Uchiha Itama stood before the mirror.
He looked at his reflection.
A boy, not yet six.
"Never thought I would arrive in the world of Hokage, and even become Uchiha Fugaku's extra son."
"Uchiha Itachi's younger brother."
"Uchiha Sasuke's older brother."
"The name Itama was probably chosen by Uchiha Fugaku with Senju Itama in mind, the younger brother of Senju Hashirama who was beaten to death by five Uchiha brutes."
"Just like Sasuke's name, taken after Sarutobi Hiruzen's father, Sarutobi Sasuke."
"This name feels a bit ominous..."
Uchiha Itama shook his head.
"But more importantly, why is my hair the same as Senju Itama's, half white and half black?"
"Isn't Uchiha hair supposed to be only black?"
Footsteps sounded.
Uchiha Itama turned around.
Uchiha Fugaku walked in.
"Itama."
"Father."
Uchiha Itama hesitated, then asked, "Be honest, am I your illegitimate child from outside? Tell me the truth. If I am, I won't blame you."
"After all, even Mother has already forgiven you."
Uchiha Fugaku was silent.
"Don't talk nonsense."
"You are the same as Itachi and Sasuke, all children of Mikoto and me. There is no doubt about that."
"As for the hair, it is just a small variation."
"Perfectly normal."
Uchiha Itama looked unconvinced.
"Really?"
"Of course it is."
"Then I will trust you for now. Father, why did you come looking for me?"
"Yes, there is something. Come with me."
Uchiha Fugaku led Uchiha Itama to the lake by the Uchiha compound.
"In three months, Itama, you will turn six."
"Three months from now is exactly when the Ninja Academy opens."
"Barring any accidents, you will enter the academy to study."
"So I plan to teach you some things about being a ninja before that."
Uchiha Fugaku paused.
"The foundation of a ninja lies in chakra. To become a ninja, you must first learn to extract chakra."
"Close your eyes."
"Steady your mind."
"Sink your spirit into your body."
"..."
"Do not rush. You are my son, you will not fall short. When I explained this to Itachi back then, he grasped it immediately. Even if you cannot match Itachi, you will not be far behind."
"After all, you are both my sons."
Uchiha Fugaku was very satisfied with Uchiha Itachi.
"Is that so?"
Uchiha Itama cut him off and held out his hand.
A mass of chakra gathered in his palm.
Uchiha Fugaku's pupils tightened.
"You already succeeded in extracting chakra?"
He looked carefully, and surprise rose in his heart. His pulse quickened.
Uchiha Itama had learned to extract chakra faster than Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi was already hailed as a genius.
Fugaku had placed great hopes on Itachi.
But now it seemed Uchiha Itama's talent might be even greater.
Two prodigies in one household.
Uchiha Fugaku pictured the scene and the corners of his mouth curled up.
"Father, you're drooling."
Fugaku snapped back and wiped the corner of his mouth, only to find nothing there.
He shot Itama a resentful look.
This son left him helpless at times.
Itama's temperament was unlike other Uchiha children his age.
He often said strange things no one understood.
He was not good at saving face for others.
Not even for his own father.
What normal child would ask directly if he was an illegitimate son?
Before this, Fugaku had worried about Itama.
He feared Itama would not fit in.
Now Fugaku felt much more at ease.
He had discovered that Itama was a genius.
For a genius, an odd personality was no problem at all.
"Not bad. You extracted chakra so quickly, but do not grow arrogant. For a ninja, extraction is only the first step."
"Taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu are far more important."
"Next I will teach you your first ninjutsu."
Uchiha Fugaku said, "Our Uchiha clan is naturally adept at Fire Release."
"Now I will teach you Fire Release, Great Fireball Technique."
"First, form the seals."
"Watch closely."
He finished speaking and began to weave signs.
Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger.
The next moment.
A fireball swelled before him and, guided by Fugaku's control, shot toward the lake.
Ripples spread across the surface.
BANG!
The fireball burst and vanished.
The water directly beneath it even showed signs of boiling.
"Itama, you try..."
But before Fugaku finished speaking.
An identical fireball had already formed.
It was the Great Fireball Technique, exactly the same as Fugaku's.