*Bang!*
The clash of kunai sparked with fire. Yun used the force to flip back and aimed a kick at Itachi's chin.
*Snap!*
A crisp sound rang out. Itachi blocked the kick but was forced two steps back, shaking his arms slightly.
"Quick reaction. Not bad strength."
Putting away his kunai, Yun smiled. "You haven't used your Sharingan yet, right? Otherwise, I wouldn't stand a chance."
Itachi shook his head slightly. "Shisui said I'm not your opponent. I don't know why, but Shisui has his reasons."
They made the seal of reconciliation to end the sparring session. The Chūnin teacher beside them finally exhaled in relief.
Two Uchiha geniuses—one had awakened his Sharingan at five and a half, and the other could fight him evenly. A single misstep in their match could have meant serious trouble.
Being a teacher of geniuses was no easy task.
"Onii-chan, here."
Yun took the water cup from Izumi and drank two sips. Then he noticed the girl holding a lunchbox, blushing while stealing glances at Itachi.
Sparring class had just ended, and it was noon. Time for lunch. Was she thinking of going on a date?
*Ding ding ding...*
The bell signaling the end of class rang. Yun reached out and took the lunchbox from her hands. "Let's go. Let's eat together."
Izumi glanced at Itachi, who was drinking water a few steps away, then looked at her brother who had already taken her lunchbox. For a moment, she didn't dare to say anything.
"Tokuma, Hana, let's eat together."
Hearing Yun's invitation, the two children from Konoha's famous clans were momentarily stunned. But as they had recently been grouped alongside Itachi as class geniuses, they quickly agreed.
It turned out that not every child was as precocious as Itachi, who pondered profound matters daily like some kind of lunatic. After a few casual exchanges, Yun and Izumi, both Uchiha, found themselves chatting easily with members of the Hyūga and Inuzuka clans.
Getting along with Uchiha was not hard—so long as the Uchiha didn't act so arrogant.
Yun smiled as he observed the two. From now on, their attitude at school would, to some extent, reflect the stance of the Hyūga and Inuzuka clans toward Uchiha.
Everyone could see that the Fourth Hokage trusted Uchiha Shisui. But the higher-ups left over from the Second Hokage's time, including the Third Hokage, continued to target the Uchiha.
So the Hyūga branch and Inuzuka's attitude would inevitably evolve into a greater question: would the clans of Konoha support the aging and decaying Third Hokage—or the young and brilliant Fourth Hokage?
"Yun, your Taijutsu is amazing. You can even hold your own against Itachi, who's awakened his Sharingan." Tokuma sounded a bit envious, but then he glanced at the cloth covering his forehead and became downcast again.
The caged bird seal of the Hyūga branch—the same one that was carved onto Neji at just age four in the original timeline.
"Just good enough reflexes and strength. But Itachi didn't use the Sharingan. If he had, I wouldn't be so confident about the outcome."
Yun spoke as he handed over his lunchbox. "Want to try the tempura? It's my favorite."
Because it was their first time eating together, both Tokuma and Hana shook their heads politely.
Inuzuka Hana spoke up next. "I've heard my mom talk about the Sharingan. Once it's awakened, even without using it, your dynamic vision improves. You're already really strong, Yun."
Yun gave a modest smile. Beside him, Izumi stared curiously at Hana's face.
"The oil paint on your face is so pretty... Where did you buy it?"
Hana grinned. "It's not regular face paint. It's unique to the Inuzuka clan."
...
As their laughter and chatter filled the air, Yun's gaze drifted toward Itachi, who sat not far away.
Five or six girls were sneaking glances at him but didn't dare approach. Meanwhile, several boys were glaring at him with envy. Itachi sat alone, the cold aura around him driving everyone away.
"Itachi!"
The shout made Itachi, who had been staring blankly at his bento, freeze. When he looked up, Yun caught the flicker of joy in his eyes.
"Come eat with us!"
Itachi glanced around before slowly walking over. Yun looked down helplessly at his sister.
"Can you let go? You're pinching my arm purple. Are you that excited?"
Izumi, now completely exposed, blushed furiously as Itachi approached.
Hana and Tokuma laughed. It had to be said—the only girl in class who wasn't interested in Itachi was Hana from the Inuzuka clan.
"Humans are social animals. If they're alone too long, they get weird ideas. Have weird ideas for too long, and then you go nuts."
Yun pointed at the steps next to him, indicating for Itachi to sit. "If you go nuts, you'll start killing people while rattling. Then you'll get locked up and tied down. Do you want to kill people and be locked up?"
Itachi was stunned, then replied after a moment, "...I get the killing part, but what's with the rattle?"
...
Academy days were incredibly boring for both Yun and Itachi. So much so that a month later, both of them started using shadow clones to attend class in their place.
Yun had always underestimated her talent.
When Itachi carried out the Uchiha Massacre at thirteen, Izumi was also thirteen.
Izumi had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan by then—already a strong indication of her talent. The reports saying she specialized in taijutsu were only because no one had taught her ninjutsu properly. An Uchiha with three-tomoe and strong taijutsu? That's elite-tier.
…
Late at night, well past midnight on October 10th.
Yun got up, reached beneath his bed, and pulled a scroll from a hidden compartment, brushing off the year's worth of accumulated dust.
Time-space storage scrolls were expensive. But if you knew the sealing technique, you could learn from Sasuke and stash things inside your wrist for easy access.
"Kai"
As the smoke cleared, a pale arm appeared at the center of the unrolled scroll.
This was the arm left behind by Obito a year ago. It was also made using cells from Hashirama Senju's body—just like Danzo's, only better. After all, Obito's version let him use Kamui freely, while Danzo's had chakra rampage issues and could spontaneously turn into a tree.
[Information Exchange Successfully Initiated][Rule Replication Function Activated][Medium Detected][Lockable Targets: Senju Hashirama (Pure Land), Uchiha Obito]
The system prompt in his mind made Yun pause. Two targets?
He had taken a gamble with Hashirama—it wasn't specified whether the exchange system worked only with the living. Right now, both Hashirama and Madara were in the Pure Land. The Sage of Six Paths was out of reach, so connecting to Hashirama through this medium was already a win.
But Obito?
Was it because this was Obito's actual arm?
After years of usage, it probably still contained enough of Obito's biological imprint.
The thought made Yun shudder. He forced himself to stop that line of thinking.
Still, it was undeniable: this was an incredible opportunity. Senju and Uchiha—Sage Body and Mangekyō. How should he choose?
Wait...
The Sage Body came from Hashirama, but Obito's Mangekyō wasn't the same as Madara's eternal one.
With Obito's small frame, if not for Hashirama's cells, he'd have gone blind hundreds of times over from Mangekyō overuse.
Yun's eyes returned to the arm in the center of the scroll. After a moment of thought, he pulled out a kunai.
*Puff!*
*****
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