One month later, at the Uchiha clan's private training grounds.
*Bang, bang, bang…*
With a flick of his wrist, six kunai soared through the air and embedded themselves into six separate wooden targets. Each strike landed dead center, one after the other, leaving faint wisps of smoke from impact.
Uchiha Yun crossed his arms smugly, chin tilted slightly upward as he turned to look at the girl behind him.
Izumi clapped her hands excitedly, her face alight with admiration. "Onii-chan, that was amazing! Can you teach me how to do that?"
Yun scratched the back of his head, pretending to be modest. In truth, he had no real understanding of the algorithm that Itachi once used to calculate trajectories and timing. But who cared? In this world, he would've long died in misery if he waited for theoretical mastery.
"Alright." Yun said with a grin. "I'll teach you the secret technique passed down from the great genius himself."
Izumi's eyes sparkled as she eagerly watched Yun's every move, determined to replicate it. She mimicked his throws, eyes narrowed in focus. Even when her kunai scattered wildly, her determination remained unshaken.
Yun watched her for a while, then smiled faintly.
Despite being twins, his life differed drastically from Izumi's—or even prodigies like Itachi and Shisui. Itachi was the son of the late clan head and heir to a house filled with jutsu scrolls and high-level instructors. Shisui came from a line that once produced disciples of the Second Hokage, and even though his ancestor was later branded a scapegoat for a forbidden technique, it didn't change the fact that Shisui was groomed for greatness.
Yun, however, had none of that. All he got from the Uchiha clan was a roof over his head and the birthright of the Sharingan. That was it.
In the official ninja records, even after Izumi awakened her three-tomoe Sharingan, her strongest area was still labeled as taijutsu. That was the limit of their recognition.
"Let's go, Izumi!" Yun called out. "We still have to get meatballs from the shop. Mother told us not to come home empty-handed."
"I'm coming, onii-chan!" Izumi replied. "Let me grab the ninja tools."
With her gear packed, the pair headed off toward the village's commercial street.
Now seven years old, Izumi followed Yun obediently. She occasionally glanced left and right as if searching for something—or perhaps someone.
When they reached the meatball shop, Yun suddenly halted in front of the closed shutters, causing Izumi to nearly bump into him.
The store owner was just locking up after selling out the last batch. Yun had gotten lucky and bought a box of the tricolored dango just in time.
As he tied the parcel, Yun noticed the way Izumi kept glancing around.
"Looking around so much... what's up? Are you searching for a certain stoic-faced guy?"
A few paces away, Itachi stood quietly with a toddler on his back. Sasuke peeked out from behind his brother's shoulder, his chubby fingers tugging at Itachi's collar. They both stared at the closed shop in disappointment.
Izumi stepped forward. "Itachi, were you hoping to buy dango?"
Itachi looked away, clearly embarrassed to be caught with a sweet tooth.
"I bought the last batch." she said, lifting the bag. "But... I can treat you if you'd like."
Itachi hesitated, then said quickly, "It's not for me. Sasuke wanted some. That's why I brought him."
"Eat, eat!" Sasuke chirped cheerfully.
Izumi chuckled. "Let's find a spot and share them."
As they walked off together, Yun stood behind and watched them go. The scene tugged at something in his memory.
Itachi had recently become a Genin, paired with Minazuki Yuki as his Jōnin sensei, and flanked by civilian teammates—Tenma and Shinko. That moment—the bond being built—was eerily familiar.
'If I remember correctly.' Yun thought, 'Itachi opened his two-tomoe around this time in the original timeline.'
Then his eye twitched.
'Wait... she shared her meatballs... with him?! And left me here?!'
…
On the wooden pier by the river, Izumi sat silently, cradling the back of her head, eyes brimming with tears. She dared not complain.
Yun sat between Itachi and Sasuke, one eyebrow twitching as he glanced sideways.
"So, how's the Genin life treating you?" Yun asked, feigning innocence. "I'm still on vacation, but you—you're out there chasing cats and picking up trash. How glamorous."
Itachi looked helplessly at the dango plate Yun had commandeered. Two pieces remained uneaten, but Itachi knew better than to fight over them.
"It's... actually pretty interesting." he said quietly. "My teammates are decent, and Minazuki-sensei is competent."
Yun grinned. "Wow. So the emotionless prodigy is learning how to make friends. Impressive."
Itachi shifted Sasuke to a more comfortable position on his back. After a pause, he murmured, "Yun… why do they seem so hostile toward us?"
Yun narrowed his eyes. "By 'they', you mean the civilian shinobi. And by 'us,' you mean the Uchiha?"
Itachi nodded.
"'Hostile' is a bit strong." Yun said. "Let's call it… resentment. You remember your graduation test?"
Itachi blinked. "Of course."
"The Chūnin examiner was Tenma's older brother. He expected to win. But when he lost—to a seven-year-old, no less—that was humiliation."
"I didn't even hit him that hard…"
"That's not the point." Yun said flatly. "What matters is that you won. That one loss shattered the image of superiority those civilians held. For them, it feels like the Uchiha are looking down on them."
Itachi lowered his gaze.
From across the pier, a voice shouted, "Itachi! We've got a mission! Quit slacking off!"
Tenma stood with his arms folded, glaring. Itachi rose to his feet, adjusting Sasuke on his back.
"I have to take Sasuke home first. I'll be there shortly." he replied.
Tenma muttered something under his breath and walked off.
Yun watched him go. "Jealousy can rot a man from the inside. Genius is never free—it comes at the cost of isolation. Guard your bonds, Itachi. They'll be your shield."
Itachi nodded silently.
Yun called out before he left. "That crow Shisui gave you? It's not just a decoy. With the right summoning technique, it can transmit mental signals. Don't forget that."
…
As they walked home...
"Ow! Onii-chan, why'd you hit me?!"
"For abandoning me for another guy."
"When you get a girlfriend, I swear I'll be the worst third wheel ever!"
"Girlfriends slow down my sword-drawing speed."
"Onii-chan…"
"What?"
"I'm telling Mom that the only man in our family wants to be single forever!"
*Bonk!*
Izumi rubbed her head, glaring in frustration.
'How can there be this much of a gap between us when we're only a few minutes apart in age?!'
Yun turned his eyes toward the distant Hokage Tower. His thoughts darkened.
In his memory, Itachi's team didn't last long. Minazuki and Tenma would die on a mission. Shinko's fate was unclear—some said she quit, others claimed Obito killed her.
The bonds forming now were fragile.
And they were already under surveillance.
…
Root Division.
Danzo shifted through a pile of mission reports. "Has Itachi's team been arranged?"
From the shadows, a voice responded, "Instructor is Minazuki Yuki. Both teammates are civilians—Izumo Tenma and Inari Shinko."
Danzo tapped the paper once, satisfied.
"Good. Let them grow attached. But ensure the Fourth Hokage never hears of the contingency plan. Any vulnerability must remain hidden."
The shadow bowed deeply and disappeared into the darkness.
*****
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