The spring days lingered, and the sunlight was warm.
Within the Uchiha clan's residence, in the small courtyard belonging to Fugaku Uchiha near the Konoha commercial district, a peaceful scene unfolded. At this time, the Uchiha had not yet been forced to migrate to the outskirts of Konoha due to the suspicions of the higher-ups led by Danzō following the Night of the Nine-Tails.
As usual, Roy had sent a clone to the Ninja Academy to deal with school. He himself lay flat on the veranda of the small courtyard, resting on a plush rug. His head was pillowed on Itachi's lap, letting the boy gently massage his temples. He listened to the water basin rhythmically spilling a stream of water that flowed gurgling into the nearby flower garden.
Roy's right hand reached out to pluck a thread of spring breeze. With a slight movement of his fingers, a few spots of starlight flickered. Consuming a sliver of Nen, he used the method of De-materialization to summon the crumpled paper of the God Script Deconstruction given by Ging to continue his research.
Itachi sat quietly in a kneeling position, acting as his elder brother's headrest. His clear eyes, which were more mature than those of a typical child, flickered with a ripple of emotion. This was the first time he had seen his brother use a Summoning Jutsu.
'Summoning Jutsu: A type of space-time ninjutsu, similar to a contract summoning. The caster can summon a specific beast to the battlefield by signing a blood contract in advance and using specific hand signs (Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram) combined with chakra. Examples include the Legendary Sannin and their toads, snakes, and slugs. One can also seal items or ninja tools into scrolls without a blood contract and summon them through hand signs—Tenten's various tools and Sai's Super Beast Imitating Drawing fall into this category.'
Ever since he gained awareness as a toddler, Itachi had, like today, watched Roy study various ninjutsu he had collected both openly and secretly. Naturally, he had an impression of the Summoning Jutsu.
Unfortunately, limited by his age and the understanding of 'power' in this world, Itachi did not realize that this was actually De-materialization, not a Summoning Jutsu. 'Everything can be materialized, and everything can be de-materialized.' The scope of this 'summoning' was far deeper and broader than any Summoning Jutsu.
"Brother, what is a God Script?"
The crumpled paper was covered in messy, dense writing. The handwriting was just like Ging—unrestrained and unkempt, suiting his identity as a Ruin Hunter. Itachi had begun learning to read at a little over a year old and could read ninjutsu alongside Roy by the age of two. He managed to recognize the words 'God Script' from the mess and leaned in to watch with Roy.
Roy smiled warmly. "You can think of it as a scroll—a scroll that can seal any 'ninjutsu' within it, which can then be used simply by injecting chakra."
"A scroll?"
"Yes... It can make a paralyzed person stand and walk... make the blind see light... make a dog learn to speak... make thunder strike a clear field... or cause a blizzard in midsummer. As long as you wish it, you can use it to help others achieve these things."
Itachi was startled. "Then, can it also help the uncles who lost arms or legs to recover?"
'He's talking about the group of wounded veterans who just returned from the battlefield...' Roy's gaze shifted slightly as he recalled his father, Fugaku, taking Itachi's hand to visit the wounded after the war ended. Understanding, Roy smiled and said, "Why wouldn't it be possible?"
"Father said so." Itachi's voice was a bit low. "Father told me to remember those uncles' names and faces. He said that when I go to the battlefield in the future, I must protect myself. If I lose a hand, I will never be able to weave signs or be a ninja again."
'Hand signs...' Roy's thoughts churned, his mind reflecting the image of Indra. This eldest son of the Sage of the Six Paths and ancestor of the Uchiha clan was the one who developed 'hand signs' so that ordinary people could use chakra. The man was long gone, but chakra attached itself to generation after generation of Uchiha, continuing the legacy.
Perhaps there was a lingering resentment, or perhaps he was still bitter about not being chosen by his father to inherit Ninshu over his younger brother, Asura.
A sighing spring breeze blew by, brushing the bangs of the two brothers.
Roy tucked away the God Script Deconstruction, letting it dissolve into starlight at his fingertips. He sat up, smiling as he rubbed Itachi's obedient head. "Itachi, the world is vast and full of wonders. It is possible for a normal person to grow two extra arms; so why shouldn't limb regeneration be possible?"
As Roy spoke, two extra arms sprouted from his ribs. Using the Arm Regeneration he had learned from the Hand Demon, he spread all four arms. Like a god or a demon, he stood with the brilliant sun above his head, casting a 'four-armed shadow' that enveloped the small Itachi.
Itachi sat on the wooden veranda, his small body frozen as he listened to the water basin spill its gurgling stream. His mouth hung open slightly.
Then, his slightly baby-fat-cheek was pinched by Roy. "So, my foolish little brother, never assume something doesn't exist just because you haven't seen it."
A silhouette appeared behind the sliding paper door leading into the house.
Fugaku Uchiha had pulled an all-nighter at the Police Force. Returning from his shift, his lip twitched. 'Who is this brat lecturing now?'
With a creak, Fugaku pulled the door open and sat down beside the brothers. He pulled a steaming paper-wrapped bundle from his robes and opened it. It was tricolor dango, a favorite of Roy and Itachi.
The brightly colored dumplings were made of glutinous rice or yam flour—soft and chewy on the outside, filled with matcha or syrup. They were perfectly balanced between sweet and salty; if bitten correctly, the filling would burst. Fugaku took a skewer and handed it to Itachi, then glared at Roy. "You have plenty of arms; get one yourself."
Roy chuckled, retracted the extra arms, took a skewer, and popped a dumpling into his mouth, chewing with his eyes narrowed.
Then, he heard Fugaku let out a sigh. "It's a pity for those uncles of yours. The village will provide some compensation for the sake of appearances, but if relations worsen in the future..."
"I will write it down." Roy chewed his dango, his taste buds exploding with the mix of sweet and salty. He said casually, "Whether we call it Arm Regeneration Technique or Limb Regeneration Technique, Father can take it..."
Fugaku's throat bobbed. He opened his mouth to say something but ultimately nodded silently. He sat with Roy and Itachi, eating dango while watching the blue sky, the drifting clouds, and the clear spring sun. After a moment, he said, "Roy, once this technique of yours comes out, it won't be possible to keep it a secret within the clan."
'A ninjutsu that can regenerate limbs...' Not to mention the Medical Corps, any ninja who had experienced the battlefield or even those who hadn't would understand just how immense the value of this jutsu was.
After all, ninjas ultimately relied on weaving signs with their hands to connect with the chakra in their bodies and release ninjutsu. Even someone as powerful as Orochimaru could not avoid this process.
In the original story, after his invasion of Konoha, when Hiruzen Sarutobi took his arms using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, he spent every day trying to restore them. But once the soul was gone, it was gone; even transferring to a new body was useless.
Roy knew this well. He understood that the moment any Uchiha who had been missing an arm or leg appeared before the public fully restored, it would be impossible to hide it from Konoha. He finished his dango and smiled at Fugaku. "An Uchiha's life is a life, and a Konoha life is also a life. If we can allow those disabled people to reclaim the path of the ninja, I have no objection, even if they are from other clans."
The boy was completely open, his words like the blazing sun, radiating warm light that reflected in Itachi's eyes. Itachi's small mouth was stuffed full of dango, looking like a squirrel full of nuts as he whispered, "Brother..."
Fugaku, caught in the middle, was momentarily stunned. 'He really is radiant...' He reached out and patted Roy's shoulder. "Don't worry, we won't give it away for nothing. At the very least, anyone who learns this technique will owe us a debt of gratitude in the future."
There was one more thing Fugaku didn't say: if the clan and the village truly reached a stalemate, this favor would make the higher-ups hesitate. They would have to think twice before moving to weaken the Uchiha.
"Yeah." Roy finished his dango and lay back on the rug with his hands behind his head, comfortably soaking up the sun. The light shifted beside him as Fugaku lay down too, reaching out to pull Itachi into his arms. He said leisurely, "I received word that the Hokage went to the school this morning."
Roy closed his eyes in silence. After a long while, he said faintly, "I saw."
At the Ninja Academy, an old man and a youth locked eyes through the clear glass window.
The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared outside the classroom wearing his ceremonial robe and Hokage hat with his hands behind his back, it immediately triggered a wave of commotion and noise.
The substitute teacher for the ninjutsu class was Yoshioka Yu, an old Chunin of civilian origin. He was highly skilled in Fire Style but had grown tired of the slaughter on the battlefield, choosing to retire behind the scenes to cultivate talent for Konoha. Hearing the noise, he hurried out and bowed excitedly to Hiruzen. "Yoshioka Yu greets the Hokage!"
"It's the Hokage!"
"It's Lord Hokage!"
"Hey... am I seeing things? He really looks just like the face on the Hokage Rock!"
"Duh! That face was carved to look exactly like Lord Hokage!"
As Yoshioka Yu bowed to Hiruzen, the young ninjas ignored classroom discipline, pushing tables and pulling chairs to swarm around Hiruzen in the center.
In an instant, only Roy remained in the empty back row of the classroom. He sat there bored, propping up his chin, quietly staring at Hiruzen Sarutobi through the crowd of heads.
'I am here.'
'You are here.'
'You don't seem to welcome me.'
'Should I?'
The silent exchange passed through their gaze, sparking a hint of static.
Hiruzen moved. In his early fifties, he was in his prime and looked nowhere near as old as he would later. He wore a kind smile as if treating his own nephews. He withdrew his gaze and looked at the circle of young ninjas around him, patting one and pinching another. Then he turned to Yoshioka Yu. "What are we teaching today?"
Yoshioka Yu hurriedly replied, "Fire Style."
The old Chunin was about forty, and his constant toil over schoolwork made him look even older than Hiruzen. He added, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."
This was his best ninjutsu and the most respectable one he could show.
Although it was a basic D-rank ninjutsu, inferior to the C-rank Great Fireball, for a group of academy students who weren't even Genin yet, catching a glimpse of fire-attribute chakra and releasing even a small flame was no easy feat.
Hiruzen hummed and nodded slightly. "Fire Style is good. I am also skilled in Fire Style. Let's go to the school ground. Let me see if our young ninjas have made any progress."
"Yes!" Yoshioka Yu raised his voice with a mix of nervousness and excitement. "Everyone, assemble! Prepare for review by Lord Hokage!"
"Ossu!" No further orders were needed. The young ninjas were already rubbing their hands together, eager to show off in front of Hiruzen. After all, this was the Hokage—the ultimate goal of every ninja and their greatest dream!
Step... step... A few young ninjas who believed they had mastered the Fireball Jutsu stepped out from the crowd and ran toward the school ground first.
Yoshioka Yu followed the crowd and then turned to shout at Roy. "Jin Uchiha, what are you standing there for?"
The clone Roy, while not as powerful as Taiyi who had been modified by Flesh and Blood Clone, still possessed one-tenth of Roy's strength. He stood up unhurriedly and was the last to walk out of the classroom.
Beside him, Hiruzen Sarutobi deliberately slowed his pace to walk alongside him. He looked the boy up and down and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, said warmly, "Child, I never thought the day would come when someone would catch me in the act. You..."
"Are the first!"
The power of the Telescope Technique was evident from the fact that the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku—the one who grew up with the Sage of the Six Paths—could see the world without leaving his home using a crystal as a medium. He could even find people through the void with just a sliver of their chakra.
Even if Hiruzen Sarutobi's skill in this technique wasn't equal to the Toad Sage's and his range was limited to Konoha, the fact that he developed the Telescope Technique independently without guidance proved his title as the 'Professor' was not in vain.
"Lord Hokage worries too much. It was merely a coincidence." Roy's dark hair fell over his shoulders as he walked slowly. His words were calm, and his face was as cool as Fugaku's, but his brow was free of worry, replaced by a touch of indifference and confidence. He looked completely out of place among his peers.
"Heh heh..." Unexpectedly, Hiruzen smiled and didn't push the topic. Like an elder looking at a nephew, he teased Roy, "It seems you don't get along very well with your classmates..."
Roy narrowed his eyes and replied with an equal smile, "You've got that wrong, Lord Hokage. I receive a pile of love letters every single day."
"Oh?" The old man stopped and looked at the boy seriously, then nodded in agreement. "True. If I were your classmate, I would be jealous of you too."
"So..." Roy spread his hands. "That's the trouble with being handsome."
"Hahaha!" Hiruzen laughed heartily, his volume rising slightly and causing Yoshioka Yu to look back repeatedly.
The old Chunin looked at Roy in surprise, then stole a glance at Hiruzen. He hadn't expected that the Uchiha boy could actually get along with the Hokage. He deeply engraved this scene into his heart.
At ten in the morning, the sun in the sky climbed slowly but steadily toward the zenith.
After his laughter subsided, Hiruzen gently patted Roy's back, moving in step with the boy. He sighed with emotion. "Usually, I tell your father not to be so uptight. You, however... you don't look like an Uchiha at all."
The 'naturally evil' Uchiha were nowhere near as sunny as this boy. This was something Hiruzen Sarutobi had not expected.
The two walked side by side, and soon, the school ground came into view.