In Konoha, within the Uchiha clan district, inside Sasuke's home.
In the room, only Fugaku and Itachi were present.
"Itachi, you've worked hard lately. Sasuke's taijutsu has improved quite a bit."
"It has nothing to do with me. His new teacher is very responsible—a very capable taijutsu instructor," Itachi replied.
Fugaku fell silent for a few seconds before recalling, "That teacher named Yanagi Shin?"
"Yes. Though not particularly strong, his fundamentals are solid," Itachi answered.
Fugaku hesitated, then finally said, "That child, Uzumaki Naruto…"
"There won't be any issues. Sasuke shouldn't be involved in that matter to begin with," Itachi said.
Fugaku stared at him.
From his son's face, he could see hidden exhaustion and confusion, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
After a moment, Fugaku spoke softly, "Perhaps you're right. Go pick up Sasuke. He's always hoped you'd come for him after school."
"Understood. I'll take my leave."
Itachi nodded and stood to leave.
Just as he opened the door, Fugaku suddenly called out, almost instinctively, "Wait!"
Itachi turned his head.
Fugaku's lips moved, but no words came out. After a few seconds, he finally said, "Don't overwork yourself. If the ANBU duties become too much, you can let them go."
"I'll consider it."
…
At the school gate, as the bell rang, a crowd of students poured out. Some even jumped over the walls, drawing loud scolding.
The entrance was packed.
As Sasuke walked out, he spotted Uchiha Itachi at the edge of the crowd. His eyes lit up instantly, and he waved excitedly. "Big brother!"
He sprinted over.
A faint smile appeared on Itachi's lips as he caught the running Sasuke in his arms.
Then, he felt a gaze upon him. Following his instinct, he looked over—
That taijutsu teacher.
Itachi gave a slight nod in acknowledgment before leaving with Sasuke.
Not far away, Shin withdrew his gaze.
Judging by the figure…
The one who had secretly observed him practicing the Dance of the Crescent Moon that day was indeed Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi was rigid and stubborn—not someone worth trying to recruit.
But the other one…
Shin's mind conjured an image from the anime.
Uchiha Shisui.
They were about the same age and had even been in the same academy class, but Shisui had been a genius, graduating at six or seven.
As an ordinary civilian with average talent, Shin had barely interacted with him back then.
On the surface, building a relationship was impossible. And with his connection to Danzo, he couldn't openly approach Shisui either…
"Shin-kun?"
"Hm?"
Shin came back to his senses and saw Kurenai Yuhi walking out of the school with Yakumo.
He smiled gently. "Yakumo, how was your first day?"
"Everyone was very nice, and the teaching was great." Yakumo Kurama's smile was pure, without a trace of pretense. "For the first time, I feel like coming to school can be this enjoyable!"
"Some things that seem ordinary only feel precious once they're lost. So for your sake—and your parents'—make sure to take good care of yourself," Shin said.
"Yes, I understand!" Yakumo nodded firmly.
Kurenai waved goodbye and disappeared down the street.
…
"Calling it an exchange was just a polite way of saying she wanted to teach me genjutsu techniques."
"Even though I didn't learn any proper genjutsu, I picked up quite a few methods to dispel them. Not a bad gain."
Shin recorded the day's insights with his pen.
Without the Sharingan, the upper limit of genjutsu was too low. His interest in studying it wasn't particularly high.
Still—
There was no harm in recording more knowledge.
After finishing, he glanced over his notes, tucked them into his ninja pouch, grabbed the Aota blade, and ran out of the village.
He still needed to practice the Dance of the Crescent Moon.
The Konoha-style swordsmanship wasn't purely taijutsu or a single ninjutsu, so it couldn't be trained within the taijutsu or ninjutsu training spaces.
…
In the forest—
Whoosh!
Three figures darted through the trees, blade shadows intertwining,真假难辨.
As the blade cut through the air, leaves fell in scattered fragments.
At the moment two figures crossed paths, a third suddenly appeared from the side of a tree, its blade flashing like lightning in a sharp arc.
Crack!
A branch snapped and fell.
Shin straightened up and glanced at his panel:
[Konoha Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon — Proficient]
Success!
Though only at the proficient level, it proved he had fully grasped the technique. All that remained was real combat to refine and validate it.
Moreover, the combination of Water Clones with the Dance of the Crescent Moon had been confirmed as viable. However, the hand seals and casting speed were slower than the basic Clone Technique.
To apply it effectively in battle, further optimization would be necessary.
Additionally—
[Clone Technique: Perfect]
After mastering the Water Clone Technique at a perfect level, his basic Clone Technique had also improved to perfection during his sword training.
Looking at the panel, Shin felt a growing sense of confidence.
"That should be about enough."
…
The next day, after finishing his taijutsu class, Shin headed straight outside Konoha to the place where he often encountered "Ji," continuing his training.
Around noon, he quietly left a note before departing the forest.
Back at home, he found a slip of paper pressed on his desk.
It read—
"The lord has approved your application for Special Jonin. Burn after reading."
Shin let out a breath of relief.
Special Jonin differed from full Jonin.
As long as one possessed exceptional ability in a specific field, they could apply for Special Jonin. Kurenai Yuhi and Anko Mitarashi were both examples.
Gekko Hayate was a special case—his unique transparency technique gave him outstanding abilities in reconnaissance and assassination.
If not for his congenital illness limiting his physical development, he might have gone even further.
By comparison, Shin believed the gap between himself and a Special Jonin wasn't that large. It was worth attempting.
At the same time, he knew Danzo was suspicious and controlling. Applying for Special Jonin definitely required his approval to proceed smoothly with future plans.
…
Inside the Third Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi set down the application form and looked at Shin with a gentle gaze. "You're certain you want to apply for this year's examination?"
"Yes." Shin's tone was sincere. "Thanks to your guidance, my taijutsu, clone techniques, and swordsmanship have all improved significantly. I'd like to give it a try."
Hiruzen smiled. "The village is always glad to see talented young people step forward. There's no issue with your application."
He picked up another document and scanned it.
A few seconds later, Hiruzen looked up. "Three days from now. I'll select suitable examiners to assess your abilities. If you pass, there will be a written test and overall evaluation."
"Yes!"
With the answer confirmed, Shin felt relieved.
After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Lord Hokage, if I become a Special Jonin, will my position change?"
"The ninja world is relatively stable right now. There won't be any changes to your duties for the time being, so don't worry," Hiruzen said with a gentle smile.
Then he leaned back in his chair. "However, if you become a Special Jonin, your responsibilities at the academy will certainly increase."
"With greater ability comes greater responsibility. I understand."
"Prepare well. I believe you'll pass."