Return of the Uchiha Prodigy

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"What impressive analytical skills…"

Itachi regarded the boy in front of him thoughtfully. For someone of his age, it was remarkable to analyze Shikaku's proposed rules so swiftly and accurately.

In terms of this ability alone, Hattori Shinichi was on par with Itachi himself at that age.

Yet, Itachi hadn't heard of this name back in Konoha. Likely, it was because Shinichi's fundamental ninja abilities were subpar.

For a shinobi, strength was crucial. Without it, analytical prowess and leadership would only take him so far.

And insight alone doesn't mean one has the ability to implement solutions.

"So, how do we get all three of us to pass?" Kido Daisuke asked again, his voice laced with urgency.

"Shikaku-sensei already hinted at the core of the test. It's something that involves all three of us." Shinichi replied, confidence flickering in his voice. "I believe the purpose of this test is to evaluate our teamwork, just as Sensei Takashi used to say."

He sighed apologetically. "But I'm sorry. With my skill level, I might not be able to coordinate as well with you two."

The boy's expression was conflicted; his limitations as a shinobi weren't for lack of effort.

"It's alright. We'll each do our best. If the test is about teamwork, then none of us should be left behind." Itachi patted Shinichi on the shoulder in encouragement. "Since you've analyzed so much already, I trust you to handle the battle plan."

Itachi had a solid grasp of Shikaku's intentions. If he were the one making the plan, he might risk revealing his true level of skill. While others might not pick up on the details, Shikaku surely would.

Allowing Shinichi to devise a plan helped Itachi maintain his facade. Perhaps the Fourth Hokage had this in mind when he assigned Shinichi to Itachi's team.

Whether or not Shinichi's plan succeeded, as long as they demonstrated teamwork, they'd likely meet Shikaku's expectations.

After all, the two bells were only a device to stir rivalry.

"Alright then, I'll give it a try."

Hattori Shinichi pursed his lips, clearly nervous. Despite his sharp mind, he was still a freshly minted graduate, young and inexperienced.

Steeling himself, Shinichi looked to Itachi. "You're from the Uchiha clan, right? That means you've probably mastered other ninjutsu besides the Three Basic Techniques, correct?"

Within the academy, it was common for kids from prominent clans like the Uchiha to graduate with a few additional jutsu in their arsenal. Especially for Itachi, who'd demonstrated impressive speed earlier.

Itachi nodded. "Yes."

Shinichi seemed relieved, then turned to Kido. "Alright, let's go over what you can do and your specialties. We'll give it our best shot."

---

Outside the forest, Shikaku stood by, waiting.

Suddenly, he sensed a disturbance.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

A fierce blaze flared in the trees ahead, and a massive fireball burst forth, crashing through branches as it hurtled forward.

Shikaku was unsurprised by Itachi's proficiency with such a jutsu. He sidestepped gracefully, evading the flames.

As the fireball passed, Itachi's silhouette emerged, Fuma Shuriken strapped to his back.

Itachi controlled his speed, concealing his true level to present only moderate taijutsu prowess.

When Shikaku dodged the fireball, Itachi appeared before him, kunai in hand, slicing downward with precision.

Shikaku dodged, shifting his stance fluidly, and Itachi pressed forward, his attacks swift and unrelenting.

"Clang!"

Their kunai clashed, sparks flying.

Shikaku's eyes flicked to the Fuma Shuriken on Itachi's back before raising his leg in a sweeping kick toward Itachi.

Itachi evaded, leaping back.

Suspended mid-air, he swiftly formed hand seals, his fingers a blur even to Shikaku's seasoned eyes.

"Katon!"

As his seals completed, Itachi released a series of flames that split into smaller fireballs.

Simultaneously, he flung several shuriken, which became engulfed in flame, hurtling toward Shikaku in a wide arc.

"It's the Hōsenka Tsumabeni!"(Phoenix Flower Jutsu)

The flaming shuriken fanned out in complex trajectories, forcing Shikaku to dodge continuously.

Surprised, Shikaku noted that both the precision of Itachi's movement and the level of difficulty of this jutsu exceeded that of a standard Genin.

Were it an average chunin, they'd likely struggle to defend.

Backing away, Shikaku gauged the flaming shuriken and deemed it unwise to block them with kunai.

"Hoo!"

At that moment, Itachi unstrapped the Fuma Shuriken from his back, launching it in a powerful arc.

However, instead of flying directly at Shikaku, the shuriken arced around, shifting course.

Itachi discreetly tugged a nearly invisible wire, subtly adjusting the trajectory.

The shuriken veered around Shikaku's back as Itachi closed in once again.

Shikaku dodged the last of the flaming shuriken, noticing Itachi's approach.

"An impressive plan," Shikaku said calmly, a small smile on his lips. "But it's lacking in real combat intuition."

He shifted, observing both Itachi closing in from the front and the Fuma Shuriken spinning around from behind.

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"Oh!"

Shikaku's eyes fell on the Fuuma Shuriken that was hurtling toward him. The distance between him and the weapon was dangerously close.

With a *bang*, the shuriken transformed mid-air, revealing itself as none other than Daisuke Kido!

"A two-sided attack?" Shikaku murmured. From the moment Itachi had charged out from the woods, Shikaku had already seen through the battle plan crafted by these young students.

The strategy was well thought out, except for one flaw—it didn't make sense for Itachi to appear alone, brandishing a massive Fuuma Shuriken right from the start. But this was precisely what the plan, devised by Hattori Shinichi, aimed to achieve: leaving Shikaku no room to retreat.

Even if Shikaku saw through their tactics, it wouldn't affect the flow of the battle. Itachi's assault was relentless, pressuring Shikaku into a pincer attack. Of course, this was only a training exercise; in a real fight, Shikaku could easily subdue Itachi in one move. Yet, reaching this level of coordination at their age was impressive. A typical shinobi would struggle to keep up with Itachi.

As Daisuke Kido lunged forward, his hand reached for the bell hanging from Shikaku's waist.

*Swish!*

Simultaneously, Itachi appeared from the other side, dashing at full speed towards the bell, his target locked.

*Clang!*

Shikaku stood calmly, and in an instant, his shadow split and spread across the ground toward Daisuke and Itachi, binding them in place.

"Now, Shinichi!"

Itachi shouted the signal just as he and Daisuke were restrained by Shikaku's Shadow Paralysis Jutsu.

*Swish!*

Hattori Shinichi, who had been hidden on the edge of the forest, leapt out, rushing directly toward Shikaku.

"Did they account for my jutsu?" Shikaku mused. Even as he restrained Itachi and Daisuke, his expression remained neutral. Itachi, being the Uchiha clan leader's son, would know about the Nara clan's shadow techniques. They likely anticipated that he'd be locked in place while maintaining the jutsu, allowing Shinichi to strike.

But it seemed they only understood the basics of the Nara clan's techniques.

As Shinichi approached, Shikaku's shadow split once more, extending to trap Shinichi as well. Before he could react, Shinichi found himself immobilized.

With all three of them captured, Shikaku glanced around at the group, a glint of surprise in his eyes.

"Your plan may have failed, but it was well-thought-out," Shikaku acknowledged, nodding approvingly. "Against most instructors, your strategy might have succeeded."

Releasing his jutsu, he allowed the shadows to recede. "But you're still not quite ready to retrieve the bell. You'll need more effort to pass."

He looked up at the sky. "There's still time. Go on."

The three of them caught their breath, watching him closely. According to Shikaku's standards, their performance had already reached a level that was close to passing. But he wanted to be sure they truly understood the essence of teamwork.

"We still couldn't get it," Daisuke Kido muttered, looking at Shikaku as if he were an unmovable mountain.

Shinichi smiled bitterly, realizing that with their previous plan failing, any hope of retrieving the bell was gone. The gap between their strength and Shikaku's was simply too great.

Itachi's face was solemn, yet he gripped his kunai tightly. Without a word, he charged forward.

"Don't give up!" he called out, his voice determined. His gaze was fierce, filled with resolve.

"That's the spirit," Shikaku remarked. "Without a killer instinct, completing your mission is impossible."

"Come on, we can't return to the academy empty-handed!" Daisuke yelled, gritting his teeth as he drew a kunai and moved in from the other side.

Shinichi, ever the calm strategist, sighed. "We don't stand a chance… but there's no going back now!" His eyes hardened, and he joined the attack.

*Ha ha.*

Shikaku chuckled as he watched their determination. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from their view.

Startled, Daisuke and Shinichi searched frantically, while Itachi alone tracked Shikaku's movements, spotting him in the distance. Itachi raised his voice, "Over there!"

Following his signal, his teammates quickly found their target—Shikaku, now perched on a tree branch, looking down with an approving smile.

"Congratulations," he called out. "You've all passed."

Daisuke's eyes widened in surprise, then he began to cheer. "Yes!"

Hattori Shinichi relaxed, wiping sweat from his brow as he removed his glasses. Itachi chuckled softly, sliding his kunai back into his pouch.

Shikaku approached Itachi and Shinichi, a sly grin on his face. "You two didn't look surprised at all. Did you guess my real objective?"

Itachi and Shinichi exchanged glances before nodding.

"How did you figure it out?" Shikaku asked, genuinely curious.

Shinichi replied, "Since the academy graduated us, there had to be a way to pass the test. It wouldn't make sense otherwise."

From the beginning, he'd suspected their combined strength wouldn't be enough to take the bell. Though he'd been impressed by Itachi's skills, he'd known that strength alone wouldn't secure victory.

"As shinobi, we should never give up on our mission. That's a fundamental rule," Itachi added with a firm tone, his words reflecting the Uchiha clan's ideals.

Shikaku nodded, satisfied with their responses. "Well done, Shinichi," he said with a smile. "You have a sharp mind."

He cast a thoughtful look at Itachi, recognizing the potential in the young Uchiha.

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