With the system's help, Uchiha Izumi quickly mastered the basics of shurikenjutsu. From a short distance away, both Itachi and Shisui widened their eyes in shock at his progress.
Both Itachi and Shisui were considered geniuses of the Uchiha clan, yet even their learning speed with shuriken techniques couldn't compare to Izumi's.
"Shisui, how long did it take you when you first learned?" Itachi asked.
"A week. I imagine it was the same for you. But this kid… he's a monster. He only saw it once, and now he can already replicate it. Looks like our clan will have another powerhouse in the future." Shisui replied, his tone a mix of admiration and disbelief.
Izumi had no idea that both of them were observing him so carefully. Not that it would have mattered if he knew—Itachi and Shisui were good people. As long as Izumi didn't threaten the safety of the Leaf, he believed he wouldn't be in any danger.
He spent the entire morning practicing shurikenjutsu, refining his throws and accuracy. For now, it was the only skill he could truly rely on. Near noon, both Itachi and Shisui approached him.
"You've done very well, Izumi," Itachi said calmly. "Next, I'll teach you about chakra refinement. Chakra is a special kind of energy created when the body's physical energy and mental energy are perfectly combined. It is the source used to perform ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, and can also be molded into threads to bind an opponent or cut through chakra-based substances."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"This energy is composed of two parts: first, the physical energy drawn from every one of the body's trillions of cells; second, the spiritual energy gained through training and accumulated experience. Once chakra is refined, it can be shaped into techniques through the use of hand seals."
Itachi's explanation was concise but thorough. These were things any Uchiha could find written in clan scrolls, the basics of ninja training. Still, he doubted a four-year-old like Izumi would already know them.
"Do you understand what I've said?" Itachi asked.
"I understand. I've read books at home about the theory of chakra, but I don't know the actual method of refining it yet," Izumi replied honestly.
Itachi nodded slightly, about to continue—when another figure appeared.
"Itachi, I thought I'd find you here. Hm? Who's this kid? I know your brother Sasuke, and he doesn't look like this."
"Izumi, this is Uchiha Izumi," Shisui said, stepping in to explain. "You could say he's Itachi's rival. He's the one who tried to ambush Itachi yesterday."
"Izumi?"
"Hello, Izumi-nee." Izumi greeted politely.
At a glance, he immediately recognized the girl—Uchiha Izumi, the young girl who adored Itachi. A sweet, pretty little kunoichi, and one of his biggest admirers. In the original timeline, she would die during the Uchiha massacre, falling under Itachi's Tsukuyomi. To her, perhaps dying within an illusion was kinder than facing the truth of dying by the hand of the one she loved.
Ding! System prompt: A side mission has been triggered. Assist Uchiha Izumi in achieving her heart's desire. Reward: unlock special system feature. Failure: no penalty.
Hearing the system's cold mechanical voice, Izumi froze for a moment. It hadn't explained her wish, but as someone familiar with the Naruto storyline, he already knew. Her heart's desire was simple—to be with Itachi.
"Nice to meet you. You're pretty amazing—challenging Itachi at such a young age takes guts. But if you want to beat him, you'll need to work very hard." Uchiha Izumi's tone was cheerful, but she couldn't help feeling a strange closeness to the boy in front of her. Almost like he was a younger brother. Perhaps their similar names played a role in that.
"Mm, I know. Right now, I'm learning shurikenjutsu from Itachi-nii. He was just explaining chakra to me, too."
"I see. Then you—"
Before long, Izumi and Uchiha Izumi were chatting away like old friends, leaving Itachi and Shisui somewhat awkwardly ignored to the side.
"Ahem. Izumi, did you come today to see Itachi again?" Shisui finally broke in when the two seemed to be getting too caught up in conversation.
"Yes. I brought you both some lunch. You should eat before continuing your training," she said, pulling a small bundle from behind her.
"Oh, Shisui-nii, I just remembered—I need your help with something. Can you come with me?" Izumi interrupted quickly, giving Shisui a pointed look.
He thought his signals were subtle, but in reality they were obvious to anyone watching. Itachi and Shisui, being a little dense in such matters, didn't catch on. Uchiha Izumi, however, understood immediately—he was creating an opportunity for her to be alone with Itachi.
Her cheeks flushed red. Part of her was surprised by Izumi's perceptiveness, while another part was embarrassed that someone had seen through her feelings so easily.
Half-dragging Shisui away, Izumi left the training field to the two of them. Whatever happened next between Itachi and Izumi, he had no desire to know.
"Do you need something, Izumi?" Shisui asked as the two of them strolled outside the training grounds, wandering toward the Uchiha compound.
"Shisui-nii, don't you see? Izumi-nee likes Itachi-nii. Why else would she skip class just to bring food here for you two?" Izumi said bluntly, rolling his eyes. Honestly, what a giant lightbulb this guy is. No wonder Izumi-nee is always stuck with him third-wheeling.
"Ah, so that's how it is. You're still just a little kid, but you already understand these things, huh?" Shisui chuckled, scratching his head. "Anyway, Itachi just told you about the origin of chakra. Let me explain about chakra natures. Chakra is divided into five basic elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Lightning. They each counter one another—Earth beats Water, Water beats Fire, and so on."
"I see." Izumi nodded, feigning curiosity despite already knowing this information from memory.
"Normally, a ninja is born with one natural affinity. Elite jōnin can train to acquire a second. You'll learn the details in the academy, but for now, I'll help you test your chakra nature. In our clan, most people have Fire, though there are exceptions." Shisui pulled a small slip of paper from his pouch.
"This is chakra paper. Pour your chakra into it, and it will react. Fire makes it burn, Wind makes it split, Lightning makes it wrinkle, Earth makes it crumble, and Water makes it damp."
Izumi took the paper and pushed his chakra into it. He didn't know that Shisui was secretly testing him. Though Izumi had tried hard to hide that he already understood chakra, Shisui had caught subtle hints and was wary. This was his way of probing Izumi further.
The result stunned them both.
The paper split cleanly down the middle—then one half burst into flames, while the other wrinkled up like crumpled cloth.
"Three natures?!" Shisui's eyes widened in shock.
His suspicion instantly vanished. No spy could fake this.
Ninjas born with two elemental affinities were already rare. Even Shisui himself only had Fire and Lightning. To have three was almost unheard of.
The only ninja Shisui could think of with three natural elements was the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki of the Two Scales. His fearsome Dust Release—Jinton—was a kekkei tōta born from combining Wind, Earth, and Fire.