Return of the Uchiha Prodigy

---

The late afternoon sun bathed the Fourth Hokage Monument in a golden glow, its jagged rock face seeming to dare the young ninjas to take the plunge. Naruto Uzumaki landed with a resounding thud at the monument's base, a wide grin plastered on his face.

"Ha! Your turn, Sasuke!" he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth for emphasis.

Sasuke Uchiha stood atop the monument, his jaw tight, his fists clenched. "Hmph. Watch me," he muttered, more to himself than to Naruto.

"Sasuke, wait!" Izumi Uchiha's voice cut through the air as she landed beside Naruto, her dark hair swaying with the movement. Itachi appeared alongside her, his expression calm but watchful, his sharp eyes taking in the situation.

"You don't have to do this," Izumi said urgently. "It's not worth the risk!"

But Sasuke was already airborne.

---

Swish!

The wind rushed past Sasuke's ears as he hurtled downward. Unlike Naruto, who had expertly used chakra to cling to the wall during his descent, Sasuke had relied solely on his confidence. His free fall accelerated, the rock face a blur beside him.

"Dangerous," Izumi breathed, her Sharingan activating instinctively.

Itachi's hands flew into a series of seals. "Summoning Jutsu: Crow Clone Technique." A murder of crows materialized, diving toward Sasuke in a flurry of black feathers.

But then Itachi paused.

Sasuke's movements, though frantic, had purpose. In the split second before impact, he twisted midair, pulling a kunai from his pouch. His grip was firm as he thrust it into the rock wall.

Clang!

The kunai struck true, embedding itself just deep enough to create friction. Sasuke gritted his teeth, using the momentum to push off and flip once more. His feet hit the ground with a muted thud, his knees bending to absorb the impact.

Naruto whistled, impressed. "Whoa, Sasuke! That was awesome!"

Sasuke smirked, brushing dust off his dark shirt. "Told you I could do it."

Izumi, however, was far from impressed. She strode over, her brow furrowed. Grabbing both boys by their collars, she gave them a stern look. "You two are impossible! What if something had gone wrong? Do you know how worried your parents—and Itachi—would be?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry, Sister Izumi," he said with a nervous laugh.

Sasuke, on the other hand, remained silent, his eyes fixed on the ground.

Itachi walked over, a small smile on his face. He ruffled Sasuke's hair affectionately. "She's right, Sasuke. You need to apologize properly."

"Fine. Sorry," Sasuke muttered, though his tone lacked conviction.

Izumi sighed but softened. "Alright. No more stunts. How about we go to the festival? My treat."

Naruto's face lit up. "Really? Yes! Let's go!"

But Sasuke's attention lingered on the monument, his pride stinging. Without a word, he turned and ran off, leaving his companions behind.

---

Itachi found Sasuke near the Uchiha compound, sitting beneath a lone cherry blossom tree.

"Why'd you run off?" Itachi asked, sitting beside him.

Sasuke's brows furrowed. "Naruto's not stronger than me."

Itachi chuckled. "Who said he was?"

Sasuke didn't reply, his hands tightening into fists.

"Listen, Sasuke," Itachi began, his voice calm and measured. "Naruto's strength isn't just about power. He works hard, and he's creative. You saw how he used chakra to scale the wall. But you did something just as impressive. You adapted on the fly. That's the mark of a true ninja."

Sasuke's eyes flicked to his brother, searching for sincerity in his words.

"But if you really want to catch up," Itachi continued, a playful glint in his eyes, "you'll need to train smarter, not harder."

Sasuke's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. "Alright. But only if you promise to teach me."

Itachi stood, holding out a hand to his brother. "Deal. Now, let's go find Izumi before she drags us both back by the ear."

Sasuke hesitated but then took Itachi's hand. Together, they made their way back toward the village, the warm glow of festival lanterns guiding their path.

---

Spring passed, and autumn came again, year after year...

Nearly two more years had gone by.

It had now been over six years since the end of the Third Great Ninja War. The five major ninja countries were gradually recovering from the aftermath, and their economies were flourishing once again.

As the country with the richest natural resources among the five nations, the Land of Fire's economic growth was unstoppable.

And, of course, it had the military power to match its wealth.

*Konohagakure (Leaf Village).*

With the end of the war, and after the failure of the four allied ninja nations to defeat it, no one dared challenge the Leaf again.

Moreover, in addition to the "Yellow Flash," whose name had become legendary across the shinobi world, Konoha's new generation of ninjas had also started to make a name for themselves.

The famed *Copy Ninja* Hatake Kakashi, the swift Shisui Uchiha...

And now, the next generation was rising rapidly.

The time for Itachi Uchiha's graduation exam had finally arrived.

For many students, the graduation exam was a daunting test, the last hurdle before becoming a ninja.

But for Itachi, it posed no challenge at all.

Soon, the report cards of the graduating class were handed over to Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage.

---

Minato sat behind his desk, chuckling softly as he looked over the reports.

Unsurprisingly, both Itachi and Izumi Uchiha had scored perfect marks, tying for the top spot.

Aside from those two, the other students' performances varied significantly. But, to Minato's relief, they had all met the passing standards.

Now that the exams were done, it was time to divide the students into teams.

According to the village's practice, teams consisted of three students, balanced by ability.

However, this was not a strict rule, and specific team assignments were made based on each student's unique strengths.

Minato, who knew much about Itachi's background, spent a long time considering who would serve as his mentor.

In Konoha, there were few who could fill that role—besides himself.

In Minato's eyes, Itachi didn't need much guidance in terms of skills. What he truly needed was mentorship in other, deeper matters.

And there was only one person who could do that.

*Knock knock.*

As Minato pondered, a knock came at the door.

"Come in," he called, placing the report down and standing from his seat.

The office door opened, and in walked a man dressed in a fur-lined coat. His eyes were sharp, his hair tied back in a pineapple-shaped bun. A long scar stretched across his right cheek, a reminder of his battles in the Second Great Ninja War.

This was Nara Shikaku, known for his strategic brilliance.

On the battlefield of the Third Great Ninja War, Shikaku's strategies had helped Konoha snatch victory from the jaws of defeat more than once. He was also one of the few in the village trusted by the Daimyō of the Land of Fire to advise on political matters, holding a status second only to the Hokage and the village elders—higher even than the heads of the Uchiha and Hyūga clans.

Shikaku approached Minato's desk. "Minato, you called for me?"

Shikaku and Minato had fought side by side during the war. Even after Minato became Hokage, they had maintained their camaraderie, avoiding any formalities.

Glancing at the report on the desk, Shikaku had a feeling he knew why Minato had called for him.

Without wasting time, Minato explained, "As you may know, this year's Academy graduation exams have concluded. I'd like you to be the sensei for one of the new teams."

Shikaku wasn't surprised—he had already guessed as much.

Despite his many responsibilities in the village, Minato had chosen him for this task. That could only mean one thing: the student in question was someone Minato had high hopes for.

"Which student has caught your attention this time?" Shikaku asked, a hint of interest in his voice.

"As expected of you." Minato smiled, handing him the file from his desk.

Shikaku took the form and glanced at the name. His eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Uchiha... Itachi?"

---

After the graduation exam, Itachi returned home.

Sitting on the edge of the eaves, he gazed up at the clouds drifting slowly across the blue sky.

Down in the courtyard, Sasuke was training diligently.

At five years old, Sasuke already showed impressive potential and insight. Yet, he hadn't noticed his older brother's return.

Itachi, now ten, had grown stronger since the transformation of his body by Tsunade's medical techniques after his coma.

Once upon a time, he had joined the ANBU at this very age, becoming the youngest member in its history.

By the age of thirteen, he would become an ANBU captain.

So even though Itachi had just graduated from the Academy and had yet to be assigned to a team, his strength was well on its way to recovery.

Looking down at Sasuke in the courtyard, Itachi knew that in a short time, his little brother would be entering the Academy as well.

His life over the past five years had been much calmer, much easier than before. He had intentionally kept a low profile, avoiding unnecessary attention.

And yet, he knew that certain troubles needed to be dealt with before he could fully enjoy this newfound peace.

He had already decided—he would walk a different path this time.

Suddenly, Itachi heard footsteps approaching from a distance. He turned his gaze in that direction and saw Naruto Uzumaki heading toward him.

The noise of Naruto's arrival also caught Sasuke's attention. He immediately stopped his training and ran over, smiling as soon as he spotted his brother.

"Nii-san, when did you get back? Did the graduation exam go well?"

---