Return of the Uchiha Prodigy

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The old man's cloudy eyes sparkled with interest. No one else could see it, but Itachi's movements on the training ground were not hidden from his sharp gaze.

"If Itachi wanted to, he could defeat his opponent in a single move."

"You've managed to conceal your abilities from the eyes of all the instructors at the academy..."

The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed slightly. This kind of deliberate restraint, which went unnoticed by others, could only be achieved by someone who had complete insight into their opponent's intentions beforehand.

Defeating his opponent was not the challenge—maintaining the charade was.

He continued watching Itachi until a gentle voice spoke from behind him.

"Hokage-sama."

Minato's voice was soft yet respectful. The Fourth Hokage stepped closer, his gaze following the Third's toward the academy's training ground.

The old man before him was none other than Konoha's former leader—Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage.

"Minato, you're here." Hiruzen turned, his aging body now slightly hunched. Upon seeing Minato, the tension on his weathered face eased.

Minato bowed slightly, his expression filled with respect for the man before him.

"How are you... holding up?" Minato asked gently, his eyes falling on Hiruzen's sunken features and the weariness in his gaze. Within a month, the Third Hokage had aged significantly, and his temples were now fully gray.

Hiruzen waved a hand dismissively, turning back to the training ground.

"I understand your desire to change the current situation in the village, but I also hope you understand the sentiments of the other elders. Uchiha... they once caused great pain. That wound still lingers."

"I know." Minato's tone was serious. "But even if that pain remains, we can't allow it to keep growing unchecked."

"All that will do is create more suffering. The Uchiha clan has endured enough over the years. I want to change that... starting now."

"Besides, the past has nothing to do with the present generation."

"And when the First Hokage set aside his past grievances, it allowed both sides, who were once enemies, to unite and build Konoha and this current ninja world. Why can't we follow the example of our predecessors?"

Hiruzen's eyes flickered. "But you also know what happened after the village was founded."

"Yes," Minato acknowledged, his expression turning grave. "The risk of change is high. But as Hokage, it's my duty to manage that change and bear the cost, ensuring we don't abandon it halfway."

"Control it? Can you really?" Hiruzen asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice.

"It's not a matter of certainty," Minato replied. "But if we allow the pain and hatred to keep festering, it could lead to consequences that none of us can repair."

"Who can predict the future entirely?" Minato admitted. "But change can't come from me alone. It requires cooperation—understanding between all of us."

"As Jiraiya-sensei always said, one day people will truly understand each other."

Hiruzen chuckled softly. "You're still an idealist, Minato."

"Perhaps," Minato shrugged. "But if my ideals are naive, then what right do I have to question yours?"

Hiruzen's expression softened, a touch of self-mockery on his face. "Perhaps when I made my most important decision, I was fortunate not to waver. Instead of choosing him, I chose you."

"You've done well, Minato. Truly." The Third Hokage's voice carried a hint of apology.

Though Hiruzen had handed over the title of Hokage to Minato, he had never fully relinquished his authority, unintentionally placing a heavy burden on his successor.

Hiruzen sighed internally, knowing it was finally time to place his complete trust in Minato, just as the previous Hokage had trusted him.

"Are you planning to recruit that boy into the ANBU?" Hiruzen asked, his eyes returning to the training ground where Itachi and Kimura Yuki's spar had already ended.

In the crowd, Itachi stood quietly, surrounded by many curious classmates.

"I had thought about it," Minato admitted, a small smile forming. "But I've changed my mind."

"Oh? Why's that?" Hiruzen inquired.

"You probably already know," Minato said. "I don't want him to become a target of scrutiny or surveillance, like Shisui."

Hiruzen nodded. He had seen enough to recognize Itachi's talent, perhaps even greater than Shisui's. The boy was mature beyond his years.

"I also don't want the ANBU environment to impact his character development," Minato continued. "When I recruited Kakashi into the ANBU, I hoped it would help him move past the trauma he experienced. But after years there, instead of finding closure, he's carried an even heavier burden."

"I see..." Hiruzen murmured, though his gaze remained on Itachi, still thoughtful.

But the reason for his presence here today wasn't to interfere with Minato's decisions. He trusted Minato's judgment. As long as Minato was Hokage, he would protect the village with his life, just as Hiruzen had done.

Turning his gaze toward Minato, Hiruzen spoke quietly. "Now that we've discussed this, I think it's time."

"From this point forward, all the ANBU under my control will be transferred to you. You're free to exercise your full authority as Hokage."

"And as for the other elders, I'll do what I can to ease things for you. But some of their opinions, forged over decades... even I cannot change."

"Thank you," Minato replied, bowing deeply to the Third Hokage.

The trust Hiruzen was placing in him was the highest honor Minato could receive.

"Change takes time, Minato," Hiruzen said, his voice soft yet filled with confidence. "But I believe in you."

With those words, the Third Hokage turned, his figure disappearing into the distance, leaving Minato standing alone. The wind blew gently, lifting the hem of Minato's Hokage cloak.

He turned back to the academy's training ground, watching the children—the future of Konoha.

And then, with a swift movement, Minato vanished from sight, carried away by the breeze.

---

A few days later, on a day of rest...

In the forest of the Uchiha clan, Itachi carefully placed dozens of young crows into a prepared nest, feeding them with care. These young crows had not yet grown feathers, and their eyes were still closed. After eating, they quickly fell asleep.

**Rustle!**

Behind Itachi, there was a slight movement in the trees.

"Heh, you're doing well," Shisui said with a light smile.

"For the next while, I might come and bother you every day," Shisui added, still smiling.

Itachi, standing atop a tree branch, turned and smiled back. The young crows needed to be fed for a month before they could take care of themselves.

Shisui was slightly surprised, gazing at Itachi. "Since you woke up, you've changed a lot."

It used to be rare to see Itachi smile.

"Maybe," Itachi admitted. He knew it too—during the two years he spent bedridden, his body was immobile, but his mind had remained awake most of the time. Two years was more than enough time to reflect on many things. As the world moved on, Itachi himself sought to change as well. Some of his past behaviors made him seem distant, even cold.

"Got nothing else to do today? Want to spar with me?" Shisui offered.

"Me?" Itachi asked, a little surprised. He was only seven years old now, and though he had regained much of his strength, there was still a considerable gap between him and Shisui.

"It's been a while since we practiced our shuriken skills, hasn't it?" Shisui said casually, not treating Itachi like a mere academy student. He still didn't know the full extent of what had happened to Itachi's body.

"Alright," Itachi agreed. If it was just shuriken practice, their difference in strength wouldn't matter much.

The two of them dropped down into the forest. Itachi had already set up several targets for his own training earlier, in preparation for today.

"I'll go first," Shisui said, scanning the surroundings. In a flash, several kunai appeared in his hands. Leaping into the air, he threw them all at once.

As expected, each kunai hit the bullseye.

"Your turn," Shisui smiled, looking back at Itachi.

Itachi stepped forward, taking the spot Shisui had stood moments earlier. Shisui moved back to give him space. The young Uchiha squeezed the kunai in his hand, thinking for a moment before jumping up and launching his kunai...

---

Spring turned to autumn, and another eight or nine months passed. Today was the day of the final exam at the ninja academy.

**Thunk, thunk!**

In the training area, several wooden kunai shot out, striking the targets with precision.

"Izumi Uchiha, full marks!" the proctor, announced with a smile.

The class was used to Izumi's perfect scores by now.

After her exam, Izumi glanced around, looking for someone. But she couldn't spot him.

She walked through the crowd and into the classroom, but still found no sign of Itachi.

"He must've gone to see the little ones again," she muttered, smiling softly. Itachi had likely finished his exam early. It would take some time to finalize and rank the results, so students were free to leave after their exams.

**Whoosh!**

Izumi swiftly exited the school, heading toward the Uchiha clan's forest.

"Yeah!"

As she left the school grounds, she heard a series of caws. Looking up, she saw a flock of black crows flying across the sky.

She followed their flight, making her way toward the busier part of the village.

Before long, Izumi caught sight of Itachi, who was leaping from rooftop to rooftop, following the crows.

As she approached, Itachi noticed her and smiled.

"Finished your exam?"

Izumi nodded. "Ah."

He didn't need to ask her how she did—given her skills, it was obvious she had scored perfectly.

Her gaze shifted to the crows circling above them. The birds were now flying over the stone faces of Konoha's Hokage Monument, their calls echoing through the village.

Izumi's eyes narrowed as she noticed two small figures standing at the base of the Fourth Hokage's face.

"Sasuke and Naruto? What are they doing there?"

Itachi followed her gaze and spotted the two boys. "Let's go take a look."

The two quickly made their way to the monument.

---

"These are the crows my brother raised," Sasuke said, gazing up at the birds above the Fourth Hokage's face.

"Stop changing the subject!" Naruto scolded, still staring down from the cliff edge. "If you're scared, just admit it!"

"Who said I'm scared?" Sasuke retorted, anger in his voice.

But even as he spoke, his eyes betrayed a hint of nervousness as he looked down at the ground below, which seemed impossibly far away.

Seeing Sasuke's hesitation, Naruto smirked triumphantly.

"Alright, then! I'll go first!"

Before Sasuke could react, Naruto leaped off the edge of the monument.

"Naruto!" Izumi and Itachi shouted, but it was too late to stop him.

The Hokage Monument was tens of meters above the ground—not an issue for a seasoned ninja, or even academy students—but Naruto was barely three years old.

As Naruto fell, he pressed his feet against the stone wall, trying to slow his descent by dragging his feet along the surface. His technique was crude, and he struggled to maintain control, but each time he lost his balance, he kicked off the wall, leaving shallow footprints in the stone.

Watching Naruto's descent, Itachi's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"He's concentrating chakra in his feet to stabilize his body?"

What Naruto was doing was a basic ninja technique—using chakra to walk on surfaces like trees or water. However, Naruto hadn't been trained in this skill yet. He wasn't absorbing chakra to maintain contact; he was using it as a buffer to soften his fall.

This crude method couldn't have been taught by his parents—Naruto had figured it out on his own. And that was what surprised Itachi the most.

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