The Celestial Copy - Chapter 26

A full month had passed since we first arrived in the Hidden Cloud. After the second stage of the Chunin Exams, the Raikage informed me and the Jonin from the Hidden Frost that he had set aside one of their training grounds for our teams to use. I’d spoken with the other Jonin, and we agreed that Itachi and I would take the early mornings while his team had free reign from the afternoon onward, that way both teams had privacy.

As today was the day of the finals, we decided to keep things light, treating this more like a warm-up than a true training session.

I molded a small amount of chakra, spitting out a Water Bomb. As the sphere of water left my lips, I infused additional lightning chakra into it, making the surface crackle.

Itachi was already reacting, channeling chakra into the kunai in his hand. He threw it with a spin. It clipped the Water Bomb at an angle, redirecting it enough that it went past him and harmlessly burst against a distant boulder. Without missing a beat, he followed up with a volley of shuriken.

Using my kunai, I deflected all of them with a metallic clang. But that split second of distraction was all the time Itachi needed to close the distance, a kunai of his own raised to strike.

I blocked his attack with my blade, twisting my wrist to lock his weapon and threaten a disarm. Instead of trying to fight the lock, Itachi released his kunai and pressed the attack, spinning into a low kick. I raised my leg, checking the kick with my shin. He used the impact to rebound, his other leg swinging around in a powerful axe kick aimed at my head. 

Bringing my forearm up, I blocked the blow and used the momentum to push him back, forcing him to flip through the air and land a few feet away.

He was already going through a sequence of hand seals for his next jutsu. Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse…

“Big brother!”

The sudden, high-pitched shout broke his concentration. His hands froze on the final Tiger seal for the Great Fireball Jutsu.

I turned to see our guests standing at the edge of the training ground. The Third Hokage was there in his formal robes, flanked by a stoic Fugaku and Mikoto, who offered us a warm smile. Then there was Sasuke, running straight toward his big brother.

“Big brother, you’re gonna win today, right? You have to show everyone how strong you are!”

Fugaku and Mikoto approached their sons at a more measured pace.

Mikoto smiled down at her eldest. “Itachi, we’re so proud to see you here. Have you been well? You haven’t been pushing yourself too hard, have you?”

“Yes, Mother. Kakashi-sensei’s training has been sufficient.”

“The finals will be observed by important nobles from every nation,” Fugaku stated, his arms crossed. “Do not forget who you represent today.”

“Of course,” Itachi replied with a solemn nod. “I will bring honor to the clan.”

Letting them have their moment, I walked over to the Hokage.

“We arrived just now for the finals,” Hiruzen explained. “I thought it best to let your student’s family see him before the main event.”

“It’s always nice to see a happy family,” I said. “I hope this trip has been a positive step for everyone involved.”

Hiruzen’s expression turned almost sheepish. “Regrettably, no. With Mikoto and young Sasuke present, the opportunity for a frank discussion never quite presented itself.”

How annoying. This was the golden opportunity. No Danzo, no elders, no council politics poisoning the air. And yet he’d let it slip for the sake of comfort. Apparently, his passive nature and aversion to confrontation would remain undefeated.

I resisted the urge to sigh. “Still, this is a step in the right direction. We can build on it. The journey back offers more opportunities. Itachi can help keep his mother and brother occupied while we talk to Lord Fugaku.”

“Well said, my boy.” Hiruzen looked toward the tallest tower, where the Raikage’s office cast a long shadow. “I must be off. I have a formal greeting with the Raikage to attend before we all head to the arena.”

He walked away, leaving me with the Uchiha family.

Sasuke detached himself from his brother’s side and marched over to me. He stopped a few feet away, looking me up and down with a surprisingly intense gaze for a boy his age.

“Big brother said you helped him get even stronger,” he stated, attempting to imitate his father’s serious tone. “He said your training will be the reason he’s going to win today.”

How humble. Itachi was nearly Jōnin-level before I even started training him.

I crouched down to his level, offering an eye-smile. “I played a part, but your brother is just being modest. The truth is, his strength is the result of his incredible talent and hard work. I just gave him a few new ways to use it.”

Sasuke nodded to himself. “That’s what I thought. Big brother is the best.” He started heading back to Itachi, but paused and looked back at me for a second. “But I guess you’re okay, too.”

Guess both brocon brothers approve of me now.

[FEAT ACHIEVED: MAKE A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION ON SASUKE UCHIHA]

[50 CP GRANTED - 300 TOTAL]

[WOULD YOU LIKE TO ROLL?]

The notification was a pleasant surprise. I’d been under the impression that I would have to wait until the exams were over to see any new points, maybe for my “student” becoming a Chūnin. After bringing Gintoki back to his home, I had earned an additional 100 points for securing the loyalty of the dogs on Kyojitsu Plateau, which had brought my total to 250. I’d rolled for a new perk then, but none of the options were appealing. Luckily, they had all been too expensive, giving me the choice to lock one, which I declined.

This new addition brought my current total to 300. Time to roll again.

[ROLLING…]

The book in my mind flipped open, three of its pages tearing themselves free, presenting my new options.

Dwarven Constitution - 200 CP

Source: Gloryhammer, Chapter: Benevolence

You have nearly limitless stamina, able to travel at top speed all day and still be ready and eager for battle when you arrive (and to swing your sword all night, if need be). You’re also unusually resistant to magical effects—spellcasters will find you a slippery target, able to power through effects that would stop an ordinary man in their tracks.

Wizarding News - 100 CP

Source: Wizarding World, Chapter: Lore

Given someone in your position, it pays to be kept well-informed of the comings and goings of the world, wherever you may be. Which is why you have these two. The first thing you have now is a daily subscription to the Daily Prophet. While people’s opinions on the paper may vary, you cannot deny that it will be rather useful to read about whatever might be going on in the world. Even if the sources can be rather biased, there will always be useful bits of information within, if you know what you’re looking for. The second thing you have is a special radio, one that is by default, connected to the Wizarding Wireless Network, a wizarding radio station. Like the Daily Prophet, the WWN can help keep you up-to-date with the coming and goings of the world and you don’t need to wait a day for more news to come through. Of course, if the WWN isn’t to your liking, the radio is capable of picking up other wireless airwaves, letting you listen to other radio broadcasts, including ones that are not necessarily meant to be heard. Beyond this world, the Daily Prophet will display appropriate and fitting news for you, no matter how different that world may be.

Small Shrine - 400 CP

Source: Journey To The West, Chapter: Making

You now have a small shrine in your possession. It’s barely two meters tall and one wide, and you could place it in any small corner that you wish. It looks unremarkable, and for the most part is unremarkable. It may be dedicated to whoever you wish. There is one thing that makes this small shrine special; it lets you benefit quite a bit from one single trait of this world. Sacrifices. Specifically, sacrificed representations of mundane things, such as paper ingots or small sculptures of beasts. When you sacrifice a small representation of a thing to this shrine, you must choose someone, anyone at all, and a real (although mundane) version of whatever the object you sacrificed represents will appear somewhere close to the target. The special benefit that this shrine provides is that it may send sacrifices to those in the world of the living, such as perhaps yourself. You could build up a fortune by burning paper ingots (origami of painted paper essentially) of gold and silver, could create loyal and strong (by mortal standards) beasts, and even make whole banquets’ worth of food. Be responsible, please.

[CHOOSE ONE]

I dismissed Small Shrine immediately. I simply couldn’t afford it. And since the other two options were affordable, I didn’t have any chance to lock it for the future. Besides, even if I could, I still wouldn’t. Money wasn’t an issue for me, and summoning mundane beasts was hardly worth the investment when I could summon my ninken, especially since the stronger ones also agreed to fight for me from now on. The utility was appealing, but not enough to justify actually picking it.

That left two viable options.

First was Dwarven Constitution

The promise of nearly limitless stamina was a massive draw. The perk synergized perfectly with my combat style, allowing me to maintain a top-speed assault indefinitely. It would also make me a more effective Eight Gates user, potentially letting my body recover from the strain much faster. The magical resistance was a nice bonus too. I wasn’t sure exactly how it would translate, but assuming it gave me genjutsu resistance was a safe bet. Probably resistance to fuinjutsu and other exotic chakra-based techniques as well. I was reasonably confident I’d beat any standard opponent, so the ones with more unique abilities were the ones I’d have to worry about.

The downside was that I already had Take It Head On for durability and the Twin Sacred Flasks for chakra restoration.

I checked out my other option.

Wizarding News had its own benefits. A newspaper that magically adapted to this world would provide a daily intelligence briefing on major global events, likely informing me of incidents before anyone else caught wind of them. The low cost was nice too. The guarantee that the news would always be appropriate and fitting made it even more appealing. 

However, the actual value, especially in the long-term, was questionable. I was going to be Hokage. I’d have access to the Hidden Leaf’s intelligence network, entire departments dedicated to gathering and analyzing information. A magic newspaper, even a very convenient one, was eventually going to feel like a toy compared to the village’s resources. 

In the end, neither option was perfect, but one was far better than the other. While Dwarven Constitution had some overlap with my existing perks, it wasn’t truly redundant. An actual improvement to my core combat abilities outweighed what Wizarding News offered.

Oh, and a certain benefit sounded especially nice.

[-200 CP, PURCHASED DWARVEN CONSTITUTION. 100 CP REMAINING]

A rush of energy flooded my system, somewhat similar yet still inferior to the spike I’d get from a soldier pill. My slight fatigue from the morning warm-up I had with Itachi instantly vanished. It felt like I could run from the Hidden Cloud to the Three Wolves mountains at full speed and still be ready to fight a war.

This is going to be very useful.

------------------------------

“I-I don’t want to die anymore! Please, help me… Please!”

That unsettling scream echoed throughout the arena. Unlike the previous match, there was no roar of excitement from the crowd. Very few people even realized what happened. Every spectator, from the local Cloud villagers to the high-ranking shinobi and even the feudal lords, sat in absolute silence.

In the center of the ring, Nemui was on his knees before Itachi, hyperventilating.

“Itachi Uchiha of the Hidden Leaf Village wins!” The referee announced, stepping in between the two boys.

The medics swiftly dragged the wailing boy away, his shrieks about not wanting to go back to sleep fading into the tunnels.

That kid’s really ruthless. That Cloud Genin is going to be traumatized from this. He’s never putting on a forehead protector again.

I leaned back in my seat in the VIP box, feeling the bewildered gaze of the Fire Daimyo beside me.

Truth be told, I hadn’t planned on sitting here. I’d meant to sit with Fugaku and Mikoto to keep building the bridge between their clan and the village. However, shortly before the preliminary match commenced, an attendant had arrived with a personal invitation from the Fire Daimyo himself. 

It was almost frightening how easily I had secured the man’s favor. I knew Mephistopheles was a potent perk, granting me a supernatural charisma, but all that after a few interactions a month ago?

Of course, having the ruler of the nation treating me like an old friend had its benefits too.

“Master Kakashi,” the Daimyo muttered, leaning closer to me so the Lightning Daimyo, who was sitting just a seat away, wouldn't hear. I didn’t think he needed to worry about that, since the other man was too busy trying to pretend his land’s representative didn’t just have such a disappointing performance. “I must confess, I am completely lost. Your student… he barely moved. The other boy seemed to be dancing around him, moving with such vigor, and then suddenly he collapsed. What exactly happened down there?”

“It was a battle of the mind, my Lord,” I answered, allowing Mephistopheles to slip through while also slightly raising my voice so the nearby feudal lords could also hear me. “You see, that young man from the Cloud, Nemui, he is afraid of battle.”

That tidbit of information came from Fantastic Minds. Nothing about his fighting style actually suggested that.

The Fire Daimyo’s eyes lit up, and he turned to the dark-skinned man wearing the same fan-shaped head-gear. “Did you hear that, my friend? A shinobi who is afraid to fight! What a curious thing to send to this exam!”

“Nonsense!” The Lightning Daimyo exclaimed, then looked toward me. “It doesn’t make any sense. The boy was moving incredibly fast. He had the Uchiha boy on the defensive for the entire match. So how could he possibly have been afraid?”

When he spoke to me, he leaned forward and his voice lost its earlier bluster, as if he was seeking my validation for his own shinobi’s performance.

So that’s the power of Mephistopheles when I’m not holding it back.

The only other time I hadn’t was my first meeting with Kanazuji, but he was an ancient summon. Meanwhile, these Daimyos were all regular humans.

Still, I couldn’t find it in me to feel bad about using it. Gaining influence over the various feudal lords here was essential for my plans of future peace. A shinobi village couldn’t go to war when their Daimyo refused to fund it.

“He did,” I agreed, throwing him a bone. “But that speed comes at a cost. Nemui used a technique that puts himself to sleep, allowing his body to fight on animalistic instinct. It unlocks his physical potential while simultaneously suppressing his fear, as he is not conscious of the battle around him.” 

I paused, giving them a moment to process that. Seeing as I had their undivided attention, I continued. “However, Itachi recognized the one major weakness in his opponent’s fighting style. Nemui must wake up periodically to maintain awareness of the battle. So Itachi spent the majority of the match simply defending, patiently waiting. The moment his opponent’s eyes fluttered open, Itachi saw the opening and used his clan’s famous Sharingan to trap him in a powerful illusion.”

The Frost Daimyo leaned toward us. “But even so, could the boy not break free of the illusion and then keep his eyes shut afterward? If the technique requires sleep, he simply needs to return to it.”

“Not quite,” I corrected gently. “Forcing his eyes shut requires conscious effort, which means the technique wouldn’t work, as he wouldn’t truly be asleep. Itachi used those brief openings to condition his opponent. He made Nemui realize that sleep was no longer a sanctuary.”

I left out the specifics of what the illusion actually entailed. Judging by the screams, Itachi had likely subjected Nemui to a loop of being brutally killed over and over again.

“In the end,” I concluded, “the boy was too terrified to close his eyes, but too exhausted to fight. Itachi destroyed his will without ever drawing a drop of blood.”

“Oho! I see!” the Fire Daimyo exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “To win without laying a hand on the enemy… What a marvelous student you’ve trained, Master Kakashi. As expected of the Copy Ninja.” He chuckled, tapping his fan against his chin. “Such a catchy name, that is. I remember that boy now! He was one of the ones who escorted me a few months ago. Wasn’t he a student of that rather plain-looking Jōnin?”

I nodded. “He was. But his performance on that mission impressed me enough to take him on as a student. And clearly, he’s not letting me down today.”

Before the Daimyo could respond, the referee raised his hand to silence any lingering murmurs. “We will now begin the second match of the first round! Cee of the Hidden Cloud Village versus Fuyuki of the Hidden Frost Village!”

The Fire Daimyo turned to his counterpart, a patronizing smile on his face. “Ah, another one of your not-so-promising youngsters. Perhaps the third time will be the charm, my friend?”

The Lightning Daimyo gritted his teeth but didn’t respond.

Privately, I thought the opposite. Cee might’ve looked like just another genin to these nobles, but I recognized him. He and his partner would be the Raikage’s bodyguards for the Five Kage Summit. When compared to Fuyuki, a seemingly competent but otherwise unremarkable Frost kunoichi, it was obvious to figure out who would win.

The referee dropped his hand, and the fight began.

Both contestants leaped back, creating distance. Cee used a long-range Lightning Style technique, which the Frost kunoichi countered with a Wind Style jutsu that dispersed the electricity harmlessly.

It seemed like this was going to be a standard mid-range ninjutsu duel where Fuyuki would have the elemental advantage, but Cee swiftly brought his hands together and flew through four hand-seals. Then he brought his hands together, light bursting out of his body.

The Lightning Illusion: Flash Pillar was a tricky technique. 

It seemed simple at first, a blinding light to disorient the opponent, similar to a flashbang. However, the light was actually a medium for genjutsu. The frozen kunoichi’s eyes were wide and unfocused, likely experiencing a frightening sight.

Cee didn’t waste the opening. Lightning crackled in his right hand as he shot forward and drove his palm into his immobilized opponent’s torso. The jolt made her convulse for a moment before she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

“Winner, Cee of the Hidden Cloud Village!”

After two consecutive losses, the Cloud villagers finally got the chance to celebrate a hometown victory. Their current cheers were at least ten times louder than the polite applause after the preliminary match.

Cee’s quick victory completely changed the Lightning Daimyo’s demeanor. He sat up straight with a booming laugh. 

“Hah! Did you see that?” he crowed, pointing down at the blonde boy. “That boy is one half of our future ‘C-D Combo!’ Both of them are participating in this exam, and I guarantee one of them will win it all. I dare say Cee will make short work of your Uchiha in the second round!”

The Fire Daimyo snapped his fan shut. “Talk is cheap, my friend. Your actions are what prove your true faith! I have already placed a wager of one million ryo on Itachi Uchiha to win the tournament.”

“Is that so?” The Lightning Daimyo sneered. “Well, I have enough faith in my shinobi to double that. Two million ryo on Darui taking the title!”

“Then I suppose I have no choice but to place another million on young Itachi,

I watched them bicker like children. That was just the casual wealth of the feudal lords, throwing around sums of money that could fund an S-rank mission without a second thought, all based on pride. It was absurd.

Then again, I didn’t have much room to criticize. My clone had already placed an outright bet of one million on Itachi the day they arrived in the village. Considering the odds back there were significantly better than they were now, my payout was going to make their wagers look like pocket change.

------------------------------

[Itachi Uchiha]

Standing in the tunnel, Itachi looked out into the arena.

The structure was circular, with high walls that curved inward to trap the noise of the crowd. Tiers of scaffolding stretched out from the upper rim, packed with thousands of spectators eager for bloodshed between the contestants of the third-place match, Cee and Raita.

Itachi knew why, but he couldn’t understand it. They were witnessing children fight against each other. How could anyone truly find that enjoyable?

Still, his gaze drifted higher, to the two small, ornate boxes overlooking it all on opposite sides. One held the Raikage and Hokage, and the other seated the true audience: the feudal lords and the ruling elite of the nations, alongside officials from the ninja villages, both major and minor.

This place, where the most capable Genin risked their lives in combat, was a microcosm of the battlefield itself. The violence that occurred here today was a projection of the future. The victories and defeats witnessed in this ring would ripple outward, dictating the flow of missions and capital between the villages for the next few years. That was why Itachi could not afford to hold back. He had to demonstrate such overwhelming strength that the architects of war gathered in that box would never dare to turn their eyes toward the Hidden Leaf with hostile intent.

Until now, he had walked slowly toward his dream of a world without fighting, but now was the moment for him to take a leap.

“It’s almost time for the final. Are you nervous?”

The calm, familiar voice behind him cut through his thoughts. He turned to see his sensei leaning against the wall.

“No,” Itachi answered simply.

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. Your performance so far has been flawless. Two opponents, two victories, both secured with genjutsu without taking a scratch yourself. Any particular reason for that strategy?”

“It was merely the most logical choice given the situation,” Itachi explained. “Nemui’s fighting style made direct physical confrontation difficult. Genjutsu was the most efficient path to victory. As for Cee, he made the error of attempting to use genjutsu on me. Exploiting that opening and countering with my own was the optimal move.”

“Hm, alright. Nothing wrong with that,” Kakashi conceded. “The Hokage will judge you positively for your decision-making skills. You’ve already guaranteed your promotion to Chunin.” He paused, his gaze drifting over Itachi’s shoulders, past the tunnel and into the crowd. “However, the ones in those stands don’t understand the subtleties of your victories. They saw one boy collapse, and the other get caught in a trick. Right now, they believe it’s luck.” 

He turned back to Itachi, his visible eye narrowing. “Make this final match a performance to correct that misconception.”

“I understand, sensei.”

Darui, with his Storm Release bloodline, was a convenient opponent for this purpose. A flashy, high-powered ninjutsu battle against him was exactly the kind of performance the Daimyos would remember.

“Cee of the Hidden Cloud Village is the winner!” the referee announced, making the crowd erupt in cheers. He waited a minute for them to calm down before continuing. “And now, it’s time for the final match! The first finalist, Itachi Uchiha, please enter the arena!

“Good luck,” Kakashi said. “Not that you’ll need it.”

Itachi nodded, then stepped out of the dark tunnel and into the light.

He surveyed the battlefield. The ground was rocky and uneven, with nothing else there. It was an arena built for head-on confrontation, a reflection of the Hidden Cloud’s philosophy of what a shinobi should be.

“And his opponent!” the referee shouted. “The prodigy who easily defeated his opponents with his black lightning... He was even trained by the Third Raikage... The Hidden Cloud’s very own... DAAAARRRUIIII!!!”

A thunderous explosion of applause and cheers erupted from the stands. With his hands in his pocket and a bored expression plastered on his face, Darui ambled into the arena.

Itachi ignored the sound. Instead, he looked toward the viewing section where his family was. He found his mother first, smiling warmly at him. Beside her, his father gave a small nod. And then there was Sasuke, who was cupping his hands around his mouth as he shouted.

“Big brother!!!”

It was hard to hear over everyone else, but Itachi would never fail to recognize his little brother’s voice. That was all the motivation he needed. To lose here and now would mean ruining this experience for the most important member of the audience.

“Let the final match begin!” the referee shouted, chopping his hand down.

Itachi immediately reacted. He threw a volley of shuriken and kunai at Darui, then sent a second, wide-spread volley aimed at the empty spaces around him to cut off potential escape routes.

Darui swung his massive cleaver-like sword in a broad arc, deflecting the weapons.

Expecting that exact counter, Itachi formed the rat hand seal. As the steel rang against steel, a single kunai in the cluster flashed.

BOOM!

Darui hadn’t seen the explosive tag on the final kunai in the earlier volley because Itachi put him under a subtle genjutsu. It wouldn’t make a difference for any of the audience, yet still gave him the advantage.

When the smoke cleared, the Cloud ninja remained uninjured, but his sword was now embedded in the arena wall.

Now to actually put on a show.

Activating his Sharingan, Itachi unleashed another volley of shuriken, sending them scattering in all directions then his hands blurred through a specific sequence of seals.

Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu.

The dozens of projectiles multiplied in mid-air, becoming hundreds. They clashed against each other, creating an unpredictable storm of ricocheting steel that assaulted Darui from every conceivable angle at once.

Darui simply inhaled, and then spat out water at the ground, the liquid rising in a high wall around him.

It was a solid defense, effectively neutralizing the omni-directional attack. But Itachi was still a step ahead.

Using his Sharingan to track the chaotic trajectories with perfect clarity, he drew ten more shuriken and threw them high. They struck specific projectiles at the apex of their arc, redirecting their flight paths. The deflected shuriken arced over the top of the water wall, plunging down into the defensive circle.

After another minute, the last of the shuriken clones dissipated in puffs of smoke and Darui let down the water wall. Itachi observed his opponent’s injuries: A few cuts on his shoulders and arms. He’d managed to avoid the worst of it, but his lazy composure was finally broken.

Darui went through hand seals and clasped his hands together. They began glowing blue, and beams of light shot out. 

Itachi ran, dodging them, but the projectiles curved mid-air and followed him. He threw a shuriken, striking the lead beam with pinpoint accuracy, but the energy simply vaporized the metal and continued on its path, unaffected.

No way to deflect it. A Mud Wall would be a poor defense, the lightning component of Storm Release would easily pierce through. 

He analyzed the jutsu with his Sharingan as he continued running around the arena, ducking under a swerving beam that sheared the top off a boulder. 

There’s far more lightning concentrated in its composition than water. A sufficiently powerful Fire Style jutsu should be able to evaporate the water component and then overwhelm the rest.

With his plan made, Itachi stopped running. He took a deep breath, kneading his chakra and converting it into fire nature. He turned to face the oncoming swarm of lasers and exhaled a massive sphere of flames. 

The Great Fireball Jutsu collided into the homing beams, evaporating their aqueous structure and causing the remaining lightning to fizzle out in a burst of stream.

But there was no time to rest. From the corner of his eye, he saw Darui releasing black lightning from his body that took the form of a black panther. It leapt at Itachi with incredible speed. He may have been able to perceive it with his Sharingan, but it was impossible for him to dodge it.

With no time for a proper counter, Itachi slammed his hands onto the ground. A wall of stone rose in front of him just before the beast arrived. 

The black panther tore through the wall as if it was made out of paper, then slammed into Itachi. He gritted his teeth as the crackling energy surged through his body.

He was still conscious. Still able to fight. The Earth Style wall had an elemental disadvantage, but weakening the jutsu even slightly was better than taking its full force.

Darui, looking visibly surprised that his opponent hadn’t fallen, clasped his hands again and started running toward him, sending out another wave of his storm-style projectiles to finish the match.

This is it. The moment to make this a memorable performance.

He ignored the numbness in his limbs and formed the Horse seal, holding it high for everyone to see. “Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!” he shouted, his voice ringing out, clear and powerful for the feudal lords in the box to hear.

Taking a deep breath, he expelled a literal sea of flames. It consumed the beams of light from Darui and swallowed him as well.

The flames raged on for a few more seconds before receding, revealing Darui laying on the scorched ground, his clothes charred, body covered in burns.

“Th—The winner of the Chūnin Exams is Itachi Uchiha of the Hidden Leaf Village!” the referee declared.

The crowd roared.

Itachi caught his breath, letting the sensation fade. He lifted his head, ignoring the nobles and the Kage, and glanced at the section where his family sat. 

A smile graced his face as he saw Sasuke jumping up and down in his seat, cheering wildly.