Day One Without Shin, Missing Him

The next morning, the Konoha Daily was released as usual.

"Pfft..."

Nawaki was eating breakfast and reading the paper at home, but he spat out a mouthful of milk as soon as he saw the headline.

Konoha Daily:

"Shocking! The Eldest Young Master of the Senju Clan Actually Did This!"

"At the start of the school term, the Senju clan's village bully eldest young master actually bullied the kind and adorable Second Young Master of the Uchiha!"

"On Why the Uchiha Are Frequently Targeted—The Untold Story Between the Uchiha and the Senju!"

After reading the paper, he trembled with cold rage and wept. This world was full of malice aimed at him.

When would he, Senju Nawaki, be able to truly stand up?

"Ahhh... Uchiha Shin! This enmity will never be settled under the same sky! If I, Senju Nawaki, don't get revenge, I'm not human!"

Thus, Nawaki followed in the footsteps of a certain transmigrator and declared himself no longer human.

On the other side, in the Hokage Building office, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi had been working overtime late into the night.

Just waking up, he saw this "surprising" news on his desk and couldn't help but exclaim, "What a piece of work."

In all his years, this was the first time he'd seen news like this.

It made him sigh at the vastness of the world and the wonders within it.

He felt that after all these years, his cultivation still had a long way to go.

"Haru, what's the meaning of this?" the Third Hokage asked toward the dark corner.

"This incident started with a duel between the two clan's young masters. Probably some misunderstanding led to the current situation." A female voice, utterly devoid of emotion, came from the corner.

After a moment's thought, the Third Hokage said, "So it's a children's squabble. It seems the Uchiha made their move..."

"Honestly, that Chiken Clan Head just won't take a loss lying down."

"Should we control the situation?" the female voice asked again.

"No need. Consider this the 'honeymoon period' between the village and the Uchiha. Chiken Clan Head knows his limits..."

The Third Hokage paused, then instructed toward the corner, "Have those two children rest at home for a while. They can go back to school later."

"Yes!"

Haru was responsible for guarding the Hokage after the elephant village mission.

She was also one of the Anbu members trained and led by the Third Hokage.

On the other side, at the Uchiha Clan Head's residence.

"The wind today is quite boisterous..." Shin sat contentedly at the dining table.

Drinking milk and reading the paper, he let out his own sigh.

But the headline in the paper felt strange to him—the flavor was far too strong.

After thinking it over all night, he found the result wasn't too bad.

Though he hadn't managed to drop out, he'd gained a period of leave. Overall, it wasn't a loss.

He planned to use the break to think of a permanent solution.

"Father, your efficiency is as high as ever!" Fugaku flattered Chiken with a fawning expression.

Though he didn't know why his family had to stoop so "low" as to spread rumors about the Senju, he was still sincerely relieved that things had been resolved.

"That was your mother's idea. She said it would catch people's eyes..."

Chiken was basking in a spring breeze, a proud smile spreading across his face. "We spent so much money, we had to maximize the returns."

How many years had it been? The last time he was this happy was the day he became clan head.

He could imagine the twisted expressions on the faces of his old rivals, the Senju Clan, right now.

"Come on, hit me. If you do, you'll confirm the 'rumors.' If you don't, you'll just have to swallow the loss."

Thinking this, he even ate an extra bowl of rice.

The word "comfortable" couldn't describe Chiken Clan Head's current state better.

He desperately hoped the Senju kid would pull something like this again. Then the Uchiha Clan's revival would truly be within reach!

Aoko watched them with a smile.

She felt that in such a "complicated" situation, this family still had to rely on her.

Hard to imagine, if she hadn't come up with the first move, how badly the Uchiha would have been slandered by the other side.

Look at how the Senju Clan was portrayed in the paper now—this "bully landlord" image was so deeply ingrained in people's minds.

"I'm done eating, Father, Mother, and Fugaku." Shin, having finished breakfast first, couldn't wait to return to his room.

In Shin's room.

He was racking his brain over how to successfully withdraw from the academy.

"Since voluntary withdrawal won't work, I'll have to go the passive route..."

He quickly arrived at his withdrawal plan: passive withdrawal.

Carrying out this plan was, in theory, quite simple.

Having already thrown down harsh words yesterday, Shin felt that pulling the kind of "small-time stunts" Naruto did would absolutely not work.

If he was going to cause trouble, he'd make it a big scene. He'd use this break to plan carefully and aim for a one-shot success.

After a long while, he suddenly slapped his thigh.

Causing trouble also required strength.

With strength, it was called making waves; without it, it was called overestimating oneself. He didn't want to be seen as an idiot by others.

Shin quickly got up and left the room, deciding to first go find his good elder brother, Fugaku.

In the study of the Uchiha Clan Head's home.

Fugaku was solemnly recounting to Chiken all of Shin's speculations from yesterday regarding Kagami Uchiha.

"That's everything Shin said, Father." Fugaku finished speaking and lowered his head, waiting for his father's reply.

"I've been speculating all along and had basically identified the prime suspect. I never expected that Shin, that child, would also be suspicious."

Chiken looked at the silent, head-lowered Fugaku and immediately comforted him: "You don't need to sell yourself short. I don't think you're any worse than Shin, having trained from childhood on how to become a ninja."

Fugaku looked up and denied it: "I have never envied Shin. Heaven took away his health but left him with wisdom. I never liked pondering these things anyway...

"I'm only ashamed that I, as his elder brother, haven't been able to help him much. Sometimes I think, if Shin were healthy, he would surely lead the Uchiha to glory in the future...

"For that, I would give everything I have in exchange."

Chiken felt his eyes grow warm.

The Uchiha, seen as cold and ruthless by outsiders, were only ever moved by family bonds.

After a long pause, Chiken placed his hand on Fugaku's shoulder: "With you two brothers in the Uchiha, I can rest assured and go do some things."

"Father?"

"After the incident with the Senju, our image in the village is clearly much better than before."

Chiken stopped there, revealing no further details.

At the far end of the corridor.

With the Earphone Buff enhancing his hearing, Shin could clearly make out the conversation above from a great distance.

Aside from a surge of warmth in his heart, he also felt a new sense of responsibility.

What his old father Chiken wanted to do was nothing less than completely dissolving the misunderstandings accumulated between the Uchiha and Konoha over the past twenty-plus years.

Perhaps a different kind of Uchiha could speed up the process?

At Nawaki's house in the Senju Clan Grounds, a certain pitiful soul, after being fleeced by his sister, was locked in the Confinement Room.

His expression twisted, he picked up a pen and scrawled crookedly in his diary:

Konoha Year 25, September 2nd, clear skies.

Day one without Uchiha Shin, I miss him.

If that bastard appears before me, I will greet him warmly.

Our relationship is so good, so good that I wish I could eat his flesh and drink his blood.

And I don't like making friends!

Especially that bastard, Uchiha Shin!