Return of the Uchiha Prodigy

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Shikaku Nara sat with his back against the cool stone of the cave, his sharp eyes fixed on Itachi Uchiha. Despite his youth, there was a gravity in the boy's demeanor that demanded respect. Shikaku found himself thinking, Minato truly saw potential in this child.

"Itachi," Shikaku began, his voice calm yet probing, "your earlier insight about Deidara's tactics likely saved us from falling into a trap. Hokage-sama was right to trust you."

Itachi stepped forward, his gaze steady as it met Shikaku's. The faint glow of moonlight from the cave entrance framed his features, casting shadows that made him appear older than his years.

"Shikaku-sensei," he said, his tone measured, "Deidara and his team from Iwagakure should already be near the Forest of Sea of Trees, just past the Forest Country's border. If we are to protect the client and ensure their mission fails, we need to act decisively."

Shikaku's brows furrowed, processing Itachi's words. "Given Deidara's abilities and their proximity, an ambush is inevitable," Shikaku replied. "We know their objective, but they'll strike where our defenses are weakest. With his skillset, the odds are he'll rely on aerial attacks."

Izumi Uchiha, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward. "Deidara's explosive ninjutsu is destructive, but as long as we keep the client within our formation, we can neutralize most of his threats. A frontal attack would be suicide for them," she reasoned.

Yet, Itachi remained silent, his gaze distant. After a moment, his Sharingan spun faintly, reflecting the moonlight.

"No," he said firmly. "Deidara isn't one to rely on straightforward tactics. He's an artist—someone who thrives on spectacle. His best chance is to unleash something devastating while we're preoccupied defending the client. And for that…" Itachi's voice dropped, "…he will use his explosive clay to create an inescapable attack."

Shikaku leaned forward, his analytical mind already racing. "You're saying he might have prepared a large-scale explosion in advance?"

Itachi nodded. "It's a possibility. If we miscalculate even slightly, we'll lose everything."

Shikaku exhaled deeply. "This makes things tricky. Without aerial support of our own, countering Deidara's high-altitude advantage is almost impossible."

At that moment, Itachi's hands began forming seals, each motion fluid and precise.

"Shikaku-sensei," he said, his voice steady, "I have a strategy to disrupt their plans."

With a puff of smoke, a large black crow materialized on Itachi's forearm, its sharp beak clicking softly. The creature's glowing red eyes bore the unmistakable imprint of Sharingan.

"Psychic summoning?" Shikaku murmured, his sharp eyes narrowing. "And not just any summoning. This crow… it's imbued with your chakra, isn't it?"

Itachi nodded. "These crows are more than summons; they are extensions of my ninjutsu. With them, I can counter Deidara's explosive clay from the air."

Izumi's eyes widened as she studied the chakra coursing through the bird. "You're planning to overwhelm him mid-flight?"

"Precisely," Itachi confirmed, his gaze unwavering.

---

The Forest of Sea of Trees

The air above the sea of withered leaves was thick with tension. The late-autumn winds carried a chill as Deidara stood atop a large tree branch, his ever-present smirk etched across his face. The star-shaped explosive clay in his hand pulsed faintly with chakra, promising destruction.

"Time to show these Konoha dogs the pinnacle of my art, yeah?" Deidara muttered, placing the explosive into his palm.

Kurotsuchi, hovering nearby, frowned. "Are you sure this will work? That Uchiha brat seemed... unusual."

"Hmph!" Deidara scoffed. "Doesn't matter. Art is an explosion! And this one—this one will be my masterpiece, yeah!"

Suddenly, faint black shapes emerged in the sky. At first, they seemed like mere birds, but as they drew closer, the faint shimmer of chakra surrounded each one.

"What the—?" Kurotsuchi's voice faltered.

From his perch, Deidara's eyes widened. "Crows? No, this chakra… it's him!"

---

The Battlefield

From below, Itachi and Izumi's Sharingan flared, capturing every movement in the sky.

"It's time," Itachi said softly, forming another sequence of seals.

The crows circling above Deidara suddenly shifted. Their forms rippled and warped, transforming into a swarm of spinning shuriken infused with chakra.

"Kamaitachi Formation," Itachi muttered.

The air exploded into chaos as the black projectiles surged toward Deidara's group, cutting through the sky with deadly precision.

Deidara's smirk faltered as he frantically molded more clay. "Tch! Let's see how your little parlor trick handles this!"

He released a smaller explosive clay bird, sending it toward the incoming storm of shuriken. But as it detonated, the shuriken reformed, the Sharingan's influence weaving through the battlefield like a puppeteer pulling strings.

From below, Shikaku allowed a rare smile. "He's already one step ahead."

---

"Whoa!"

The black shuriken spun rapidly, leaving streaks of dark light in their wake. Deidara, mid-seal formation, barely twisted his body in time to avoid the first strike. His smirk faltered as he realized the attack wasn't random.

Calculated.

Hoping to gain altitude, Huitu attempted evasive maneuvers, but his flight path was compromised by the weight of carrying both Deidara and Kurotsuchi. The shuriken, transformed from Itachi's crows, pursued them relentlessly, their paths erratic yet guided by an invisible force.

Swish!

Deidara cursed under his breath, pulling his hands away from forming a seal to dodge another strike. "These blasted birds!" he spat, glaring at the spinning projectiles.

"Keep moving!" Kurotsuchi shouted, her tone tense. She swiped at the incoming shuriken with a kunai, deflecting them but unable to destroy them.

The shuriken didn't relent. Those that missed looped back as if seeking their targets anew. The air around them turned into a maelstrom of black steel and controlled chakra.

"These aren't just ordinary projectiles," Huitu muttered, his sharp eyes scanning the area. "They're under his control."

On the ground, Shikaku observed the scene with keen interest. Itachi, standing motionless with his hands locked in seals, was orchestrating the chaos in the sky.

"Impressive," Shikaku muttered under his breath. He glanced at Izumi, who seemed equally in awe of Itachi's precision. "To control so many individual shuriken while keeping the enemy completely on the defensive... That's not a skill just anyone can manage."

Izumi nodded, her Sharingan spinning faintly as she tracked the battle above. "Even for an Uchiha, his level of control is remarkable," she murmured, admiration in her tone.

---

"It's no use!"

Deidara gritted his teeth, frustration boiling over as the shuriken closed in once again. Despite his aerial advantage, he found himself unable to mount a counterattack. Every movement was forced into evasion.

"We have to land!" Huitu barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Deidara scowled but didn't argue. Huitu adjusted his trajectory, angling downward toward the forest below.

Shikaku's eyes narrowed as he watched. "They're retreating. Stick to the plan," he ordered.

"Understood!" Izumi said sharply. With a swift movement, she grabbed the client and sprinted in the opposite direction, her chakra flaring slightly to maintain speed.

Itachi, meanwhile, shifted his focus. His hands moved seamlessly through another series of seals. The shuriken circling Deidara dissolved into crows mid-flight, their black feathers scattering into the wind as they transformed.

The crows reassembled ahead of the fleeing Iwa-nin, cutting off their descent.

No escape, Itachi thought, his expression calm.

---

"Scatter!"

Huitu barked the command just as they neared the forest floor. The moment his feet touched the ground, he released his grip on Deidara and Kurotsuchi, allowing them to separate.

The three Konoha-nin sprang into action. Shikaku's shadow jutsu erupted from the ground, snaking toward Huitu to pin him in place. Izumi sprinted toward Kurotsuchi, her kunai gleaming under the filtered moonlight.

Itachi's target was clear.

Deidara.

The blond bomber landed unsteadily, his face twisted with rage. His hands immediately reached for his clay pouch, but a swarm of crows descended, cutting off his line of sight.

"Annoying pests!" he growled, swatting at them with his chakra-infused hands. But as the crows parted, a single figure emerged—Itachi's crow clone, its kunai already slashing downward.

Deidara deflected the attack with a kunai of his own, but the momentary distraction allowed Itachi's real body to close in from another angle.

Too fast!

Deidara's hands moved to counter, but it was already too late. Itachi's Sharingan locked onto his gaze, and Deidara froze. His sky-blue eyes widened in shock before losing their sparkle entirely.

---

The battlefield fell silent.

Huitu and Kurotsuchi, now entangled with their respective opponents, froze when they noticed Deidara standing unnaturally still.

"Genjutsu!" Kurotsuchi gasped, panic flashing across her face.

"It's over," Shikaku said firmly, his shadows receding slightly as the fight reached a standstill.

Itachi stepped back from Deidara, allowing his clone to dissolve into crows. One of the crows swooped down, snatching the clay explosive from Deidara's limp hand and flying it far into the distance.

"Stop," Itachi called, his voice calm yet authoritative.

Kurotsuchi and Huitu hesitated, glancing at one another. Their gazes shifted to Deidara, who remained frozen like a statue.

Huitu's teeth clenched as a cold realization set in. "We've lost…"

Kurotsuchi's fists trembled, but she lowered her weapon.

Shikaku relaxed his stance, his sharp mind already calculating their next move. "We don't need to push this further. The mission is secure," he said, looking at Itachi for confirmation.

The young Uchiha nodded subtly, his gaze unyielding.

As Huitu walked past Itachi to retrieve Deidara, he felt an unsettling chill. Itachi's expression was calm, but there was a weight behind those Sharingan eyes—a quiet, unshakable authority that made even the seasoned Iwa-nin hesitate.

For a brief moment, Huitu wondered, Who is this boy? And why does he feel so...dangerous?

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