One year later.
Konoha.
Asuma, whose build was already approaching that of an adult, returned from the front lines. At the entrance to the Police Force, he reached out and pinched Itachi's cheek, laughing loudly.
"Hey, if it isn't Itachi! Fugaku-ojisan's boy!"
"You're almost old enough to enroll, right? Think you can pass the Ninja Academy entrance exam?"
At that moment, Asuma finally understood why adults had always loved teasing him with pointless little remarks when he was young.
Because watching Itachi puff out his cheeks really was pretty amusing.
"Asuma-niisan, you're looking down on me too much..."
Itachi gave a quiet little huff. "I do have at least a tiny bit of talent as a shinobi."
Forget failing the Academy entrance exam. If he didn't place first, Itachi would feel like he'd embarrassed Seisui-niisan...
He wouldn't even know how to face his father, Fugaku, when he got home!
These days, however, Fugaku didn't put much pressure on Itachi.
Ever the educational genius, Fugaku had finally discovered the benefits of simply leaving his children to their own devices.
He had completely stopped managing Itachi and Sasuke and simply let the two boys grow freely...
With his Mangekyō: Takemikazuchi, Fugaku was overflowing with inspiration when it came to developing Magnet Release.
He had also obtained the Third Kazekage's and Rasa's research data and spent every day studying his own 'Uchiha Magnetic Field Taijutsu.'
Itachi was somewhat worried about that, though.
He had a feeling Magnet Release wasn't good for the brain...
Sometimes Fugaku's magnetic fields would scramble him a little, and he'd start saying incomprehensible things about his tyrannical conviction to serve Hokage-sama and protect the Will of Fire...
"You want to take first place, don't you, brat?"
"Don't underestimate your classmates. As far as I know, Orochimaru-niisan's disciple Kabuto and Mito-sama's foster grandson Yamato will both be enrolling at the same time as you..."
"Neither of those two is easy to deal with."
Asuma raised an eyebrow.
"Yamato inherited the First Hokage's Wood Release. Though I feel like the direction he's developed it in is a little strange. It's more construction-oriented, plus he grows all kinds of plants. You could almost call it 'Construction Wood Release and Grass Release'..."
"But there's no way his Fūinjutsu is bad. Mito-sama raised him, after all."
"Then there's Kabuto. Even my old man likes that kid. Apparently he's a lot like Orochimaru-niisan was when he was young. He's already doing research at his age, he's skilled in medical ninjutsu, and he's even signed a summoning contract with Ryūchi Cave..."
The more Itachi listened, the more his head hurt. Asuma looked like a demon to him.
Why was he saying all these things that only made the pressure worse?!
"Come on..."
"This is Konoha. You're going to go through this sooner or later. Don't think that just because you're talented, you'll automatically stand out. If there's one thing our village isn't short on, it's geniuses. You can grab a whole handful wherever you look..."
Asuma shrugged.
"Look at me. I've got Steel Release and Swift Release, and I even asked Kakuzu-sensei to use Earth Grudge Fear to widen my Chakra Pathways. But do you think I'll ever catch up to my father in this lifetime?"
Itachi stared at him blankly as Asuma pulled out a cigarette and quipped, "Asuma-niisan can probably compete with Hokage-sama in smoking, at least..."
"You little brat!" Asuma laughed despite himself and shook his head.
"What I'm trying to tell you is to get your mindset straight. Just go to school and study properly. I could see that gloomy face of yours from way over there. You're this young and your tear troughs are already that deep..."
"Forget my old man. Let me count up the current Konoha Council Members and shinobi from the other regions for you."
"Nagato, jinchūriki of the One-Tail; Nakamaro, jinchūriki of the Three-Tails; Uzumaki Shio, jinchūriki of the Six-Tails; and Uchiha Tomie, jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails. Those four alone are mountains towering over the new generation..."
After Kumogakure and Iwagakure pulled back their battle lines, Takigakure's Seven-Tails had been swiftly taken down by Kakuzu, Minato, and Tobirama in a lightning-fast operation. They then kicked the Takigakure hawks who didn't know their place straight into the grave...
It was practically a repeat of what had happened fifty years ago.
It was worth mentioning that after Uzumaki Shio became the Six-Tails' jinchūriki, she thanked the Nine-Tails and returned its chakra. Afterward, she focused entirely on communicating with the Six-Tails to avoid creating conflict.
Not everyone was like Sarutobi Hiruzen, preparing to experiment with fusing nine different types of chakra inside his own body...
After Shio returned its chakra, the Nine-Tails once again began playing the role of the 'Ancient Senju Master' from Shinobi Battle Through the Heavens around the village. Whenever it saw a talented shinobi, it would hand over a portion of tailed-beast chakra...
Not much.
Only about enough for an ordinary tailed-beast cloak.
Even so, the Nine-Tails' reputation and status in the village improved at an astonishing rate, and it became a Konoha Council Member who was genuinely respected by everyone.
The tailed-beast faction was expanding rapidly!
After all, who wouldn't like a little fox that went around handing out money?
It really was the Sage of Six Paths' silly son...
"As for the middle generation, I won't even bother talking about my father's three disciples. Jiraiya-niisan's Sage Mode is getting more and more refined. Orochimaru-niisan has mastered Sage Mode too, and he even upgraded the cursed seals for your father, Sakumo, and Council Member Hizashi..."
"I've heard the First Hokage's first batch of general-purpose cells is about to be deployed on a large scale. Council Member Kurama Genshin was apparently the first to receive the enhanced transplant, and it had a very good effect on the hereditary illness affecting his clan."
"I also heard he learned the Water Mirror Technique from the Kirigakure region. When powered through his genjutsu made real, it's extremely strong!"
"You know your father yourself. His Magnet Release is already stronger than the late Third Kazekage's..."
Asuma raised an eyebrow. "You'll probably learn Magnet Release someday too. His version can be learned after birth."
Itachi frowned awkwardly.
Magnet Release really was a pretty good technique...
But thanks to the impression Fugaku had left on him, Itachi always felt that Magnet Release was bad for the brain and unsuitable for training...
If necessary, he could let his little brother Sasuke learn it instead. It was their father's legacy, after all. As the older brother, Itachi could afford to be generous...
"And then there's Tsunade-nee..."
The moment that name came up, both Asuma and Itachi sighed.
Even though one was the Hokage's son and the other was the son of the Uchiha Clan Head, when it came to status, neither could compare with the utterly transcendent Tsunade.
She had saved the most comrades during the Shinobi World War and possessed the purest bloodline...
And aside from her teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen, she still tore into anyone she didn't like.
Even Fugaku, when his training had left his mind somewhat muddled, would instinctively sober up the moment he saw Tsunade.
"Let me keep counting..."
"Almost forgot that evil blond. Apparently he's extremely compatible with cursed seals and Hashirama-sama's cells. Since he's already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, he's half a tier above even the four jinchūriki, and he also has a summoning contract with Mount Myōboku..."
"I heard Council Member Nine-Tails has even been giving that blond special treatment and handed him the chakra Uzumaki Shio returned..." Asuma's face filled with resentment.
"Feels like I'll never get him back in this lifetime. All my memories from the Ninja Academy have his face in them!"
"And among my own generation, there's Kakashi, who has mastered Storm Release and swordsmanship; Guy, who's skilled in the Eight Gates; and Seisui-niisan, who practically raised you..."
Asuma chuckled.
"Apparently after Seisui-niisan comes back from the battlefield this time, he's going to start working on mastering the Box of Ultimate Bliss. He might become Konoha's sixth jinchūriki—though what he'd be sealing inside himself isn't a tailed beast, but a monster..."
After Konoha entered this new stage, one major aspect of a shinobi's talent was reflected in their body's compatibility.
The more powerful a cursed seal or Hashirama cells their body could withstand, the higher their potential ceiling became.
The same applied to whether they could find a suitable energy-based entity to place inside their body.
Becoming a 'jinchūriki' in the broad sense had already become a trend widely accepted by Konoha shinobi.
Itachi felt increasingly dizzy.
Maybe he wasn't that much of a genius after all?
There were simply too many capable people in the village...
Just then, Nagato approached, his mismatched eyes immediately noticeable. He smiled and greeted Asuma.
"Hey. Here you are."
"Nagato-niisan, what brings you here?" Asuma asked in pleasant surprise.
"Listen to you. I've already moved into Konoha. I'm part of the village now..."
Nagato rolled his eyes.
By now, Yahiko and Konan had also officially registered as residents and, after Hanzō's persuasion, moved to Konoha.
They could still concern themselves with the development of Konoha's Amegakure Province.
But if young people wanted to advance, they still needed to build connections in Konoha...
Konoha was the center of everything. That was obvious, and it wasn't going to change.
Staying in Amegakure forever offered no future.
Besides, if Nagato and the others refused to respond to the call for outstanding talent to move into Konoha, other factions in the village could easily interpret it as 'resistance,' 'separatism,' or something along those lines...
Talent from Amegakure was supposed to flow into Konoha. That was the larger trend.
Even if they eventually wanted talent to flow back outward, those people first needed to spend some time living in Konoha and establish their identities there.
"Hey, hey, Nagato!"
"I'm telling you, that bastard Nine-Tails is building its own faction! What's it trying to do, handing out chakra everywhere? It's openly giving out gold beans! That's bribery!"
"If this keeps up, even the chūnin opening the gates will probably get a share of its chakra!"
A shrill tanuki voice rang out from inside Nagato.
It was none other than the One-Tail.
After Nagato became its jinchūriki, the One-Tail discovered that this red-haired, odd-eyed freak was actually a pretty decent guy and quite pleasant to get along with.
What else could be said?
As expected of one of the old man's young masters...
If he'd wanted to become a jinchūriki, he should've said so earlier!
Once the One-Tail had settled comfortably inside Nagato, however, the fox ruthlessly mocked it, sending the tanuki straight into a dark phase.
Under Hanzō's guidance, it quickly identified its new position within Konoha.
Join the little clique of the tailed-beast faction?
Absolutely not!
The great One-Tail was going to be the most special of all Konoha's tailed beasts and keep a ruthless watch on the Nine-Tails!
Only then would it possess unique value to the Hokage...
"Stop yelling, stop yelling. Council Member Nine-Tails may be giving the shinobi a bit more chakra than usual, but it doesn't have any controlling effect. It can even serve as a bridge to a certain extent and let people connect their minds with one another..."
Nagato's expression darkened.
"Give it up already. Hokage-sama personally appointed it as a hereditary Konoha Council Member. He specifically created an extra seat for it."
"Besides, Mito-sama is its jinchūriki. You can't beat it!"
The tanuki let out a shrill screech.
"That stinking fox is just lucky! I don't care! I refuse to accept it!"
Itachi stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
Was the struggle between tailed beasts really this fierce too?
This village was way too complicated...
"That's why you shouldn't burden yourself. A kid should act like a kid."
Asuma smiled and shook his head.
"Cherish your time at the Ninja Academy! Your most urgent task right now is to pray that your jōnin instructor for practical training doesn't turn out to be some sunshine-type shinobi like Minato..."
At that, Asuma suddenly lit his cigarette and exhaled a melancholy stream of smoke.
"Come to think of it, Obito's been gone for a long time now. Kakashi was the one who visited his grandmother last time. I should go see the old lady next!"
After Obito's 'death,' Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and the rest of his Ninja Academy classmates would visit his home whenever they had time, helping his grandmother clean and taking care of her daily needs.
The village also allocated funds for official visits and support in cases like hers...
And Obito's grandmother's reaction had brought tears to the eyes of Kakashi, Rin, and many other Konoha shinobi.
When she learned that Obito had died on the battlefield, the old woman had only said, "Did Obito conduct himself according to the Will of Fire on the battlefield? If he did, then that's enough..."
Itachi silently nodded.
The reason he could live safely in the village and attend school in peace came from sacrifices like that.
"Back then, Obito wanted to look cool like Minato. He wanted to learn powerful Space–Time Ninjutsu and taijutsu so he could show off like crazy in front of all you Ninja Academy students..."
"Ah." Asuma shook his head.
"Forget it. Recently, things have been changing along the front. I guess Iwagakure's and Kumogakure's jinchūriki have recovered, because they've become more aggressive, but their defenses aren't as tight as before..."
"We might be heading into another major battle. Or maybe peace talks. Who knows?"
"Anyway, Danzō and Seisui-niisan are both on the front lines. With their experience and the Flying Thunder God Technique, even if the front shifts, there probably won't be any major problems..."
Nagato nodded.
"That's right. Don't worry. The village isn't afraid of war anymore..."
Nagato and Asuma chatted for a while longer.
After they parted ways, Itachi wandered through the village.
After Asuma had talked things through with him, the pressure in his heart had indeed eased quite a bit.
There really were simply too many geniuses.
Konoha's specialty seemed to be having another capable person standing behind every capable person...
'But what about my little brother?'
'It's all Father's fault. He made Tomie-nee his sensei! Sasuke is still young, so it's not a major problem yet. But once he grows up, everyone will definitely compare him with Naruto...'
Uzumaki Shio and Uchiha Tomie's constant rivalry was still one of the village's favorite topics of conversation.
And disciples were inheritors of one's Nindō, so comparing their students was naturally part of their rivalry as well.
That was inevitable...
Just thinking about it gave Itachi a headache.
It wouldn't be impossible to have Sasuke learn their father's Magnet Release, but compared to Naruto, the disciple of Uzumaki Shio, the difference in resources was still far too large!
Naruto had Mito and the Nine-Tails as elders, with Minato and Kushina as his parents. Anyone could see that his resources were completely maxed out.
Itachi had even heard that Naruto wasn't just going to receive a large amount of Nine-Tails chakra—he was also going to train in the same technique as Hokage-sama...
How much pressure was that going to put on Sasuke?!
The thought immediately brought Itachi's mood down again, and he began worrying about his little brother in advance.
As he continued walking through Konoha, Itachi unexpectedly spotted Sasuke.
At this age, Sasuke was at his absolute cutest.
Not only was he a tiny little thing, his voice sounded like a duckling's, and when he smiled he looked almost like a little girl. He was extraordinarily adorable.
Quite a few adults around the village adored him.
Right now, Sasuke was sitting inside Ichiraku Ramen beside the Sage of Six Paths with an adorable expression on his face, eating a steaming bowl of ramen while listening to the Sage tell him nursery rhymes from the shinobi world.
After meeting Sasuke, the Sage of Six Paths had been stunned to discover that an Indra reincarnation could actually be as emotionally stable and exceptionally adorable as Sasuke...
The old father's heart, which had been separated from his eldest son for a thousand years, had its defenses instantly shattered by the combination of Sasuke's overwhelming cuteness and Indra's chakra.
Little Indra was holding his hand and telling him that Ramen-ojisan was such a nice person...
How was a sage supposed to withstand that?
This wasn't just a top-tier substitute anymore.
It had surpassed the original...
"Oh? Sasuke wants to know where the moon came from?"
After Sasuke finished eating, the Sage of Six Paths expertly lifted him onto his shoulders and smiled.
"A Sage made that!"
"How about Ichiraku-ojisan teaches Sasuke how to make a little moon someday?"
Sasuke giggled.
"Okay! Ichiraku-ojisan is the best..."
The customers around them laughed good-naturedly, all assuming the man was simply entertaining a child.
"Seriously, Sasuke... He's always running over here."
Itachi held his forehead and sighed.
He actually felt that Sasuke was wasting his time like this.
It wasn't that Itachi, as his older brother, wanted to pressure him.
But the whole issue between Tomie and Shio was already there, and Naruto was obviously starting to look a little like Konoha's crown prince...
If Sasuke didn't build a solid foundation now, then once he grew up and people's expectations of him rose, he would inevitably feel miserable.
Spending all his time with a ramen-shop owner playing shoulder rides wasn't going to help with his training...
'Forget it. As long as Sasuke is happy...'
In the end, Itachi chose not to disturb him.
After all, the village wasn't what it used to be...
Even if the son and disciple of a Konoha Council Member grew up to become the owner of a ramen shop, there was nothing wrong with that.
He didn't necessarily have to become a powerful shinobi...
What Itachi didn't know was that Sasuke had inadvertently triggered the greatest hidden rule of them all.
The Fairness Sage was about to start putting in work!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the shinobi world...
Madara stared at Obito as he trained, then looked down at Hi-kun's report.
Danzō and Seisui were on the front lines...
Iwagakure and Kumogakure had a plan to feign a counterattack while actually luring the enemy in...
It seemed the next stage of Konoha's trial could begin!
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