Chapter 18: The Little Notebook
The next day, countless shuriken whistled through the air at a training ground deep in the forest.
"Remember this. Shuriken can kill an enemy, but most of the time, they're used as a feint. Whenever you throw one, you need to be prepared for whatever attack comes next."
As he demonstrated the technique, Gōenji continued teaching Itachi practical combat skills.
Itachi nodded thoughtfully. "Then how should I use shuriken to make them more effective?"
His expression was unusually intelligent for a child his age. He seemed to understand the point Gōenji was making almost immediately.
"You can combine shuriken with ninjutsu to create a feint, or simply use them to probe your opponent's defenses. In short, a shinobi's combat style requires them to predict what their opponent is going to do next, often in an instant."
Gōenji paused before adding, "For now, that's all you need to remember. You're still too young to begin chakra refinement. I know you're smart, so just keep these principles in mind until you're old enough to train properly."
"Yes, Gōenji-nii-san."
Itachi nodded obediently.
Gōenji looked at the young boy for a moment before continuing.
"There's something else you need to understand as a member of the Uchiha Clan. Don't become arrogant. Don't look down on people simply because you're an Uchiha, and don't become overly dependent on the power of the Sharingan."
He wasn't trying to brainwash Itachi overnight.
That would be pointless.
Instead, he intended to gradually teach him a few ordinary principles and let those ideas take root naturally.
Itachi was an exceptional child and had always been one of Gōenji's favorite characters in his previous life. There was no way he would simply stand by and watch the same tragedy happen again.
Whether it was because he liked Itachi as a character or because he couldn't bear to see the Uchiha Clan wiped out, he would do everything he could to prevent that future.
"Look down on others?"
Itachi tilted his head, clearly confused.
"What does that mean?"
"It means treating yourself as superior and everyone outside the Uchiha Clan as inferior—as though they're insignificant and beneath you."
Itachi thought about it for a moment before asking another question.
"Then why shouldn't I rely on the Sharingan? Isn't it our clan's kekkei genkai? I've heard Father and the other older brothers say that the Sharingan is one of the strongest powers in the world."
He had understood the first point quickly enough.
Now he was genuinely curious about the second.
It seemed he really could learn something from Gōenji-nii-san.
No one in the clan had ever told him not to look down on others. Quite the opposite. The Uchiha were often praised as Konoha's strongest clan, while even the Hyūga were sometimes treated as though they were nothing particularly special.
And no one had ever told him not to rely on the Sharingan.
The clan practically worshipped its power.
Every Uchiha he knew who had awakened the Sharingan was proud of it.
Yet Gōenji was telling him not to become dependent on the Sharingan.
That contradiction fascinated him.
There it is.
Gōenji immediately understood where the conversation needed to go.
"It's not that you shouldn't use the Sharingan, nor is the Sharingan weak. It's incredibly powerful. But you need to remember something."
He crouched slightly so that he was closer to Itachi's eye level.
"True strength has never belonged to a weapon. It belongs to the person wielding it—to the heart, determination, and will of the shinobi."
Itachi listened quietly.
"There is no invincible power in this world. The Sharingan is no exception. And if an enemy can't defeat your Sharingan, they can always find another way to defeat you."
"Will?"
Itachi scratched his head.
At his age, the concept was still too abstract for him to fully understand.
But he could tell that Gōenji didn't regard the Sharingan as something sacred.
To him, it was simply a tool.
That was very different from the way many Uchiha viewed it.
"Have you heard of Konoha's White Fang?"
"I have."
"Was he strong?"
"Very strong. I've heard that his name alone terrified enemies beyond the Land of Fire."
Gōenji nodded.
"But perhaps his will wasn't strong enough. In the end, rumors and public opinion destroyed him—or perhaps someone used those rumors to turn him into a weapon."
His voice became slightly more serious.
There were probably other reasons behind Sakumo Hatake's death.
Gōenji had always found the official explanation difficult to accept.
Perhaps Sakumo himself had wanted Konoha's shinobi to develop stronger bonds with one another. Perhaps his death had indirectly contributed to changes within the Academy and the village's attitude toward comrades.
Or perhaps someone had deliberately manipulated the situation.
After all, Konoha's atmosphere really did change after his death. The old mentality of completing missions at any cost gradually gave way to greater emphasis on protecting one's comrades.
There were still conflicts between those ideals, but the shift was undeniable.
Gōenji didn't know what had actually happened.
He was only speculating based on what he knew.
Still, he couldn't accept the simple explanation that such a powerful shinobi had been destroyed merely because of a few rumors.
There had to be more to it.
"Will means being able to remain yourself. It means understanding your own strengths and weaknesses and making your own decisions instead of letting others control you."
Gōenji looked directly at Itachi.
"Don't let other people's opinions determine who you are. You need to understand yourself objectively."
Itachi's expression became thoughtful.
"That sounds difficult. I once read in a book that if a person could completely control their own will, they would no longer be human. They would be a god."
A trace of understanding appeared on the boy's young face.
Gōenji smiled.
"You've read something like that?"
He nodded.
"You're right. No one can completely control their own will—not even themselves. But will can be guided. It can be influenced until you become someone different from the person you once were."
"Someone different from who I am?"
"Exactly."
Gōenji's expression turned serious.
"That's one of the things shinobi are best at exploiting. And that's where intelligence becomes important. Not just in battle. If someone understands your personality, they can attack your weaknesses, provoke you deliberately, and manipulate your decisions."
He sighed softly.
"There are countless examples in the shinobi world. Sakumo Hatake. Obito Uchiha. Madara Uchiha. Even you, Itachi."
"In a direct fight, you might be stronger than your enemy. They might never be able to defeat you head-on. But that doesn't mean they can't destroy you."
"They can use schemes. Information. Manipulation. Psychological attacks."
"Your combat strength might be overwhelming, but you're still only strong in one particular area. If someone attacks you somewhere else, all that strength may become meaningless."
Itachi was somewhat confused by the explanation, but he carefully committed every word to memory.
"For now, you only need to understand the basics. Don't think too deeply about it yet. You're still young."
Gōenji reached into his bag.
"The most important thing for you right now is learning."
He pulled out a small notebook and handed it to Itachi.
"I prepared a study plan specifically for you. Take a look."
Gōenji didn't treat Itachi like an ordinary child.
That would have been ridiculous.
The little boy was extraordinarily intelligent. He was only three years old, yet he could already communicate with adults without difficulty.
Who else could do that?
He was a genuine prodigy.
But precisely because he was so gifted, Gōenji had to remember that he was still a child.
He couldn't simply fill his head with adult concepts and expect him to understand everything immediately.
Itachi carefully opened the notebook.
Several neat lines of writing immediately caught his attention.
Basic Kinematics.
Basic Dynamics.
Fundamentals of Aerodynamics.
Kunai and Shuriken Trajectory Analysis.
Tracking and Trace Identification.
Explosive Tag Blast Radius and Applications.
Itachi's eyes widened slightly.
There was far more written inside the little notebook.
Gōenji folded his arms and watched him with a faint smile.
"This is only the beginning."