A stir ran through the crowd as everyone instinctively made way.
Many people watched as the two brothers, one older and one younger, approached.
"We're here, Sasuke. Time to get down."
Standing at the entrance of the Ninja Academy, the older figure spoke to the child on his back.
The younger boy noticed so many people watching him and, a little embarrassed, quickly climbed down from his brother's back. He stood by his side and looked around curiously.
Truthfully, this older brother wasn't that much older either—only around ten years old—but he carried himself with a maturity beyond his age.
And everyone around them unconsciously treated the young boy as though he were already someone important.
Both brothers wore clothing marked with the same fan crest.
That symbol was famous throughout the entire ninja world.
It represented the Uchiha Clan.
"Uchiha… Itachi…"
Watching the young man smiling at Uchiha Sasuke, a sharp glint flashed through Kazama Shin's eyes as he thought to himself.
There was no doubt that Itachi was a genius—a man with the talent to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Of course, he was also a deeply tragic man.
In the original story, as the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the village continued to escalate, he was ultimately forced to accept the mission ordered by Konoha's higher-ups, specifically Danzo Shimura, to wipe out his own clan in order to protect the village from civil war.
The only condition was that Sasuke be spared.
After that, he joined the Akatsuki as a spy. In the end, after his battle with Uchiha Sasuke, he transferred his ocular power to him and died from his terminal illness and complete exhaustion.
…
"At this point, he probably hasn't awakened the Mangekyō yet…"
Thinking this over, Kazama Shin recalled that there had been no news yet of Uchiha Shisui's death. That meant Itachi should still only have the three-tomoe Sharingan.
Even so, his strength was already formidable—at the very least, Jonin-level.
…
"Sasuke, once you officially start school, you need to work hard, alright?"
Uchiha Itachi rubbed Sasuke's hair as he spoke with a smile.
"Mm! I'm definitely going to surpass you, big brother!"
Uchiha Sasuke answered with a grin.
Right now, he was simply a cute little boy, nowhere near the cold and aloof figure he would become later.
After all, at this moment, he was still the son of the Uchiha Clan Head, doted on by his parents and older brother. For him, life was still full of warmth and happiness.
"Then you'd better work hard."
Itachi reached out a finger and lightly tapped Sasuke's forehead. Then, suddenly, he turned to look in a certain direction.
Seeing his brother react, Sasuke followed his gaze.
And there, he saw two figures standing together, surrounded by a wide empty space that no one was willing to step into.
"Big brother, who are they?"
Sasuke asked curiously.
One had blond hair, six whisker-like marks on his face, and a somewhat foolish expression.
The other had black hair and an easy, composed manner, as though he stood apart from the crowd.
"Them? They'll probably be your classmates once school begins. You should get along with them."
Itachi glanced at Kazama Shin and Uzumaki Naruto. When he noticed that the two of them were also looking this way, he smiled and answered Sasuke calmly.
He knew Naruto was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, and he also knew Kazama Shin was the newly emerged civilian genius.
But unlike everyone else, Itachi held no strange prejudice toward either of them.
…
At that moment, Kazama Shin shifted his gaze away from the Uchiha brothers, the corners of his lips curving upward.
Because he had just heard three notifications of successful copies.
"Ding. Successfully copied Shuriken Throwing Technique. Fuse?"
"Ding. Successfully copied Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu. Fuse?"
"Ding. Successfully copied Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu. Fuse?"
"Two more ninjutsu, plus a shuriken application technique. Not bad at all!"
Delighted inwardly, Kazama Shin didn't hesitate for even a second and fused them immediately.
He naturally grasped how to perform both C-rank Fire Release techniques,
as well as a clever method for controlling and using shuriken.
His strength had increased once again.
And with his current chakra reserves, while he still couldn't spam techniques without restraint, he could at least cast C-rank ninjutsu dozens of times.
At last, he didn't have to worry so much about running out of chakra.
"Still can't compare to this guy…"
Kazama Shin thought to himself as he glanced at Naruto beside him, who, for some reason, was already staring at Sasuke with open hostility, the two of them instantly rubbing each other the wrong way.
After all, Naruto had the Nine-Tails inside him.
That near-limitless chakra reserve was truly enviable.
"But who can really say what the future holds?"
Kazama Shin murmured softly, clenching his hand into a fist.
…