Itachi focused his mind, searching through the memories Artoria had mentioned.
Soon, a vision surfaced in his mind.
It was dusk. Near a campfire, a girl who looked almost identical to the one standing before him now—complete with a single lock of hair springing from her head—was swinging her longsword relentlessly. Her expression was determined, and sweat poured from her face, falling like raindrops onto the earth.
Watching her from a distance, a white-haired man holding a staff gave an approving smile.
"Lady Artoria," he called, "let's end sword training for today. It's time to begin learning how to use mana."
Mana.
An energy similar to chakra—formed by a combination of spiritual and physical power.
But the proportions were different. Mana leaned heavily toward the spiritual, while chakra maintained a more balanced mix.
"There it is—mental shielding."
Itachi watched as the magician, Merlin, guided Artoria in the use of mana.
It wasn't quite as he'd imagined. Rather than using mana to create barriers, it was a pure application of spiritual energy to protect one's thoughts from intrusion.
That made things easier.
Since chakra and mana differed in nature, their usage also diverged. But if this technique only required spiritual energy, he was already familiar with that.
Without hesitation, Itachi activated his spiritual energy, constructing a mental barrier around his thoughts.
Artoria, observing him quietly from nearby, was visibly surprised.
He learned it… after seeing it just once?
Of course, she had done the same. But then again, she carried the blood of a dragon within her.
Dragons, after all, were beings born with a natural sensitivity to all forms of energy—creatures blessed with innate power, like the gods themselves.
"Thank you for your guidance," Itachi said politely in his mind after successfully forming the shield.
The method of using spiritual energy fascinated him. But more than that, he understood its rarity and importance.
"There's no need to thank me," Artoria replied calmly. "I simply didn't think it was right to freely peer into a child's inner thoughts."
She paused. "Though… you're very different from an ordinary child."
His memories, his demeanor—everything about him piqued her curiosity.
"I still don't understand exactly what's going on. But since you seem unable to leave my side…"
Itachi stood, bowing respectfully in his thoughts. "Until you can depart, I hope I can continue to learn from you."
Though still a child, he felt strangely excited by this encounter.
The moment he successfully used the technique embedded in her memories, he grasped how valuable that knowledge was.
And with a king like Artoria at his side—someone with a lifetime of experience—perhaps he could begin to find answers.
Answers to the questions that haunted him: about this war… and about the meaning of life.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Under the cover of night, the sound of slicing wind echoed through the trees.
Near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, shadowy figures leapt swiftly between branches, moving like panthers through the dim moonlight.
The formation moved quickly but with discipline. Even while rushing at full speed, the shinobi maintained precise spacing, clearly prepared for an ambush at any moment.
Itachi was among them—though far behind the main group, struggling to keep pace due to his age and physical limitations.
He hadn't even attended the ninja academy yet. There was no chance he'd be allowed to fight—unless the entire front collapsed beyond repair.
Such a well-trained squad…
Artoria's voice echoed in his mind, filled with awe. "If Britain had possessed soldiers like this, perhaps we would never have fallen."
"I can't believe… every one of them holds mana—no, you call it chakra here."
"In my world, only a rare few could form mana circuits in their bodies. Only the exceptionally gifted ever developed magical energy."
Her admiration made Itachi frown mid-run.
After everything she'd lived through… was she still so eager for war?
He couldn't understand. Could it be that to some people… war was something to long for?
Suppressing his instinctive rejection of the idea, he responded in a calm, measured tone.
"Chakra is the result of balancing physical and spiritual energy. But even that balance is hard to achieve. Many people fail before they ever reach the fusion stage."
"And even among those who manage it, very few go on to become shinobi. Only the truly talented make it."
"It's written in the geography and society texts. Perhaps you skipped that part of my memories, Your Majesty?"
Artoria nodded. "I only scanned your world's structure—military systems, population, economy, your energy-based hierarchy. I haven't had time to go into the fine details yet."
So military matters were her first concern…
Itachi picked up on the subtle implication in her words and asked casually, "You seem very… focused on war. Is there a specific reason?"
From a young age, Itachi had learned to conceal his thoughts—never revealing too much, not even to his father.
It was one of Fugaku's strictest teachings. And Itachi followed it religiously.
Focused on war…?
Artoria, floating beside him like a guardian spirit, looked momentarily confused. The ahoge atop her head swayed with her movement as she tilted her head in response.
"Focused on… war?"
She couldn't understand the question.
With Itachi's mental shielding now in place, she couldn't sense his deeper thoughts. And while his defenses were crude by her standards, as King of Britain, she held herself to a code—she would not violate another's inner sanctum.
"I mean…"
Itachi struggled with how to express his doubt in a respectful and tactful way.
But before he could finish the thought, Artoria's voice suddenly sharpened.
"Look out!"
The shift in her tone was instant. Itachi's body reacted without conscious thought, twisting mid-leap and dropping his center of gravity.
Whoosh!
A thin shadow sliced past his cheek, leaving a shallow, bloody cut.
Thunk!
The kunai buried itself in a nearby tree with a heavy thud.
Landing lightly on the forest floor, Itachi immediately shifted positions, leaping away from his original path.
A moment later, from up ahead, he heard the calm but firm voice of the team's commander, Uchiha Tera.
"Everyone, stay alert. We're under attack—it's an Iwa unit!"
Iwa-nin?
Before he could fully process the situation, a black shadow appeared beside him.
"Itachi, stay close to me."
It was his father—Uchiha Fugaku.
At that moment, Fugaku's eyes were already glowing with crimson light.
Three tomoe spun within his Sharingan, reflecting his son's composed face.
Under the moonlight, Fugaku's gaze swept over the forest with unshakable calm.
"There are a lot of them. Our team's been split into several groups."
"Our logistics unit only has a few chūnin and genin. But don't worry."
"As for the main force up ahead, Tera's command is solid. He'll handle the ambush soon enough."
Author: Sleepy Yu Bai
Fugaku wasn't originally assigned to this frontline mission.
But he had volunteered—because he wanted his son, Itachi, to witness the realities of war early on.
To learn not through books… but through blood and experience.
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!