At Training Ground Three, on a snow-covered white clearing, Naruto and Itachi stood five meters apart, facing each other.
"Please go easy on me."
"Please go easy on me."
Their eyes met. As if by instinct, the two raised their arms at the same time—thumb, ring, and pinky fingers folded into the palm, index and middle fingers extended straight up. It was the seal of confrontation, a traditional gesture to signify the beginning of a sparring match between ninjas.
After hearing from Sasuke that the mentor responsible for his remarkable growth was Naruto—a boy roughly the same age as his younger brother—Itachi's worldview was shaken. It shattered his assumptions and piqued a deep curiosity about Naruto's true strength… Whether or not his famously brother-obsessed heart also harbored a tinge of jealousy over Sasuke's admiration remained unclear.
Naruto, on the other hand, was just as curious about Itachi, the prodigy hailed as a god among shinobi. How far had he grown? Moreover, since Itachi was a crucial part of the plan to stop Danzo's conspiracy, having a grasp on his capabilities could only help Naruto. There was no reason to refuse.
"If you don't believe me, nii-san... Ah! Right! You could spar with Naruto just once, couldn't you? That way, you'll know whether I'm telling the truth!"
Both parties were already itching to gauge each other's strength. Sasuke's accidental suggestion gave them the perfect excuse, removing the hesitation that pride had built up. They accepted the proposal without fuss.
"Alright then… prepare yourselves—"
After confirming the two were ready, Sasuke, standing not far off, took a deep breath. He raised his small hand high, eyes full of excitement and curiosity, and swung it down with force.
"Naruto Uzumaki versus Itachi Uchiha—ninja sparring match… begin!"
As soon as Sasuke's words dropped, Naruto and Itachi vanished from their positions, transforming into two shadows—one large, one small. Snow was kicked into the air, and in the blink of an eye, their bodies reappeared, fists crashing into each other without hesitation!
'Tch… No matter how hard I train, age is still a brutal disadvantage…'
Naruto hadn't given it much thought before the match began, but the moment their fists clashed, the five-year age gap hit him hard. Itachi's height and raw strength immediately overwhelmed him. No matter how much power he poured into his punches, Itachi's arm remained like a mountain—unmoving and solid. 'Against peers, I hold my own in taijutsu… but against someone older, I'm clearly at a loss.'
'Still… being younger has its perks too. This body is way more agile than his.'
Naruto wasn't discouraged. He had expected this. While pondering his next move, he gave up the unrealistic plan of trading blows. Just as Itachi pushed forward with mounting force, Naruto pulled back, using his smaller frame to twist aside and narrowly slip past the gusting punch. Like a slick eel, he dodged the attack and leapt up, bending his right leg, driving his knee sharply toward Itachi's exposed side.
'What is this power…? Is this kid naturally gifted with super strength? He's really only three years old?!'
Unlike Naruto, who had mentally prepared for this, Itachi was stunned. Outwardly calm, he was inwardly shaken. While it seemed like he was easily suppressing Naruto, in truth, he had used nearly seventy percent of his strength to do so! And this was with neither of them using chakra—just raw physical might.
'Damn!'
That flicker of surprise made Itachi hesitate. When Naruto disengaged, the pressure on his arm disappeared, causing his balance to collapse. His body staggered forward, and though he instinctively tried to turn and block, he was a step too late. His stance had already broken.
'Just like Sasuke said… You really have to take this kid seriously!'
Accepting this reality, Itachi quickly regained control, proving why he deserved his title. Realizing he couldn't block in time, he redirected chakra to his feet, abandoned the idea of halting his forward momentum, and used it to leap into the air. Naruto's attack missed completely. At the same time, Itachi's hands moved at a dizzying speed, weaving hand seals one after another.
Rat → Tiger → Dog → Ox → Hare → Tiger… Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!
At the final seal, Itachi inhaled deeply. His cheeks puffed slightly before he leaned forward, unleashing a barrage of small fireballs. Under his meticulous control, they sealed off every avenue of escape, raining down like glittering phoenix seeds on Naruto, who was midair and unable to land properly.
'Are you kidding me…? That seal speed is definitely hacked! How is that even fair?!'
Watching the fireballs swarm toward him, Naruto cursed internally. His eyes scanned the area. 'He's closed off every route… there's nowhere left to run.'
'Uchiha Itachi, huh… When he gets serious, he really leaves you no opening at all.'
Naruto sighed, then slowly raised his right hand.
'I can't counter with an instant jutsu like he can… This is risky, but I don't have a choice.'
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The fireballs didn't hesitate. One after another, they struck the ground. Waves of heat melted the snow, turning it to steam. In moments, a thick mist had risen, swallowing Naruto's figure entirely.
"Naruto!"
From the sidelines, Sasuke shouted in alarm. He had seen Naruto just standing there, frozen, making no effort to dodge or defend. "You idiot… Why didn't you move?!"
'He didn't use a single jutsu to fight back… Was I too harsh?'
Itachi landed softly, frowning in confusion. He glanced at the mist and clenched his fists. 'He's only three… and I used ninjutsu against him. That was way overboard… Please don't let anything have happened to him.'
"Oh? Is that how you see me?"
Just as Itachi was about to step into the mist, Naruto's voice rang out—strong, teasing, and full of confidence. A sudden gust of wind parted the mist, and Naruto's figure reappeared. In his right hand, he held a glowing blue orb. He looked completely unharmed—as if the fireballs had never touched him—and he rushed at Itachi with blinding speed.
'Not a scratch…? That's impossible!'
Itachi's eyes widened. His instincts screamed at him, his gaze locking onto the glowing sphere in Naruto's hand. 'Is that it? That jutsu? I've never seen anything like it before…'
"Hehe… The real fight's just starting. If you look down on me just because I'm young—you're in for a rude awakening!"
Naruto's grin widened. As Itachi's figure loomed closer, Naruto thrust his right hand forward, the spinning blue orb aimed straight at him.
"Rasengan!"
📝 Footnotes:
Phoenix Fire Jutsu (鳳仙火之術)
Nii-san (哥哥)