One month later, at the Uchiha Clan training grounds.
Thud, thud, thud…
Six kunai were thrown in just two swift motions, striking six different targets in perfect succession.
Shion tilted his chin up proudly toward Izumi, who clapped her hands together with sparkling eyes.
"Big brother, you're amazing! Can you teach me too?"
Shion scratched the back of his head. Honestly, he wasn't exactly sure what formula Itachi used for his so-called shortcut calculations, but whatever—this world's old masters had long since rolled over in their graves anyway. Without hesitation, he passed on Itachi's secret throwing method to Izumi.
The little girl's face lit up with joy as she eagerly began experimenting with the new technique.
Truthfully, Shion's family circumstances were very different from those of Itachi or Shisui. Itachi was the son of the clan head, while Shisui's lineage traced back to the second Hokage's ill-fated disciple, the one who carried the blame for forbidden techniques. Both Itachi and Shisui grew up surrounded by scrolls—Shadow Clone, Fire Release, Body Flicker—their homes were filled with ninjutsu.
But Shion was different. Beyond a place to live, the only thing the Uchiha clan had truly given him was his bloodline: the Sharingan.
That was why, even in the records, once Izumi awakened her three-tomoe Sharingan, her file still listed her specialty as taijutsu rather than ninjutsu.
"Come on, Izumi! We need to buy some dango before heading home. Mother specifically told us this morning not to forget."
"I'll be right there! Let me just pick up the tools."
With his younger sister trailing behind, Shion made his way toward the bustling streets of Konoha's market district. Izumi, now over seven years old, followed obediently at his heels, glancing left and right as though keeping an eye out for something.
By the time they reached the dango shop, Shion stopped so suddenly that Izumi nearly bumped into him.
They bought the last skewer of three-colored dango to take home. Because it sold out, the shop owner closed up early for the afternoon.
"You've been looking around the whole way here. Hah, don't tell me you're hoping to run into that stone-faced boy?"
Sure enough, Itachi stood nearby, carrying his younger brother Sasuke on his back. He looked a little disappointed when he noticed the shop was already shut.
Izumi, holding the bag, walked straight over. "Itachi, did you come for the three-colored dango?"
Itachi stiffened, embarrassed. His fondness for sweets was supposed to be a secret Shion helped him keep.
Izumi held the bag up with a smile. "I bought the last one. But if you want it, even though Mother asked me to bring it home, I can share with you."
Itachi's embarrassment deepened. He glanced at Sasuke on his back before muttering, "It's not for me. Sasuke wanted some, so I brought him."
The little boy responded right on cue: "Eat, eat, eat!"
Izumi laughed softly. "Let's find a place to sit then. It's been so long since I last saw you, Itachi."
Watching the three of them walk ahead together, Shion felt a jolt of déjà vu.
In his memories, Itachi had already graduated early and was a newly minted genin. His squad was led by a jōnin from the Mizunotsuki clan, with teammates Tenma and Shin.
This very scene—Itachi buying dango—was something Shion recalled. But in the memory, it was Fugaku, Itachi's father, who brought him. Now it was Sasuke on his back instead.
Thinking further, Shion realized grimly: It wasn't long until the time Itachi awakened his double-tomoe Sharingan in the original timeline.
Wait a second—
His eyelid twitched. Izumi… she'd not only shared her dango with Itachi, but she'd even left her own brother behind in the process?!
At the riverside pier, Izumi rubbed the back of her head with teary eyes, too afraid to speak a word.
Shion sat between the siblings, casually eating the dango he'd swiped. He glanced at Itachi, who was still carrying Sasuke. "So, how's life as a genin? I'm on break, but you're running around the village catching cats, chasing dogs, and sometimes even picking up trash downstream."
Itachi looked at the dango in Shion's hands—two pieces left uneaten—and sighed, giving up. "It's actually not so bad. My teammates are good people, and Mizunotsuki-sensei treats us well."
Shion grinned, teasing him. "Well, well, look who's learning how to make new friends. Not bad, you've improved."
After a pause, Itachi adjusted Sasuke, who had already dozed off on his back. His voice dropped lower. "Shion… why do you think they're so hostile toward us?"
Shion blinked. "By 'they,' you mean the civilian shinobi? And 'us'—you mean the Uchiha?"
Itachi nodded. Shion thought for a moment before answering. "Calling it hostility is a bit exaggerated. It's more like resentment. Remember your graduation test? That chūnin you fought—he's Tenma's older brother. For a chūnin, beating a seven-year-old genin should've been nothing. But when he lost? That was humiliation. For the civilians, it felt like the Uchiha clan looking down on them."
Itachi quickly shook his head. "But I didn't go all out…"
His voice trailed off. With just a bit of prompting from Shion, his sharp mind pieced it together. It didn't matter if he'd held back. What mattered was that a chūnin had lost to a child—it made the Uchiha look untouchable, and everyone else feel inferior.
"Hey, Itachi! We've got a mission! You're still hanging around here?"
The shout came from Tenma, his teammate—the same boy Shion's shadow clone had once roughed up.
Itachi stood quickly. "I need to take Sasuke home first. I'll be there soon."
Tenma gave him a sharp look and muttered, "What a hassle," before walking off.
Shion chuckled. "Jealousy can twist a person's face, you know. That's the price of being labeled a genius. Handle your bonds well, Itachi."
Itachi nodded quietly, acknowledging the advice, and prepared to leave.
Before he could go, Shion added, "That crow Shisui gave you—it's not just for substitution. With the summoning contract, it can also deliver messages. Remember that. It'll help you someday."
"Big brother, you keep smacking the back of my head! It hurts!"
"Maybe if you'd learn your lesson, I wouldn't need to."
"Hmph! When you get a girlfriend one day, I'll make sure to tag along as the third wheel!"
"Girlfriend? Don't be ridiculous. That would only slow down how fast I draw my blade."
"Brother…"
"What now?" →_→
"I'm going to tell Mother that the only man in this family plans to stay single forever!"
Smack!
Izumi held her head again, her pride wounded. Why was the gap in strength so huge, even though they were born only a few minutes apart? If only she could beat him, just once…
Shion glanced toward the Hokage's office building in the distance, his thoughts darkening. He remembered the saying about the "unluckiest squad."
Itachi's team had only been together for less than a year, and yet—Tenma and Mizunotsuki-sensei would soon be killed. As for Shin, there were two versions of that memory: one where he gave up being a ninja entirely, and another where he was slain by Obito.
Root Headquarters.
Danzo set down the document he'd been reading. "Itachi's squad—has it been arranged?"
A shadowy figure in the room answered, "Yes. Their jōnin instructor is from the Mizunotsuki clan. The captain and both teammates are civilians."
Danzo narrowed his eyes. "Good. Keep it that way. Once their bonds deepen, move forward with the plan. Remember—although no clan members are in that squad, I don't want the Fourth Hokage finding any reason to suspect our intentions."
The figure bowed and melted back into the darkness.