Shisui was utterly shocked, his earlier suspicion that Izumi might be a spy completely dispelled. After all, a shinobi possessing three chakra natures was far too rare to ignore.
At the same time, Izumi himself was equally stunned. He had suspected for a while that his chakra wouldn't be limited to just Fire Release, but he never imagined it would manifest as three different elements.
"Shisui-nii, it looks like I have three chakra natures," Izumi whispered, his voice low. Fortunately, they were in a secluded spot—had any of the Uchiha clan's higher-ups witnessed this, Izumi would already be under scrutiny.
"I can't believe it… such talent in someone so young." Shisui's expression grew serious. "But listen carefully. You must keep this a secret. Aside from me and Itachi, you cannot tell a single soul. Not even your parents."
He understood too well what would happen if the elders discovered this. Izumi would be taken away, pushed through relentless training, and molded into nothing more than a weapon. That sort of life was far from a blessing.
"I understand, Shisui-nii. I won't tell anyone." Izumi's tone was firm. In truth, even without Shisui's warning, he had no intention of revealing this to anyone. He knew the clan's extreme nature all too well. If Fugaku discovered his talent, it would surely become a curse, not a gift.
"Ding. Side Quest: Learn Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique. Time limit: three days. Note: This is part of a continuous quest. Failure will prevent all follow-up missions."
The system's mechanical voice rang in his head once again. Izumi could only grimace. Three days might sound long, but he was only four years old. At this age, mastering a C-rank jutsu was anything but simple.
"Shisui-nii, since the test is over, could you teach me a jutsu now? Maybe something really strong… like an S-rank jutsu? One that can defeat a bunch of people all at once!" Izumi puffed out his cheeks as he asked, deliberately acting like a child. It wouldn't do to seem too mature and risk drawing suspicion.
Shisui chuckled and flicked his forehead. "You've got some nerve. Even I don't know any S-rank jutsu. Besides, to use one, you'd need a massive amount of chakra. If you tried, you'd be drained dry in an instant."
"So that's how it is… Well, at least teach me something powerful, please?" Izumi put on a sulky face, which, combined with his round cheeks, only made him look cuter.
"Fine, fine. I'll show you a technique created by our clan. Watch carefully."
Forming hand seals at a deliberately slow pace so Izumi could follow, Shisui took nearly two seconds per sign: Snake → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive ball of flame roared into existence, surging forward and scorching the air.
"This is the Great Fireball Technique, a signature ninjutsu of the Uchiha clan. Here—" Shisui handed him a scroll. "It records the seals and chakra control required. Study it well. I'll be away on a mission for the next few days, and Itachi will probably be busy too. Training Ground Seven is reserved for me and him, so you won't be disturbed there. In three days, I'll check your progress. If you've been slacking, I won't go easy on you."
"Don't worry, Shisui-nii! I'll give it my all—I'll definitely succeed." Izumi smiled, though inside he thought grimly, Slacking isn't even an option. Who knows what kind of punishment this damned system has in store if I fail.
Clutching the scroll, he hurried away, not even stopping to greet Itachi or Izumi Uchiha who were still training. At the lakeside of Training Ground Seven, he settled down, unrolled the parchment, and carefully began his study.
Ninjutsu wasn't just about weaving hand signs. Each technique had a unique chakra circulation pattern within the body that had to be paired with precise seals. Only when both matched perfectly could the jutsu be released.
Izumi focused, circulating chakra exactly as the scroll described before forming the hand seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
A tiny puff of flame appeared before him—a "fireball" so small it barely measured a centimeter across. Forget harming an enemy, it wouldn't even be enough to light a cigarette.
Still, it was a success. The technique had activated, even if weakly. Now all that remained was practice—endless repetition until mastery. Again and again, Izumi formed seals and expelled fire, his chakra draining with each attempt. When exhausted, he sat cross-legged and meditated to recover, then continued his training without pause.
Unnoticed, snow had begun to fall. By the time Izumi looked up, the world was blanketed in white, and evening was settling in. Yet he wasn't in a rush to go home. Four years had passed since his arrival in this world, and he had barely explored Konoha outside of the Uchiha compound. Tonight, he decided to wander.
He walked toward the village center, passing through a quiet grove. Suddenly, voices reached his ears—mocking, harsh tones.
"Hey, if you're really from the Hyūga clan, show us your Byakugan!""If you don't like it, then stop staring at us!""Your eyes make me sick.""You're a monster, aren't you?""Yeah, you freak with those white eyes!"
Izumi's gaze sharpened. Three older boys were surrounding a small girl, their taunts reducing her to tears. But they weren't stopping—they only pressed closer.
"Hey! Enough!" Izumi's voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "Three against one? Picking on a little girl? That's pathetic!"
The boys turned, glaring at him."Who the hell are you?""I'm Uchiha Izumi," he said firmly. "I suggest you stop now, unless you want me to report this to the clan."
Truthfully, Izumi knew he couldn't win a three-on-one fight against older kids. But invoking the Uchiha name gave weight to his words.
"Uchiha? So what? You think your clan gives you the right to boss us around? Or maybe you think you can actually beat us?" The boys sneered, stepping toward him.
Izumi's eyes flicked toward the girl. When he saw her face, his chest tightened.
Hyūga Hinata?!
Realization struck him instantly. He wasn't just saving a stranger—this was Hinata, the gentle, strong-willed girl he remembered all too well from the story. That only hardened his resolve to protect her.
"You're right, I can't control you." Izumi's voice dropped, calm and cold. "But you were just bullying a Hyūga, even talking about her Byakugan. Tell me, if I report that you tried to steal a Hyūga's dōjutsu, who do you think the elders will believe? Me, a Uchiha… or you three? Want to try explaining yourselves in an interrogation room?"
The color drained from their faces. Even children understood what that meant. The Uchiha ran the Konoha Police Force, and anyone taken to their interrogation rooms rarely came out unscathed.
"You—!" The leader's voice cracked with anger, masking his fear. "Then we'll just beat you down first. Let's see you make a report after that!"
Snarling, the boy lunged straight at him.