Training with Shisui was nothing like I imagined.
There were no dramatic duels. No legendary techniques unveiled under the sun.
Just repetition. Again. And again. And again.
"The Body Flicker is not about speed," Shisui said, standing across the clearing. "It is about intention. You do not arrive somewhere. You depart with purpose."
The first time I tried it, I forced too much chakra into my legs and launched myself ten meters too far. Straight into a tree.
The second time, I moved maybe three inches.
By the fifth attempt, my vision blurred from over-channeling.
Shisui did not laugh. He did not praise me either.
"You are impatient," he said.
I wiped dirt from my cheek. "There is a lot to do."
"There always is."
That answer irritated me more than it should have.
We switched to genjutsu defense.
He did not use elaborate illusions. Just subtle distortions. A shadow slightly out of place. A delay in sound. The faint smell of smoke where there was none.
"Genjutsu is not about what you see," he said. "It is about what you accept."
The first time I disrupted my chakra flow to break one, I gave myself a splitting headache.
The second time, I caught it before it settled fully. Progress.
Near the end of the day, he handed me a strip of chakra paper.
"Indulge me."
I channeled chakra into it.
The paper crinkled violently and split down the center. Lightning.
The remaining halves grew damp, softening at the edges. Water.
Shisui's brow lifted slightly. "Two affinities."
"Is that bad?"
"It is rare."
Lightning and water. Sharp and fluid.
Different from Naruto.
"Do not chase advanced techniques yet," Shisui said. "Master control first."
I nodded.
And immediately started thinking three steps ahead anyway.
That evening, I found Naruto sprawled on the apartment floor, staring at the ceiling. He turned when I walked in.
"You were gone all day."
"Training."
"With who?"
"Shisui."
His eyes widened. "The fast guy?"
"That narrows it down."
He sat up instantly. "Are you getting stronger?"
"Yes." I hesitated. "I am going to attempt to graduate soon."
The words felt heavier once they were out.
Naruto blinked. "Graduate? Like early?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Because someone has to.
Because if I wait, people die.
Instead, I said, "Because I think I am ready."
He stared at me.
"We were supposed to do it together."
That landed harder than I expected. I sat down across from him.
"You should stay."
"What?"
"Stay in school. Learn everything. Make friends. Be loud. Be annoying."
"I am already good at that."
I let out a small laugh.
"You get to enjoy being a kid, Naruto."
His expression shifted.
"You sound like an old man."
Maybe I was. I died at nineteen. Now I was almost six again. That probably counted as some kind of midlife crisis.
"You are not leaving me behind, right?" he asked quietly.
There it was.
I had hoped he would not ask.
"I'm not leaving," I said carefully. "I am just going ahead."
Naruto frowned. "We are supposed to go ahead together."
"Then catch up."
He looked like he wanted to argue. Instead, he nodded. He did not smile.
That bothered me more than it should have.
Later that night, after he fell asleep, I stared at the ceiling.
Lightning and water. Fast enough to intervene. Fluid enough to adapt. I would get strong first. I would handle the worst of it.
Naruto could stay the knucklehead ninja a little longer. Even if he never understood why.
A week passed.
Training. Academy. Whispers in the Uchiha compound growing sharper at the edges.
And then we turned six.
Naruto declared it a "huge deal." Mostly because of cake.
Shikamaru Nara arrived first, hands in his pockets.
"This is a drag," he muttered. "Birthdays are just reminders of time passing."
"You are six," Naruto said. "Relax."
Choji Akimichi showed up carrying enough snacks for ten people.
"I brought extra," he said proudly.
"For us?" Naruto asked.
Choji hesitated. "…Maybe."
I laughed.
For a while, it was just noise and crumbs and Naruto challenging Shikamaru to races he immediately refused.
Then there was a knock.
Sasuke Uchiha stood in the doorway. He did not make an entrance.
"Happy birthday."
Naruto blinked. "You came."
Sasuke shrugged. "You're loud. It's hard to ignore."
Translation: accepted.
I stepped closer. "You staying?"
"For a bit."
Naruto immediately grabbed his wrist. "You are sitting next to me."
"I didn't agree to that."
"You just did."
I nudged Naruto lightly. "Don't scare him off."
"I am not scared," Sasuke snapped.
Good. Let them orbit each other. That mattered more than they knew.
Another knock. Quieter.
Shisui Uchiha entered first. Relaxed posture. Sharp eyes.
Behind him, Itachi Uchiha. The room shifted.
Not consciously, but it shifted.
Shikamaru straightened slightly. Choji paused mid-chew. Sasuke looked younger somehow.
"Happy birthday," Shisui said.
Naruto puffed up. "See? Important people come to my parties."
"You invited us three times," Shisui replied calmly.
I watched Itachi.
He was not scanning the room like a shinobi. He was memorizing it. That unsettled me.
Soon enough, the younger kids fell into chaos again. Naruto challenged Sasuke to see who could eat faster. Choji joined instantly. Shikamaru declared it to be a drag but participated anyway.
I made sure Naruto and Sasuke stayed side by side.
When they drifted apart, I nudged them back. A comment. A seat adjustment. A subtle push.
They did not notice. Shisui did.
Eventually, I stepped away from the noise and sat near the edge of the room.
Shisui and Itachi joined me.
"You are not with your peers," Itachi observed.
"I am."
"Not entirely."
Fair.
Shisui tilted his head. "Body Flicker improving?"
"Fewer tree collisions."
"Promising."
Itachi's gaze lingered longer than comfortable.
"You watch people closely," he said.
"So do you."
A flicker in his eyes. Not quite a smile.
"What do you intend to become?" he asked.
That was not casual.
I considered lying.
"Useful."
Shisui's eyes sharpened. Itachi did not look surprised.
"That is a heavy goal," Itachi said.
"I don't mind lifting."
Across the room, Naruto laughed loudly. Sasuke rolled his eyes but did not move away.
For a moment, it felt warm. Normal.
Shisui followed my gaze.
"You push them together," he said quietly.
"Someone has to."
"Why?"
Because if they stand apart later, it will be easier to break them.
Because I refuse to let history repeat itself untouched.
"They will be stronger that way," I said instead.
Itachi studied me.
"Strength isn't always enough," he murmured.
"I know."
That was the problem.
Six candles burned on a cake Naruto insisted was enormous. He nearly set his sleeve on fire trying to blow them out.
Everyone laughed. Even Itachi. Barely. I memorized the sound.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, a clock was ticking. One year.
I would not let this be the last peaceful birthday.
Even if I had to break something else to protect it. The candles flickered out.
And I made myself a quiet promise.
No matter what happened next. There would be survivors.