Standing in the center of the training ground was a small boy. His arm drew back. He threw. The kunai spun through the air and struck the target with a dull thud.
Across the yard, two figures watched. "Not bad," said Shisui Uchiha, grinning. "Kid's got good form."
Itachi Uchiha was only eight years old, But his eyes were different now. A single black tomoe rotated slowly around the pupil.
The Sharingan.
Itachi walked toward the two older shinobi.
"I hit the center three times," he said calmly.
Shisui chuckled.
"Relax, kid. You're not taking the jonin exams today."
Itachi glanced toward Shinji.
His older brother gave a small nod.
"Your aim is improving."
Itachi seemed satisfied with that.
Shinji pushed himself off the post. "Alright." "It's time."
Itachi tilted his head slightly.
"For what?"
Shisui hopped off the fence. "For the fun part."
Shinji stepped onto the training field. "The Sharingan."
At the word, Itachi's expression grew more serious.
He had awakened the eye only recently during a mission that had gone wrong. A teammate had died.
And the shock had forced the dormant power of the Uchiha clan to awaken within him. But awakening the Sharingan was only the beginning. Knowing how to use it was something else entirely.
Shinji stopped a few feet in front of him. "Activate it."
Itachi nodded. For a moment he focused inward. Then the change came. His pupils shifted. The single tomoe spun slowly into place.
"The Sharingan isn't natural for the body at first."
He gestured toward his own eyes. "Your brain is processing more information than it's used to."
Itachi frowned slightly. "That explains the headaches."
Shisui grinned. "Oh, those get worse."
Shinji shot him a look. "Helpful."
Shisui shrugged. "Just being honest."
Shinji turned back toward Itachi. "Right now your Sharingan is doing three things."
He raised a finger. "First it enhances perception." "Second it allows you to copy certain movements."
.
"And third…" His eyes sharpened slightly. "It lets you see through deception."
Itachi listened carefully.
Shinji picked up a kunai from the ground and tossed it lightly in his hand.
"Let's start with the first."
He suddenly threw the kunai. Itachi reacted instantly. The blade flew directly toward him And he caught it.
Shinji nodded. "That's your perception increasing."
He gestured toward the training posts. "Again."
This time Shinji threw two kunai. Itachi caught the first. The second struck the ground beside him. He frowned slightly. "Too slow."
Shisui laughed. "You're seven." "Relax."
Shinji picked up the fallen kunai. "You'll get faster."
He tossed the blade back into Itachi's hand. "Now the second part."
He stepped back slightly. "Taijutsu."
Shisui cracked his knuckles. "Oh this part I like."
Shinji shook his head. "Not you."
Shisui pointed at himself. "What? Why?"
"You'll break him." Shisui grinned.
Shinji turned toward Itachi. "Attack me."
Itachi didn't hesitate. He moved forward with a quick jab toward Shinji's chest. Shinji blocked easily. Itachi followed with a kick. Blocked again.
Then Shinji countered with a quick strike. Itachi barely managed to dodge. They separated. Shinji nodded. "Good."
Shisui tilted his head. "You see it yet?"
Itachi frowned. "Your shoulder moves before you strike."
Shinji's eyebrow lifted slightly. There it was. The Sharingan reading his movements.
Shisui grinned. "There you go." "That's the trick."
Shinji stepped forward again. "The Sharingan lets you read the beginning of movements."
He demonstrated slowly. "All attacks start somewhere."
Itachi nodded slowly. "So if I see the start…" "You predict the rest," Shinji finished.
Shisui clapped once. "Exactly."
He leaned closer to Itachi. "But don't get cocky."
The playful grin faded slightly. "Everyone thinks the Sharingan makes them invincible."
His voice softened just slightly. "It doesn't."
Itachi looked at him. "Why?"
Shinji answered. "Because your body still has to keep up."
Shisui pointed at Shinji.
"Exactly."
"You might see the attack coming."
"But if you're too slow…"
He made a slicing motion with his hand. "…you're still getting hit."
Itachi looked down at his hands thoughtfully. Shinji placed a hand on his shoulder. "The Sharingan is a tool." "Not a guarantee." Itachi nodded slowly.
Shisui suddenly clapped his hands. "Alright!"
He stepped onto the field. "Now the fun part."
Shinji sighed. "You're really going to spar him."
Shisui grinned. "I'll go easy."
Shisui crouched slightly, facing Itachi. "Alright kid." "Let's see those fancy eyes work."
Itachi lifted his stance. For a moment the three Uchiha stood there together.
Then Shisui moved.
Itachi Uchiha's chest rose and fell rapidly as he struggled to catch his breath. A few feet away, Shisui Uchiha stood casually dusting dirt from his hands.
"Okay," Shisui said cheerfully, "that was the last one."
Itachi didn't respond.
He simply raised one arm weakly toward the sky as if protesting.
Standing nearby, Shinji Uchiha shook his head slightly. "You said you'd go easy."
Shisui blinked. "I did."
He gestured toward the exhausted seven-year-old. "He's still conscious."
Shinji stared at him. "That's your standard?"
Shisui shrugged. "Kid's tougher than he looks."
Itachi finally managed to sit up, wiping sweat from his face. "I hit you twice."
Shisui grinned. "You did."
Itachi's Sharingan faded as he released the technique, the crimson slowly returning to its normal dark color. "My head hurts."
Shinji nodded. "That's normal."
He walked over and crouched in front of him. "You kept it active too long."
Shisui leaned on the wooden fence. "Sharingan burns chakra fast at first."
He tapped his temple. "And your brain isn't used to processing everything yet."
Shisui stepped off the fence and stretched.
"But there's another part of the Sharingan people forget."
Itachi looked up. "What part?"
Shisui crouched down slightly so he was eye level with the younger Uchiha. "The emotional part."
Shinji glanced at him.
Shisui's voice was still light, but there was truth behind it. "The Sharingan awakens from strong emotions."
Itachi nodded slowly. "I know."
He remembered the moment clearly.
Shinji spoke calmly. "But that doesn't mean you should chase those emotions."
Itachi looked confused. "Why?"
Shinji gestured around the empty training field.
"Because the power isn't worth what it costs."
Shisui leaned back slightly, resting his hands behind his head. "You'll hear a lot of stories about the Uchiha eyes."
He smiled faintly. "Most of them aren't great."
Itachi studied both of them quietly.
Then he asked something unexpected.
"Do you like having it?"
Shisui scratched the back of his head. "That's a weird question."
Shinji answered first. "It's useful."
Shisui laughed. "That's the most Shinji answer possible."
He thought for a moment before speaking again. "I guess… yeah."
Shisui shrugged. "It's part of who we are."
He looked at Itachi. "But it doesn't define us."
Shinji nodded slightly. "The Sharingan is a tool." "Just like a kunai."
Itachi looked down at the blade still in his hand. "But people fear it."
Shisui snorted. "People fear everything they don't understand."
Shinji's voice remained calm. "And sometimes they fear things they do understand."
The younger boy considered that.
Then he slowly stood up.
His legs were still shaky from the spar.
Shisui noticed. "You done for today?"
Itachi nodded reluctantly. "Yes."
Shinji turned toward the exit of the training yard. "Good."
"Dinner's probably ready."
Shisui's eyes lit up immediately. "Now that's motivation."
They began walking toward the gate together. Halfway down the path, Itachi suddenly spoke again. "Shinji niisan."
His older brother glanced down slightly. "Yes?"
Itachi hesitated. Then asked the question that had been sitting in his mind all afternoon. "Will my Sharingan get stronger?"
Shisui grinned. "Oh definitely."
Shinji shot him a look.
Shisui raised his hands innocently. "What? It will."
Shinji looked back at Itachi. "It will grow stronger as you grow stronger." "That's how all skills work."
Itachi thought about that for a moment. "…Then I'll train harder."
Shisui laughed again. "I believe it."
They continued walking through the quiet streets of the Uchiha district. For a moment, none of them spoke. But Shinji glanced sideways at his younger brother. The boy walked calmly beside them, exhausted but determined. Already thinking about getting stronger.
Shinji felt a small sense of relief. For all the burdens that came with being an Uchiha Itachi was still just a kid.