"So you're that so-called 'number one prodigy of Konoha'?" Sasuke seemed to be interested but also looked at Yu with some hostility.

"Number one prodigy of Konoha? What a ridiculous title... Anyway, Yakushi Yu is my name, no doubt about it." Hearing Sasuke spit out the title the villagers often bestowed upon him, Yu shrugged dismissively.

What's the use of being called a prodigy? How many prodigies have fallen in this world? Only true strength is the fundamental factor that determines who laughs last in this world.

"The number one prodigy of Konoha? My brother is the strongest prodigy ninja!" Unaware of how arrogant he sounded, Sasuke puffed up his cheeks, "And then there's me... I'll leave all of you in the dust later!"

Truly, Naruto's lifelong good friend and idiot... Has he always been this arrogant since childhood?

Yu looked at Sasuke's sulky expression and couldn't help but smile. Glancing around, he asked, "Hasn't Itachi returned yet?"

"He's on a mission... Hmph, you said my way of using Ninjutsu was wrong. What's wrong with it?" Sasuke said, looking at Yu with some curiosity. This person, acclaimed as the number one prodigy of Konoha, claimed that his Ninjutsu technique was incorrect. He was curious to hear what insights this person might have.

"Well... Although I'm not very good at Fire Release..."

"But after you form the hand seals, the way you manipulate your chakra inside your body is incorrect. You haven't fully controlled the Fire Chakra."

Yu explained calmly. This was indeed the truth. Although he wasn't skilled in Fire Release, his keen eyes could easily spot Sasuke's shortcomings.

"Is that so?"

After hearing this, Sasuke was somewhat astonished. No wonder he had been unable to successfully execute the Great Fireball Jutsu after practicing it for so long. What should he do then?

Sasuke thought to himself and formed the hand seals again, this time carefully controlling the chakra within his body, and then he sprayed it towards the river below!

Cough, cough, cough...

After a small flame emerged, Sasuke was still choked with coughs, almost burning his mouth. "It's still not working!"

Sigh...

Seeing Sasuke fail once again, Yu felt a bit helpless. Although he had been hailed as a genius in the anime, without the reincarnation of Indra and the protagonist's aura, this kid's talent couldn't compare to true Uchiha geniuses like Itachi and Shisui.

"Just watch me perform the Ninjutsu once, and you'll understand..."

Saying this, Yu motioned to him with his finger and then slowly extended his hands, swiftly forming over a dozen hand seals in the blink of an eye.

So fast!! Sasuke looked at Yu's hand seals with some envy.

"Watch closely... After forming the seals, slowly control the chakra within your abdomen, just like holding your breath..."

After forming the hand seals, Yu slowly explained to Sasuke, "Then, like this... release the chakra from your abdomen in one breath..."

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Water Release: Heavenly Weeping!!

Yu's mouth widened slightly as a massive column of water swiftly spouted from his mouth, shooting straight up into the sky. After the colossal water column surged towards the sky, the previously calm sky suddenly poured down a dense rain of water needles!

The density was akin to a sudden onslaught of heavy rain, with no escape within a radius of over ten meters. Each swiftly plummeting water needle left a deep hole in the ground, about as wide as two fingers but seemingly bottomless.

Plop! Plop! Plop!

After the continuous and uninterrupted downpour of dense water needles, the trees and ground within a diameter of over ten meters were riddled with holes, bearing the scars of devastation.

This was one of the ultra-high-level Water Release Ninjutsu recorded in the scroll of Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama's Water Release Ninjutsu. In the hands of Yu, who possessed exceptional talent in Ninjutsu, it displayed the full effects and power it should have.

"Wow... How magnificent!"

Sasuke stared blankly at this splendid and awe-inspiring Ninjutsu, unable to utter a word due to the shock. Is this the genius that surpasses even his brother?

"Don't just stand there staring! Did you memorize the way to manipulate chakra?"

Seeing Sasuke lost in thought, Yu impatiently waved his hand in front of him.

"Um, of course, I did!"

With his attention drawn back by the hand waving in front of him, Sasuke's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he responded.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!!

Forming the hand seals again, Sasuke recalled the sensation of chakra manipulation from Yu's demonstration. With a surge of chakra in his abdomen, he forcefully expelled it outward, spewing out a two-meter-sized fireball from his mouth.

"I did it!"

Sasuke looked at the fireball he produced in disbelief, jumping for joy.

"Hehe..."

Watching Sasuke's enthusiastic celebration, Yu smiled faintly. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to have dissipated somewhat. "Now that's more like a protagonist..."

"Protagonist?"

Young Sasuke obviously didn't quite understand the meaning behind Yu's words.

"Perhaps you'll naturally understand someday..."

Ignoring the somewhat naive Sasuke in front of him, Yu glanced to the side. "You're back... Itachi."

"Brother?!"

Sasuke was taken aback, following Yu's gaze to see a Ninja dressed in ANBU attire, quietly standing under a tree, appearing at some point without him noticing.

"Have you completed today's mission, Itachi..."

Yu gazed calmly at Itachi standing under the tree, his eyes betraying a hint of complexity.

At the age of eleven during this period, Itachi had already joined the ANBU directly under the Hokage, acting as a double agent between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan. Even his usual tasks in the Konoha ANBU were the same as other ANBU Ninja — monitoring the Uchiha Clan's movements.

"How come you're here?"

Upon hearing Yu's greeting, Itachi, after removing his mask, showed a wary look in his crimson three-tomoe Sharingan eyes. If it were any other time, it might have been overlooked, but today was the day of the Uchiha Clan's secret meeting. As a disciple of the Third Hokage, Yu's inexplicable appearance in the Uchiha Clan's territory aroused Itachi's keen suspicion.

Could it be...

Just as Itachi pondered and doubted the purpose of Yu's presence here, Sasuke interrupted his thoughts.

"Brother!"

Excitedly, Sasuke ran up to Itachi and looked up, saying, "Today, I finally learned Fire Release Ninjutsu!"

"Oh, is that so..."

Forced to smile and nod slightly, Itachi always seemed gentle and kind towards his younger brother Sasuke.

He truly is an expert at controlling his younger brother...

Itachi was like that, Uchiha Madara was like that, and so was Senju Hashirama...

Watching the harmonious scene between Itachi and Sasuke before him, Yu couldn't help but mock the setting of the ninja world.

However, soon his Observation Haki sensed a very familiar Chakra rapidly approaching this place, so his heart stirred.

"It seems Shisui is also coming... I have other matters to attend to, so I'll leave first."

As soon as he finished speaking, the calm air beside Yu suddenly turned into a transparent circular gate opening.

"Wait a moment!"

Itachi was about to stop Yu, wanting to clarify his purpose for coming here.

"Don't be foolish, Itachi..."

"I admit you've improved a lot, but do you think you can keep up with me?"

But before the words were finished, Itachi saw Yu in front of him instantly disappear into thin air.

Was that... Space-Time Ninjutsu?

Witnessing the Space-Time ability demonstrated by Yu, Itachi couldn't help but freeze in place, a look of shock deep in his three-tomoe Sharingan eyes.

How many unknown means does this guy still have hidden?

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