Uchiha Itachi

Sarutobi Hiruzen was shocked.

Shimura Danzō was shocked too. He stood up, no longer able to remain calm.

If Uchiha Itachi's words had just now stirred his interest and made him want to recruit Itachi,

then what Uchiha Gray had said

was as if it had come from a most loyal subordinate, one already steeped in the Will of Fire of the Leaf.

For any person in power, he was the perfect subordinate!

Especially with his incredible talent. Once he awakened his Sharingan, becoming a Three-Tomoe Sharingan user and an Elite Jonin would only be a matter of time.

A ninja this powerful and loyal to the village would be a loss if Danzō didn't recruit him!

A sinister gleam flashed in Shimura Danzō's eyes!

"So Uchiha Gray really has such an unshakable will?" Uchiha Itachi's mouth fell open, shock filling his eyes.

He stared fixedly at Uchiha Gray in disbelief. Gradually, his expression softened, and admiration appeared in his eyes.

He had always been puzzled by the Uchiha Clan's warmongering and radical behavior.

That was why he had begun to develop ideas completely different from those of the Uchiha Clan.

But his thoughts had remained in their infancy, not yet fully formed, as if a veil obscured the truth and kept him from understanding it all.

But today, Uchiha Gray's words were like moonlight piercing that veil, turning the hazy ideas in his mind into something clear and real in an instant!

"Amazing. Uchiha Gray, just like me, longs for peace in the Leaf, and he doesn't agree with the Uchiha Clan's radical ideas. That's why he's been hiding his talent all this time!"

"This is the day Uchiha Gray has been waiting for: meeting the Third, so he can take a path completely different from the Uchiha Clan's!"

Uchiha Itachi looked at Uchiha Gray with admiration.

Uchiha Gray: "..."

The purity of Uchiha Itachi's gaze was impossible to miss, and it made Gray feel a little flustered.

He'd planned to stay away from Uchiha Itachi. So why did it seem like he was getting closer to him instead?

"Now, let the battle begin. First match: Uchiha Itachi versus Akano Ryofu!"

The referee announced the start of the match.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō watched Uchiha Itachi intently, while also looking forward to Uchiha Gray's upcoming match.

These two were the village's hope for bringing the Uchiha Clan under control!

To test Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Gray's abilities as fully as possible, they had sent out two ninjas who, though officially still Genin, actually had the strength of Chunin.

"Heh! You little brat from the Uchiha Clan!" Akano Ryofu sneered, jealousy plain in his eyes.

"Ninja work isn't a game you play at home. Stop acting so arrogantly. I'll show you what a real ninja is!"

Uchiha Itachi remained indifferent, unbothered.

There were plenty of people like this ninja, full of jealousy toward the Uchiha Clan.

He was used to it by now.

"All ninjas start out weak. No one is born strong. Let's begin."

Akano Ryofu's expression stiffened.

On the sidelines, Uchiha Gray watched the spectacle with a grin. Uchiha Sasuke could already be called the King of Arrogance, but Uchiha Itachi was on an even higher level.

The King of Kings of Arrogance!

He was only a Chunin. Even if he was a few years older than Uchiha Itachi, how could he possibly win an argument with him?

Not only had he failed to mock Uchiha Itachi, but Itachi had seized on the loophole in his words and turned the tables on him.

Sure enough, Akano Ryofu's expression darkened.

He attacked in a fit of anger!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The air whistled as Akano Ryofu suddenly flung out several Shuriken.

Then he charged after them, hurtling toward Uchiha Itachi.

Uchiha Itachi kept his eyes fixed on Akano Ryofu, stepping back to dodge the Shuriken.

A sharp glint flashed in Akano Ryofu's eyes. "I've been waiting for you to do that!"

The instant Uchiha Itachi retreated, Akano Ryofu changed direction and followed him, swinging a massive fist at Itachi's face.

He intended to crush Uchiha Itachi's arrogance in the simplest, most brutal way possible.

But at that very moment, Uchiha Itachi seemed to have predicted his move. He suddenly flung out four Shuriken.

"Hahaha! Is this how fragile the Uchiha Clan's genius is? He can't even throw Shuriken straight!" Akano Ryofu laughed wildly.

The four Shuriken flew past his side without so much as grazing him!

Meanwhile, the fist in his hand was about to hit Uchiha Itachi in the face!

Whoosh!

The air whistled.

A ninja wearing a fox mask seized his hand in a grip as solid as stone.

"You've lost," he said calmly.

Akano Ryofu's eyes widened as he turned back in disbelief.

"How is this possible? I was just about to take down that arrogant Uchiha brat!"

Suddenly, his pupils contracted.

He saw that the fox-masked ninja was holding a Shuriken in his other hand.

It was only ten centimeters from Akano Ryofu's head!

In other words, if he had continued his attack, his punch might have hit Uchiha Itachi in the face.

But the Shuriken that followed would have pierced his head!

If this had happened on a battlefield, he would already be dead!

How had Uchiha Itachi done it? Akano Ryofu stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief.

At last, Akano Ryofu lowered his head in defeat and left the arena.

His face was full of shame. He was a ninja on the verge of becoming a Chunin, yet he had lost to a little kid!

Uchiha Gray had watched the whole thing unfold. Even he couldn't help admiring Itachi.

Uchiha Itachi's talent was incredible. He hadn't missed with those four Shuriken at all. He'd used an extremely advanced throwing technique to make them collide with each other,

changing their directions so they ricocheted back from the other ninja's blind spot.

This wasn't just genius. It was monstrous talent!

Of course, the ninja had let his guard down, but no matter what, Uchiha Itachi's excellence was undeniable.

Steady and composed, he had controlled the pace of the battle from the very beginning.

And he'd won!

"Beautiful!" Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help praising him.

Uchiha Itachi had an extraordinary talent for combat, and even seemed to have an instinct for seeing through people.

For a moment just now, Hiruzen had felt as if he were facing Namikaze Minato. They were both so perceptive and nimble!

And a Chunin hadn't even managed to test the extent of Uchiha Itachi's abilities!

"I absolutely can't let a kid like him fall into Sarutobi Hiruzen's hands!" Shimura Danzō stared at Uchiha Itachi, greed in his eyes.

"Second match: Uchiha Gray versus Murakami Kaze!"

Everyone's eyes turned to Uchiha Gray. Uchiha Itachi had passed the test.

If Uchiha Gray passed as well, then the next match would be between Uchiha Gray and Uchiha Itachi!

Uchiha Itachi already had the strength of a Chunin. Just how strong was Uchiha Gray?