He looked a few years older than Itachi, with messy black hair, regular features, and a gentle yet composed aura.
He wore the standard Uchiha Clan uniform, a tantō strapped to his waist and a katana across his back.
His eyes—those Mangekyo Sharingan that would one day be known for the “ultimate genjutsu”—were currently just ordinary black pupils.
Linbei’s gaze lingered on Shisui for two extra seconds.
Shisui Uchiha.
Shisui of the Body Flicker.
The man who possessed the ultimate genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami.
The plot of the original series flashed rapidly through his mind: Shisui discovered the Uchiha coup plot and tried to stop it using Kotoamatsukami, only to be ambushed by Danzo, who stole one of his eyes.
After entrusting his remaining eye to Itachi, he committed suicide by jumping off a cliff, using his death to trigger the awakening of Itachi’s Mangekyo Sharingan.
A man who bet everything on Itachi.
A man pushed to his death by the combined efforts of Danzo and the Third Hokage.
“A Kage-level combatant worth winning over,” Linbei silently tagged Shisui in his mind.
Then there was Fugaku.
Fugaku Uchiha, the father of Itachi and Sasuke, and the Leader of the Uchiha Clan.
He possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan—a fact never explicitly stated in the original manga but one that could be inferred from various details.
Fugaku chose death on the night of the massacre.
He didn’t resist Itachi; instead, he knelt before his son and surrendered his life.
Another Kage-level combatant worth winning over.
“Linbei-kun?” Izumi’s voice sounded beside him.
“What are you dazing off for?”
“Nothing.” Linbei withdrew his gaze.
“The exam is about to start, right?”
Just as he spoke, the gates to the dueling arena opened.
Itachi Uchiha walked in.
Itachi’s attire today was a bit different from his usual look.
He had swapped his Academy uniform for a deep blue combat outfit, with a tool pouch at his waist and a small shield strapped to his back.
His ponytail was tied slightly higher than usual, revealing his smooth forehead.
His expression was calm.
So calm that he didn’t look like he was here for a graduation exam; he looked like he was just taking a stroll.
“The exam begins.” A proctor wearing a forehead protector stood in the center of the field, holding a clipboard.
“Itachi Uchiha, the exam consists of four categories: Three-Body Technique, Shurikenjutsu, Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu.
Each category will be scored individually.
You must pass all four to qualify.”
Itachi nodded.
“First category: Transformation.”
Itachi’s hands formed a seal—Snake.
With a *poof*, a cloud of white smoke erupted, and Itachi transformed into the likeness of the proctor.
It wasn’t just his appearance; even his voice, gait, and manner of speaking were identical.
“Pass.” The proctor made a few notes on his clipboard, a hint of praise in his voice.
“Second category: Clone Jutsu.” Find the original chapter at g.com.
The same seal, the same white smoke.
Two clones rushed out from the haze, running, jumping, and performing various complex movements across the field.
When the clones stepped on the sandy ground, they left clear footprints—this meant the clones had reached a level nearly indistinguishable from solid entities.
Scattered gasps of amazement rose from the stands.
“Third category: Shurikenjutsu.”
The proctor pointed to three targets at the other end of the field.
Each target was only the size of a palm, hanging from wooden posts about fifteen meters away.
Itachi took six shuriken from his tool pouch, holding three in each hand.
He didn’t take aim.
He threw both hands out simultaneously.
The six shuriken flew from his grip, carving six different arcs through the air—some flew straight, some curved, and some spun to bypass obstacles.
*Clang, clang, clang—*
All six shuriken hit the bullseye at the same time.
Three targets, each with two shuriken buried in the center, perfectly precise.
A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the stands.
“That’s incredible!” Izumi stood up from her seat, her hands turning red from clapping so hard.
“Itachi-kun is so amazing!”
Linbei also clapped.
It wasn’t just a courtesy; he genuinely thought it was impressive.
To be able to practice Shurikenjutsu to this level at the age of six—not a single person in the entire Hidden Leaf Village could match that.
“Fourth category: Ninjutsu.”
The proctor’s voice rose slightly, as if to draw the attention of everyone in the stands.
Itachi took a deep breath and began forming seals.
Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger.
Six hand seals, executed with extreme speed—so fast that Linbei’s eyes could barely keep up.
Itachi brought his right hand to his mouth and took a deep breath—
“Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!”
A massive fireball erupted from Itachi’s mouth, exceeding two meters in diameter.
The blazing flames illuminated the entire arena.
The fireball surged toward the target area in the center of the field, exploding upon impact with the ground and sending out a wave of heat.
A charred, black circle three meters in diameter was burned into the sand.
The stands fell silent for a moment before erupting into even greater applause and cheers.
“Pass.” There was a hint of shock in the proctor’s voice.
“Itachi Uchiha, you have passed all four categories.
As of today, you are officially a Genin of the Hidden Leaf Village.”
Itachi lowered his hand and wiped the corner of his mouth.
His gaze swept across the stands, lingering on Izumi’s direction for a second before moving on.
He didn’t look at Linbei.
But Linbei knew that Itachi knew he was there.
“As expected of Itachi-kun,” Izumi said excitedly, shaking Linbei’s sleeve.
“He even used the Fireball Jutsu so well!”
“Yeah,” Linbei replied offhandedly, though his mind was elsewhere.
From today on, Itachi would officially step into the world of shinobi.
He would begin going on missions, witness the reality of the battlefield, and hone his blade in the midst of slaughter.
And how much longer would he, Linbei, have to stay in the Academy?
A year?
Two years?
He shifted his gaze from Itachi to the VIP section.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was looking down at Itachi with a satisfied smile.
Fugaku Uchiha’s expression remained stern, but the corners of his eyes were slightly upturned—a trace of pride.
Shisui Uchiha stood by Fugaku’s side, his gaze fixed on Itachi with admiration, expectation, and something else that was hard to define.
Linbei looked at Shisui, thoughts churning in his mind.
Shisui and Fugaku—if he could win these two over, that would be two Kage-level combatants.
But how could he win them over?
What reason could he use?
When should he speak up?
“Linbei-kun?” Izumi’s voice sounded again.
“Why are you so distracted today?”
“It’s nothing.” Linbei withdrew his gaze and smiled.
“I just think…
Itachi is really amazing.”
“He is.” Izumi nodded, her gaze returning to the arena.
Itachi was receiving his forehead protector from the proctor, the silver plate gleaming in the sunlight.
“I’ll work hard too.” Izumi clenched her fist.
“One day, I’ll become a ninja as amazing as Itachi-kun.”
Linbei didn’t say anything.
He watched Itachi tie the forehead protector around his brow, watched the Third Hokage stand up from the VIP section to applaud, and watched the crowd in the stands cheer and jump for joy.
The sunlight was bright, but there was a shadow in Linbei’s heart.
In that shadow stood many people.
Itachi.
Obito.
The Third Hokage.
Danzo.
And the future of the entire Ninja World.
“I need to hurry up and cultivate as well,” Linbei told himself.
He looked down at Tom in his arms.
Tom was currently dozing with his eyes squinted, his tail draped over Linbei’s arm, twitching gently with the rhythm of his breathing.
Linbei patted Tom’s head.
Tom’s ears flicked, but he didn’t open his eyes.
In the arena, Itachi turned to leave.
His back was straight and lonely, like a sword that had just been unsheathed.