Konoha Year 49.
Just after school let out, Itachi walked quietly along the road. He didn't plan on going straight home; instead, he wanted to head to a small grove for some training.
Although he had already become the top student in his first-year ninja class, his father's expectations went far beyond that. He needed to work even harder.
In fact, he was already thinking of using a Shadow Clone to attend class starting tomorrow, so he could free up more time for training.
Stepping into the small grove, he arrived at his usual training spot. Itachi put down his schoolbag and took out several shuriken.
Around him in the trees were targets he had set up beforehand, each placed in tricky spots: some tucked within the leaves, some only partially visible, and others hidden behind trunks.
Yes, ordinary shuriken practice was no longer enough to satisfy him. Itachi knew his own potential went far beyond this.
Swish, swish, swish—
Taking a deep breath, several shuriken flew from his hand.
After tracing a few graceful arcs, they landed precisely at the centers of their respective targets.
Itachi frowned slightly.
"One of them… missed, huh…"
He had thrown nine shuriken and hit eight of them—every one dead-center.
Yet he wasn't satisfied.
If a target remained unhit, it meant an enemy was still alive.
On the battlefield, leaving an enemy alive after your attack spoke for itself.
"My control over force still needs work."
Itachi quickly pinpointed the issue. Bending his knees, he made a few swift leaps to reach the missed target.
That target was set in the middle of a thick tree, about five or six meters up, very well concealed.
He stared at it for a moment, already calculating how much force would be required on his next throw.
"Huff!"
"Huff!"
"Huff!"
All at once, in the distance, there came the sound of evenly paced breathing mixed with the swoosh of slicing air, drawing Itachi's attention.
From years of training, Itachi quickly noticed someone else was practicing nearby.
But it wasn't shuriken training; it seemed to be swordsmanship.
A hint of curiosity flickered across his eyes.
This forest belonged to the Uchiha Clan, but the clan had many training grounds. It was rare for anyone to use this particular grove.
He had chosen it for the solitude, thinking ahead to when he would send a clone to class while he trained here himself.
He hadn't expected anyone else to be around, and that intrigued him.
"Let me say hello."
After a brief hesitation, Itachi decided to go for it.
It might be a bit rude, but he felt it necessary to find out who was here—in the interest of future training.
After all, gathering information was part of a ninja's skill set.
Following the sound, Itachi's small figure flickered several times among the trees and quickly arrived at the source.
He did not step out immediately but instead remained hidden among the leaves, quietly observing.
His guess was correct: someone was practicing basic sword strikes.
But that someone… was a girl.
She appeared about five or six, wearing a long dress, her hair tied back in a neat ponytail. Each time she swung her sword, that ponytail danced lightly in the air.
For a moment, Itachi's gaze lingered on the swaying ponytail before shifting to the sword in her hand.
She was clearly a novice, yet she wasn't using the usual wooden training sword.
Instead, she held a long blade of an archaic design, bearing a subtle elegance.
That caught Itachi's attention.
"She probably doesn't want to disappoint her elders either…"
He sighed quietly. He understood that feeling all too well.
A father's expectations were like a towering mountain—pushing him onward while also weighing heavily on him.
To live up to it, ordinary training wouldn't be enough.
That was why he had come to this secluded grove, taking on a level of practice far beyond what children his age would normally do.
"Who's there?!"
Suddenly, the girl—who had been focused on her sword practice—seemed to sense his presence and looked straight toward where Itachi was concealed.
Startled from his own thoughts, Itachi marveled at her keen senses.
Even so, he didn't panic. He simply jumped down from the tree.
"Hello, I'm Uchiha Itachi. I happened to be training nearby," he said.
"Sorry if I disturbed you."
Itachi spoke with genuine sincerity; after all, he'd interrupted someone else's practice.
Still, this let him get a good look at the girl from the front.
Her lips were a soft pink, her brows arched in mild irritation. She watched him guardedly but without fear—instead, curiosity slowly took shape in her gaze.
"You… are Uchiha Itachi?" the girl asked with a slight frown.
Her voice was airy—unlike the usual crispness of most girls', but it had its own unique tone.
Itachi nodded quickly. "Yes. Do you… know me?"
She frowned a bit more. Without answering him directly, she uttered a phrase that Itachi would never grasp in his lifetime:
Cǎo nǐ mǎ de…