A Bad Hand to Start?

Inside the Konoha Anbu headquarters, an old man wearing a fire-red hat puffed on a pipe, exhaling thick clouds of smoke.

The character for "Shadow" atop his hat clearly displayed the status and noble dignity of this unfathomable powerhouse.

"Congratulations, Itachi Uchiha. Your assessment was a success. Welcome to the Anbu!"

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

Under the dim light, ghostly figures flashed by from time to time; the Anbu ninjas stood guard, watching every move in the hall with the vigilance of wolves and hawks.

In the center of the hall, a seemingly childish boy knelt on one knee, his head bowed.

He had short black hair and black pupils, with long eyelashes above and below his eyes. The tear troughs on his face carved out a unique maturity, and his sharp gaze shone with the cold light of a blade.

Eleven-year-old Itachi Uchiha.

But strictly speaking, he was no longer Itachi Uchiha.

Just a short while ago, he had been nothing more than a shut-in obsessed with the Naruto anime, having binged over 500 episodes in one go. When he woke up, he discovered he had accidentally transmigrated into the body of Itachi Uchiha.

This dream-like transmigration left him unable to suppress his wild joy.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully transmigrating into Naruto.]

[You are now binding to the Uchiha Clan.]

[As the Uchiha Clan prospers, you will receive various rewards. If the Uchiha Clan declines or is destroyed, it will affect your body, potentially leading to death in severe cases.]

Upon learning this information, he nearly lost his mind.

One had to know that in the coming period, Konoha would be plagued by disasters.

The Ninja World War, Orochimaru's terrifying experimental plans to hijack the Uchiha, the death of Shisui, and the annihilation of the Uchiha Clan half a year later—every single one of these was an event capable of shattering the entire clan on the spot.

To be kidnapped right at the start—wasn't this just game over?

This didn't follow the script at all.

Starting with a bad hand—how was he supposed to play this? But precisely because of this, Itachi Uchiha calmed down. He opened the Data Panel in his mind.

[Current Binding: Uchiha]

[Current Status: Poor]

[Current Fusion Level: 63%]

[Prosperity: 352]

[Evaluation: Extremely terrible]

[Operational Status: You cannot issue operations or commands to individual clan members.]

[Description: A prestigious clan of Konoha, but due to years of suppression and malice, various rogue ninjas and a decline in population have appeared. Pay attention to appropriate management; otherwise, plot-driven deaths will have a certain impact on you.]

[Suggestion: Having just experienced war, everything is waiting to be rebuilt and needs time to recover. You can choose appropriate clan members to reproduce and revitalize the Uchiha Clan. Of course, you can also choose to plunder foreign slaves or introduce populations, selecting corresponding vassal surnames to strengthen the clan's power.]

A series of data points scrolled through his mind.

Sigh, Itachi Uchiha suddenly felt that,

This wasn't just a hardcore competitive game; it was also a management strategy and farming simulation project.

However, he liked this kind of setting. A bit of a challenge—that was what a real man was about. Always dealing with soft targets was just boring.

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

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. Seeing that Itachi Uchiha hadn't answered for a long time, he was already quite dissatisfied inside.

But he immediately switched to an extremely kind expression. Yet, all of this was seen through Itachi's eyes; now, with his proficient use of the Sharingan, he could overlook every move in the environment through the refraction of candlelight.

"Thank you for the promotion, Third Hokage. I will do my best."

Itachi Uchiha nodded hurriedly, his handsome face hidden beneath his bangs.

However, it was not yet suitable to directly clash with the behemoth that was Konoha. If nothing else, he had just adapted to this body, and the opponent was a Kage-level existence.

A frontal confrontation was disadvantageous.

Letting the enemy slaughter him was not an option.

"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire also burns. I hope you truly understand the importance of this mission. After all, you are one of the few Uchiha to join us in the Anbu. Do not let down this sacred mission."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was profound, and the shadows hidden in the dark emerged like ink.

Immediately, two people stood out from the side. The leader had a Three-Tomoe Sharingan spinning within his eyes.

This sudden display of genjutsu startled Itachi Uchiha, but in that instant, his own Three-Tomoe flashed and vanished.

"This is Kakashi Hatake, a fellow wielder of the Sharingan. You should be able to coordinate well, and you have been assigned to his Team 6."

Kakashi wore the unique Cat Mask of the Anbu. With his tall, developed physique, he revealed only eyes like those of a hawk. Clad in the tight-fitting armor exclusive to the Anbu, he was the embodiment of Konoha's highest combat power.

"Please take care of me. I am your captain. I have heard your story; just follow my lead from now on."

"And the rule of the Anbu is: do as you are told. Don't ask so many whys. Is that clear?"

Kakashi didn't understand why this guy was assigned as his subordinate. He was only eleven years old. Although he had graduated from the Ninja Academy a year or two earlier than Kakashi, breaking his record as a genius, that didn't mean anything.

Someone so wet behind the ears couldn't possibly handle the true test of blood and iron.

Yet, upon hearing such a harsh reprimand, Itachi Uchiha's lips curled slightly. His not-yet-fully-developed body slowly stood up, and in that moment, he finally looked directly into the eyes of Kakashi Hatake, his fellow boy genius.

"I say, Kakashi."

The air hummed slightly. Itachi Uchiha controlled his voice with exquisite precision, ensuring their conversation remained audible only to the two of them.

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

The sudden words made the veins on Kakashi's forehead bulge.

For him, the Battle of Kannabi Bridge was a forbidden topic; anyone who dared to bring it up in front of him was bound to receive a sound beating.

Moreover, he bore an unshirkable responsibility for his friend's death, and it remained a hidden, festering wound in his heart.

But that momentary emotional fluctuation was caught perfectly by Itachi Uchiha's Sharingan. The crimson Three-Tomoe slowly rotated, its hypnotic power already infiltrating Kakashi's subconscious.

[Sharingan, activate!]

In that very instant, he had successfully turned the self-important man before him into a scarecrow under the control of his genjutsu.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was puffing away on his pipe nearby, remained completely oblivious. Seeing the two standing there somewhat stiffly, he simply assumed they had some sort of grievance between them.

But that was fine; he could use Kakashi to keep this young Uchiha prodigy in check. If it weren't for the need to utilize this child, he wouldn't be happy about letting someone from the Uchiha Clan infiltrate their ranks.

After all, ever since the Second Hokage's time, their policy had been to secretly target and marginalize the brats of the Uchiha Clan...

"The show is only just beginning."