Mastering the Elements - Chapter - 22

The air in the Potaru household was heavy with the scent of blood and rain as a bright blue flash of light signaled the arrival of Itachi and his surviving team.

The portkey glowed for a brief moment, then faded, leaving behind a group of battered, exhausted, and bloodied shinobi.

Itachi stumbled slightly but caught himself, his breath still ragged from battle.

The moment Harry laid eyes on them, his expression shifted from calm amusement to deadly focus.

"Set them down," Harry commanded.

The remaining four Chūnin and Jōnin Hiro lowered themselves to the floor, wincing from their wounds. The lifeless bodies of their fallen comrades lay beside them, motionless.

Naruto, who had been sitting at the table, froze in shock at the sight of so much blood.

"T-That’s… a lot of blood, Itachi-nissan…"

Itachi placed a steady hand on Naruto’s head.

"It’s over, little brother. We’re home."

Harry didn’t waste time.

He moved with practiced ease, pulling out his enchanted medical supplies from his infinite-space trunk.

With a flick of his wand, a green glow spread over the worst of the wounds.

Hiro, the Jōnin commander, gritted his teeth as the torn flesh on his side began to stitch itself together.

The Chūnin, barely conscious, sighed in relief as the pain vanished.

Even those on the brink of death were restored with ease.

Harry’s healing abilities had long surpassed conventional medical ninjutsu.

Even Tsunade would have been amazed at the level of control and power he displayed.

And in less than an hour—

Every single survivor was fully healed.

But for the dead…

There was nothing to be done.

Harry stood over the fallen shinobi, eyes hardened.

"You fought well," he murmured. "You deserved better than this."

He gently closed their eyes before standing up and facing Itachi.

"Now," he said, his voice dangerously calm, "tell me everything."

The next morning, Hiro stood before Hiruzen Sarutobi, his wounds fully healed but his face still pale from what had happened.

Hiruzen listened silently, his fingers pressed together as Hiro recounted the ambush in Amegakure.

When he heard about the strength of the attackers, his jaw tightened.

When Hiro mentioned the number of missing-nin involved, his eyes darkened.

And when he finally explained how they barely escaped, his entire expression became grave.

Hiruzen already knew who was behind this.

Only one man had the resources, the intelligence, and the motive.

"Danzo."

It was Danzo who had placed the bounty.

Danzo who had sent the assassins.

Danzo who was trying to steal Konoha’s last known Wood Release user.

The Hokage gripped his pipe tightly, his mind racing.

This wasn’t just revenge.

This was Danzo trying to reclaim power.

And if he had connections deep enough to place such a bounty, then he was far more dangerous than Hiruzen had initially thought.

Hiruzen wasted no time.

"Increase the bounty on Danzo Shimura."

The Anbu commander standing nearby stiffened.

"Hokage-sama… how high?"

Hiruzen’s gaze turned cold.

"Higher than any bounty we’ve ever placed."

"More than S-rank criminals?"

"More than even the likes of Hanzo or the Orochimaru."

"A bounty high enough that no one will offer him sanctuary."

"Danzo Shimura is now a wanted man. Alive or dead."

The Anbu nodded sharply before vanishing in a flicker of movement.

And just like that—

Danzo Shimura became the most hunted man in the world.

Back at the Potaru household, Harry sat with Itachi and Naruto, his eyes flickering between the two.

"It won’t stop here." Harry said. "Danzo has always been a snake. Now that we’ve backed him into a corner, he’ll strike harder than before."

Itachi nodded grimly.

"I know."

Naruto looked between them, his young face unusually serious.

"So what do we do now?"

Harry’s emerald eyes gleamed with something dangerous.

"Now? We make sure that the next time he tries something—"

"—he doesn’t live to regret it."

For the first time since becoming a Chūnin, Itachi Potaru was placed on indefinite leave from active duty.

The reason was simple—his bounty.

Every high-level mercenary, rogue shinobi, and bounty hunter in the world was now after him.

The moment Itachi stepped out of Konoha on a mission, he would be hunted.

And worse—his teammates would suffer for it.

So, reluctantly, Hiruzen made the call:

Itachi was too valuable to risk in the field.

And though the decision frustrated Itachi at first, he quickly realized something else—

This was an opportunity.

A chance to become even stronger.

A chance to unlock the true potential of his bloodline.

And for that, he had two perfect mentors—

His mother, Mikoto Uchiha.

And his father, Harry Pottaru.

Mikoto was overjoyed when she learned that Itachi had awakened his Sharingan.

For the first time, she could truly train him as an Uchiha.

She taught him everything—

How to predict movement with a single glance.

How to break out of genjutsu effortlessly.

How to use illusion and deception in battle.

How to turn a single glance into a weapon.


Takashi Uchiha, Mikoto’s father, had been watching closely.

At first, he had ignored Itachi.

He had cast him aside when Mikoto was exiled from the clan.

But now—he was paying attention.

And he was impressed.

"A shinobi with Wood Release and Sharingan in the same body…" Takashi muttered, watching Itachi move through training exercises. "His chakra is already massive, and his eyes burn with power. If he keeps growing like this…"

He didn't finish the thought.

But the implication was clear.

Itachi Potaru was becoming a force unlike any Konoha had seen before.

While Mikoto focused on Itachi’s Sharingan, Harry focused on something else.

Magic.

Itachi did not have magic himself.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t use it.

And Harry had an entire arsenal of magical tools, weapons, and enchantments at his disposal.

"Shinobi fight with their bodies and chakra," Harry explained, handing Itachi an enchanted dagger. "But the smartest fighters use everything at their disposal."

Itachi examined the blade carefully. It was lightweight, but it hummed with power.

"What does it do?" he asked.

Harry smirked. "Cut through anything."

Itachi's eyes widened. "Anything?"

Harry nodded. "Anything. Armor, chakra barriers, even certain jutsu."

Then he pulled out another item—a dark cloak with shimmering runes woven into the fabric.

"Put this on."

Itachi did, and the moment it settled over his shoulders—he disappeared.

Takashi gasped in shock, his Sharingan struggling to track Itachi's form.

"Impossible," he muttered.

Harry smiled. "Not impossible. Just… magical."

Itachi pulled off the cloak and looked at his father.

"What else do you have?" he asked, his voice eager.

Harry chuckled. "Plenty, my boy. Plenty."

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks turned into months.

With Mikoto, Itachi perfected his Sharingan.

With Harry, he mastered the use of magical weaponry.

He trained harder than ever, pushing his chakra control, stamina, and speed to new limits.

By the time he was done—

Itachi Potaru was no longer just another shinobi.

He was a legend in the making.

And when the day came that he finally stepped out of Konoha again—

The world would be unprepared for what he had become.

Naruto had never been happier.

For the first time in his life, his big brother Itachi was home all the time.

That meant more training sessions, more sparring, and more time to show off his progress.

And Naruto loved showing off.

Especially to his classmates.

In the Ninja Academy, Naruto was not the dead last.

Far from it.

He was one of the top students.

Quick. Smart. Unpredictable.

And most importantly—he was the rival of Midori Uchiha.

The eldest daughter of Fugaku Uchiha and the pride of the Uchiha Clan.

Midori was strong, precise, and disciplined.

She had the signature Uchiha arrogance, a belief that she was simply better than others.

And Naruto annoyed her to no end.

"Hey, princess," Naruto grinned as he leaned back in his chair. "Are you ready to lose today?"

Midori’s dark eyes narrowed.

"I’ve told you before, Pottaru, you’re not my equal."

"Oh, I dunno about that," Naruto smirked. "We’re tied right now, aren’t we?"

Midori gritted her teeth. It was true.

Ever since the Academy began, they had been in constant competition.

Sparring. Tests. Taijutsu drills.

They were neck and neck in almost everything.

And that infuriated Midori.

She was an Uchiha. She should be untouchable.

But Naruto was right there, pushing her.

And worst of all?

He wasn’t even serious half the time.

While Naruto and Midori had their constant rivalry, he had a very different dynamic with another classmate—Hinata Hyuga.

Hinata was quiet, polite, and timid.

And she was also Naruto’s best friend.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Naruto asked one day after she had been picked on by some older students.

Hinata nodded quickly, though her face was flushed.

"Y-Yes, Naruto-kun. I… I’m fine."

But Naruto wasn’t buying it.

He grinned and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don’t let them bother you. You're awesome, Hinata!"

Hinata turned red, her heart racing.

Naruto always believed in her, even when she struggled to believe in herself.

One day, Naruto had a brilliant idea.

He was going to bring Itachi to the Academy.

"Just wait!" he told his classmates, grinning mischievously. "I’ll show you guys my brother, and he’s way cooler than any of you!"

And when Itachi Pottaru walked into the Academy, the entire class fell silent.

The boy who had both Sharingan and Wood Release.

The one who had a bounty worth a king’s fortune.

The shinobi who had slaughtered an entire force of elite assassins.

Midori’s eyes widened in shock.

Even the instructors bowed their heads slightly, recognizing his presence.

And Naruto?

He just grinned.

"Told ya he was cool."

Naruto Uzumaki was not an ordinary Academy student.

Everyone in the Academy sparred with their classmates—testing their skills, growing stronger.

But Naruto?

Naruto was an exception.

While the other students faced each other, Naruto’s only opponent was Kenji-sensei—a seasoned Chūnin instructor.

It wasn’t because Naruto was weak.

No.

It was because he was too strong.

Kenji gritted his teeth as he blocked a blindingly fast kick from Naruto.

"Damn it, kid!" he grunted, flipping back. "Why are you this fast?!"

Naruto just grinned.

"Because Itachi-niisan trains me!"

Kenji lunged again—only for Naruto to disappear.

A flash.

A substitution.

Then—bam!

Kenji barely dodged a kunai swipe aimed at his ribs.

The students watching gasped.

Even though Kenji was a Chūnin, he had to fight seriously to keep up with Naruto.

It was insane.

Naruto’s growth in battle wasn’t the only thing that made him stand out.

It was the rumor.

The one technique that Naruto bragged about every chance he got.

"I have a jutsu that can beat any Jōnin easily," Naruto announced one day, lounging at his desk.

The entire class turned to look at him.

"You’re lying!" one boy shouted.

"Am not," Naruto smirked.

"Then show us!"

Naruto shook his head.

"Can’t."

"Why not?"

Naruto leaned back, arms behind his head.

"Because the Hokage told me not to use it."

That made everyone silent.

Even Midori Uchiha.

She frowned, narrowing her eyes at Naruto.

Was it a bluff?

Or did he really have a technique that strong?

For Midori Uchiha, this was unacceptable.

She was an Uchiha.

She had the best tutors, the best training, and the best bloodline.

And yet—Naruto kept up with her.

And now he claimed to have a technique so strong that it was forbidden?

She needed to know.

And so, for the next few weeks, Midori tried everything to get Naruto to tell her.

She tried persuasion.

"Naruto, if you teach me, we could be even stronger together."

She tried bribing him.

"I’ll bring you Ichiraku ramen every day!"

She even tried flattery.

"I admit it—you’re stronger than me, okay? Now teach me!"

But Naruto just grinned like a fox and shook his head.

"No way, princess."

And that only made Midori more determined.