Naruto: Becoming Stronger through Bonds

Chapter 18: Shisui's thoughts of Ervin

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In a single room at Konoha Hospital, Itachi had regained consciousness.

Though he hadn't suffered any serious injuries, his fist had been broken during the clash with Ervin. He had fainted because his body couldn't handle the massive surge of mental power that accompanied the awakening of his Sharingan. It was a form of self-protection. After a brief rest, he woke up feeling more stable.

Shisui had also arrived.

The previous day, Shisui had heard about the upcoming fight between Itachi and Ervin, but an urgent mission had come up, forcing him to leave. He had rushed back as quickly as possible, but by the time he arrived, it was too late. He hurried to Konoha Hospital, only to find Itachi lying on a hospital bed.

When Itachi woke up, his eyes met two pairs of concerned gazes.

"Father, Brother Shisui..."

"Itachi, you're awake," Shisui said with a smile. "I was still too late despite rushing back. I heard it was a very exciting battle. Don't be discouraged—it's normal to lose to Ervin-kun. If you work hard, you'll definitely catch up to him in the future."

"That's right," Fugaku chimed in, his tone proud. "Winning or losing now isn't important. Besides, you've awakened your Sharingan—that's an incredible achievement."

Opening the Sharingan at the age of seven was a rare feat, especially in the post-Sengoku era of the Five Great Nations. The last person to achieve this was Shisui, and even then, Itachi was half a year younger than Shisui had been when he awakened his own.

He was, without a doubt, worthy of being Fugaku's son.

Despite their reassurances, Itachi's expression remained distant, and he barely reacted to their words.

Understanding his son's pride as a member of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku decided not to push further. Losing to a peer, especially one from outside the clan, must have been a bitter experience for Itachi. Convinced that his presence wouldn't help, Fugaku decided to leave the ward, trusting that Shisui, being closer to Itachi in age, might have better luck encouraging him.

With Fugaku gone, only Shisui and Itachi remained in the room. The atmosphere lightened slightly, and Itachi finally spoke.

"Brother Shisui, did you teach Ervin the throwing techniques and the Body Flicker Technique?"

Shisui was momentarily taken aback by the question but nodded. "Yes."

Itachi's eyes sharpened with determination as he sat up in bed. "You're his teacher, so how big do you think the gap between us is?"

Shisui sighed, offering a faint, bittersweet smile but didn't answer directly. Instead, he simply shook his head.

Itachi's frustration was evident. "I've awakened my Sharingan now—doesn't that give me a chance to win?"

He could feel the dramatic increase in his mental power. Since chakra was a combination of mental and physical energy, his chakra reserves had grown significantly as well. Itachi was eager to challenge Ervin again, yet Shisui still seemed unconvinced of his chances.

"Itachi," Shisui began gently, "Sharingan isn't omnipotent."

Seeing the stubborn determination in Itachi's eyes, Shisui leaned forward, his tone serious but kind.

"You've just awakened your eyes and haven't mastered any skills yet. Moreover, the single tomoe in your Sharingan doesn't offer much advantage. It only enhances your observational abilities. Even without Sharingan, Ervin already possesses exceptional dynamic vision."

"You have no chance of winning."

"Is Ervin really that strong?" Itachi asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

He recalled following his father to the battlefield at the age of four, killing enemy ninjas with his own hands. And what about Ervin?

He was nothing more than a spoiled young master with a poor reputation in the village, known for eating and drinking for free at various stores.

"Itachi," Shisui began, his tone grave, "Ervin-kun is far more terrifying than you think. I no longer have anything to teach him."

Shisui's words left Itachi stunned.

"How is that possible?"

To Itachi, Shisui was the most exceptional person he knew, surpassing even his father. Proficient in all forms of ninjutsu and taijutsu, and wielding the strongest three-tomoe Sharingan, Shisui was unparalleled.

And yet, he claimed he wasn't qualified to be Ervin's teacher?

Then who in the entire village could possibly teach Ervin—Hokage-sama himself?

"It's not that Ervin-kun's strength has surpassed mine," Shisui clarified. "It's his talent and his learning speed."

Shisui's expression grew serious as he added, "There are some things I'll share with you as an exception, but you must not tell anyone—not even the clan leader, Fugaku."

Itachi nodded earnestly. "Don't worry, Shisui. I won't tell anyone."

"He learns too fast," Shisui said with a sigh. "He mastered the Uchiha throwing technique in just one week. In one month, he learned all my Fire Style ninjutsu."

"Another month later, he completely mastered the Body Flicker Technique."

"Six months after that, we competed in pure swordsmanship, and the result was a draw. Since then, I've stopped teaching him. What Ervin lacks isn't skill or ninjutsu. All he needs is time to grow."

"Ervin knows swordsmanship too?" Itachi asked, his voice faltering. He was well aware of how formidable Shisui's swordsmanship was. With the Body Flicker Technique and genjutsu, Shisui could dispatch ordinary ninjas with a single strike.

"Wrong," Shisui corrected. "What Ervin excels at most isn't ninjutsu or taijutsu—it's swordsmanship."

Itachi was left speechless.

Did this mean he wasn't even worthy of being taken seriously by Ervin?

Shisui observed Itachi's stunned expression and couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Itachi would never lose to any of his peers—except for someone like Ervin.

Fortunately, with his Sharingan now awakened, Itachi had hope of catching up someday. This defeat wouldn't be the end for him.

After a long pause, seeing that Itachi had regained some composure, Shisui continued:

"Itachi, even though you've successfully awakened your Sharingan, there are some important things you need to remember."

Shisui's expression grew even more serious, prompting Itachi to ask curiously, "What is it?"

Looking at Itachi's young face, Shisui spoke deliberately:

"Until your body is fully developed, use the Sharingan as little as possible. Otherwise... it could cause irreversible damage to your body."

---

Meanwhile, on a grassy field elsewhere in the village, Ervin lay side by side with another young Uchiha, both staring at the sky.

Ervin's voice broke the silence.

"Actually... awakening the Sharingan too early isn't always a blessing."