I graduated from the academy at the same time as Itachi.

Well, Itachi was 2 years younger than me when he graduated.

I took me 3 years to finish the Academy while Itachi barely took one year.

Nonetheless, I surpassed Itachi in Taijutsu, (by grace of Gentle Fist and Chakra Enhanced Strength) and chakra control – to the point of not using hand signs at all…. Well he had me beat in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Shurikenjutsu, Kenjutsu, Tests and pretty much every other aspect though.

After graduation, we were put under separate teams.

I was put under Orochimaru, a Sannin.

I marveled at just the wide arena of Jutsu he knew.

Under him, I learnt even more about the basic fundamentals of Jutsu and my own Dojutsu.

In a mock battle against him I see this.

He uses a Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu.

I am currently using my Ryuugan to see the chakra flow inside him when he cast the Jutsu.

I tried replicating the same chakra movements inside my own body to see the effect – and INDEED, I performed the exact same jutsu as him – and even Faster. I essentially, copied his technique.

In just a year of training under him,

I had improved my Dojutsu and chakra controls to such levels I could use any Jutsu instantaneously without performing any hand signs and even copy the jutsu of the opponent in front of him, if I were to see his chakra flow involved in the technique – even alter it to increase the potency.

I had learnt a bit of medical ninjutsu under him – using my chakra network to heal minor bruises and cuts and to stop bleeding.

Infusing my shurikens and kunai with Lightning Style chakra improved their sharpness by several magnitudes – enough to slice through thick trees.

For this purpose, he even engraved summoning seals onto my palm that stored a few shuriken, kunai and a katana.

I could summon any of these tools by simply flowing chakra into my palm tenketsu and similarly store them back there.

I had learnt to use 2 chakra natures – Earth and Lightning– Excelling in Earth style for the most part.

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Within one year, he had made me this good.

He recommended me for the Chunin Exams, at the age of 10.

Though the authorities were hesitant, the words of Orochimaru had weight and he genuinely was impressed at my skills and believed in me.

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A Chunin Exams was specifically organized for me.

I breezed through the Forest of Death, and The Written Test.

For the last round, I was told to 'prove my worth' against a jonin, in order to be promoted to chunin.

The Jonin I was going to fight was… Fugaku Uchiha.

The HEAD of the Uchiha clan himself?!

Well my instructions were to 'prove to my worth' not to defeat him.

I might as well show all of my advanced skills.

For the first minute and half, we rushed towards each other.

He pulled out his kunai.

However, a normal ninja weapon like that could never hit me.

My taijutsu skills, combined with tenketsu jamming from the Gentle Fist proved superior. And in the first minute, I had a few of his tenketsu on his elbow blocked.

He realized it through the ache that he was at a disadvantage at close quarters and leapt back.

I gave him no time though and brought out my own kunai and shuriken.

And infused them with lightning chakra as I threw them.

But of course, he dodged them with agility. I was ever so close, but never hit him.

He leapt back and addressed me, "Your taijutsu skill is easily the best I have fought from just a Genin. It almost appears as if I was fighting a Hyuga Chunin. However, such petty tricks are trivial. A true Shinobi is known by the Ninjutsu he wields."

He says this and used Uchiha Great FireBall Jutsu.

I activated my Ryuugan and copied his technique, since I was not proficient in Water Release to completely nullify it.

I performed the same Uchiha Great FireBall Jutsu right back at him. And our Jutsu collided.

"So the rumors are true. Izumi. you don't need to use any hand signs for Jutsu.", commented Hayate Gekko who was supervising our match.

Even though I saw Fugaku-san smiling at that reference to me, he was clearly holding back on me. The chakra flow was half hearted. He isn't taking me seriously.

In that case, I amplified the Jutsu by sending in more chakra.

Fugaku-san smiled and increased his magnitude as well.

Our fires raged for a well over ten seconds until my non-proficiency with Fire Jutsu kicked in, and I had to use Earth Wall simultaneously with my emitting fire to cancel his jutsu and find cover.

Fugaku-san stopped his onslaught seeing this and commended "You used 2 jutsu of differing nature types simultaneously!? And without hand signs at that!"

Fugaku-san called off the match saying he was satisfied enough and Hayate Gekko chimed in.

"Your skill in taijutsu is easily early jonin caliber. Your chakra control and sensory skills easily triumph anyone in Konoha. And you can already use 3 nature styles – Lightning, Earth and Fire multiple simultaneously – and without any hand signs at that! Promoting you to just Chunin should be derogatory.", Gekko summed up.

Fugaku-san added, "True, I agree to that. From now on, Izumi you're a Chunin. And in fact, much beyond. Also, I was surprised at the level of control you had on your Fire Release. Not just sending out flames, but also controlling their magnitudes in midst of that, keeping up with me. That's something not even all Uchiha could do. I'm sure Itachi can't do that. Not yet, anyways."

I laughed at that remark.

He awakened his Sharingan then to look at my chakra system.

This was the first time I saw someone's eyes going from simple eyes transform to Sharingan in front of me.

I saw the Sharingan manifest, through my Ryuugan, I saw the chakra descend into his eyes, take form and materialize the Sharingan.

Subconsciously, I replicated the exact same movements in chakra flow. THUS, manifesting an Uchiha Sharingan in both of my eyes just a second later than him, as if in sync – A complete 3 tomoe Sharingan.

He was taken aback for a moment.

Then suddenly he broke into breakneck speed and had me pinned on the floor

He looked into my eyes and saw a pair of the same red eyes glaring back at him.

He used Genjutsu on me, but I reset the disrupted chakra flow in my system with my chakra control, breaking out of the Genjutsu instantaneously.

"What, you broke the Sharingan Genjutsu?"

This led him to tighten the grip on me.

"Urh…"

My taijutsu and chakra strength proved ineffective against him. I was in state of deadlock to him.

He had overpowered me instantly.

At this time, Hayate Gekko and Orochimaru who had been spectating intervened and stopped Fugaku-san.