In recent days, Itachi had been unusually happy because Shisui was finally back. He enjoyed training with his older friend and discussing his thoughts openly.
Compared to others his age, Itachi's deanor was markedly different: he seed more mature, likely due to his father's role as clan leader, which had taught him from a young age to be cautious in words and actions.
The Uchiha weren't as rigidly hierarchical as the Hyūga. Within the Hyūga clan, strict ranks and the elders' and clan leader's authority were inviolable, with common mbers rarely allowed into clan etings.
The Uchiha, however, had a more open atmosphere, especially after Madara's departure, which had softened the clan's structure. Clan leaders faced pushback if they acted improperly, and elders might openly criticize them, even going so far as to confront them at ho.
Among the Uchiha, few believed the role of clan leader was a desirable one. This had instilled a sense of gravity in Itachi, who had always appeared more reserved. Since his father had taken him for battlefield training, he'd beco even quieter and more composed, embodying his father's stoic deanor in public, polite yet distant.
Only with Shisui did Itachi show a different side of himself.
"Try it again," Shisui instructed, his eyes focused on Itachi's chakra flow. "Focus on integrating the illusion. The target shouldn't feel anything unusual."
Itachi's hands ford the seal, his chakra molding carefully. "Like this?"
The training ground shifted subtly—leaves reversed their fall, shadows bent wrong angles. But there was still a noticeable flutter in the chakra flow.
After finishing the genjutsu training session under Shisui's guidance, he sat down to rest, visibly fatigued.
"Itachi, your genjutsu still leaves so traces," Shisui said gently. "Rember, if the target senses anything, half of the illusion's power is lost. You need to adapt based on the situation. The strongest genjutsu isn't about power—it's about understanding the human mind."
"Like how the Will of Fire connects all villagers?" Itachi asked.
"Exactly. That's why it's so important to understand different perspectives."
"Your genjutsu seems effortless," Itachi said. "How did soone like Masashi ever defeat you? Was he truly that strong?"
"It was my own doing," Shisui admitted, embarrassed. "I tried to use genjutsu to expand his loyalty to the clan into a love for the entire village."
"And?"
"And then…" Shisui's expression turned strange. "I realized his love for the village was even stronger than mine."
"What?" Itachi was shocked. "More devoted than you? But he barely even attends clan etings and constantly opposes the Hokage administration!"
"Sotis, Itachi, the strongest devotion isn't shown through obvious displays," Shisui said thoughtfully. "Indeed... I think he might just be the most devoted to the village out of anyone."
He recalled the vivid dream that had resulted from his genjutsu backfiring. During his mission, Shisui had hoped to discuss these feelings with Masashi but hadn't had the chance.
Itachi fell silent, his brow furrowing as he processed these words. Was he simply too young to understand the complex ways adults expressed their devotion?
Or maybe Masashi wasn't exactly an adult either?
"Alright, you can find out about him on your own, Itachi," Shisui advised. "Consider my failure as a lesson. The risks of a genjutsu lie in the target's ntal resistance; if they resist successfully, the backlash can be more harmful to the caster."
With that, they resud their training, pushing themselves until they were thoroughly exhausted.
Finally, Itachi headed ho.
When he arrived, his mother, Mikoto, was busy in the kitchen, while his fathe sat at the dining table with a small bottle of sake by his side.
"I'm back."
"How did your training go today? You didn't cause any trouble for Shisui, did you?" Fugaku asked, visibly pleased with his son.
He firmly believed his son had the makings of a Hokage.
"No, I always listen to Shisui," Itachi replied earnestly.
"Good. Wash up and join us for dinner; I have sothing to discuss with you."
Itachi quickly freshened up, then returned to help his mother with the final preparations before sitting at the table.
"Father, what's this about?"
"Masashi will be training you for a while."
This surprised Itachi, but he rembered Shisui's earlier words encouraging him to find out for himself. It seed Shisui had already known.
Still, he wasn't entirely enthusiastic. He was far more interested in the Will of Fire than in ninjutsu. Learning techniques ca naturally to him, but the philosophy behind the Will of Fire offered new insights each ti he discussed it with Shisui.
He genuinely enjoyed the exchange of ideas.
"You're not thrilled?" Fugaku asked, frowning.
While he approved of their close bond, he had mixed feelings about Shisui's ideas. Great ambitions didn't always translate into practical solutions. Many with grand visions failed to accomplish their goals, often making matters worse.
If the Uchiha's issues with the Hokage administration were easy to solve, they would have been resolved long ago.
"Not at all; I'm honored," Itachi said dutifully.
"Good. Rember, as you grow into a ninja, the most deceiving thing can be your own eyes. Masashi is more complex than he appears, and there are still unresolved questions about him within the clan. Having him as your teacher for a ti will give us so insight."
"Yes, Father," Itachi responded, though inwardly, he wasn't fond of this. But he was a dutiful son.
The conversation shifted to family matters, Mikoto skillfully steering the discussion away from heavier topics, and after a few more words, they finished dinner.
---
The next morning, Itachi rose early, following his father's instructions. When he reached Masashi's ho, he was about to knock when the door opened, revealing Masashi's cousin, Hideo.
"Looking for Masashi?" he asked cheerfully.
"Good morning, Uncle Hideo," Itachi said politely. Hideo wasn't a ninja but operated a weapons store, which made no difference in terms of clan standing.
"He's already at the training grounds. Being a ninja isn't easy, you know." Hideo patted Itachi on the head, unable to resist the young boy's seriousness.
"Thank you, Uncle Hideo. I'll go look for Masashi," Itachi said, tidying his hair after Hideo's affectionate but ssy pat, before hurrying off.
At the training grounds, Masashi was practicing shuriken techniques at the target range.
Shuriken were lodged in the targets and scattered on the ground, though more were on the ground.
This indicated yet another failed attempt—to use wind in place of wire to control the shuriken.
The theory is sound... Wind chakra should be able to replace wire manipulation. But the control required is on another level entirely.
He certainly wasn't the first to try this, nor would he be the last.
In his first and second lives, Masashi lacked the exceptional talent of Tobirama. Creating brand-new, practical ninjutsu from scratch was simply beyond him, though his Sharingan could copy techniques. Understanding made techniques truly one's own.
However, he did possess the ability to improve upon existing techniques, making modifications and refinents.
His solid theoretical knowledge served as a foundation. As a reincarnated soul, his mories of past lives gave him unique insight, allowing him to recognize and select techniques that had proven most suitable for him before.
But so techniques were difficult to modify, especially mature ones developed by traditional clans like the Uchiha and Senju.
These are the result of rigorous research and refinents over generations. Geniuses like Minato and Orochimaru, who perfected techniques pioneered by Tobirama, were exceedingly rare.
Though Masashi was not at that level, he did not look down on himself nor get discouraged.
Comparing one's weaknesses to another's strengths and feeling inadequate was simply self-defeating.
He walked forward to pick up the shuriken scattered across the ground, ntally noting the pattern of their dispersion for later analysis.
A shadow stretched across the sunlit ground, reaching right in front of him. He looked up and saw a small figure watching him.
"Oh, Itachi, you're up early," he said as he placed the shuriken he'd already collected into a bag beside him. "Good timing; lend a hand."
"Okay," replied Itachi obediently, bending down to help.
In a short ti, the training ground was cleared.
"Why do you have so many shuriken?" Itachi asked, curious about the large bag of shuriken, as he hadn't seen any sealing scrolls.
"A sealing technique does the job," Masashi replied, lifting his sleeve to show a strip of cloth around his wrist adorned with a sealing pattern.
Sealing scrolls were notoriously expensive; the higher the storage capacity, the more complex the technique, and the greater the material cost. Similarly, explosive tags were costly too.
Masashi learned this thod of storing shuriken from an Uchiha from his previous life.
Moreover, because he could perform this level of sealing jutsu himself, it saved labor costs, and materials could be bought in bulk, making it more affordable.
This way, he could reduce equipnt weight, carry more shuriken, and keep his sealing skills sharp, accomplishing several goals at once.
"No wonder your ninja pouch is so small." Itachi understood now.
It was not a particularly innovative technique since it mainly depended on financial resources or skill with sealing techniques.
Itachi hadn't initially considered this thod because Masashi had never shown a talent for spatial ninjutsu within the clan. He had never demonstrated aptitude in either sealing or summoning techniques.
What everyone did know, though, was his frugality and love for food within the clan.
"So, are you actually quite skilled in spatial ninjutsu?"
"I know a little," Masashi replied casually. "Why, couldn't it be sothing I purchased?"
"No way; you're famously frugal, Masashi. There's no way you'd spend extra on sothing like this."
So he was known for being stingy? Masashi couldn't help but reflect on this.
Heaven knew he was only trying to save a little bit to put toward his ninjutsu training or food... mostly food.
"Alright." Masashi finished tying up the bag of shuriken and looked at Itachi. "You're here because Fugaku-sama told you about becoming your teacher, right?"
"Yes."
"So, what do you want to learn?"
"Isn't that for you to decide?" Itachi looked at Masashi curiously.
Even Shisui never asked what he wanted to learn; instead, he taught based on his own experience.
"True enough," Masashi nodded, "I can guide you based on my experience, but you should also have your own goals."
"Then…" Itachi thought for a mont. "Could you teach Water Release?"
"No problem." Masashi nodded. "But not today—I have work with the Police Force."
As he said this, an idea struck him.
From the look of this young Itachi, he didn't seem like the type to eventually raise a sword against his own parents. He didn't even seem aloof but rather a bit naive.
It seed his change began when he joined the ANBU. To be honest, Masashi found the whole scenario confusing—throwing your son into a place known for heavy ideological influence.
Among all Konoha's departnts, the ANBU was unique in that only staunch supporters of the Hokage faction could join.
At present, the ANBU was still run by the Third Hokage's faction, and that couldn't be helped.
He didn't rember exactly how old Itachi was when he joined the ANBU, but he knew it was young—very young, as he was only thirteen on the night of the massacre in the original tiline.
But Masashi wasn't concerned about a massacre in this life. If the experience of two lifetis wasn't enough to protect his clan, then it might be better to try again in a third, if there was one...
"Cco work with today. This will be part of your training too."
Itachi looked puzzled. He didn't understand what this had to do with training, but, already used to following adults' arrangents, he nodded obediently.
Masashi noticed his reaction but didn't think much of it at the ti, and took him back to the house.
At ho, his family had already left for work. Masashi told Itachi to wait while he put his things away, took a quick shower, and changed into his Police Force uniform.
Once everything was ready, he set out with Itachi.
At the Police Force, Masashi accepted his assignnt and studied the mission sheet.
"Alright," he glanced at Itachi. "Today, I'll be patrolling the Hokage Rock, which will be a good experience for you."
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