It had been a few days since we arrived in Konoha. Every street felt new, yet somehow familiar — like this village had been waiting for me all along.
I met so many faces from the clan — old women pinching my cheeks, younger shinobi nodding at me with proud Uchiha eyes. But the best part was meeting Shisui.
We clicked instantly. Maybe because we were both too curious for our good. Or maybe because Kagami-ojisan whispered to him, "Treat Izuna like an older brother, Shisui. Respect him — and keep him out of trouble, if you can."
Shisui took it very seriously. Every other sentence, he called me Izuna-san, puffing out his chest like he was my loyal shadow. Sometimes I caught him sneaking glances at my hands, as if checking if I was forming secret jutsu signs he could copy.
The next morning. Father walked beside me to the Academy building. The place was huge — even bigger than I'd imagined. Young students were all over the courtyard, throwing shuriken at wooden posts or practicing clone jutsu.
Father squeezed my shoulder. "Listen well. Learn everything you can. Make friends. But remember — never forget who you are."
I nodded. "I won't, Father."
In the corner, leaning against the fence with his arms crossed, stood Kakashi. When he saw me, he raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Tch. You finally decided to join?" he said, acting bored.
I shot back a grin. "Try not to fall too far behind, Kakashi."
His visible eye narrowed in playful challenge. "Wanna test that out? Right now?"
My blood stirred — finally, a real fight.
Father found me and Kakashi sparring under the old training posts behind the compound.
Kakashi was sharp — so fast with his shuriken throws, I could barely keep up. But I matched him, block for block, move for move. When we stopped to catch our breath, we exchanged a look. Neither of us spoke. We didn't need to.
Kakashi's POV:
"He's good. Faster than I expected for someone who just got here… Maybe he's worth my time. Maybe… I won't be so bored anymore."
He glanced away quickly when I looked at him. I pretended not to notice, but inside, I felt a spark of pride.
Shisui, of course, was watching behind a tree — mimicking Kakashi's pose again, muttering, "So cool…"
When training was done, Father sat on the porch alone, sharpening a kunai. I watched him from the steps, curious. His eyes were softer than usual, distant, like he was somewhere far away.
Then he spoke, as if he'd heard my thoughts.
"You know, Izuna… There was a time I trained just like you. But not alone."
Flashback
A long time ago — before secrets and shadows — Raizen stood in a wide clearing just outside Konoha. Beside him, a tall young man with silver hair — Sakumo Hatake — twirled a white tanto blade with easy grace.
"Try to keep up, Uchiha," Sakumo teased, his grin wide, warm.
Raizen smirked back. "Only if you stop swinging that toothpick around like it's special."
The two men lunged at each other, exchanging strikes so fast they blurred. Kunai clashed with tanto, sparks flying as they moved across the dusty ground. Between strikes, they laughed — not the cold laugh of enemies, but the shared breath of brothers.
When they stopped, both panting, Sakumo clapped Raizen's shoulder.
"One day," Sakumo said, eyes bright under his messy hair, "if I ever have a son — and you have one too — maybe they'll stand here like us. Sparring. Laughing."
Raizen only nodded, wiping sweat from his brow.
Back then, they had no clue how sharp the village's secrets would grow — or how Danzo's poison would twist everything.
End Flashback
Raizen's voice pulled me back to the present.
He didn't look at me — just stared at the kunai in his hands.
"Sakumo is a good man," he said.
I swallowed hard, trying to picture the man from Father's memory. The White Fang. Kakashi's father.
I made a silent promise: I'll protect them too — Kakashi, Shisui, everyone. I won't let your sacrifice be wasted.
Later that evening, I sat with Kakashi and Shisui outside the training yard.
Kakashi leaned back, arms behind his head, pretending to nap — but his single uncovered eye watched me.
Shisui crouched nearby, copying Kakashi's exact pose. He even closed one eye, then peeked to check if he was doing it right.
He turned his head toward me and whispered dramatically, "I'm Kakashi Hatake… The cool guy…"
I burst out laughing so hard I almost dropped my bag. Even Kakashi, who pretended not to hear, twitched his eyebrow and shot Shisui a sideways glare — but Shisui only struck the pose again, this time with a serious ninja face.
Kakashi cracked a tiny smile when he thought I wasn't looking.
For a moment, all the secrets and shadows faded. It was just us — three kids, dreaming about how strong we'd get.
But deep down, under my skin, Danzo's shadow still crept into my thoughts.
Maybe Hokage will remove him from the village, I thought. But that snake won't just vanish. Not yet. Not until I'm strong enough to erase him forever.
I clenched my fists, Sharingan flickering in my mind like a promise.
"I'll be ready next time," I whispered.
Kakashi cracked an eye open, glancing at me.
"Talking to yourself already? You're gonna be a weird one, Izuna."
I shrugged, smirking. "Says the boy who hides his whole face."
Shisui burst into giggles, nearly tipping over into Kakashi's side.
The White Fang's son. Kayami's son. And me — Raizen's son. Together in the same village.
One day, I knew, we'd stand side by side — for the clan, for the village… and for the future we'd carve with our own hands.
——————————————
Back at the compound, when I sat by the window that night, I thought about that moment — Kakashi hiding his tiny grin, Shisui trying so hard to look cool.
In this village, I wasn't just some hidden child anymore. I had a rival. A little brother. And maybe… a real friend.