The Third Hokage Was Full of Question Marks

In the spring of Konoha's twenty-sixth year, Shin finally turned six.

"Lightning Release: Chidori!"

After the shout, the air filled with a sound like a thousand birds chirping.

"So this was the Lightning Release ninjutsu you developed by combining Chakra nature transformation and shape transformation?"

"Yeah. You gathered lightning-nature Chakra in your palm, forming a high-intensity current, then charged at the target to strike it..."

A flash of red gleamed. "Under the Sharingan's gaze, the enemy would have absolutely no chance of escaping."

During this period, Shin had come to the Naka River with Nao almost every day to "develop" all kinds of ninjutsu.

Unfortunately, this world had no concept of intellectual property rights.

Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo, was still a ninja from the same generation as the Three Sannin. He was only seventeen or eighteen at most.

His Chidori was probably gone now.

Shin looked at the pale blue lightning gathered in his right palm, seeming somewhat dissatisfied.

He further compressed the lightning-nature Chakra along his five joined fingers.

"Nao, do you think this could split the lightning in the sky?"

Nao looked at the eager Shin and felt utterly helpless. "Stop joking. Even if you split lightning, what would that accomplish?"

"Then Chidori could be renamed Lightning Blade! Think about it, didn't Lightning Blade sound much better than Chidori?"

Nao did not want to respond.

She walked over to a wooden post shaped vaguely like a person and began striking it with a wave of her hand.

"..." Shin silently withdrew the Pseudo-Lightning Blade from his fingertips.

Watching Nao practice against the post, his face was filled with a proud smile.

He had told Nao about the concept of Wing Chun.

She greatly approved of this streamlined, rapid style of close-quarters combat.

Shin only knew that one concept about Wing Chun.

In his previous life, he had been stunned by the dazzling moves in the movies and had decided to promote this "close-range defense" school in the ninja world.

Unfortunately, he knew absolutely nothing about martial arts.

So he could only tell Nao its principles and let her develop it herself.

"What a peaceful day..." Shin muttered as he lay on the ground, staring at the blue sky and white clouds. "Do you think we were about to start school?"

"Yes. Didn't the Hokage principal notify us long ago to report in next Monday?" Nao replied coldly without stopping her movements.

"What day was it today?"

"Sunday."

Shin, who had been lying on the ground, immediately jolted upright. "That meant school started tomorrow?"

"Nao, should we blow up the school? Then we wouldn't have to go to school anymore~"

Nao felt awful all over when she heard Shin's utterly deranged idea.

Entering iceberg mode, she stopped her post-training.

She walked up to Shin and looked down at him. "What did you just say? I don't think I heard you."

A chill ran through him, and he could only change his suggestion. "Nothing. I said, how about we go to school together tomorrow?"

"Together? But the Uchiha and the Hyuga..." Nao was somewhat troubled.

"Don't worry. The old man said the two clans had been getting along harmoniously lately. Besides, our clan grounds were only separated by one Senju."

As a clan that had joined Konoha during the founding of the Land of Fire, the Hyuga Clan's grounds were naturally located right in the center of the village.

There was naturally nothing improper about them going to school together.

Don't overthink it. They were just going the same way.

After hearing his reasoning, Nao seemed to be in a better mood. "All right. I usually went with my two older brothers..."

"Tomorrow at seven, I'll wait for you outside the clan grounds."

"Don't worry, I'll be there on time."

After saying that, Shin gave her an assuring gesture.

He believed that as long as he did not run into that idiot Nawaki, there was no way he could be late.

The Third Hokage stared blankly at the intelligence report in his hand.

"Hanzo actually secretly sent his subordinates to gather intelligence on the Five Great Nations? Did he want to turn the Rain Country into the sixth great nation?"

He rubbed his brow, wrote "Continue observation" on a blank sheet of paper, then placed it inside a specially encrypted small scroll.

"Go. And send my regards to Elephant while you're at it."

The moment his words fell, a figure entered the office through the window, picked up the scroll, then leaped back out through the window.

In just a few seconds, the figure had vanished into thin air.

The Third Hokage rose to his feet and looked toward the direction in which the figure had disappeared, lost in thought for quite some time.

After a long while, his unfocused gaze drifted to the Ninja Academy next door, which had recently finished renovations.

"Haru, do you think the Ninja Academy would catch fire again?"

From the corner of the room—

A completely emotionless voice answered, "The latest fireproof materials were used in this renovation. Unless that child possessed an even more powerful Fire Release technique, I believe it would be more than sufficient to withstand the previous Great Fireball Technique."

"???" The Third Hokage was full of question marks.

He had merely been concerned about the school's safety. He had not been referring to any particular child.

After thinking it over, he suddenly woke up. "That child Shin knew the Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

"Third Hokage, provided Uchiha Shin is not expelled from the Academy, I recommend forbidding him from using any ninjutsu or taijutsu at school."

Haru's suggestion sounded downright alarming to the Third Hokage.

Ban ninjutsu and taijutsu? Then what would he even learn?

Genjutsu? But once an Uchiha gained a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he would naturally possess powerful Genjutsu.

"Haru, that was impossible. If he was really forbidden, what could Shin still learn at school?"

His rejection prompted Haru to make another suggestion. "Third Hokage, Uchiha Shin had already surpassed children his age by far in every regard..."

"With his strength, even the Chunin Ninja Exams probably would not challenge him. Why not let him graduate now?"

"No. This was a time of peace. There was no need for students to graduate early..."

The Third Hokage's tone was rather agitated. "The Ninja Academy's original purpose was to nurture Konoha's seeds."

"I merely made this recommendation based on an analysis of Uchiha Shin's behavior. Hokage-sama need not take it seriously, after all..."

"The Anbu's duty was not to influence the Hokage's decisions, right?" The Third Hokage interrupted Haru's next words with a helpless expression.

He had heard that line so often lately that his ears had practically grown calluses.

"Huh?" As if remembering something, he suddenly asked the corner, "Haru, what behavior analysis did you mention just now? About that child Shin?"

Haru's emotionless voice came from the shadows. "Yes, Hokage-sama. The Anbu had recently received more intelligence concerning the father and son..."

"For example, the Uchiha Clan Grounds often echoed at night with conversations involving things like 'you brat' and 'old man'..."

"Therefore, I boldly concluded that Uchiha Shin was certainly extremely rebellious at heart..."

"Combined with his usually flamboyant behavior, another conclusion could be drawn..."

Haru did not keep them in suspense. "This child's arrogance was what caused his lawless behavior."

Rebellious? Flamboyant? Arrogant? Lawless?

The Third Hokage silently repeated those four words, and the corner of his mouth suddenly twitched. "Weren't those all personality traits of Uchiha Madara?"

"Yes, Third Hokage. I believed there was a strong possibility that he would grow into the next Uchiha Madara..."

"With his potential, even surpassing him would only be a matter of time."

"Uchiha Madara..." The Third Hokage stared blankly in the direction of the Uchiha Clan Grounds.

After a long while, he finally ordered, "Haru, I need you to secretly protect that child Shin. Remember, protect—not monitor."

"Yes, Third Hokage." Haru showed no doubts regarding the order.

After all, the Anbu never asked why the Hokage made his decisions.