Return of the Uchiha Prodigy

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"So fast..."

Itachi sighed softly as he watched the girl rush toward him.

Izumi's speed had far surpassed the level of the Uchiha genin he had faced two years ago.

Itachi wasn't surprised. He had seen firsthand how hard Izumi had trained during the two years he had spent in a coma.

She raised her arm, palm open, aiming a precise strike at his chest.

Though his body had only recently begun to recover, Itachi's speed was still greater than Izumi's. In an instant, before the watching students could process what was happening, Itachi stepped back, turning his body slightly to let her strike brush past him.

At seven years old, Izumi was already slightly taller than Itachi. But even as her attack missed, she wasn't disappointed. A soft smile formed on her delicate face.

Her eyes sharpened, and she swiftly pivoted, her hand turning into a blade aimed at Itachi's shoulder.

*"Boom!"*

Itachi caught her wrist with ease.

Though Izumi had no intention of seriously hurting him, she gave the spar her all. She knew that even at full strength, she wouldn't be able to harm Itachi.

The two stood locked in place, their eyes meeting as the watching students only now caught up with the action. None of them had been able to follow Izumi's earlier movements.

Kimura Yuki swallowed nervously, realizing just how much Izumi had been holding back during their earlier sparring sessions.

"Izumi's gotten this strong..." another student, thought in awe. She was already the top of their class, but she had never shown this level of power before.

His gaze shifted to Itachi, his eyes widening in disbelief. Could Itachi really have been in a coma for two years?

"Your speed is impressive, and your strikes are decisive," Itachi murmured calmly, meeting Izumi's determined gaze. "But... you're still holding back, aren't you?"

He smiled slightly. "Come at me with everything you've got. It's okay."

Izumi nodded, her smile widening. "Okay!"

She pulled her hand free and jumped back, putting some distance between them.

Flipping her palms, she revealed several black shurikens. These weren't the training tools used at the academy but real shurikens, sharp and deadly.

"Let's see how you handle this," Izumi thought, her eyes narrowing in focus as she threw the shurikens with practiced precision.

The shurikens whistled through the air, becoming dark streaks as they flew toward Itachi. Even Yamashita couldn't follow the paths of the shurikens clearly.

Itachi, however, chuckled inwardly. After all, he had been the one to teach Izumi her shuriken techniques. In the past two years, her skills had grown significantly. Still, he couldn't show off too much—not yet. If he performed too well, it would raise suspicions.

He pulled out his own shurikens, feigning a bit of panic as he threw them to intercept hers.

*"Clang, clang, clang!"*

His shurikens managed to knock down half of hers. The remaining shurikens came at him from tricky angles, forcing him to dodge frantically.

To the onlookers, it appeared that Itachi was struggling to keep up, barely managing to avoid Izumi's relentless assault. One shuriken even grazed his cheek before hitting the ground.

Yet none of the shurikens actually struck him.

The students watching were silent. No one could laugh, even though Itachi seemed cornered. They hadn't even been able to fully comprehend Izumi's movements.

Izumi herself was momentarily surprised but quickly smiled when Itachi nodded at her. The slight curve of his lips was an acknowledgment of her skill.

Izumi didn't understand why Itachi hadn't deflected all of her shurikens, but she didn't dwell on it.

"You're incredible, Izumi," Itachi said, shrugging slightly.

He then looked at Yamashita Takashi and added, "If Izumi-san had followed up while I was dodging those shurikens, I would have lost."

Itachi, of course, wasn't taking the academy sparring sessions seriously. To him, he had already shown more than enough.

The crowd remained silent, still processing the brief yet intense exchange between Izumi and Itachi.

Yamashita Takashi finally snapped out of his daze.

"Izumi-san wins this round... but Itachi-san, you've also passed!"

Even Yamashita hadn't realized that Itachi had faked his struggle. But regardless, no one doubted Itachi's skill anymore. His performance was on par with the best in the class, second only to Izumi. And he had only just woken from a two-year hiatus.

Though it seemed like Itachi had lost, everyone was deeply impressed. The boy who had provoked the spar lowered his head in shame.

Itachi walked up to Izumi and extended his hand.

Izumi smiled, forming a seal of reconciliation with Itachi.

With that, the assessment came to an end.

The sparring matches among the other students continued, but Izumi and Itachi stood together, calmly observing. Behind them, some of the other boys and girls exchanged glances, a bit of shame in their expressions. Among the crowd, only Izumi and Itachi seemed worthy of standing side by side.

Once the sparring ended, everyone returned to the classroom. Soon, it was lunchtime.

Izumi pulled a box from her desk drawer and opened it, blushing slightly. "I made this... would you like to try it?"

Despite her shy demeanor, her eyes were filled with anticipation.

"When I was bedridden, my mother mentioned your cooking more than once. Of course, I'd love to try it."

Itachi picked up a pair of chopsticks, sampling the food.

"This is delicious!"

He nodded in approval. Even Sasuke and Naruto loved Izumi's cooking. He still remembered how, while he was in a coma, those two had gotten into a fight over the last rice ball she had made.

But despite the bickering, Itachi hadn't been worried. True friends were like that.

"Wow, it looks so good! Can I have a taste too?" Kimura Yuki, who sat in front of them, turned around, eyes wide with excitement.

"Of course, help yourself," Izumi replied, smiling.

"Your cooking is amazing!" Kimura said, giving her a thumbs-up after tasting it.

The rest of the day passed quickly, and soon it was time to head home.

As they walked side by side, Izumi glanced at Itachi. "Why did you let me win during the sparring earlier?"

Itachi looked at her, smiling softly. "I wouldn't say I let you win. You've really improved. But it's better to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"Oh." Izumi nodded, accepting his explanation without further questions. She couldn't help but steal a glance at him, her eyes filled with quiet joy.

The sun's warm rays bathed the street in a soft glow as the two of them walked together. Their shadows stretched behind them, slowly merging into one.

---

After Itachi woke up, a month passed quickly.

Beyond his time at the academy, Itachi dedicated himself to rigorous training, refining his body and abilities as much as possible. In this way, the days flew by in a blur of discipline and focus.

---

Today was Saturday, the ninja academy's day off.

Izumi was busy with family matters and couldn't train with Itachi.

Swish!

In the quiet streets of the Uchiha compound, Itachi moved swiftly, his figure blurring as he darted from one road to the next. A month of targeted physical training had significantly enhanced his speed, a testament to the body strengthened by Tsunade's medical expertise.

At just six years old, Itachi's chakra pathways were almost fully developed, allowing him to maximize the results of his efforts. Two years ago, he had intensified his training to prepare for the path ahead.

With the Mangekyō Sharingan, Itachi didn't need to train his mental energy further. His focus had shifted entirely to enhancing his chakra reserves, which required developing his physical strength to its peak.

"Yeah!"

The sudden sound of cawing drew Itachi's attention upward. Overhead, a small flock of crows flew past, their dark forms stark against the blue sky.

Crows were a familiar sight to Itachi.

They had once been his summoning creatures, and the sight stirred a mix of nostalgia and determination within him.

His rapid steps slowed, his gaze following the crows as they disappeared into the horizon. "It's about time to try again…" he murmured.

Resolved, he changed direction, heading toward the Uchiha clan's forest training grounds.

Itachi had a plan: he would raise a new flock of crows to use as his summoning creatures once more.

In the ninja world, there were two primary types of summoning creatures. The first were powerful, independent clans residing in places like Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, or Shikkotsu Forest, such as the legendary summons used by the Sannin.

The second were creatures nurtured and raised by the ninja themselves.

Crows, though not inherently powerful, were invaluable tools for stealth, distraction, and ninjutsu. Itachi intended to rear them from hatchlings, using supplements to imbue them with chakra, much like how the Aburame clan cultivated their insects.

With his savings, purchasing the hatchlings was feasible. The forest near the clan's training grounds would provide the ideal environment for raising them.

---

Rustle!

Itachi landed gracefully on a tree branch, the leaves trembling under his weight. He scanned the area, searching for a suitable location to build nests for his future crows.

Constructing the nests was straightforward, drawing on his past experience with ninja crows. By the time he finished, the sun was high in the sky, and Itachi returned home for lunch.

However, he delayed purchasing the hatchlings. The forest was near Shisui's home, and Itachi wanted to seek his cousin's permission first.

Crows had also been Shisui's summoning creatures, and it was Shisui who had first inspired Itachi to incorporate them into his techniques.

Shisui, as the ANBU vice-captain, had been busy with missions for the Fourth Hokage. Itachi guessed that the recent efforts to track down Orochimaru following his defection were nearing their conclusion.

At the thought of Orochimaru, Itachi's expression darkened.

He silently vowed that once he was strong enough, he would deal with Orochimaru personally.

Though Orochimaru was one of the legendary Sannin, no shinobi was invincible. Like the five elemental chakra natures, every ninja had vulnerabilities.

Orochimaru's Reincarnation Jutsu granted him immortality at the cost of damaging his soul with each transfer. And Itachi's Sharingan—more specifically, his Mangekyō Sharingan—was Orochimaru's ultimate weakness.

---

Another week passed.

As Itachi had anticipated, Konoha's forces withdrew from their mission to capture Orochimaru.

That weekend, Itachi returned to the forest training grounds, honing his shuriken skills.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of shuriken striking their targets echoed through the woods. Itachi's precision and speed were impeccable, his movements fluid and controlled.

As he finished his practice, a familiar voice called out from behind him.

"You've recovered well."

Itachi turned to see Shisui standing beneath a tree, his ANBU sword strapped to his back.

"You're finally back," Itachi said, a faint smile gracing his lips.

"Judging by your tone, I assume you've been waiting for me," Shisui replied with a grin. "What do you need?"

"I'm planning to raise ninja crows in the forest near your house. I wanted to get your permission first."

"No problem," Shisui said, nodding. "Need help? I've raised crows before, you know."

"Thank you, but I've got it handled," Itachi replied, shaking his head.

Shisui chuckled. In Konoha, it wasn't uncommon for children to begin nurturing summoning creatures early on. He wasn't surprised by Itachi's initiative.

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