Return of the Uchiha Prodigy

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"Yeah..."

Itachi nodded. Even though his skills were advanced enough for him to have graduated two years ago, he had only spent a little over a month at the academy before falling into a coma that lasted two full years.

There had never been a graduate like that in the history of the Konoha Ninja Academy.

Returning to the academy wasn't just about catching up on missed time, though. Itachi wanted to avoid drawing unnecessary attention from the higher-ups in Konoha, and he wasn't in a rush to graduate. Besides, with his current abilities, even becoming a ninja wouldn't allow him to achieve what he had in mind.

Though he no longer lacked experience, becoming a ninja would mean taking on missions regularly. By staying in the academy, he could dedicate more time to training.

"However, when you return to school, there will be a small test," Minato said with a light chuckle. "You've been in a coma for two years, and the other students in your class have already completed those two years. You'll need to prove to the teachers and the class that you can keep up."

He glanced at Fugaku and Mikoto, then added, "But I'm sure that won't be a problem for a member of the Uchiha clan."

The children of the Uchiha clan were known for excelling in their training. Minato, even without knowing the extent of Itachi's abilities from two years ago, knew this test wouldn't be an issue for him.

"I understand," Itachi replied.

"Is Brother Itachi really that strong?" Naruto, who was sitting with Kushina, exclaimed. "He missed two whole years! Can he really catch up?"

"Of course!" Kushina ruffled Naruto's hair, smiling. "Brother Itachi was already training hard before the rest of you even started at the academy."

She glanced at Minato and added, "Although Itachi's condition has improved, you should give him some more time to recover. He only just got out of the hospital."

"Aunt Kushina, there's no need," Itachi interjected softly. "I've had plenty of time to recover during my stay in the hospital."

Kushina smiled. "That's great."

"Wow!" Naruto looked at Itachi with admiration.

Sasuke, sitting across from Naruto, puffed out his chest proudly. "There's nothing to be surprised about. My brother's really strong."

His voice was full of pride.

"Have you even seen Brother Itachi's strength?" Naruto shot back. He knew Sasuke was only a few months older than him, and with Itachi just waking up recently, it didn't seem possible Sasuke had witnessed it.

"Well..." Sasuke hesitated, unable to come up with a solid response.

"Heh." Naruto grinned mischievously.

"What are you laughing at?" Sasuke's face flushed with embarrassment, and he glared at Naruto.

"It's nothing worth bragging about," Naruto teased, poking further.

Both boys clenched their fists, tension brewing between them.

"Sasuke!" Mikoto quickly grabbed Sasuke's arm, while Kushina held Naruto down by the head.

Kushina's face still held a smile, but the dark glint in her eyes warned Naruto that she was on the verge of getting angry.

Naruto gulped, immediately becoming quiet and obedient.

Both Minato and Fugaku chose to pretend they hadn't noticed the situation.

"Those two..." Itachi sighed with a faint smile.

Though the future of the Fourth Hokage and his family had changed, Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry clearly hadn't improved.

---

It was Saturday when Itachi was discharged from the hospital, so he wouldn't return to the academy until Monday.

Meanwhile, the pursuit of Orochimaru continued, but there hadn't been any significant progress.

Early the next morning, Itachi resumed his old training regimen, donning weighted sandbags and leaping from the house. Though his body had grown stronger over the past two years, he still needed time to fully adjust to the weights again.

As expected, on the way to his training spot, he ran into Izumi, who was also practicing.

When she learned that Itachi would be returning to the academy the next day, her face lit up with excitement.

---

Monday morning.

At the agreed-upon time, Izumi came to Itachi's house.

Itachi had already packed his things, and Mikoto and Sasuke accompanied him as he stepped out of the courtyard.

After exchanging greetings with Mikoto and Sasuke, Itachi looked at his mother and younger brother and said, "I'm off."

"Take care!" Mikoto smiled warmly, waving goodbye as Itachi and Izumi headed toward the academy.

---

"Nothing's changed..." Itachi murmured, gazing at the familiar gates of the academy. Together with Izumi, he entered the building.

Two years had passed, and his classroom was no longer the one on the first floor where the freshmen studied.

Led by Izumi, Itachi arrived at the door of their new classroom.

"Go on," Izumi said, stepping aside as they reached the closed door.

Itachi gave her a brief glance, noting the slight nervousness in her expression, before reaching out and sliding the door open.

"Bang!"

As soon as the door swung open, a loud sound erupted. On either side of the door, two students, hiding behind the wall, launched colorful streamers into the air.

Thanks to his sharp instincts, Itachi had sensed their presence long before, so he dodged the falling streamers with a slight step forward.

After entering the classroom, Itachi turned to look at the students who had attempted the surprise.

"I told you, Itachi would dodge it," Izumi said, entering the room behind him, clearly unsurprised.

The girl behind the door, initially full of excitement, now looked slightly crestfallen. "Izumi! Did you spoil our plan?" she asked, hugging Izumi's neck.

"Not at all," Izumi replied with a grin. "It's just that for Itachi, avoiding something like this is too easy."

The boy on the other side of the door laughed and added, "Yeah, we should've known better."

Despite the time that had passed, Itachi still remembered the names of his classmates. The girl was Makino Yin, and the boy was Yuki Kimura, who had sat in front of him and Izumi two years ago.

"Everyone, come out!" Yuki shouted.

A dozen more students came running out from the back of the classroom, surrounding Itachi in an instant.

Itachi stepped back, surprised to see everyone here so early.

But as the reality set in, he began to understand.

His normally calm eyes softened, and a flicker of emotion stirred in the depths of his dark pupils.

Standing in front of the group, Izumi smiled brightly at him.

Then, as one, all the students spoke in unison.

"Itachi, welcome back!"

---

"Thank you all!" Itachi said with a hint of excitement. In the past, no matter what danger he faced, his expression remained calm. But now, he was moved by these children, his peers.

No one is born indifferent, and Itachi's former aloofness was a necessity. His character was indeed more withdrawn and composed than most. But seeing what was in front of him, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude. Friendship doesn't require equality in strength or skill to grow. Though there was a wide gap between Itachi and his classmates in terms of thinking and ability, true companionship only needs sincerity and warmth. This was something precious that Itachi had learned after his rebirth.

"You don't need to thank us. We're all classmates," Kimura Yuki said, stepping forward with a smile. "Itachi, are you feeling better? Is it really okay for you to return to school so soon?"

"I'm fine now," Itachi responded with a soft smile. In the past, at the academy, he had found it difficult to connect with anyone besides Izumi. He felt distant from his other classmates. Initially, Itachi had approached Izumi out of a sense of guilt. So when the other students saw him smile at Yuki, they were momentarily stunned. Then, they all gathered around, excitedly asking about his health and how he was feeling. Despite the loud chatter, Itachi listened carefully, responding to each question with patience. Izumi stood quietly beside him, her face lighting up with a warm smile as she noticed the change in him.

---

Half the students had come early to celebrate Itachi's return, and soon more began filing into the classroom. Their homeroom teacher, Yamashita Takashi, arrived shortly after. When he saw that Itachi had recovered, he gave a satisfied smile.

With some time before class began, Yamashita-sensei led Itachi to the office and handed him a test paper. It was the same test Izumi and his other classmates had taken during last semester's finals. This was Itachi's theoretical knowledge assessment. Five minutes later, Itachi handed in the completed test. Yamashita-sensei quickly reviewed the paper, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. As expected, Itachi had achieved a perfect score.

"As expected from an Uchiha..." Yamashita-sensei muttered to himself.

---

In their second year at the academy, practical exercises took up most of their class time. Today, Itachi's class shared the training field with the senior class. Once the senior students finished their training, it was time for Itachi's assessment.

Itachi stepped into the training area and pulled out a few wooden shuriken. With a quick motion, he flung them toward the targets.

*Thud thud thud!*

The shuriken struck perfectly, forming a neat circle around the bullseye. Though Itachi planned to keep his true abilities hidden at the academy, his Uchiha lineage naturally set him apart. The students watched in awe as the shuriken hit their marks.

"Wait, was this kid really in a coma for two years? He just came back to school today, right?" a senior student asked, astonished.

"Y-Yeah," one of Itachi's classmates stammered.

Many of the other students exchanged glances, their initial expectations completely shattered.

"Is this what they call a genius?" Kimura Yuki murmured, glancing at Izumi. He recalled what she had said about Itachi just days ago.

Itachi's next opponent was supposed to be Yuki. At first, Yuki had been eager to spar with him, thinking it would be a close match. But after seeing Itachi in action, he realized he had seriously underestimated him. Yuki shook his head, laughing softly at himself.

"Sensei, is there even a need to continue the test at this point?" Yuki asked, glancing at Yamashita-sensei.

Yamashita-sensei frowned. "We have to follow the rules. The test must be completed."

"I heard there's a girl in your class, Uchiha Izumi, who's also very talented. If Yuki isn't up for it, maybe she could take his place," one of the senior students suggested, scanning the class until his eyes landed on Izumi, who wore the Uchiha clan symbol on her clothing.

His comment immediately piqued everyone's interest. A duel between two Uchiha would be exciting to witness. Even Kimura Yuki seemed intrigued. "If it's Izumi, she might be a match," he muttered, looking at Yamashita-sensei with hopeful eyes.

Yamashita-sensei hesitated, turning toward Izumi. Izumi frowned slightly, clearly not eager to fight Itachi. It was a tricky situation for Yamashita-sensei.

"Heh, Izumi doesn't want to fight because she doesn't want to embarrass the Uchiha heir," one of the boys teased, his jealousy clear. He glared at Itachi, envious of the close bond he shared with Izumi.

His words didn't faze Itachi, but he could see how uncomfortable the situation was becoming for Izumi. With everyone staring at her, Itachi smiled gently and said, "Izumi, it's just a spar. Don't worry about it."

"Alright," Izumi replied softly, not willing to go against Itachi's wishes. She took a light step, her form disappearing as she landed in front of him.

The other students looked on eagerly, sensing an exciting match about to unfold. Izumi had already earned a reputation at the academy, with some students calling her the "Uchiha Prodigy." Now they were eager to see how Itachi, the eldest son of the Uchiha clan head, would fare against her after two years of absence.

"Duel, begin!"

As soon as Yamashita-sensei's voice echoed, Izumi's figure blurred, her speed surprising the students as she dashed toward Itachi.

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