A Draw

Namikaze Minato watched Uchiha Mirai and Uchiha Itachi with genuine surprise. He had seen many geniuses in his time, and as a prodigy himself—much like his student Kakashi—he knew what talent looked like.

Yet, compared to Uchiha Mirai and Uchiha Itachi, those others seemed to pale slightly. In recent years, the Uchiha Clan had cultivated many skilled individuals; while their numbers had grown, they had lacked a truly peerless figure, though they had produced quite a few Jonin. The Hyuga Clan faced a similar situation.

Many villagers whispered that the two great clans were destined to decline just as the Senju Clan of the First Hokage had. The Hyuga Clan showed no signs of improvement, but the Uchiha Clan seemed to be experiencing a resurgence.

The Uchiha Clan had produced a super-genius named Uchiha Shisui, the son of Kagami Uchiha. Possessing extraordinary talent, he had awakened his Sharingan at the age of five and even participated in the Battle of Mount Kikyo. At such a young age, he had carved out a formidable reputation, becoming known as Body Flicker Shisui.

Much like the title of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato—the Yellow Flash—it was a moniker that spoke to his incredible speed. In battles between ninja, especially among Jonin, the outcome was often decided in an instant, which highlighted the massive advantage Body Flicker Shisui held in combat.

Now, the Uchiha Clan had produced two more geniuses: Uchiha Mirai and Uchiha Itachi. The once-waning Uchiha Clan seemed poised for a revival; if these two continued to grow, they would have a great chance to establish the Uchiha Clan as the most powerful family in Konoha.

Namikaze Minato held no prejudice against the Uchiha Clan; he viewed everyone in the village as his own family. He had once had an Uchiha student, and after that student perished, he had felt immense guilt, believing it was his own responsibility for failing to protect them.

The Third Hokage asked Namikaze Minato, "Minato, would you consider taking on three more students?"

The Third's words made Namikaze Minato pause, then he shook his head with a wry smile. "I'd better not. The work of the Hokage is incredibly busy, and Kushina is nearing her due date; she needs care. I no longer have the time or energy to mentor students. Besides, Kakashi hasn't fully cleared the darkness from his heart yet. Out of three students, two sacrificed their lives; I am not qualified to be a mentor again."

"That was not your fault. But there is no rush; I am not suggesting it for right now. They still have two and a half years before they graduate, so there is plenty of time. Perhaps Kakashi will change by then."

As the Third Hokage and Fourth Hokage spoke, Uchiha Mirai and Uchiha Itachi clashed once more. Uchiha Mirai lacked the elusive, unpredictable shuriken and kunai throwing techniques of Uchiha Itachi, but Uchiha Mirai's speed was slightly superior, and their speed in forming hand seals for ninjutsu was nearly identical.

The intense exchange lasted for half an hour without a clear result. Both were physically exhausted, gasping for air. After such a long, high-intensity battle, their chakra reserves were nearly depleted.

Seeing that the two had finally stopped, Nakamura Hino announced, "That is enough! The result is a draw!"

Hearing their homeroom teacher, Uchiha Mirai smiled at Uchiha Itachi and said, "I didn't expect that I still couldn't defeat you."

"It is only because Cousin Mirai did not use the Sharingan; otherwise, I would have been defeated long ago," Uchiha Itachi replied.

"Whatever the case, I am satisfied with a draw. Besides, using the Sharingan against you right now would be unfair. Let's have a proper showdown once you awaken your eyes," Uchiha Mirai said, extending his fist with a smile.

"Mn!" Uchiha Itachi nodded and bumped his fist against Uchiha Mirai's. Not being one to express his emotions easily, a single syllable was enough for him.

"Clap, clap!" The students in the classroom erupted into applause. Clearly, the battle between Uchiha Mirai and Uchiha Itachi had left them stunned. Setting aside the powerful ninjutsu they had unleashed, the techniques they employed—the Clone Technique, Shuriken Shadow Clone, and Substitution Technique—had provided the students with profound inspiration, helping them realize how the basic ninjutsu taught in school could actually be utilized.

After Uchiha Mirai and Uchiha Itachi returned, Hyuga Hiben rushed over, looking at them with curiosity. "I didn't realize you two were this strong! You didn't even tell us; that's not fair. Are you two even stronger than Teacher Nakamura now?"

Upon hearing Hyuga Hiben's words, their homeroom teacher, Nakamura Hino, felt his brow twitch, his expression becoming somewhat awkward. Having powerful students was a teacher's pride, but when students became too excellent, it could be embarrassing. He wasn't even sure if he could beat Uchiha Mirai and Uchiha Itachi now; if he truly lost, it would be humiliating, and he wouldn't know how to face anyone.

Uchiha Mirai spread his hands with a wry smile. "What do you want me to say? Should I tell everyone I'm amazing? The teacher is an elite Chunin; naturally, he is much stronger than us." Nakamura nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this, feeling quite at ease.

"I don't care, you two are so strong, you have to teach me!" Hyuga Hiben said, tugging on Uchiha Mirai's arm and acting spoiled.

"Me too! Next time, I want to make them look at me with new eyes as well," Cunxia Ye added.

"My combat experience was all learned from Itachi. You can ask him for guidance as well."

"Really? So Itachi is that strong!" Everyone turned their gaze toward Uchiha Itachi, causing the somewhat introverted boy to look flustered.

"Of course Itachi is strong. Didn't you see his skill just now?"

"Does that mean Itachi is even stronger than Mirai?" Hyuga Hiben asked.

Uchiha Itachi quickly waved his hands. "No, that's not it. Cousin Mirai is stronger. I have my father's guidance, while Cousin Mirai relies on his own hard work. Furthermore, Cousin Mirai still hasn't used his strongest trump card; I am no match for him."

"A trump card? What is it?" The children were all very interested, having felt for a long time that Uchiha Mirai was mysterious.

"It must be the Sharingan," Shiba Bun said, looking at Uchiha Mirai. Uchiha Mirai was slightly surprised but smiled and nodded. After all, the Sharingan was the symbol of the Uchiha Clan, so it wasn't particularly difficult to guess.