9. Put the words together.

Along the way, Shisui was telling the stories of the Uchiha family. His profound knowledge made the little boy very admiring... But the story was not very attractive, as Beiyuan fell asleep while listening to it.

Itachi hugged the crow that was about to fall and suddenly said, "Shisui, can you tell us about your mission?"

"Itachi, a ninja's mission must always remain a secret!" The boy raised a finger and shook his head mysteriously, but when he saw the disappointment in the little boy's eyes, Shisui couldn't help but laugh. "But during my missions, I've found a lot of interesting things and learned some ninja knowledge. Would you like to hear about it?"

"Is it okay?"

"Of course!" Uchiha Shisui thought for a moment, then nodded. "These don't have anything to do with the mission itself. But if you want to be a ninja in the future, Itachi, you'll need to be careful because even unrelated things can give away clues..."

Uchiha Itachi's little face suddenly looked conflicted. "Then... maybe I'd better not listen."

"Hahahaha..." Shisui turned his head to look at the little boy's expression and chuckled. "Very sensible, Itachi!"

"Gah!"

The crow's cry sounded suddenly, and Beiyuan woke up. Instantly, his chakra condensed into a shadow clone, which charged at Uchiha Shisui with decisive speed...

The boy's figure turned into smoke under the impact, and a few black feathers drifted on the wind—it was Uchiha Shisui's crow clone!

Such incredible speed!

Beiyuan's crimson eyes locked on a tree not far away. There, a boy formed a hand sign, the three-tomoe Sharingan in his eyes shining brightly—it was Uchiha Shisui, who had just evaded.

Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique!

Sharingan-Release!

Shhhhiiiiiii

Nothing happened...

Uchiha Shisui shook his head and muttered, "The Sharingan's illusion... how could it completely rebound?"

After being attacked by Beiyuan's chakra-laden shadow clone, Shisui had tried to subdue him using illusion, selecting a gentler technique out of concern for Itachi's safety. But instead, he had fallen into the illusion himself—no mirroring, just pure mental strength.

"Stay calm, Beiyuan..." Uchiha Itachi cradled the crow's wings and, once it stopped struggling, shouted to Shisui, "It's okay, Shisui!"

"Gah..."

It seems I've discovered a new use for shadow clones...

And this crow's mental strength is surprisingly strong...

Naka Shrine

Beiyuan perched on Itachi's shoulder, his red eyes watching as countless Uchiha clansmen ascended the shrine steps. Beside him, Shisui glanced at the crow, still in deep thought.

"Mother!"

The little boy spotted his mother immediately. Mikoto stood under the torii gate, smiling as she held a wooden scoop with several wooden barrels beside her.

Every passing clansman wet their fingers in the wooden bucket, then knelt before Mikoto, who sprinkled a few drops of water over them to cleanse away impurities.

Although it seemed like an important task, the sheer number of Uchiha members—ninja and civilians combined—meant she'd be standing there for hours. Thankfully, Mikoto's ninja physique made her resilient...

When it was Itachi's turn, Mikoto sprinkled a few drops of water evenly over both Beiyuan and Itachi. The cold water startled the crow awake despite its toughness.

"Gah!"

It's a crow, with feathers, not clothes...

"Beiyuan needs to be purified too!"

Mikoto's kind smile was irresistible, so Beiyuan let out a feeble, "...Gah..."

"Interesting..." Shisui half-covered his lips, suppressing a laugh.

After the purification, the Uchiha clan split into two orderly lines. Those entering the shrine formed one line, while those leaving gathered in small groups, chatting as they exchanged their fortune slips.

The upright Uchiha Fugaku stood next to a massive fortune-drawing box, looking somewhat like a fortune teller. When his son entered, Fugaku's expression grew stern, maintaining the image of a dignified father.

Itachi knelt reverently before the shrine, offering his prayers.

Then, rising to his feet, the boy stood before his father, bent low, and stretched out his hands to request a fortune slip. Beiyuan watched as Fugaku pulled two slips from the box with a lack of enthusiasm, showing no mystique in his motions.

After all, it's just a part-time job. Understandable.

One slip was placed in Itachi's hand, while the other was clipped to the crow's wing.

Beiyuan: "..."

Once outside, Uchiha Itachi examined his slip and stammered, "Chang... Chang..."

The fortune for the New Year contained only two characters. At just five years old, Uchiha Itachi could recognize only one of them. He handed the slip to Shisui for help.

Chang Di.

Shisui wiped away a bead of sweat. At least he could read it.

The Uchiha clan's fortunes were passed down from their ancestors, with each slip containing an esoteric poem or phrase. Many were filled with rare, obscure characters, and even their meanings were often unclear.

For instance, Shisui couldn't make sense of his own fortune slip, which read: Health Care Master.

All the words were recognizable, but together, they felt like strangers.

Among the three slips, the simplest was Beiyuan's: Yin and Yang.

Its meaning was... broad.

"Well, forget it. No one in the clan really understands these. Let's hang them up!" Shisui took Itachi to the sacred tree, where fortunes were tied. After being hung, the fortunes would be returned to the lottery box for future draws.

At the tree's highest point, one slip swayed in the wind, carrying a single word: 青  (///TN: A word that covers all shades of blue and green).

Following the shrine visit, Konoha's villagers began their New Year celebrations. Gifts were exchanged, and children received lucky money—a tradition continuing until they became ninjas.

Both Uchiha Itachi and Beiyuan received generous sums: 100,000 ryo each.

The amount equaled the reward for a B-rank mission, or roughly 66,666 yen in cash... Something about that number felt off.

As clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku received countless gifts. This year, he made an exception, entrusting five-year-old Itachi to handle some of the gift exchanges, with Shisui assisting.

It was a stark change from the previous year, and Shisui enthusiastically accepted the task. Quickly returning home, he even changed into a formal kimono.

Meanwhile, Beiyuan returned to his quilt and promptly went back to sleep. By the time he woke up, it was dark.

The lights of Konoha's homes shone brightly, and fireworks illuminated the village sky.

"Beiyuan, it's time to eat!" Uchiha Mikoto knocked gently on the door.

At the dinner table, Fugaku was praising his son, though his tone remained as stern as ever. Beiyuan caught snippets, such as Fugaku's concluding remark: "You've done well today. As expected of my son."

As usual, Mikoto chimed in supportively. "Itachi is truly amazing!"

"...No, Shisui did most of the work..."

Even so, the couple continued praising their son, finding new reasons to compliment him.

"You're only five years old this year, and you're already doing well at this level."

"Yeah! When your mother was five years old, she would only play with her friends during the New Year!"

Beiyuan thought to himself that he'd become accustomed to this family's dynamic.