Months after Hiruzen took Naruto and became reinstated as hokage, Miyuki was returning home from her daily practice in the evening.
Watching the sun set over the half empty houses of the Uchiha clan, she sighed to herself. 'Even with my interference, the clan was still targeted and ostracized by the village. I even made it a little worse by being there. Some rumors have spread that I helped my father kill the fourth hokage. It's complete slander! It's such a stupid rumor and yet I still hear it come up every now and then from civilians when I pass.'
'Well, whatever, at least the rumors have given me a reason to ask father and Shisui for more jutsu. I managed to get the shadow clone technique from father which has significantly sped up my training progress. I can only imagine how much faster I'll be able to train with the multi-shadow clone jutsu, but father said I would likely be crippled if I tried to use it. The chakra requirements and the strain it puts on the mind are not something even he can take easily.'
'Additionally, I've fully mastered the Uchiha style shuriken technique during this time. I'm now able to throw a dozen shuriken at once and have them all hit separate moving targets with precision after redirecting each other. Now it's just a matter of adding string to them, and maybe combining it with the shadow shuriken jutsu?'
As Miyuki was going over all the progress she's made in recent months, she spotted Itachi walking towards her, completely ruining her mood. 'And this bastard's still on par with me! How is that possible!? I've literally doubled my training with the shadow clone jutsu and this guy is still able to keep up? Does his talent increase as he gets older or something?!'
"What do you want?" Miyuki spoke with a sour tone.
"Hey Miyuki, I was just coming to fetch you. Mother has some stuff to talk to us about today, so she wanted to make sure you got home on time." Itachi said expressionlessly.
"Hn" she said as they began walking back towards their home together in silence.
Pushing open the door, Miyuki saw both Fugaku and Mikoto waiting for them. "Come in, we'll talk over dinner." Fugaku spoke while motioning them to follow.
As they settled around the dinner table, the atmosphere was tense but filled with anticipation. Fugaku began, his voice steady and authoritative.
"Itachi, Miyuki, we have important news. Starting next week, both of you will be attending the Ninja Academy."
Miyuki's eyes widened but she quickly calmed and asked. "The Academy? Me and Itachi are both too strong for the academy, why send us there?"
Mikoto smiled gently. "It's time for you both to start making friends. You've both shown exceptional talent and we're proud of you, but you have been spending so much time training that you've made no friends. There is also much more that goes into being a ninja than just being strong. You need to learn tracking, hiding your traces, stalking, geography, and much more."
Itachi nodded, his expression calm as usual. "I understand. It's an important step."
Miyuki, however, didn't feel any need to go to the academy even after the explanation. "I can learn those things from senior ninja in the clan, and I don't want to be all chummy with a bunch of useless brats!"
Fugaku's gaze softened slightly. "Miyuki, your progress has been remarkable, but the Academy offers structured learning and the opportunity to train with other talented young ninjas. There are many young ninjas from other clans such as the Nara, and Yamanaka. Being a ninja is not just about individual skills; you need to learn to work as a team with a large group. That's how it will be on the battlefield, no one person can take on an army by themself."
Miyuki immediately wanted to retort with a tale of Madara taking on the largest army of all villages combined, solo, but she chose to remain silent and not make herself look insane.
Fugaku thought for a moment then added, "However, if you both feel confident in your abilities, I can test your skills. If you demonstrate that you are at the level of a chuunin, I will let you apply for early graduation after a year in the academy."
Miyuki's eyes lit up with determination. "Really? That seems quite doable."
Fugaku nodded. "Yes, but the test will be in-depth. You must be prepared to show that you not only have the skills of a chuunin but also the knowledge and practical ability of one."
Itachi glanced at Miyuki, a sigh escaping his mouth. "It'll be a while until we have all the practical ability of a chuunin."
"It will be hard, but I believe in you both." Mikoto chimed in from the side with a hum while picking up baby Sasuke. "Sasuke believes in you too." She continued as she raised Sasuke's small fist into the air.
The next morning, for the first time since her birthday, Miyuki chose to stay home instead of going out to train. Determined to become a full-fledged chuunin, she decided to focus on expanding her knowledge. She gathered all the scrolls and books she could find on tracking, geography, and hiding techniques.
Sitting in her room, surrounded by stacks of scrolls, Miyuki began her intensive study session. She started with a preliminary study of each subject to get a broad understanding.
First, she tackled tracking. Miyuki learned about different methods to follow a target, identify footprints, and recognize subtle signs in the environment. She understood that knowing this skill would be crucial for missions, remembering how Naruto had encountered people hiding in a puddle during their land of waves mission.
Next, she moved on to hiding techniques. Miyuki read about various methods to conceal oneself, from using natural cover to advanced ninjutsu techniques such as the hiding in the mist technique. She also studied the art of misdirection, learning how to create false trails and confuse pursuers. She knew that this would require actual practice. Just studying wouldn't do much, so she chose to put it off for now.
Finally, she delved into geography. Miyuki pored over maps of the Land of Fire and its neighboring countries, studying the terrain, major landmarks, and hidden paths. She made notes on strategic locations and potential routes for missions. Understanding the geography would be crucial for planning and executing missions effectively.
After her preliminary study, Miyuki decided to focus more deeply on geography. Having realized that it was the only she could really get good at without practicing. She knew that having a thorough understanding of the land would give her a significant advantage. Whether it be for escape routes or for avoiding enemy ninja on missions. She spent hours memorizing maps, learning about different regions, and understanding the strategic importance of various locations.
A few hours passed, and Miyuki was already fed up with studying, not wanting to do it any longer. Even with the sharingan to assist her in memorizing and reading quickly, it was still a huge pain for her to study so much. 'If only someone else could study for me while I train.' Miyuki thought to herself.
'Wait! Am I really that stupid?' She suddenly questioned herself. 'I have been using the shadow clone to train before, why don't I just use it to study? What the hell am I here for?' Realizing how stupid she's been Miyuki stood up quickly and cast the shadow clone jutsu before running out of the room and then out of the house.