Naruto: An Informant from the Uchiha

"The training exercise will last two days and one night. The destination is quite far for you. Once you reach the marked location on the map, you'll find intelligence scrolls assigned to each of you."

"The team that retrieves their scroll and returns within the time limit will be the winner."

From below the platform, Uchiha Yun watched as Itachi stepped forward to receive the map. Beside him, the girl named Shinko gave him an encouraging thumbs-up.

'Has their bond grown even deeper?'

'Perhaps in a team like this, if nothing unexpected happened, he wouldn't spiral into madness.'

"Brother, who's that girl with the twin tails?"

Yun turned to Izumi with a teasing smile. "That's probably Itachi's teammate in his genin squad. Isn't your reaction a bit too strong?"

Just then, Itachi walked back, holding the scroll with a detached expression. "Let's go. I'll teach you some useful knowledge on the way. If you're willing to listen, it might help."

Without waiting, he turned and walked ahead.

From behind, Tokuma nudged Yun.

"He's our squad leader now. How do you feel about that?"

Yun turned and smirked. "Tokuma, are you thinking of graduating early too? So you can spend your days unclogging sewers or chasing cats and dogs?"

Tokuma sighed and shrugged. "We'll have to do those things eventually after graduating anyway. And the Byakugan… it doesn't always have to be used for fighting."

Yun paused, then patted his shoulder.

"Good perspective. If more people thought like you, maybe peace really could last forever."

"What are you two doing? Let's move!" came Izumi's distant voice.

Tokuma chuckled softly before replying in a low voice, "Sometimes, fate is already decided. If you can't resist it, you might as well learn to enjoy it. Isn't that right?"

As the two walked side by side, Yun glanced at the forehead protector tied around Tokuma's head.

"That thing… for the weak, it's protection. But for the strong, it's a shackle. If you ever become strong enough, Tokuma, something like that won't matter at all."

Yun's words made Tokuma stop in his tracks, but Yun didn't wait for him.

'Become strong enough? Just how strong would I have to be to ignore something like that? Is that even possible?'

"Divide the angle between the twelve o'clock direction and the hour hand into two equal parts. Align that bisected angle with the sun, and the twelve o'clock direction will most likely point south."

"There's plenty to eat in the wild, but just as much that's poisonous…"

Along the way, Itachi lectured about basic survival knowledge. Izumi clapped earnestly. Yun and Tokuma, while silent, took mental notes on the things they didn't already know.

'Just like in my memories…Uchiha Itachi is a textbook ninja. He can recite all this stuff casually. Even I, who used shadow clones in class, got outclassed.'

Soon, the first night of the exercise arrived. After setting up tents, the group had a light meal and began to rest.

But once Tokuma and Izumi fell asleep, Itachi, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and gestured for Yun to follow him outside.

"What is it?"

"Danzo has ordered me to start paying attention to the Uchiha clan's movements."

Yun frowned slightly.

'That old dog's getting restless already? According to my memory, there should still be over four years before the massacre. The Fourth Hokage is still alive, so what's he trying to do?'

Seeing Yun stay quiet, Itachi asked,

"You and Shisui, any plans lately?"

Yun gave him a smirk. "You trying to act as a double agent? Or are you asking to join us?"

Itachi didn't reply for a long time.

'Join them…?'

"You know exactly how your Sharingan awakened. The Uchiha clan is dangerous. And that Shisui guy, his eyes are even stronger than yours. Someone who's gone through that much pain… how could you trust him?"

Danzo's earlier words echoed in Itachi's mind.

Yet… what Shisui and Yun had told him, ways to bring the Uchiha clan back into Konoha's fold, also kept ringing in his heart.

His family… the village… and the father who died for the village.

His father gave his life to help the Fourth. Surely, he also wanted the Uchiha to reintegrate with Konoha?

Then that means…

Shisui, who fought alongside his father, can be trusted!

"I… want to join you."

Yun looked a little surprised, then shook his head after a pause.

"You're not strong enough to get involved yet. Yes, you graduated after just one year of the academy; you're a prodigy. But this level of talent… still isn't enough."

'Not enough…?'

Itachi looked up, and in an instant, his Sharingan activated, three tomoe swirling in each eye.

"Even this… isn't enough?"

Yun narrowed his eyes slightly.

'Three tomoe already? He's grown fast. But the bonds haven't fully formed yet. He hasn't experienced loss, hasn't met Obito either, it seems.'

'Obito,I wonder if Itachi will ever face him. Right now, that guy's probably off sobbing somewhere.'

"Three tomoe. Rapid growth… but still not enough, Itachi. Whether it's me or Shisui, when faced with true power, your Sharingan wouldn't even survive a second attack."

Itachi's face darkened. He silently drew a kunai and held it in front of his chest.

"I've always admitted you were stronger than me, even without using your Sharingan. But that doesn't mean I can't withstand even a single blow. If I'm wrong, prove it."

His kunai grip tightened. The tomoe in his eyes spun furiously, elevating his perception and reflexes to their peak.

But that… was all.

In the next instant, Yun threw a kunai.

Whoosh!

Itachi dodged the kunai that clanged against a tree, but just as he prepared a counter, nothing happened.

Because right now…a kunai was already pressed against his neck. The hand holding it belonged to Yun, now standing behind him.

'Fast. Too fast .That body flicker… it was like he predicted my dodge.'

Any attempt at substitution or shadow clone was halted before it even began, stopped cold by the cold blade at his throat.

"Still think I was wrong?"

Yun slowly lowered the kunai, his eyes returning to normal from the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Itachi turned around, his face shadowed.

"So the gap… is already this wide?"