Naruto : The ultimate Troublemaker

The training ground was a vast and open space, bordered by a few trees and dotted with targets and obstacles designed for the training of the clan's youth. A few members of the Uchiha clan had gathered at a distance to observe the duel, drawn by Itachi's reputation and their curiosity about the outsider, Shikai.

The two young men faced each other, a heavy silence settling between them. Itachi remained stoic, his expression almost disinterested, while Shikai studied his opponent with calculated intensity.

"Ready?" asked Itachi.

"I should be the one asking that question," Shikai replied, his provocative smile masking his alertness.

"Fine. I'll take the lead."

True to his offensive nature, Itachi initiated the fight with a series of precise and rapid strikes. He lunged towards Shikai, kunai in hand, aiming directly at vital points.

Shikai, anticipating this approach, took a quick step back while smoothly blocking the attack with his own kunai. The metallic clash echoed through the air.

"He's faster than last time," Shikai thought.

"Not bad," Itachi murmured as he sidestepped, delivering a circular kick aimed at Shikai's ribs.

Shikai bent forward, barely dodging, and counterattacked with an elbow strike to Itachi's abdomen. Itachi blocked with his forearm and immediately retaliated with a front kick, forcing Shikai to leap back to create some distance.

The battle intensified quickly, turning into a graceful succession of Taijutsu moves.

Itachi feinted a punch, but Shikai, reading his maneuver, pivoted to block the real knee strike that followed. Shikai responded with a rapid series of blows, alternating between punches and kicks.

Shikai's strikes aimed to disrupt Itachi's balance, but the latter remained unperturbed. Itachi's dodges were as fluid as water, his counterattacks relentless.

An especially intense exchange ended with a double jumping kick, both adversaries striking each other mid-air before landing in defensive positions.

Itachi took a slight step back, his hand reaching into his pouch to launch a volley of shurikens with a precision that would shame a chunin.

Anticipating the attack, Shikai drew his kunai and made a circular motion to deflect the projectiles. But Itachi had already anticipated this response.

The shurikens revealed themselves to be doubles armed with invisible threads. Itachi pulled sharply on the threads, forcing the weapons to redirect towards Shikai from unexpected angles.

"Huh?" Shikai exclaimed, jumping into the air. He threw his own shurikens to cut the threads and counterattacked with an explosive kunai.

The explosion created a cloud of dust, but Itachi was not so easily caught off guard.

Shikai sensed the menacing aura and turned just in time to block with his own kunai. The impact caused their weapons to vibrate, but neither yielded.

Itachi used an shadow clone to create a diversion. The clone charged at Shikai while the real Itachi discreetly positioned himself on the flank.

Far from being intimidated, Shikai quickly formed his own mudras.

Two clones of Shikai appeared, immediately engaging Itachi's clone. Meanwhile, Shikai pivoted to intercept Itachi's lateral attack, once again parrying the kunai strike with perfect timing.

...

From an elevated terrace, Fugaku observed the battle with his right-hand man, an imposing man with a piercing gaze.

"He's impressive," admitted the right-hand man. "Few can stand up to Itachi at this age. He seems to have a natural instinct for combat."

Fugaku crossed his arms, his cold gaze fixed on Shikai.

"Yes," he replied slowly. "But it's not just his talent that interests me. It's his potential. The rumor is that the Hokage has trained him, but we'll have to see if he's learned that famous Rasengan. With the right guidance, he could become a valuable asset to the clan."

"But do you think he's loyal?" asked the right-hand man, skeptical.

Fugaku narrowed his eyes.

"Not yet. He's close to Izumi, but that's not enough. If he becomes an obstacle, we'll have to neutralize him. We can't let this prodigy fall into the hands of that old Hiruzen or that coward Danzo. By using Izumi, he can be shaped... then he could become an Uchiha."

The right-hand man nodded, but he seemed uncomfortable.

"And what if he can't be convinced?"

Fugaku's face became even colder.

"Then, Itachi will evolve his Sharingan sooner."

The right-hand man smiled mockingly at Fugaku's words.

On the training ground, Itachi and Shikai were breathless, but their movements remained precise.

Itachi activated his Sharingan, his scarlet eyes glowing with an icy intensity.

With a precise movement, he threw several shurikens in crossing trajectories, forcing them to converge on Shikai. Anticipating the attack, Shikai stepped back while deflecting the projectiles with his kunai.

However, this was only a diversion. Itachi quickly formed mudras and summoned two shadow clones. One of them used **Fūton: Daitoppa** (Great Gust), while the other followed up with **Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu** (Fireball Jutsu). The combination of the two elements amplified the intensity and range of the attack.

Shikai barely had time to form his own signs.

A water barrier materialized in front of him, deflecting the flames and creating a dense fog that enveloped the area.

Taking advantage of the confusion created by the fog, Shikai used his shadow mastery to launch a series of stealthy attacks. The shadows silently slipped through the steam, aiming to trap Itachi.

But the Uchiha, with his sharpened senses, detected the abnormal movements. He leaped back, executing a series of agile flips to evade the shadows. In a split second, he dashed through the fog and pounced on Shikai, engaging in a fierce taijutsu battle.

Their strikes were swift, precise, and powerful. Shikai attempted a feint by targeting Itachi's legs, but the latter counterattacked by striking Shikai's ribs with his heel. The Nara stumbled, but immediately retaliated with a spin, trying to sweep Itachi's legs.

"Not bad," Itachi murmured, dodging with an elegant jump.

"You've become stronger since last time. But just like I can't beat Shisui yet..."

His scarlet irises became more detailed, the Sharingan with two tomoe.

His movements were faster, and his analysis of the situation incredibly sharp.