Return of the Uchiha Prodigy

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**Shizune**

In the hospital corridor, a black-haired girl turned at the sound of her name. Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the figure standing before her.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune hurried toward the woman, her voice filled with respect and excitement.

Tsunade smiled warmly, reaching out to ruffle Shizune's hair. "You still recognize me, huh? You've grown a lot since I last saw you."

"Tsunade-sama, when did you return to the village? And why are you here at the hospital?" Shizune asked eagerly, her face a mixture of joy and curiosity.

Tsunade glanced toward one of the rooms. "I came to treat someone."

Shizune took a step closer and peeked into the room. Her eyes widened further when she saw who was inside.

"Hokage-sama! Jiraiya-sama!" she greeted them with a respectful bow, though concern flashed across her face.

Minato smiled gently. "It's been a while, Shizune. How have you been?"

"I'm well, thank you," Shizune replied, giving a polite nod.

Jiraiya raised a hand in greeting, but winced as he touched his ribs, reminding him of his injuries. "Long time, no see."

Shizune frowned, noticing the bandages around his torso. "Jiraiya-sama, what happened? Who did this to you?"

Jiraiya gave an awkward glance toward Tsunade and scratched his head. "Nothing to worry about. Just a small misunderstanding."

Tsunade waved off the moment. "Shizune, I'll catch up with you later."

Shizune nodded, her gaze briefly landing on the young boy standing beside Minato—Itachi Uchiha. She smiled at him politely, then said her goodbyes before heading down the hall with a tray of medicine.

Once Shizune was gone, Tsunade turned her attention back to Itachi. "Won't your parents be worried with you being out this long?"

Taking the hint, Itachi nodded respectfully. "Now that Jiraiya-sama is stable, I'll take my leave." He bowed to Minato, Jiraiya, and Tsunade before exiting the room.

As soon as Itachi was gone, Tsunade approached Jiraiya's bed, frowning slightly before turning to Minato. "So, why did you call Jiraiya and me back to the village so suddenly?"

Minato's expression grew serious. "Kushina's delivery is coming soon."

Tsunade smiled at the news. "That's great! Congratulations, Minato!" But her smile quickly faded when she saw the grim look on his face. "This isn't just about that, is it?"

Minato hesitated before responding. "I've received information that someone might try to take advantage of Kushina's weakened state during the birth."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "What?!"

Both Tsunade and Jiraiya tensed, but Tsunade felt an especially cold chill run down her spine. She understood the danger. During childbirth, the seal containing the Nine-Tails would be at its weakest. Her grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, had nearly lost control of the beast during her own labor.

"Do you know who's behind this?" Tsunade asked, her voice sharp.

Minato shook his head. "I'm not certain yet."

The truth was, he didn't want to mention Uchiha Madara's name. Even though he trusted Itachi's warning, the idea that Madara might still be alive was difficult to accept. He had gone over the details of the First Hokage's battle against Madara many times, and until he saw proof, Minato couldn't bring himself to fully believe it.

---

**Outside the hospital,**

Itachi moved swiftly through the village streets, his expression more relaxed now that Jiraiya and Tsunade had returned to Konoha.

"That man, Zetsu, will find out soon enough…" Itachi muttered under his breath.

Zetsu, a member of the Akatsuki, was an expert at gathering intelligence. It would be nearly impossible to keep the return of the Sannin hidden for long. And if Madara found out, he might delay or even call off his plans for the attack on Kushina's delivery.

In Itachi's mind, that was the best outcome. It would give Konoha time to prepare, and Madara would lose his element of surprise. And in the meantime, Itachi could continue to grow stronger. He wasn't ready to face Madara head-on yet, but with the help of his allies, Konoha's strength might just be enough to thwart whatever the Uchiha had planned.

---

**At home,**

Itachi arrived just in time for lunch. As he stepped inside, he called out, "I'm back!"

His mother, Mikoto Uchiha, appeared from the kitchen, smiling warmly. "You're late today, Itachi. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, just ran into a few things on my way home," he replied, making his way toward Sasuke's room.

---

**Later that evening,**

After helping his mother take care of Sasuke and finishing dinner, Itachi prepared to head out for his evening training.

Swish!

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, he made his way toward the Uchiha clan's training grounds. He had arranged to meet Shisui there for some practice.

"Itachi?" A voice called out from the street below.

Itachi looked down to see Izumi Uchiha, smiling up at him. She leaped up, landing gracefully beside him.

"Where are you going?" she asked curiously.

"Just to the training grounds," Itachi replied.

"Oh." Izumi hesitated for a moment. "Are you free tomorrow?"

"I'll be training again," Itachi said, keeping his plans vague.

Izumi's eyes brightened. "Mind if I join you?"

Itachi gave a small smile. "Sure. Let's meet at the Uchiha clan's ninja tool shop in the morning."

Excited, Izumi nodded. "See you tomorrow!"

---

After parting ways with Izumi, Itachi continued toward Shisui's house. When he arrived, the place was empty, but the sound of clashing metal drew his attention.

Itachi followed the noise and reached the training grounds just in time to witness a brilliant flash of fire.

A flaming sword lit up the night sky, and Itachi's eyes narrowed as he observed the intense display.

---

"Practicing your kenjutsu, Shisui?" Itachi called out, admiration in his voice.

Shisui Uchiha, known across nations for his mastery of the Body Flicker Technique, was also developing his skills as a swordsman. His style of high-speed combat relied on techniques that required minimal hand seals, similar to the Fourth Hokage's Rasengan.

Shisui turned, sheathing his sword as he saw Itachi approach. "You're here."

Itachi nodded. "That sword technique was impressive. Where did you learn it?"

Shisui scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "I've been developing it myself, but it's far from perfect."

"You've made a lot of progress," Itachi complimented. "May I try something with your sword?"

Shisui raised an eyebrow but handed over the blade without hesitation. "Go ahead."

Itachi took the sword and stepped into the training area, closing his eyes to concentrate. He visualized Shisui's future techniques and focused on replicating them. Then, in one fluid motion, he unleashed a series of rapid strikes. While he couldn't channel chakra into the blade like Shisui, the precision and fluidity of his movements were nearly identical.

Shisui watched, his eyes widening as Itachi executed the moves with surprising skill for someone so young.

When Itachi finished, he tossed the sword back to Shisui, his breath slightly labored. "How was that?"

Shisui caught the sword, a look of astonishment on his face. "Where did you learn to do that? You're only five, but…"

Itachi smirked. Does it matter?

Shisui shook his head, smiling. "Whether you're showing off or not, I owe you thanks. You've helped me fill in the gaps."

After a few more exchanges and practice sessions, the two of them settled onto the ground, the cool air of the evening surrounding them. They continued talking, sharing insights and experiences.

Shisui couldn't shake the feeling of admiration for Itachi. Beneath the child's young exterior, he sensed a maturity and strength that transcended his age. It was as though an ancient, powerful soul resided within his small body, watching and waiting.

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