"What's wrong, Sasuke?"
Seeing his brother's downcast appearance, Uchiha Itachi held back his inner irritation and anxiety, and gently asked again, "Did something unpleasant happen at the Ninja School?"
"Big brother can help you."
Although at this moment, the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha's higher-ups was already extremely tense...
Especially after Shisui's death, Uchiha Itachi was considered by ninjas within the clan to be the culprit, suspected of killing Shisui, leading to much malicious speculation. Hot-tempered people like Tekka and Hachida even confronted him directly.
This weighed heavily on Uchiha Itachi's heart...
Uchiha Itachi viewed Shisui as almost like an elder brother. Watching Shisui have his eyes taken by Shimura Danzo and then jump off a cliff to commit suicide had activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, filling him with explosive negative emotions...
Was his reputation so bad?
These clan members actually suspected him of killing Shisui; how dare they!
Mistakenly thought to be the killer of Shisui, Uchiha Itachi even started to feel hatred towards those who wrongly accused him within his clan...
But even though Uchiha Itachi's heart was in turmoil, like a volcano about to erupt, he still managed to suppress it when he saw Sasuke's frowning face, forcing a stiff smile and asking what was wrong.
"Big brother, I realized I might not be a genius after all..."
In his depression, Sasuke did not notice that his brother's smile was different from usual. He lowered his head and said in a muffled voice:
"The supposed 'dead last' has actually learned the B-rank ninjutsu Shadow Clone Jutsu and uses it very skillfully!"
"Even their Throwing Technique is stronger than mine, despite being taught by you... They must have learned some advanced Chakra control techniques; I've seen them throw chalk so hard it pierced the blackboard."
"I've dishonored the name of the Uchiha..."
Sasuke anxiously clutched the hair on his forehead, his young face showing an exhaustion and tension beyond his years.
If he didn't get the top spot at the Ninja Academy's final exam...
Sasuke could hardly bear to think about how his father, Uchiha Fugaku, who had always held him to high standards and strict requirements, would reprimand him!
Being a traditional Uchiha, Sasuke was naturally a devoted brother...
He had always had a small dream, to earn his brother's approval, to surpass Uchiha Itachi...
Only then could he grow up to help alleviate his brother's burdens!
And Sasuke also longed to hear his father's praise.
"That's my son..." Those words Sasuke had only ever heard Uchiha Fugaku use to praise Uchiha Itachi.
To him, there was only a slight nod, indicating his performance was acceptable but he needed to keep working hard.
Though disappointed, Sasuke could understand it in his heart.
After all, with such an excellent older brother, who had a talent better than his, it had made their father proud beyond words...
So he had to perform even better than Itachi, only then might his father praise him!
Upon entering the Ninja Academy, Sasuke initially had confidence to surpass Itachi...
But upon seeing Naruto's performance in the Ninja School, Sasuke's mindset collapsed.
If he couldn't even become the best among his peers, how could he surpass his brother, Konoha's number one genius?
No hope! No way!
Sasuke, being a true Uchiha, overlooked one problem — with Naruto's performance, might he have already surpassed even Uchiha Itachi of the same age?
In his heart, no one could possibly be stronger than his brother!
"Dead last, mastering Shadow Clone and Chakra control?"
Hearing this, Uchiha Itachi's eyes widened, and he frowned, contemplating, "What's his name, Sasuke?"
At Sasuke's age...
Uchiha Itachi only graduated as the top student in the entire school but hadn't mastered Shadow Clone, nor could he embed a chalk piece into a blackboard or wall...
From Sasuke's description, it was close to the Monster Strength Jutsu of the Senju Clan.
Who among Sasuke's classmates had such talent?
"That guy's name is Uzumaki Naruto... Big brother, you probably never heard of him. Honestly, I never paid attention to him before, but I can't believe how he suddenly got so strong..."
Sasuke said dejectedly, glancing at Uchiha Itachi, somewhat hopeful that his brother could help analyze his current predicament.
But what Sasuke didn't expect.
Upon hearing that name, Uchiha Itachi, usually composed, had a swift change of expression and furrowed brow!
How could he possibly not know the name Uzumaki Naruto?
Already an Anbu Squad Captain and the son of the Uchiha Clan Leader, Uchiha Itachi possessed a deeper layer of intelligence than most ninjas in the village.
He was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the orphan of the Fourth Hokage...
In his early days in the Anbu, Uchiha Itachi was tasked with monitoring the Jinchuriki, watching Naruto in silence through the Sharingan in the shadows of the night.
But.
Uchiha Itachi didn't expect Naruto to have improved so quickly in terms of strength...
Not long ago, he was still just a mischievous kid, reportedly struggling even with Chakra refinement, showing no inherent talent as a ninja.
How did he suddenly become so strong?
"Sasuke, recount Uzumaki Naruto's performance to me once more. This might be crucial for the village..." Uchiha Itachi thought of many possibilities in an instant.
And Sasuke, though puzzled by Uchiha Itachi's inquiry, still honestly recounted what he knew.