had he taught Itachi a lesson about the importance of intelligence, but he had also taken the burden of the undercover mission upon himself—a beating was getting off easy.

Sure enough, Itachi spoke up, "Thank you, Brother Akashi. I learned a lot today."

"See?"

Akashi spread his hands toward Shisui with an innocent expression on his face.

Only Fugaku, watching from a distance, looked... well, his expression did not seem particularly pleasant.