A new arrival and it's about Itachi God. So, do give it a go.
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***
"Not good!"
Uchiha Nai's face suddenly changed.
His arm, which had been kicked away by Itachi's feet, went numb, unable to move freely.
Uchiha Nai's entire body had also been slightly affected by Itachi's previous attack, leaving him unable to dodge Itachi's subsequent fierce assault.
He could only cross his left arm across his chest to block Itachi's straight punch.
At least Itachi was now fully airborne, so there was no need to worry about him suddenly changing the trajectory of the attack.
Bang!
Itachi's full-body punch hit Uchiha Nai's arm firmly.
With his left arm pressed against his chest, Uchiha Nai suffered the recoil and stumbled back a few steps.
However, Itachi's attack had already exhausted its force and he fell to the ground.
The reason he could use this move to attack Uchiha Nai was because his five-year-old body was small, allowing him to dodge the initial hand strike.
Similarly, because of its small size, it couldn't execute a series of moves to press Uchiha Nai.
Uchiha Nai was no fool either.
When Itachi landed, he, too, steadied himself and retreated without hesitation.
His eyes were filled with surprise.
In just one round, he, the initiator of the attack, had been so embarrassed and forced to retreat by a five-year-old.
"Itachi's moves were so decisive!"
Observing the fight, Fugaku was stunned.
It was clear that Itachi's speed and strength were inferior to Uchiha Nai's.
However, Itachi was able to instantly seize the gap in his opponent's attack and, using a somewhat dangerous method, shift from defense to offense, decisively inflicting damage.
This kind of maneuver, let alone Uchiha Nai, would be nearly impossible for anyone without the experience of true ninja combat.
In battle, the opportunity to exploit an enemy's weakness is fleeting, and without a certain amount of experience, it's impossible to make the most intelligent decisions instantly.
Fugaku never doubted Itachi's talent, but he struggled to understand how a child could pull off such a move.
Seeing Uchiha Nai retreat, Itachi didn't pursue him.
He knew his own speed and strength were far inferior to his opponent's, and any pursuit would only drain his energy.
After Uchiha Nai and Itachi had established a safe distance, he shook his numb arms.
His left arm was fine.
After all, his entire body had absorbed Itachi's force, but Itachi's initial kick had struck the joints of his right arm.
While his right arm wouldn't be completely crippled, its flexibility would be significantly affected for a while.
He frowned at Itachi, his expression gradually darkening.
Uchiha Nai now deeply regretted his underestimation of Itachi.
However, considering Itachi's recent moves, he realized they would be difficult to defend against, even in a serious fight.
The test was still ongoing, with Fugaku watching from the sidelines, and Uchiha Nai was suddenly troubled.
"Nai-senpai, I told you before, use all your strength, and don't worry about hurting me," Itachi said, sensing Uchiha Nai's fear.
"Go ahead. It's Itachi's choice. Even if you injure him, I'll blame him for being ignorant, not you," Fugaku said immediately.
Uchiha Nai observed Fugaku's solemn expression.
He always kept his word within the clan.
This reassured him, and he clenched his palms.
Swish!
Then, Uchiha Nai rushed toward Itachi again.
He approached Itachi at breakneck speed, simultaneously drawing several shurikens from his ninja tool bag.
Uchiha Nai didn't dare engage Itachi in direct close combat.
Naturally, his only option was to feint with shuriken.
Just as he drew his shurikens, Itachi did the same.
Itachi easily guessed the mindset and strategic direction of a fresh graduate from the Ninja Academy.
With only a few meters between them, Uchiha Nai swung his arms.
"Swish!"
The black shurikens, emanating as dark afterimages, shot toward Itachi.
When Uchiha Nai's shuriken left his hand, they spread out and locked onto all the positions Itachi could move in a fan shape.
Seeing this, Itachi swept his eyes left and right, and then suddenly swung out the three shurikens in his right hand.
The three shurikens approaching his left hand were also released a little slower.
The shurikens Itachi released at the beginning did not move in a straight line, but all had some arcs.
Uchiha Nai could not see the clues, but when Fugaku observed it, his pupils suddenly shrank.
"Ding Ding!"
The three shurikens with arcs first hit Uchiha Nai's shurikens that were scattered in an arc and were on the inside.
Under this collision, the shurikens hit by Itachi were not shot down, but their trajectories were changed, and they shot towards the shurikens outside them.
"Ding Ding Ding!"
The crisp sound of shurikens clashing echoed.
Itachi had actually exploited Uchiha Nai's shuriken's trajectory, parrying his attack with just three shurikens.
Amidst the relentless clashing of shurikens, a single, distinct sound stood out.
Itachi had timed the shurikens with his left hand.
One shuriken shot straight forward, aiming directly at Uchiha Nai, while the other two were launched horizontally and vertically.
The horizontal shuriken collided with the vertical shuriken, causing it to deflect and change its trajectory.
Two shurikens erupted from the chaotic scattering of shuriken, hurling themselves at Uchiha Nai from two different directions.
After two weeks of strength training and familiarization, Itachi's shurikenjutsu had recovered to about 60% to 70%.
In close combat, he still needed experience and skill to overcome his disadvantage.
In a contest of shuriken, not even Uchiha Nai, let alone the JÅnin of the clan, would be a match for Itachi's skill.
Swish!
Shurikens, depleted of their power, fell repeatedly before Itachi, who swiftly followed.
This time, Uchiha Nai was locked in his own shuriken, leaving him no chance of escape.
Frightened by the shurikens coming from two directions, Uchiha Nai's eyes flashed.
Even if he dodged one attack, the other was impossible to evade.
Panicked, Uchiha Nai had only one option.
He stepped back and began forming hand seals.
Itachi, charging towards Uchiha Nai, saw the hand seals and immediately stopped, dodging to the side.
Uchiha Nai's hands suddenly formed a single hand seal.
He brought his hands together, raised them, and brought them together before his now puffed-out mouth.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Blazing!
From his mouth, a blazing flame erupted, instantly expanding into a massive fireball that engulfed Uchiha Nai's entire form.
At the same time, the shurikens shot at him from two directions were also swallowed by the spreading flames.
Swish!
At this moment, Itachi's figure was like a black shadow, just brushing against the edge of the fire and passing by!
The Conclusion of the Battle
Itachi, now a five-year-old child with the mind of a veteran shinobi, knew this was his best opportunity.
The Great Fireball Jutsu, a quintessential Uchiha technique, served as a powerful shield but also left the user briefly vulnerable.
The moment Uchiha Nai finished expelling the flames, he would have no more chakra to spare and would be temporarily exposed.
Itachi had not only anticipated this but had also planned his next move.
He came to a stop a few feet away from the dissipating flames.
Itachi's movements were fluid and precise.
His small body, fueled by his well-controlled chakra and newfound strength, allowed him to move much faster than Uchiha Nai would have ever guessed.
As the last tendrils of fire faded, Uchiha Nai's form was revealed, standing stiffly with his arms still in the jutsu's finishing pose.
His lungs were burning from the exertion, and a flicker of exhausted relief crossed his face.
He had survived the shuriken attack, and now his opponent was at a distance.
But that relief turned to pure shock as he felt a presence right in front of him.
Before he could react, a small hand shot out and lightly tapped his forehead with two fingers.
Itachi stood there, his arm extended, his expression calm.
"You lose, Senpai," he said softly.
Uchiha Nai's jaw dropped.
He hadn't even seen Itachi move.
Fugaku, watching from a distance, also had a look of utter disbelief.
The entire battleāfrom the physical combat to the shuriken duel and the final strikeāwas a display of tactical brilliance far beyond the capabilities of a five-year-old.
Itachi had not only won but had done so by anticipating every move and countering with an almost preternatural level of skill.
The silence that followed was broken only by the gentle rustle of leaves.
Fugaku watched his son, a mix of pride, astonishment, and deep concern on his face.
The test was a resounding success, but it confirmed something far more profound: his eldest son was not just a prodigy.
He was a phenomenon.
And that came with its own set of dangers.
....
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