Konoha Year 36, March 15.
Just before the new year, the Second, Tobirama Senju, had been caught up in a coup in Kumogakure while negotiating an alliance with the village. Old and frail, Tobirama had stayed behind to cover the retreat and died.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had succeeded him as the Third, and had also taken over as Academy Principal at the first opportunity.
Now, the first class of students to graduate from the Konoha Ninja Academy since the Third took office was finishing school. Hiruzen naturally made time in his busy schedule to attend the graduation ceremony.
Twelve-year-old Akashi Uchiha graduated today.
Watching the flashy Little Blondie in the front row, Akashi curled his lip in disdain. It's not wartime, so why graduate early? You think that makes you impressive?
Commoners are commoners! Unlike the Uchiha Clan, they don't understand how important it is to build a solid foundation...
Just then, Akashi spotted Lady Mikoto of the Uchiha Clan arriving. He hurriedly put on a fawning... upright and enthusiastic smile.
"Lady Mikoto, what brings you here in person?" Akashi asked, pulling out two chairs. Though he didn't think much of the red-haired girl at Lady Mikoto's side, he pulled out a chair for her too.
"'In person'? It's the graduation ceremony, isn't it? Was I not supposed to come?" Mikoto was speechless. This Uchiha was so blatantly brown-nosing that it was uncomfortable.
"Pfft..." Kushina burst out laughing, then leaned close to Mikoto and whispered something.
Kushina had no particular impression of Akashi Uchiha.
After all, they weren't even in the same grade!
Akashi and Mikoto were twelve this year, while Kushina and Minato were only ten. They had graduated early.
There were some annoying brats who bullied Kushina over her red hair, only to get beaten up by her afterward. But Akashi Uchiha wasn't one of them.
Especially after he noticed how close Lady Mikoto and Kushina were, Akashi would sometimes act all righteous and warn the other boys to "show some respect to the fan on my back."
Of course, his fawning... special attention toward Mikoto wasn't because he liked her or had any physical interest in her. It was entirely because her father was a Clan Elder.
They were both members of the Uchiha Clan, but Akashi was just an orphan on the fringes of the clan.
Even though life as a member of the Uchiha Clan was better than that of an ordinary orphan, his background was still worlds apart from Mikoto's.
People said a ninja shouldn't be judged by their birth, but by their talent, too. But if they were going to talk about talent...
Then they should take a good look at the fan on my back!
Akashi knew where he stood...
His biggest ambition was to graduate, spend a couple of years tagging along with an older clan member, then see if he could get an internal recommendation for Chunin and join the Military Police Force. He could bully... manage those troublesome villagers in his spare time.
He hoped to marry a woman from the clan at sixteen or seventeen. If that didn't work out, a pretty civilian kunoichi would do. Either way, he'd carry on the great Uchiha bloodline!
Then, like Senju Old Ghost, he'd live to sixty before dying in battle—preferably at the most critical moment, alongside the strongest teammate, killed by the most powerful ninja. That way, his sacrifice would seem worthwhile...
His fawning... looking after Mikoto was mainly to make things easier when he tried to get an internal recommendation later!
After all, Mikoto not only came from a good family and had impressive talent, she was also childhood friends with Fugaku, the clan leader's son.
When the time came...
Even if he couldn't get anywhere with the clan leader or the Clan Leader's Wife, he could tell one of the clan's administrators, "I was the Clan Leader's Wife's classmate." Getting an internal recommendation that way shouldn't be too hard, right?
After Akashi stood at Lady Mikoto's beck and call and glared away a few boys who tried to sit beside her, he dutifully took a seat in the row in front of her.
Before long, the graduating class's teacher arrived. After the usual opening remarks, the teacher continued, "This year... Lord Hokage has come to the Ninja Academy to attend your graduation ceremony in person. Please welcome Lord Hokage to give a speech!"
Akashi scoffed inwardly, but joined in the applause all the same.
Akashi hadn't paid much attention to Hiruzen Sarutobi before. It was only recently...
Ever since the Second's death and Hiruzen Sarutobi's succession as Third, people in the clan had been discussing him more and more, and Akashi couldn't help being influenced by it.
The Uchiha Clan's internal discourse had changed a lot over the years...
Before Akashi was born, especially during the decade or so when the First was still alive, the clan's prevailing opinion had been to criticize Madara Uchiha, that troublesome ancestor, while strongly supporting Hashirama and even Tobirama.
But after Tobirama became the Second, some Uchiha had already begun to complain.
After Akashi was born, the Uchiha Clan's internal discourse was always "complaining about Tobirama," "denouncing the other ninja clans," "complaining about the Senju Clan," "denouncing the civilian population," "complaining about the Second," "denouncing everyone"...
Well, in short, they were generally unhappy with Tobirama Senju. But before long, some "mysterious force" would shift the target of their dissatisfaction elsewhere.
Especially after news of Tobirama Senju's death and Hiruzen Sarutobi's succession arrived, Tobirama's reputation within the Uchiha Clan had sunk to "the cunning Senju Old Ghost."
After all, before this, many Uchiha had hoped Tobirama Senju would live a few more years... mainly so Kagami Uchiha could mature a little more, and then become the Third!
Konoha was founded jointly by our Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan. The Senju have had two Hokage already. How could we not have even one?
Tobirama had indeed shown Kagami a great deal of favor...
But unfortunately, Kagami Uchiha was only in his early twenties when that cunning old ghost died, and... he'd actually given the Hokage position to someone from another ninja clan instead of to us Uchiha?
So it was easy to imagine how much criticism the Second and Third faced within the Uchiha Clan.
Of course, that was only within the clan...
Talking about such things in front of outsiders was forbidden.
As Hiruzen Sarutobi came up with a stern expression, Akashi couldn't help remembering how people in the clan said he looked like a gorilla. He nearly burst out laughing.
But just then...
[Ding! Congratulations on registering for the Immersive Short Drama Experience Platform! As a first-time user, you will receive one complimentary experience...]
Akashi: ???
What the heck?
Release! Release! Release!
Akashi suddenly realized he seemed to have fallen under a genjutsu.
He immediately tried to break it by "disrupting the flow of chakra in his body," but it didn't work.
At the same time, Akashi realized his perception of the outside world was gradually fading. Not only could he no longer move his body, but his senses were growing blurrier and blurrier, as if time itself were about to stop!
[Free drama selected: <I Chased Her for Ten Years, but She Ignored Me. Now That I'm Dead, Why Are You Crying?>...]
Akashi: ???
[You pursued Liu Ru devotedly for ten years, but all you got in return was scorn from her and her best friend. Even when you developed cancer, she thought you were just pretending to be pitiful and insulted you without restraint...]
Akashi: ???
[Drama length: 10 years. Experience time: 2 hours.]
Akashi: ???
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