Self-Introduction

Ninja Academy, Class A.

Renye found a seat and sat down, quietly sizing up the children around him.

These brats would be his classmates from now on.

"We've just enrolled, so nobody knows each other yet. Let's go around and introduce yourselves." The homeroom teacher crossed his arms and said, "I'll start. I'm Takuma Senju, and I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next six years."

Renye raised an eyebrow. So that's why the teacher seemed familiar—he was a member of the Senju Clan. He might have run into him before.

"Start with you." Takuma Senju randomly pointed to a Byakugan child in the front row.

The child stood up and swept his gaze arrogantly around the room. "I'm Yuki Hyūga, from the Hyūga Clan."

Some of the children immediately showed envious expressions.

"Wow, the Hyūga are a big clan!"

Yuki Hyūga's lips curled up as he took in everyone's admiration.

"Tch, that's it?"

Suddenly, a disdainful snort rang out in the classroom.

At those words, the room went silent. Everyone turned to look.

In the back row, a kid was staring coldly at Yuki Hyūga, thick contempt in his eyes.

That look was like he was gazing at an ant.

The fan crest of the Uchiha Clan was embroidered on his clothes.

Clearly, this was a member of the Uchiha Clan.

Not only that, but three other kids wearing the Uchiha fan sat around him, two of them also wearing contemptuous expressions.

"Uchiha?" Renye was a little surprised. He hadn't expected there to be three clan members in his class.

The Orphanage Director had told Renye that the orphanage kids didn't enter the Ninja Academy. Instead, they were taught by Jonin from the Konoha Military Police Force and would go straight into the force later.

That meant Shun Uchiha had a pretty good shot at that iron rice bowl in the Military Police Force.

The founding of the Military Police Force differed from what Renye knew.

In the original, the Military Police Force was established during Tobirama Senju's reign. At the time, Konoha was beset by internal and external troubles, and the Uchiha were growing dissatisfied with the Senju monopolizing the village. So Tobirama Senju created the Konoha Military Police Force, with most positions filled by Uchiha Clan members, as a show of trust.

But here, the Military Police Force had been founded right when Konoha was established.

The four Uchiha noticed Renye's gaze. Three of them showed contemptuous, disgusted looks, while only the last one smiled and nodded at him.

Renye: "???"

What the hell is this?!

Why do these guys have such strong hostility toward him?

Renye: I've never provoked anyone!

Well... Danzō Shimura doesn't count. That Old Man was deliberately picking a fight!

Yuki Hyūga was furious, but seeing the other side had numbers, he could only sit back down in a huff.

"Motoya Nara. Likes quiet. Hates trouble."

"Homura Mitokado."

"Koharu Utatane."

Renye looked at the two of them, thinking to himself, so these are the future Hokage Advisors?

If he remembered correctly, these two lived pretty long.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi."

"Danzō Shimura."

The introductions were halfway through when it was Renye's turn.

"I'm Uchiha Renye."

After he said it, he was about to sit down when he heard a highly sarcastic remark from behind him. "Heh, Uchiha? Looks more like Senju to me!"

Renye narrowed his eyes and turned to look at the Uchiha who had spoken.

So that's why these guys had such a grudge against him. They thought he was a traitor to the Uchiha!

"Keep your mouth clean, or I'll make you regret it!" Renye said coldly.

"Haha, that's hilarious."

"A traitor's a traitor. Can't take being called out?"

The few Uchiha exchanged glances and couldn't help laughing, not taking Renye seriously at all.

Renye was an Uchiha but had been taken in by the Senju. That was practically a slap in the face to the Uchiha Clan. He was the Uchiha's shame!

"Don't be like this..." The Uchiha who had smiled at Renye earlier tried to stop them.

"We were so busy talking about him, we forgot about you. You're a disgrace to the Uchiha too!"

"How could you do this..."

"Alright, that's enough!" Takuma Senju frowned and barked.

Hearing this, the few Uchiha brats finally shut up, looking disgruntled.

"Uchiha Renye, you may sit down."

Renye shot an annoyed glance at the three Uchiha, then sat back down in his chair.

Damn it! Picking on people, and they pick on him!

He'd have to show them why flowers bloom so red.

Finally, it was those Uchiha's turn to introduce themselves.

The one at the front, strutting like he owned the place, declared arrogantly: "My name is Reppu Uchiha!"

The other two followed suit.

"Hikaru Uchiha!"

"Rin Uchiha!"

What surprised Renye was that even with these three acting so cocky, no one dared to voice any objection.

Seems like they were all afraid of the Uchiha Clan's backing.

Renye sighed helplessly. "Now I get why Tobirama Senju always kept an eye on the Uchiha..."

The Uchiha clan members were powerful, but also incredibly arrogant, with a tendency toward extreme behavior. One misstep and they'd do something dangerous.

The clan's goodwill among the villagers was squandered by these very people.

Add to that their role in the Konoha Military Police Force—a position that naturally bred resentment.

At this rate, the Uchiha Clan was doomed!

Renye couldn't help but admire Tobirama Senju's political savvy.

Knowing full well the Uchiha's temperament, he still assigned them to the Military Police Force. What a clever move!

That way, the Uchiha would never get a shot at the Hokage position.

Madara Uchiha probably saw through this scheme and wanted to take the clan away to start fresh.

Too bad none of the clan members were willing to follow him.

Both families had founded Konoha together, yet the Uchiha Clan didn't even get a single advisor position, let alone the Hokage seat. How pathetic was that?

As for misery, the Senju Clan wasn't much better off.

Three great ninja wars wiped them out completely.

But the Uchiha Clan didn't last much longer either—they followed the Senju's path... to extinction.

Pretty ironic, when you think about it.

The two strongest clans of the Warring States Period built Konoha Village together, and both ended up annihilated.

"Hello everyone, my name is Kagami Uchiha!"

The last Uchiha's introduction snapped Renye back to reality.

"So this guy is Kagami Uchiha!"

Kagami's personality didn't seem like a typical Uchiha at all.

No wonder Tobirama Senju would later take him on as a Disciple.

The introductions were over.

"No classes this morning—get to know each other. We'll start lessons this afternoon." Takuma Senju said. "A few students, come with me to carry the books."

With that, he led a handful of students out of the classroom.

Renye stared listlessly out the window, his face full of impatience.

"School stuff... hate it the most."

Normally at this time, he'd be training on the practice grounds. Now he had to sit miserably in a classroom.

And his classmates were all a bunch of problem children...