Uchiha Itachi becoming a ninja caused quite a stir at the academy, but it was nothing unusual across all of Konoha... Plenty of people graduated at that age in Konoha!
Everyone knew that strange little boy could not possibly graduate by following the usual steps. Graduating on his first day of school was indeed startling, but still within the acceptable range.
Konoha's gates.
Jiraiya was truly ruthless. The very next day, he planned to leave the village, taking Uchiha Itachi on his first ninja mission—hunting down the S-rank rogue ninja Orochimaru.
By his assessment, Uchiha Itachi's Chakra reserves and taijutsu had already met the standard, while his genjutsu was far ahead of his level. At the very least, he could help gather intelligence.
Taking a freshly graduated genin out of the village for an S-rank mission... Was that something a teacher should do? Powerful people really could do whatever they wanted...
Well, on one hand, it was the Third Hokage's request. On the other, there was news of Orochimaru. It definitely was not because Tsunade was leaving the village today too, so he could conveniently travel with her or anything.
The two gate guards watched the people seeing them off with blank expressions... Uchiha Mikoto held her younger son in her arms, while Fugaku Uchiha looked troubled as he watched Jiraiya shamelessly chat with Tsunade...
"Senior Jiraiya, the Uchiha clan has always maintained strict family values... I hope you will mind your conduct!"
"Hahahaha... Fugaku, you still don't trust me to teach a disciple? Just look at Minato, isn't that proof enough?" Jiraiya replied with a laugh, casually rubbing Itachi's little head.
...His hair was silky... The feel of it... was unexpectedly nice?
Though this man was unreliable, his ability to train disciples really deserved praise... After all, being under Jiraiya's tutelage would be Itachi's real diploma in the future.
"Stop rambling!"
Tsunade slapped Jiraiya on the head, then pushed Uchiha Itachi away with her... Shizune could only awkwardly apologize to Fugaku and Mikoto.
"I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade, she..."
"Her temper hasn't changed much, has it?" Mikoto covered her mouth with a soft laugh, then gave Shizune a slight bow. "Then we'll leave him in your care on the road..."
This strange little team was unexpectedly well matched.
Tsunade and Jiraiya strode along carelessly in front, while Shizune took care of little brother Uchiha Itachi in the back. Each of them carried a pet... It was warm and harmonious... except that the crow occasionally stared greedily at Tonton, drooling a few drops.
This little pig had been raised so well... Whether roasted whole or made into pork chops, it would definitely taste wonderful.
Unfortunately, Jiraiya did not intend to continue traveling with the two women.
There really was something wrong with this man's head. He had shamelessly insisted on traveling with Tsunade first, yet split off from them halfway through... If he could still catch Tsunade after that, it would be a miracle!
Tsunade did not care much. She glanced at the serious Jiraiya and said disdainfully, "Tch, don't die. I won't be able to save you anymore..."
"Hahahaha..." Jiraiya could only scratch the back of his head and laugh awkwardly.
A campsite beside a small river.
Jiraiya enjoyed the benefits of having a disciple at his side. Firewood, wild fruit, and grilled fish were all readily available, leaving him with almost nothing to worry about.
"Not bad! Itachi, take a look at this secret technique scroll..."
"Yes, Teacher Jiraiya." Uchiha Itachi nodded, taking the ninjutsu scroll from Jiraiya. He frowned. "The Four Limbs Heavy Seal?"
"That's right. It seals the opponent's limbs and restricts the flow of Chakra within their body... Not only is it an effective method against enemies, it is also very helpful for a ninja's training!"
"I want to temporarily seal your limbs to strengthen your taijutsu training and Chakra control..." Jiraiya continued as he looked at the little boy's thin arms and legs.
"Besides, this sealing technique supplements taijutsu. Using the Four Limbs Heavy Seal to directly seal an opponent's ninjutsu is also an effective way to protect yourself!"
Whenever Uchiha Itachi got the chance, his fighting style was to use ninjutsu... Everyone could be trading punches and kicks, only for him to suddenly start throwing ninjutsu around... Who could stand that?
The crow, listening in from the side, was delighted... This technique would be convenient for it too. Dealing with ninjas' strange techniques was too troublesome. When the time came, it could directly use the Body Flicker Technique to fly over, seal them with the Four Limbs Heavy Seal, then use the Flying Thunder God to open the distance before firing an ultra-long-range Tailed Beast Bomb!
After lunch.
After Jiraiya cast the Four Limbs Heavy Seal and saw the little boy's tightly furrowed face, he suddenly revealed a malicious smile...
The old man grabbed Uchiha Itachi by the collar and casually threw his disciple into the river. "First, you need to train your Chakra..."
Even with the flow of Chakra in his body obstructed, Uchiha Itachi still activated the Chakra in his feet and stood steadily on the river's surface. He looked at Jiraiya in confusion. "Teacher?"
"You've trained Chakra control before?" Jiraiya stroked his chin, feeling at a loss for where to begin. What exactly did the old man want me to teach him... I don't have the Sharingan either!
"Shisui and I often fought at the Naka River..." Uchiha Itachi explained as he stepped over the water and returned to shore.
Since he could fight ninja battles on water, that probably meant this sort of beginner-level exercise did not need to be brought out.
Jiraiya: "..."
"Teacher, I want to learn more ninja knowledge!" Uchiha Itachi said seriously. What he needed now was more fundamental knowledge, such as strategies for dealing with different techniques.
Jiraiya, who loved teaching others, froze for a moment. "...I... I understand."
"Water Style ninjutsu undoubtedly counters Fire Style ninjutsu, but nothing is absolute in the ninja world. There is one Fire Style technique that Water Style cannot counter—instead, water will increase its power..."
Jiraiya proudly brought up one of his favorite techniques. "Use Chakra to produce oil, like this..."
Fire Style: Flame Bullet!
The flaming oil immediately began burning across the river... Uchiha Itachi stared for a moment, then suddenly formed hand seals with a rapid clap. Water Style: Bubble Surge!
Countless white bubbles flew out, drifting down onto the river's surface and quickly extinguishing the burning oil... Uchiha Itachi spoke up. "This is a rather impractical Water Style technique, but..."
The little boy did not have the heart to finish when he saw Jiraiya's stunned eyes... The Uchiha clan had obtained Water Style: Bubble Surge from Mist ninja on the battlefield, and it had little practical value in real combat.
Upholding the principle of not wasting anything, the clan had recorded it.
Before starting school, Uchiha Itachi had frantically crammed ninjutsu. Aside from learning the clan's Fire Style techniques and Sharingan genjutsu, the rest were battlefield spoils like these.
His elemental affinities were fire, wind, and water. The Uchiha clan had once been sent by the Hokage to die on coastal battlefields, so he had learned quite a few Water Style techniques from Kirigakure.
"...Kid, there is no benefit in following that old man. What did he send you here for? Spit it out!" Jiraiya grabbed Uchiha Itachi by the neck and threatened him viciously.
"...Teacher, I don't understand what you're talking about..."
Jiraiya barely muddled through the first day of teaching with an introduction to elemental ninjutsu... He deeply felt that Uchiha Itachi, as a disciple, was the greatest challenge of his teaching career!
As long as it involved improving a ninja's combat strength, it was not a problem... Yet by evening, it was the little bits of knowledge about ninja camping and vigilance that Uchiha Itachi found most rewarding.
"I didn't expect you to be so interested in this..." Jiraiya found it somewhat unbelievable. Few ninjas these days were willing to learn such minor details. This kid possessed a resolve and perseverance that most ninjas lacked!
Uchiha Itachi nodded seriously. "It is useful knowledge."
"Have your crow keep watch tonight..."
"I'll do it myself..."
I forgot to post last night... Could I ask for recommendation votes...?
Before you continue