Raiden is now six years old. Next week he will start attending the academy and he has accomplished most of his training plan.
For his progress in ninjutsu, training in Jutsu you don't have an affinity for is pretty difficult so in this half a year he has mastered only the earth release Jutsus.
Earth Release: Earth wall Jutsu and Earth Release: Moving Earth Core Jutsu. Raiden has given up on learning more as they'll take too much time and neither Itachi nor Shisui uses earth release so he has no one to learn Earth Release Jutsu from.
He has decided to focus on water release which Itachi has an affinity for so he'll learn a couple of techniques from him.
He has also mastered hot water walking so right now his chakra control is almost perfect, and he doesn't know how to advance it more.
He has mastered the basic flicker after half a year, it is the longest time he has taken to practice a technique to mastery.
After using the flicker with the Sharingan for that long he has a feeling it's on the verge of evolution to two tomoe Sharingan.
He has also mastered the academy three thoroughly, now not needing any hand seals for any of them.
Speaking of hand seals, after enhancing his chakra control he is able to use his hand seals much better and is starting to shorten the hand seals for the techniques he knows.
He's also been training with Guy in taijutsu whenever he can so he has enough experience to easily overpower any veteran Genin out there, including Itachi, who isn't really specialized in taijutsu, but Genjutsu like Shisui and ninjutsu.
he has also mastered a lot of D-rank Genjutsu and some C-rank ones that were given to him by Shisui.
He'll start training with Shisui in Kenjutsu next week. He'll also tell him the concept for modifying the flicker since he mastered it.
~~~~
"So Itachi will you participate in the Chuunin exams this year?" Asked Shisui to Itachi who was throwing some shuriken and deflecting them of each other to hit the target.
"I am ready for the Chuunin exams, but my Jonin instructor has yet to give me the application form."
"Huh, the applications already went through though." Itachi was stunned for a minute before leaving while saying "I'll see you later."
"Looks like his instructor didn't recommend their squad." Said Shisui to Raiden who was also throwing shuriken the same way Itachi was.
"So are you ready to attend the academy?"
"I don't really want to attend, I'll only be going to get some time in the academy library, and when I'm done with my training and reading what I want I'll graduate."
"Only for the library? since I know they can't teach anything new I'll help you out and teach you a Jutsu that will allow you to attend while not really attending." Said Shisui before doing the tiger seal. a poof of smoke covered him before showing a clone next to Shisui.
"The cloning technique? no, wait this is different, this one has chakra."
"This is the shadow clone technique. it creates a real clone of you, which means this clone is physical."Said Shisui before touching the clone and showing that the clothes stretch and are real.
"Woah! but wait why didn't you teach me this long ago."
"This is a B-rank technique only Jonin or people with huge chakra reserves can use it. It is extremely dangerous if used in the wrong way and can lead to death. creating one clone will give it half the user's chakra, creating two clones will give each a third of the user's chakra, and so on. Depending on how much chakra the user has and how many clones they make, this rapid depletion of their reserves can be dangerous."
"Once dispersed, the clone's experiences and remaining chakra are transferred back to the user. So you see without big enough chakra reserves and mental fortitude you might injure yourself while using it. Right now, you can use it with maybe two or three clones, but it'll strain you so just stick to one." Explained Shisui.
"Wait a minute, the clone's experiences are transferred back to the user? Doesn't that mean you can use them to train faster?"
"well, I guess, but that would only be possible for people with large reserves like you."
"Haha, this way I can train even faster."
"Before doing that we have to test out your limits so you don't accidentally kill yourself." Said Shisui looking at him like an idiot.
They spent the rest of the day experimenting with the shadow clone Jutsu to see their limits and how it can help them improve.
~~~~
The next day, Raiden went towards the clan head's house to find Itachi. When he reached there he knocked on the door and waited. The door opened to reveal Sasuke, now two and a half years old.
"Raiden-nii-san!" Said Sasuke to Raiden who had been visiting every now and then with his mother or to find Itachi.
"Hey, Sasuke is Itachi still here or has he left already?"
"Nii-san is still here, he is preparing to leave." Said Sasuke looking a bit sad that Itachi is leaving.
"Then I'll wait for him for a bit, I think he said he has no mission today."
Said Raiden which made Sasuke a bit happier at knowing that he won't be gone for a long time.
"Are you going to train?" Asked Sasuke with stars in his eyes.
"Yes"
"Can I train with you?"
"You're too young, Sasuke maybe next time."Said Itachi who just came out and crouched next to Sasuke and tapped his forehead.
"Can I at least come watch? please?"
"How about this? I'll let you watch my evening shuriken training."
"Deal." Said Sasuke clearly happier.
"Let's go Raiden." And they headed towards the training grounds.