The first major test of their abilities came sooner than they expected. Rumors spread through the village about a man with a Sharingan who had been spotted in the outskirts of Konoha. Himanshu and Divyansh knew immediately who it was.
"It's Itachi," Himanshu said, his voice low. "He's come to check on me."
Divyansh frowned, his blue eyes narrowing. "What do we do? If he's here, then Kisame is probably with him too. We can't take them both on."
Himanshu thought for a moment, his mind racing. They weren't strong enough yet to face Itachi head-on, but they could use their knowledge to avoid a confrontation. "We'll stay in the village, stick to our routines. Itachi's not here to cause trouble—he's here to observe. If we act like nothing's wrong, he might leave us alone."
For the next few days, Himanshu and Divyansh went about their lives as usual. Himanshu attended his classes at the Ninja Academy, keeping up his facade of a quiet, brooding Uchiha. Divyansh played the part of the troublemaking Naruto, pulling pranks and getting scolded by Iruka-sensei. They kept their eyes and ears open, watching for any sign of Itachi.
One evening, as they were walking home from the Academy, Himanshu sensed a familiar presence. His body tensed, his eyes scanning the shadows. "Divyansh," he whispered, "we're being watched."
Divyansh's hand subtly moved to the kunai in his pouch. "Where?"
Himanshu's Sharingan activated, and he spotted the faint outline of a figure on a nearby rooftop. Itachi. His heart pounded in his chest, but he kept his expression neutral. "Just act normal. He's not here to fight."
They continued walking, feeling Itachi's gaze on them. Itachi watched them from the shadows, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he disappeared, leaving the brothers alone.
Divyansh let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "That was too close," he said, his voice shaky.
Himanshu nodded, his mind racing. "He's testing us. He wants to see how strong we've become."
"We need to keep training," Divyansh said, determination in his voice. "We need to be ready for anything."
Himanshu agreed. They had avoided a confrontation this time, but they knew that Itachi would return. And when he did, they needed to be prepared.