Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

In the early morning in Konoha, sunlight filters through the gaps between tall wooden buildings and modern glass curtain walls, casting shadows on the bluestone streets.

The air was filled with the aroma of baking bread and the faint fragrance of earth. Several pigeons cooed and paced back and forth in the newly built central square of the Uchiha clan's territory, showing no fear of people.

Several teenagers wearing modified sportswear with fan-shaped emblems whizzed by on skateboards, creating a gust of wind and drawing good-natured laughter and scolding from the roadside grocery store owner.

This place is no longer the isolated, somber settlement it once was.

Tall apartment buildings rise from the ground, connected by sky bridges, and every household has flowers and plants on their balconies.

On both sides of the street, ramen shops, dessert shops, and bookstores stand side by side. Patrol members of the Inuzuka family leisurely walk by with their ninja dogs, and sometimes they even stop to let a little Uchiha girl with pigtails pet the furry head of the ninja dog.

Uchiha Mine, or rather, Uchiha Ran, was sitting on a bench at the edge of the square, holding a cup of warm milk in his hands.

He looked no different from the other tribesmen around him who were enjoying peaceful times; his features were gentle, and he carried a hint of apprehension and curiosity as he returned to his homeland.

The boy quietly observed everything before him, watching the carefree smiles of the children and the natural conversations and interactions between his own people and villagers from other ethnic groups.

All of this was completely contrary to the truth about Konoha that had been implanted in his mind—a truth filled with estrangement, suspicion, and hatred.

His gaze finally settled on the most magnificent and traditional mansion not far away—the home of Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha clan.

He soon noticed the child.

It was an extremely well-behaved toddler, being led out of the front door by his mother, Uchiha Mikoto.

Uchiha Itachi.

The name flashed through Feng's mind.

According to the information provided by Lord Black Zetsu, this child was labeled as a genius of the Uchiha clan.

Ordinary children either cry incessantly or look around curiously.

But this child was different. He didn't walk fast, but his small body was very steady. His dark eyes quietly observed the world around him. Instead of the ignorance of a child, he showed a kind of contemplation that was not in line with his age.

Feng's lips twitched slightly, the curve just right, like an ordinary young man attracted by a cute child.

He slowly finished his milk, precisely tossed the paper cup into the nearby recycling bin, then stood up and walked unhurriedly toward the small training ground on the side of the Fugaku residence.

That was the space that Fugaku created for his son.

Inside the training field, a small figure stood behind a white line with great skill.

His target was not sharp kunai, but rather specially made, unsharpened wooden shuriken.

The targets were not hard wooden stakes, but soft targets made of straw.

Uchiha Itachi stretched out his chubby little hand and picked up a wooden shuriken from the cloth bag on the ground.

His movements were somewhat clumsy, but his eyes were unusually focused.

Instead of throwing immediately, he imitated his father, turning sideways and lowering his small body slightly, as if searching for some kind of feeling.

Then, he forcefully flung the sword in his hand.

"Yes."

The shuriken flew out crookedly and finally stuck in the outermost circle of the straw target without falling down.

For a child, this is already an amazing achievement.

But Itachi didn't seem satisfied. He pursed his lips, picked up another one, and continued to repeat the same action.

Uchiha Mine stood quietly under the shade of a tree outside the training ground, watching.

He remained silent, like a member of his tribe who happened to pass by, drawn in by this intriguing sight.

Watching Itachi throw again and again, from initially missing the target, to gradually hitting it, and then getting closer and closer to the center.

This child's learning ability and concentration are truly extraordinary.

As Itachi once again threw his shuriken near the bullseye, Uchiha Mine finally stepped forward, his face displaying just the right amount of amazement and admiration.

"That's really impressive."

His voice was gentle and smiling, without the slightest hint of pressure.

The little weasel was startled by the sudden sound, its body tensing instinctively. It turned its head and looked warily at the unfamiliar member of its tribe with its bright black eyes.

He didn't speak, he just watched.

"Sorry, sorry, did I scare you?"

Feng raised his hands in a harmless gesture, his smile softening. "I was just passing by and saw you practicing so diligently, so I couldn't help but ask. What's your name?"

Itachi's lips moved, as if he was hesitating.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me."

Mine waved his hand knowingly and said to himself, "My name is Mine, Uchiha Mine. I just came back from outside not long ago. Your throw just now was very accurate, especially the last one; you used your wrist very skillfully."

He didn't talk about chakra or talent; he simply praised the child's specific techniques like a friendly older brother. This egalitarian approach eased Itachi's wariness somewhat.

"...My name is Itachi."

He answered softly in a voice that still sounded childish.

"Itachi, that's a very nice name."

Uchiha Mine laughed, walked over to Itachi, squatted down, and looked him in the eye. "May I see your shuriken?"

Itachi hesitated for a moment, then took one out of the bag and handed it over.

Mine took the wooden shuriken, weighed it in his hand, and then turned his gaze to Itachi.

"Do you really enjoy practicing ninjutsu?"

Uchiha Itachi nodded, his black eyes gleaming with seriousness.

"Why?" the boy asked curiously.

"...It can protect Mom."

Itachi's answer was simple and direct.

The smile on the boy's face froze for a moment, then softened even more.

He reached out to pat Itachi's head, but noticing the child's slight backward lean, he naturally withdrew his hand. Instead, he picked up a shuriken and said in a relaxed tone, "Protecting your family, that's admirable. But just knowing ninjutsu isn't enough."

"?"

A look of confusion appeared on Itachi Uchiha's small face.

"Did you know? In the Land of Wind, there's a kind of sand scorpion whose shell is harder than steel, and the venom on its tail can instantly kill a cow. But the children there have a special game: they use wooden boards smeared with jam to guess which piece the sand scorpion will lick first."

The boy began to recount some fabricated, yet interesting, stories.

"And then there's the Land of Thunder, where a kind of luminous electric eel lives in the clouds. They don't like thunder, so before each thunderstorm, they swim out to sea in groups, illuminating the entire sea as if it were daytime."

These bizarre and unheard-of stories have a fatal attraction for a three-year-old child.

Uchiha Itachi's eyes widened, and his body unconsciously leaned forward, completely absorbed in Mine's story.

He didn't talk about the cruelty of the ninja world, nor about the glory of his clan. Instead, he opened a kaleidoscope and showed this precocious child a novel, interesting world that had nothing to do with ninjutsu.

This is precisely Black Zetsu's teaching.

"To deal with such a genius, you can't subdue him with force; that will only fuel his competitive spirit. You have to penetrate him with your thoughts, making him recognize and rely on you from the bottom of his heart. You have to become a window through which he understands the world, a window that you control."

"So, Itachi."

The squatting boy smiled and concluded, "This world is big and very interesting. If you just stay in the village practicing ninjutsu, you'll miss out on a lot of fun things."

As he spoke, he took out a small object from his pocket and handed it to Itachi.

It was a small raven carved from ebony, only the size of a palm, but the carving was exceptionally exquisite, with every feather clearly visible, and its small glass eyes gleaming in the sunlight.

"This is for you," Feng said.

Uchiha Itachi looked at the little crow, then looked up at Mine, but didn't immediately reach out to catch it.

"Many people in the village think crows are unlucky, right?"

Feng continued, his voice carrying a guiding tone, "But what they don't know is that crows are among the most intelligent birds in the world. They use tools, remember faces, and even pass information to each other. So, you can't judge a book by its cover, right? Just like ninjas."

These words are somewhat profound for a three-year-old child.

But Itachi understood the words "smart" and "don't judge a book by its cover".

He looked at the little crow thoughtfully, and finally reached out his little hand and carefully took it.

"Thank you... Brother Feng."

"You're welcome."

Uchiha Mine stood up, rubbed his slightly numb knees, and smiled brightly, "Well then, I'll go now, I'll tell you a story next time."

He waved his hand, turned around and left gracefully, without the slightest hesitation.