Chapter 5: Instant Shadow Clone Technique

At the same time, Itachi accepted a mission. During this mission, he encountered a mysterious masked man—Uchiha Obito. The man ruthlessly killed Itachi's two companions.

Overcome with grief, Itachi awakened the Three magatama Sharingan.

When he returned home, Itachi was silent, his thoughts weighed down by the day's events. But his father, Uchiha Fugaku, noticed the change in his son's eyes and smiled proudly.

"Itachi, you've done well!" Fugaku praised, his tone carrying no warmth.

Itachi's heart stirred with conflict. He looked at his father and spoke softly, "But Father, my companions... they're dead."

Fugaku's response was cold and detached. "So what? As a ninja, death is inevitable. Their deaths triggered the awakening of your Sharingan. That was their value."

Itachi's chest tightened. He felt suffocated. He was only ten years old, yet the weight of his father's expectations and the clan's ambitions pressed down on him, threatening to crush him.

His companions had been his friends, and now they were gone—sacrificed for a power his father coveted.

Is this what it means to be a ninja? Is this what it means to be an Uchiha?

Itachi's Sharingan, already awakened to its second stage, began to evolve further. The two tomoe in his eyes spun rapidly, transforming into the three-tomoe Sharingan. But Itachi kept this to himself. He saw no point in sharing it with his father. His heart felt too burdened.

Later, when he returned to his room, Itachi forced a smile for his younger brother, Sasuke. "Sasuke," he said softly, "I'm tired today. I can't play with you right now."

Sasuke looked up at him with innocent eyes and asked, "Did your friends die, brother?"

Itachi paused, his expression faltering. "Yes. Their deaths allowed me to awaken the Three Tomoe Sharingan. Their deaths... were not in vain."

But Sasuke shook his head. "No, it's not like that. They were your friends. They must have been so scared when they died."

Itachi was stunned by Sasuke's words. In that moment, a question resurfaced in his mind—one that had plagued him for so long: ''Why did I seek power?''

His father had always said that power was necessary to return the Uchiha clan to the center of the village and restore their influence. Shisui had once told him that power was a means to protect peace. But Itachi had never truly understood why he had gained power.

''Yes, they must have been scared when they died,'' he thought. ''They were only starting their lives as shinobi, full of hope and promise, yet their lives were cut short.''

Itachi clenched his fists. ''I should have protected them. The dead are gone, but the living... we must cherish them. I want to be strong enough to ensure no one else dies like that again.''

Determination filled his heart. ''I want to be strong enough to defeat that masked man. I want to be strong enough to protect my brother.''

"It's clear to me now," Itachi whispered to himself.

Then he turned to Sasuke. "Come on, Sasuke. I'll take you to see Shisui. He said he would teach you the Flicker Technique."

The Flicker Technique, or Shunshin no Jutsu, was Shisui's signature move.

During the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, three ninja from Konoha had gained such notoriety that they struck fear into the hearts of enemy villages: the White Fang, Hatake Sakumo; the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze; and Shisui of the Body Flicker.

Minato, the Yellow Flash, had died heroically, sacrificing himself to seal the Nine-Tails and save the village. But Sakumo, the White Fang, had met a much sadder end, succumbing to the harsh judgment of the village's public opinion.

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At the Uchiha training grounds, Shisui had been waiting for them.

When Itachi and Sasuke arrived, Shisui greeted them with a smile. "Itachi, Sasuke! It's been a while. Sasuke, you've grown so much!"

Itachi nodded, and then turned to his younger brother. "Sasuke, Shisui's talent surpasses even mine. The Flicker Technique is a secret of the Uchiha clan, and even I haven't fully mastered it yet. But Shisui has. He also awakened the Two magatama Sharingan at a young age."

Shisui chuckled modestly. "Haha, don't put me on a pedestal, Itachi. Now, Sasuke, let's get started."

He then explained, "The Flicker Technique, or Shunshin no Jutsu, is a high-speed movement jutsu. Any ninjutsu or taijutsu that allows the user to move instantly can be called a Flicker Technique.

But the Uchiha clan's version is special. It combines the Flicker Technique with the Shadow Clone Jutsu to create the Instant Shadow Clone Technique—a form of space-time ninjutsu."

Shisui activated his Sharingan, its three tomoe spinning in his eyes. Suddenly, four or five shadow clones appeared around him.

"The Instant Shadow Clone Technique allows you to create shadow clones that can join you in attacking the enemy," Shisui explained.

"These shadow clones are of higher quality than normal ones, and they won't disperse easily. You can also swap positions between your main body and any of your clones."

To demonstrate, Shisui had one of his clones run ten meters away. Then, in an instant, the remaining clones around Sasuke and Itachi vanished in puffs of smoke, while Shisui's true body reappeared in the position where the clone had been.

"That's the Instant Shadow Clone Technique," Shisui said. "The clones can fight, but they're not as strong as the original body. Do you understand, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's eyes gleamed with curiosity. His Sharingan activated, displaying two tomoe. A mechanical voice echoed in his mind:

''[Beep! Host has detected the Instant Shadow Clone Technique.]'' 

''[Simplifying...]'' 

''[Simplification complete. Instant Shadow Clone Technique—Practice Method: Walking.]''

Sasuke frowned. ''Wait... I can practice the Instant Shadow Clone Technique by... walking? This method sounds ridiculous!''

Yet Sasuke, ever determined, took a few steps and mimicked Shisui's hand signs. With a swift motion, he summoned a shadow clone beside him. Concentrating, he switched places with the clone. However, midway through the exchange, the clone dispersed into smoke.

Shisui watched in amazement. "Sasuke is truly a genius," he remarked. "It took me a week to learn the Instant Shadow Clone Technique, but Sasuke grasped it after just one attempt! His only issue is that his clones aren't strong enough yet, so they collapse during the exchange. But with more practice, he'll perfect it."

After the training session, Itachi brought Sasuke home. But as the brothers walked, a sense of unease weighed heavily on both of them. Itachi's expression was tense, and Shisui's usual cheerful demeanor had darkened.

"Four years ago, the clan devised the 'Second Uchiha Madara Plan,'" Shisui said quietly. "Sasuke is seen as the key to our clan's future, the hope for our revival. But now... some members of the clan are growing impatient."

Itachi nodded solemnly. "Yes. And the village... they're growing wary of the Uchiha."

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