A small-scale famine struck the kingdom, and the effects rippled through the orphanage. The meager funding that kept them afloat was cut further, leading to severe food shortages. The children, already accustomed to having little, grew cranky and resentful as their hunger intensified. Samuel, now three years old, found himself at the center of their growing animosity.
Ron, always the spirited leader, became the spokesperson for the children's grievances. He blamed Samuel for their predicament, seeing him as an extra mouth to feed that had only made their difficult situation worse. "It's because of him," Ron would whisper to the others. "If he wasn't here, we'd have more to eat." The resentment spread quickly, and Samuel became an outcast among his peers, a scapegoat for their collective suffering.
Despite his young age, Samuel—Itachi—understood the complex dynamics at play. His past experiences as a clan leader and a spy gave him insights into human behavior that were far beyond his years. He observed silently, realizing that being ostracized provided him with certain benefits. He wasn't expected to participate in chores or the strenuous activities the other children were tasked with.
During this time, Samuel began to pester the nuns to teach him how to read and write. The nuns, Samantha and Alberta, were surprised but delighted by his eagerness to learn. They saw it as a sign of his potential to escape the harsh realities of their world through education. To them, Samuel's thirst for knowledge suggested someone who could rise above the poverty and struggles of the orphanage.
What they didn't realize was that Samuel's knowledge of reading and writing from his past life as Itachi far surpassed what they could teach him. His skills were those of a seasoned strategist and spy, but he kept this to himself, practicing diligently to avoid arousing suspicion. He used a thin film of sand on a plate to practice his writing, a method that earned him praise from the adults for his ingenuity.
However, this also drew more ire from the other children. They saw Samuel's dedication to learning as a further sign of his difference, something that set him apart and made him a target for their frustration.
One evening, as the children were gathered around, their empty stomachs making them restless and irritable, Ron stood up to address them. "We need to stick together," he declared, his red eyes blazing with passion. "But how can we, when some of us think they're better than the rest? Learning to read and write won't fill our bellies. We need to focus on surviving, not showing off."
The children nodded in agreement, their faces set in determined lines. They resented Samuel's perceived arrogance, his apparent disregard for their collective struggle. Samuel, standing apart, listened quietly. He understood their anger but knew that his path was different. His determination to learn was not about showing off.
The famine continued to cast a long shadow over the orphanage. Food became scarcer, and the children's resentment towards Samuel only grew. Yet, amidst the hardship, he continued his secret practice of Spirit Magic and honed his skills in reading and writing. He was aware of the fragile balance he had to maintain: to excel without drawing too much attention, to grow stronger without becoming a threat.
The nuns, oblivious to the deeper tensions among the children, continued to support Samuel's education, believing they were nurturing a potential escape for him from the grim realities . Little did they know that Samuel's true potential was far greater than they could ever imagine, shaped by experiences from a life they could not comprehend.
As the days turned into weeks, Samuel's resolve only hardened. He would not be swayed by the animosity of the other children or the bleakness of their situation.
After the winter ended, Samuel felt a pressing need to earn his part. He had learned a bit of tier 0, or chore magic, from the nuns, but he knew from his previous life that things could change fast. It was essential to contribute and pull his own weight.
Understanding that a five-year-old magician might not be well-received, Samuel decided to hunt animals. Their fur, teeth, and other parts could be valuable. Early one crisp morning, he slipped out of the orphanage and made his way to the forest. His small stature allowed him to move quietly, a skill he had honed in his previous life as Itachi Uchiha.
He scanned the forest floor for tracks, his sharp eyes picking out the faintest signs of animal activity.
Samuel's first attempts were cautious. He used his chore magic to set small traps, carefully arranging twigs and leaves to conceal them. Hours passed, and his patience was rewarded when he caught a rabbit. With a sense of satisfaction, he collected the animal, grateful for the opportunity to practice his skills and provide for the orphanage.
Curious about the differences between the animals in this world and the summoning animals of his previous life, Samuel began dissecting them. He carefully examined their anatomy, noting similarities and differences. His previous knowledge of animal anatomy from summoning jutsu gave him a unique perspective.
To further his understanding and create a plausible alibi, Samuel decided to learn more about animal dissection. Books were a luxury, and there was no library nearby. The most straightforward method to learn and establish an alibi was to seek help from the old magician who lived in the village, often referred to as a fossil due to his rumored age of over 100 years.
Despite knowing that the old magician might hold the answers he sought, Samuel played it safe and first asked the village soldiers for help. Initially, the soldiers bullied him, making him perform menial tasks to test his resolve. He fetched water, cleaned their gear, and did other worthless tasks without complaint. His perseverance caught the attention of a soldier named John.
John, a seasoned soldier with black hair and a long scar across his face—a remnant of a magical beast attack when he had just joined and wanted to earn merit—was moved by Samuel's attitude. He saw a glimmer of his own youthful determination in the boy. Slowly, John began to help Samuel, showing him the basics of animal dissection and survival skills in the forest.
John taught Samuel how to identify the vital parts of an animal, how to carefully remove the valuable parts without damaging them, and how to preserve them. He also showed Samuel the best places to set traps and how to track animals more effectively. Samuel absorbed this knowledge eagerly.
Through persistent practice and observation, Samuel converted some of his previous life's jutsu into this world's magic, as it didn't require chakra pathways. His nature transformations included Fire, Water, Wind, Yin, and Yang Release. As an Uchiha, he had a natural affinity for Fire Release, mastering the clan's Great Fireball Technique at a very young age. He could coat shuriken with fire to increase their offensive capabilities. With Water Release, Itachi could perform the Water Dragon Bullet Technique without an external water source, as well as shape existing water.
While Yin and Yang Release could only be practised with a sage's blessing and remained unknown to Itachi, he accepted his new life and focused on mastering the magic available to him.
Samuel's integration into the village and his contributions to the orphanage earned him respect, though it also made him a target of jealousy among some of the children. The villagers initially ignored him but gradually accepted the small gifts he provided from his hunting trips.