Uchiha Chishimo led Uchiha Itachi back to the courtyard, and after obtaining Uchiha Fugaku's permission, he took Itachi to the lake in front of the mansion.
"Big Brother Chishimo, what Ninjutsu are you going to teach me?" Uchiha Itachi stared at Chishimo with curiosity and longing.
"Listen, Itachi, what I'm going to teach you next is a C-rank Ninjutsu created by our Uchiha Clan—Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique! But before that, you must promise me that you will use your power to protect the people you cherish. Can you do that?"
While imparting the Ninjutsu, Chishimo didn't forget to seize the opportunity to guide Uchiha Itachi. After all, he was the son of his benefactor, and he couldn't kill him, so he could only guide him from a young age, so he wouldn't be too deeply influenced by the Will of Fire.
Uchiha Itachi was still only a three-year-old child, without too many thoughts, so he obediently nodded, his eyes fixed on Chishimo's movements.
After receiving Uchiha Itachi's response, Chishimo said no more, forming hand signs. To ensure Uchiha Itachi could see clearly, he deliberately slowed down his hand sign speed.
Serpent—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger. As the signs were formed, the Chakra within Chishimo surged, transforming into a scorching power that gathered in his throat.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A fireball large enough to cover the entire lake erupted from Chishimo's mouth. The intense heat continuously scorched the lake surface, causing a misty cloud to rise.
Uchiha Itachi blinked his large eyes, gazing at this scene in astonishment. Chishimo, in his eyes, was like a god who controlled flames. Whether due to the high temperature or excitement, his small face had turned completely red.
Chishimo cut off the Chakra supply, and the massive fireball dissipated into the air. He turned his head to look at Uchiha Itachi's flushed face, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Itachi, did you understand? After forming the hand signs, you need to gather the Chakra in your throat, and then transform it into flames to expel it."
Chishimo did not repeat the sequence of signs, because he knew that Uchiha Itachi had already memorized them.
Uchiha Itachi nodded, and his two hands clumsily repeated Chishimo's previous gestures. His small mouth slightly parted, and a fireball significantly smaller than Chishimo's erupted from it.
Even though he had already known the outcome, Chishimo still couldn't suppress his surprise. After all, even Chishimo himself had spent several hours reaching this level when he first taught himself this technique. It goes without saying that he is indeed the protagonist's older brother; his comprehension can be described as terrifying.
"To be able to successfully cast the Great Fireball Technique right away, that's truly amazing, Itachi!" Chishimo also did not stint on his praise.
Hearing the praise from Chishimo, a rare hint of shyness appeared on Uchiha Itachi's face, and he humbly said, "It's still far from Big Brother Chishimo's!"
"Don't belittle yourself, Itachi, your talent is undeniable!" Chishimo affectionately patted Uchiha Itachi's head. "But I hope you can use your talent in the right direction."
Uchiha Itachi did not dodge Chishimo's touch. He was quite close to this older brother who had always shown him great care since childhood. Although he didn't know why he always emphasized the issue of power application to him, he didn't think the other party's words were unreasonable, so he obediently agreed.
"Alright, Itachi, now I'll teach you some more throwing techniques!"
As he spoke, a Kunai appeared in Chishimo's hand at some unknown point.
Uchiha Itachi followed behind Chishimo, imitating and practicing what Chishimo taught him.
...
The next day, the entire Uchiha Clan was shocked by a sudden piece of news—their clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, had taken a disciple.
Although some people had seen Chishimo entering and leaving the clan head's mansion in recent years, they only assumed it was a young member of the clan admiring the clan head and coming for guidance. But they never expected it to develop into an apprenticeship.
For a time, the name Uchiha Chishimo became thoroughly famous within the Uchiha Clan.
Everyone began to be curious about Chishimo, wanting to know what extraordinary qualities this child, who could make the clan head condescend to instruct him, possessed.
There were also those who questioned whether Chishimo truly had this qualification. After all, this was a clan that valued strength, and before seeing Chishimo's own strength, no one would truly recognize him, even with the identity of the clan head's disciple.
Also stirred by this development were the high-ranking officials of Konoha. In the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was seated at the head, while Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Utatane Koharu were all present on the sofas beside him, quietly listening to the Anbu's report below.
"Hmph, this Uchiha Fugaku is clever; he actually thought of using the tactic of taking a disciple to tie down Uchiha Chishimo. What a good scheme!" Utatane Koharu couldn't help but speak after hearing the report, her words filled with sarcasm towards Uchiha Fugaku.
In the eyes of these high-ranking officials, Uchiha Chishimo was different from Uchiha Shisui. Shisui's ancestor had the connection with Uchiha Kagami, so he didn't have the same resistance towards Konoha as other clan members.
But Chishimo was different. With only a grandmother in his family, he probably didn't rely too much on the Uchiha, and instead, having learned the Will of Fire from a young age at the Ninja Academy, he might form a preconceived attachment to the Village.
If they handled it properly, they might gain a young Uchiha genius who was close to the Village and distant from the Uchiha. But these plans were aborted by Uchiha Fugaku's act of taking a disciple. How could this not make Utatane Koharu furious?
Danzo Shimura, beside her, had a calm expression, but his sole exposed left eye was filled with wariness and cunning, and even a hint of concealed killing intent.
"It's the Uchiha again? Hiruzen, I told you long ago that the Uchiha are an inherently evil clan, and Uchiha geniuses should be stifled..."
"Silence!" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted Danzo Shimura before he could finish. "Danzo, I've said it before, the Uchiha are also members of the Village!"
Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi's gloomy eyes, Danzo Shimura pouted and said no more, turning his head elsewhere, but the ruthlessness in his eyes only increased.
Hiruzen Sarutobi withdrew his gaze from Danzo Shimura, looked around, and seeing the less-than-pleasant expressions of his old friends, he sighed softly and spoke to comfort them: "It's too early to draw conclusions now. Fugaku taking a disciple actually confirms that this child, Chishimo, is a good prospect. Now is a time when we need people, and I hope you all put aside your prejudices."
In fact, Hiruzen Sarutobi was also hesitant in his heart, as no one knew what Chishimo was thinking. But he was the Hokage, and in the struggle between nation and internal conflict, he had to choose the former.
"But Hiruzen, if this kid grows up in the future, wouldn't that be..." Homura Mitokado, who had been silent, couldn't help but ask.
"I understand what you're worried about! How about this, in a while, I will personally call this child over and see if he has truly inherited the Will of Fire."
"But!"
"There are no 'buts.' If this child truly inherits the Will of Fire, then he is a qualified Ninja of Konoha!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi firmly interrupted Homura Mitokado's doubts, but he didn't say the latter half of his sentence: if Chishimo didn't have a place for the Village in his heart, how would he handle it then?
Perhaps then, he wouldn't bother with Danzo Shimura's actions anymore.