Little Notebook

The next day.

Forest training ground.

Whoosh, whoosh—!

Countless shuriken danced through the air.

"Remember, shuriken can kill enemies, but most of the time, they're used for feints. When you throw shuriken, you need to be ready to follow up with a continuous attack..."

As Goenji threw shuriken, he did not forget to impart some practical combat techniques to Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi Uchiha nodded. "Then how should shuriken be used to better achieve that purpose?"

His face carried an exceptionally intelligent look, as though he had immediately understood what Goenji was about to teach.

Goenji said, "You can use shuriken alongside ninjutsu as a feint, or use shuriken directly to probe your opponent. In short, a ninja's battle is about considering, in an instant, what the enemy might do next...

But for now, you can only listen. You're not yet old enough to learn chakra refinement. I know you're smart, so just remember it."

"Yes, Brother Goenji." Itachi Uchiha nodded.

Goenji said, "Next, let me tell you this: as an Uchiha, don't be too proud. Don't look down on others just because you're an Uchiha,

and don't rely too heavily on the power of the Sharingan."

Goenji did not try to brainwash him too quickly. Instead, he slowly told him about ordinary things.

Itachi Uchiha was such an outstanding young man, and he had also once been a character Goenji liked. He would not allow that kind of tragedy to happen again.

Whether because he liked the character, or because he did not want the Uchiha to be exterminated and make himself miserable as well, he would not allow it.

"Looking down on others?" Itachi Uchiha did not understand.

He did not know what it meant to look down on others.

Goenji said, "It means treating yourself as someone above others, seeing those who aren't Uchiha as dispensable people you can manipulate as you please."

"Then why shouldn't I rely on the Sharingan? Isn't that our clan's Kekkei Genkai? The other older brothers and Father said that the Sharingan is the strongest power in the world."

Itachi Uchiha instantly understood what looking down on others meant, then asked about the other question.

Sure enough, he could learn something different from Brother Goenji.

No one in the clan had ever said not to look down on others. They all said the Uchiha's power was the strongest in Konoha, and that even the Hyūga were nothing special.

And they all worshipped the power of the Sharingan. No one had ever said not to rely on its power.

The Sharingan's power was so strong. From what he had seen, every older brother and uncle with the Sharingan was proud after awakening it.

Yet here, Brother Goenji was telling him not to rely on the Sharingan's power. That felt so cool.

There it was.

The moment Goenji heard him, he immediately found the key to brainwashing him. "I'm not saying you shouldn't use the Sharingan, nor am I saying it isn't powerful. But you must remember: what is truly strong is always the person, that unwavering heart.

And a ninja's will.

Because there is no invincible power in this world. The Sharingan is no exception. And if they can't deal with the Sharingan, they can deal with the person using it."

"Will?" Itachi Uchiha scratched his head.

At this moment, he still did not understand what will meant.

But he could tell that Brother Goenji truly did not think much of the Sharingan. He merely regarded it as a tool, unlike the others in the clan, who treated the Sharingan as a god.

"You've heard of Konoha's White Fang, right?"

"I've heard of him."

"Was he strong?"

"Very strong. I heard that outside the village, enemies would tremble at the mere mention of him."

"Yet because his will was not strong enough, he was killed by rumors—or used as someone else's blade."

Goenji explained.

In truth, he suspected there had been other reasons behind White Fang's death.

For example, perhaps White Fang himself wanted Konoha to have stronger bonds, sacrificing himself to bring about reforms at the Ninja Academy and make ninja value the bonds between comrades more.

Or perhaps someone had used him that way.

After all, after White Fang's death, Konoha's atmosphere really had begun changing little by little. Alongside the ideology of absolute mission priority, there was now an idea of placing comrades first.

Though there were conflicts, those ideas had indeed become more common.

So it might have been White Fang's own consideration, or he might have been used by someone else.

Goenji did not know any of that. He was merely making guesses based on what he knew from reality.

His mind worked much better now. Otherwise, like fans of the original work, he might only have known that White Fang was killed by rumors and never considered anything deeper.

There was definitely more to it. Goenji firmly believed that.

Such a powerful ninja would not have been killed so easily by mere rumors.

"So-called will means holding fast to yourself, having the mindset to objectively judge your own abilities, and the ability to carry on without being influenced by the outside world. Remember this: don't let other people's thoughts influence you. You must understand yourself objectively."

"That sounds difficult, doesn't it? I read in a book that if someone could control their own will, then they wouldn't be human—they'd be a god." Itachi Uchiha's childish face looked half-understanding.

Goenji said, "You've read books like that too? It's right. No one can completely control their will, including themselves.

But will can be guided. It can turn you into someone who is no longer yourself, but the version of you seen through other people's eyes."

"The self seen through other people's eyes?"

"Yes. Ninjas are best at taking advantage of that, and that is also the purpose of intelligence. It isn't just for battle. Once they have information on you, they can target your personality and provoke you accordingly.

The enemy doesn't need to defeat you. They only need to destroy you!"

Goenji sighed a little as he said this.

Too many people in the Shinobi World had been targeted.

White Fang, Obito, Madara Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha...

The original work was full of such examples. Perhaps you were very strong, and they could not beat you.

But they could use all kinds of methods to crush you through information.

No matter how strong your combat power was, it was only strength in one aspect.

Itachi Uchiha remained confused, but he kept those words in his heart.

"For now, just get a rough understanding of this. Don't think too much about it. You're still young, and studying is what matters most right now. Come on, I specially made a study assignment for you. Take a look."

Goenji did not truly treat Itachi as a child. The little guy was incredibly smart; he simply needed to maintain the attitude one should have toward a child.

Itachi really was mature. He was only a little over two years old, yet he could communicate normally with an adult. Who could do that?

He was simply a gifted genius.

Then he pulled a small notebook from his bag.

Itachi Uchiha took the little notebook and opened it, discovering that some things had been written inside.

"Basic Kinematics.

Basic Dynamics.

Basic Aerodynamics.

Kunai and Shuriken Trace Analysis.

Trace Analysis.

Explosive Tag Range and Applications..."

[Ah~ A girl affected my mood today. I only wrote one page, but luckily I had saved drafts!]