Opening with a Terrible Hand?

At Hidden Leaf ANBU headquarters, an old man wearing a fiery red hat puffed on his pipe, surrounded by clouds of smoke.

The character "影" on his hat clearly marked him as a profoundly powerful man of immense dignity and status.

"Congratulations, Itachi Uchiha. You've passed your assessment. Welcome to Anbu!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice drifted over, ethereal and serene, like an echo in a secluded valley.

In the dim light, ghostly figures flickered past from time to time. The Anbu ninjas watched every movement in the hall with the wary alertness of wolves and eagles.

A boy who looked very young knelt on one knee in the center of the hall, head bowed.

The boy had short black hair and dark eyes, with long lashes at the corners of his eyes. The lines beneath them gave his face an unusual maturity, while a keen, blade-like glint shone in his gaze.

Eleven-year-old Itachi Uchiha.

Strictly speaking, though, he was no longer Itachi Uchiha.

Until recently, he'd just been an otaku obsessed with the Naruto anime, having binged over five hundred episodes in a row. But after falling asleep, he'd unexpectedly found himself transmigrated into Itachi Uchiha.

This long-awaited transmigration filled him with uncontrollable joy.

[Congratulations, host. You have successfully transmigrated into Naruto.]

[You are now about to bind yourself to the Uchiha Clan.]

[The strength and prosperity of the Uchiha Clan will earn you various rewards. If the clan declines and falls, it will affect your body. In severe cases, you may even die.]

After learning this, he'd nearly panicked.

After all, Konoha was about to face one calamity after another.

The Ninja World War, Orochimaru's terrifying experiments and his abduction of the Uchiha, Shisui's death, and the Uchiha Clan's annihilation six months later—any one of these events could tear the entire clan apart.

Getting kidnapped right at the start would mean game over, wouldn't it?

This was completely against the usual script.

Starting with a terrible hand—how was he supposed to play like this? Yet it was precisely this that helped Itachi calm down. He opened the Data Panel in his mind.

[Currently bound: Uchiha]

[Current status: Poor]

[Current integration: 63%]

[Prosperity: 352]

[Assessment: Abysmal]

[Operational limits: You cannot control or command individual clan members.]

[Description: A prestigious clan in Konoha, but years of oppression and malice have led to rogue ninja and dwindling numbers. Manage the clan accordingly, or the plot's forced deaths will have some effect on you.]

[Suggestion: The clan has just emerged from war and everything is in ruins. It needs time to recover. You may choose clan members to have children and revive the Uchiha Clan. Alternatively, you can seize foreign slaves or bring in new people. Select outsiders to become retainers and strengthen the clan.]

A stream of data scrolled through his mind.

Sigh. Itachi Uchiha suddenly realized this wasn't just a hardcore competitive game. It was also a farming-style management strategy game.

He liked that kind of setup, though. A challenge made a man of you. There was no satisfaction in picking on weak girls all the time.

"What is it? Do you have any questions?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi furrowed his brow. Itachi's long silence had already begun to annoy him.

But a moment later, he put on a kindly expression. Itachi saw every bit of it. He'd already grown adept at using the Sharingan, and by tracking the reflections of candlelight, he could observe everything in the room.

"Thank you for promoting me, Third Hokage. I'll do my utmost."

Itachi nodded quickly. His handsome face remained hidden beneath his bangs.

But this wasn't the time to openly clash with Konoha, that colossal power. He'd only just gotten used to this body, and his opponent was Kage Level.

A direct fight was unwise.

Letting the enemy kill him was out of the question.

"Wherever the leaves dance, fire burns. I hope you truly understand the importance of this mission. After all, you're one of the few Uchiha to join us in Anbu. Don't betray this sacred duty."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was laden with meaning. A shadow that had been lurking in the darkness emerged, as if rising from ink.

Two people stepped forward. The one in front had a Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning in his eye.

The sudden activation of the genjutsu caught Itachi off guard, but his own Three-Tomoe Sharingan flashed into view for an instant.

"This is Kakashi Hatake. He's a fellow Sharingan wielder, so the two of you should work well together. You've been assigned to his Team 6."

Kakashi wore the Cat Mask distinctive to Anbu. His tall, well-developed frame was clad in the tight-fitting armor exclusive to Anbu, a symbol of Konoha's greatest fighting force. Only his hawk-like eyes showed through the mask.

"Let's get along. I'm your captain. I've heard your story, so just follow my lead from now on."

"Anbu's rule is simple: do what you're told. Don't ask why. Is that clear?"

Kakashi didn't understand why this kid had been assigned under him. The boy was only eleven! Sure, he'd graduated from the Ninja Academy a year or two earlier than Kakashi had, breaking his record as a prodigy, but that didn't mean—

Someone so green could truly handle the trials of blood and steel.

Hearing the stern reprimand from his senior, Itachi lifted the corner of his mouth. He slowly rose to his feet, his body not yet fully grown. At last, he looked directly into the eyes of Kakashi Hatake, another young prodigy.

"I say, Kakashi..."

The air seemed to tremble. Itachi controlled his voice with such precision that only the two of them could hear each other.

"Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have Senior Obito's Sharingan. At the end of the day, you're nothing but a fake."

The abrupt words made Kakashi's veins bulge.

For him, the Battle of Kannabi Bridge was practically a forbidden subject. Anyone who dared bring it up in front of him was bound to get a beating.

Besides, he held himself responsible for his friend's death. The guilt had been a constant pain in his heart.

That brief flicker of emotion was all Itachi's Sharingan needed to catch. The scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan turned slowly, its hypnotic power creeping into Kakashi's subconscious.

Sharingan, activate!

In that instant, Itachi had successfully turned the arrogant man before him into a puppet under his genjutsu.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood nearby, puffing away without a clue. Seeing the two of them standing stiffly, he assumed there was some bad blood between them.

But that was all the better. He could use Kakashi to keep this exceptionally gifted Uchiha boy in check. If he didn't need the child, he'd never have allowed someone from the Uchiha Clan to infiltrate their ranks.

After all, ever since the Second, their policy had been to secretly target and marginalize the Uchiha...

"Now the fun is just beginning."