Was that it?
Tian Yu found the whole thing slightly amusing.
All because of one passing comment Shisui made…
Now Uchiha Itachi had personally sought him out to get an answer?
Was this some kind of classic Uchiha "brother-complex" manifesting?
On Uchiha Itachi, this trait was almost exaggeratedly on display.
Then Tian Yu remembered the mission prompt from his system moments earlier.
The Uchiha clan's Fire Release techniques were renowned across the shinobi world. Their fire-based ninjutsu wasn't just flashy—it carried terrifying power and precision. And standing before him was none other than Uchiha Itachi himself.
Could there be a more ideal candidate for this task?
"I can tell you," Tian Yu said after a brief pause, "but I'd like you to help me with something first."
"Name it," Itachi replied calmly.
Tian Yu pulled out a kunai and held it up. "Burn this kunai using a Fire Release jutsu. If you can help me with that, I'll share everything I know."
Burn a kunai?
What kind of bizarre request was that?
Itachi's eyes flickered with confusion, but he didn't voice his thoughts. The task seemed trivial enough.
The Fire Release techniques of the Uchiha were intense—hot enough to melt steel in seconds.
"Very well. I'll help."
Itachi nodded and placed the kunai on the ground. Then he began to weave signs.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A roaring sphere of flame engulfed the kunai—but surprisingly, the weapon remained unmoved. No melting, no glowing red—not even scorch marks.
"Huh?"
A trace of surprise escaped Itachi's lips.
"This kunai… the quality is impressive. It's even better than the ones sold by Granny Cat of our Uchiha weapon shop," Itachi noted with slight admiration before casting more jutsu.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Flame Bullet!"
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
…
One after another, flames erupted, danced, and wrapped around the kunai.
Tian Yu watched silently, estimating the level of power Itachi had just displayed.
This wasn't even Itachi at full strength, and yet it was clear—the teen before him had power comparable to an elite jōnin.
And that was without even using his Mangekyō Sharingan.
A true genius of Konoha.
But Tian Yu wasn't shaken.
He believed—no, he knew—that by the time he reached Itachi's current age, he would surpass him.
"You're messing with me, aren't you?" Itachi finally asked, his breath slightly labored from the barrage of Fire Style jutsu.
Even someone of Itachi's caliber couldn't continuously release multiple B- and C-rank techniques without a toll.
And what exactly was the point of setting a kunai on fire?
What was this for?
---
Chapter 24: Another Possibility
"Hahaha, don't worry, rest for a bit," Tian Yu said with an apologetic smile. Even he hadn't expected the task to be this troublesome.
For all of Uchiha Itachi's advanced Fire Release skills, the system still hadn't deemed the kunai as fully infused with Fire Release energy.
Still, Tian Yu was glad he had encountered Itachi—otherwise, it might've taken days, even weeks, to complete this task on his own.
Itachi's expression eased. He didn't speak, but sat cross-legged on the ground and entered a quick meditative state to restore his chakra.
Half an hour later, he opened his eyes again.
Back to business.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"
…
The jutsu sequence resumed.
Time passed slowly—minutes turned to hours.
Tian Yu grew drowsy waiting on the side, fighting off boredom and fatigue.
Then, just as Itachi was about to call it quits, a soft crack rang out—
"Click."
The kunai split open with a crisp sound.
It was done!
Uchiha Itachi nearly stood up in shock, a flicker of triumph glinting in his eyes.
That kunai had finally yielded to the flames.
But his expression remained composed, only a subtle smile betraying his pride.
Then the realization struck.
Wait… Why was I burning a kunai with Fire Style again?
"Whoa! You actually did it!"
Tian Yu jumped up, fully alert now that the system had confirmed the mission's completion.
He approached Itachi and gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. "Nicely done, brother!"
Itachi blinked. "Brother?"
Since when were we that close?
Tian Yu, of course, didn't care for formality. As far as he was concerned, anyone who helped him was a friend—simple as that.
"Thanks for your help," Tian Yu said warmly. "Now about what you asked… I'll tell you everything I know about Shisui."
He proceeded to recount the details of his encounter with Uchiha Shisui—the talk they had, the gratitude Shisui expressed, and the strange atmosphere of their final meeting.
"So… he just wanted you to survive?" Itachi asked quietly, his brow furrowed in contemplation.
Tian Yu nodded.
There was a heaviness to Itachi's expression—an unresolved grief. Shisui's rumored death clearly weighed on him.
But something was off…
In the manga, the last person Shisui saw before his death was Itachi. He had entrusted his eye—the Kotoamatsukami—to him, before plunging off a cliff.
Yet Itachi stood here now, seeking answers from him?
Had things not gone as they had in the original timeline?
"When did you last see Shisui?" Tian Yu asked suddenly.
"On Hokage Rock," Itachi replied. "He said he had to speak with Lord Hokage. If successful, he could…"
Itachi stopped.
Whatever Shisui had intended, it was wrapped in village politics and clan secrets.
Tian Yu gave him a calm look. "You know… I don't think Shisui is dead."
"What?"
For Itachi, Shisui was more than a comrade—he was mentor, brother, and the light in his darkness.
The possibility that Shisui might still be alive—
It lit a spark in his eyes.
"No body was ever found," Tian Yu continued. "Isn't it too early to call it death?"
"If he disappeared, it must've been for a reason. Maybe he had no choice. But one thing's certain—he trusted you to carry something forward."
"…Yeah." Itachi nodded.
And somehow, the anguish in his heart—the suffocating grief—lessened.
There was hope.
If Shisui still lived, then Itachi's mission, his resolve, wasn't in vain.
He would hold firm, just as Shisui had told him to.
After bidding farewell, Itachi disappeared into the trees.
Tian Yu returned home, spirit lifted.
It was time to begin designing the new ninja tool: the Hidden Mask Drawing, freshly unlocked through his completed mission.