"...Kuroha?"
From his perch in the branches, Uchiha Shisui watched the small figure walking away.For an instant, he could've sworn Kuroha had noticed him.
Then he shook his head, smiling at his own imagination.He was hidden well enough that even a jōnin like Jīn hadn't sensed him.A three-year-old definitely hadn't.
Coincidence—nothing more.
Still, Shisui's eyes lingered on Kuroha's retreating back.
The boy with the double pupils.The anomaly whispered about through the clan.
He'd never observed Kuroha up close before, but the raw chakra leaking from the child today…It was far beyond what a boy that age should possess.If only the chakra weren't so unstable, spilling out of him like water through a cracked vessel.
"Dark Ops said he's been training taijutsu under Maito Gai," Shisui murmured.It made sense. If he couldn't use ninjutsu properly, taijutsu was the only path forward.
A harsh path.A limited path.But still a path.
Unlike the Sharingan—something Kuroha clearly hadn't awakened and might never awaken.
Nearby, another voice carried across the training ground.
"So much chakra… wasted."
Itachi stood where Kuroha had been moments earlier, his expression unreadable.He had expected a rival.What he saw instead was a contradiction: a prodigy's reserves with a dropout's control.
"All that power and he can't use any of it," Itachi said quietly. "Even Sasuke will surpass him without effort."
He turned back to his training, shutting out everything except the quiet rhythm of his own breath.His goal was clear: Shisui.
To reach him, he needed speed, precision, and absolute focus.
Yet halfway through his practice, something tugged at his senses.
Someone… watching?
He scanned the treeline.Nothing.
Too many people on the field. Too much noise.He dismissed it and continued his drills.
Evening settled.
"Brother, I'm heading home," Sasuke said, rubbing his eyes.
"Go ahead," Itachi replied. "I'll stay a little longer."Sasuke hesitated—wanting to stay, lacking the stamina—and eventually left with a small wave.
When Itachi was alone, he repeated every technique he knew.Hand seals.Shuriken trajectories.Breath control.Each repetition shaved off another fraction of inefficiency.
A single mistake in battle could kill him.He had no room for sloppiness.
Hidden above, Shisui watched with growing surprise.
So young, and already this sharp…No wonder Lord Third has his eye on him.
Suddenly, Itachi froze.
That feeling again.
Without hesitation, his Sharingan flickered to life.Three tomoe spun—not with aggression, but with alertness.
"Who's there?" he called out.
A soft laugh answered.
"Itachi… impressive. You sensed me."
Shisui stepped from the shadows, landing lightly.
"It's been a while," he said warmly.
Itachi straightened, eyes widening. "Shisui-nii? What brings you here?"
Shisui waved a hand, settling casually beneath a tree.Itachi sat beside him, posture rigid with respect.
Sunset filtered through the branches, tinting everything gold.
"Itachi," Shisui began, "Lord Third mentioned you today. He thinks highly of your talent. Said you may be ready for ANBU in a few months."
Itachi's breath caught—his face calm, but the tremor in his voice betrayed him.
"The Hokage… spoke of me?"
"He did," Shisui said with a smile. "He believes you could help bridge the gap between the clan and the village. That you might carry the Uchiha name back into the center of Konoha."
A simple hope, but Itachi clung to it fiercely.
After the Nine-Tails attack, the village had kept the Uchiha at arm's length.Low-priority missions.Thin budgets.Quiet suspicion.
If he could reach ANBU…If he could stand beside Shisui…
Maybe things would change.
"I'll work harder," Itachi said, eyes brightening with resolve. "For the clan. For the village."
Shisui nodded, satisfied… and painfully unaware of how both their futures would be twisted by the very leaders they trusted.
They talked for a long time.Duty.Expectations.Paths forward.
When Shisui finally rose to leave, Itachi called out:
"Shisui-nii… wait."
Shisui paused, curious.
Itachi's hesitation faded, replaced by quiet determination.
"I want to know how far I am from you," he said. "Show me."