Class Merger

He had calmed Tong down and given her a reassuring hope. Of course, the little girl might not have taken it seriously at all. In her eyes, if even her father, a Jonin, couldn't do it, what could Kaede, just a child, possibly do?

As she followed Kaede home, she silently resolved never to show him even a hint of weakness again. She encouraged herself: so what if she couldn't become a ninja? There were plenty of other things she could do.

She had already decided that if she couldn't become a ninja, she would learn to cook from her mother. Good food had its own remarkable power, and there would surely be something suited to her. As she thought about it, she narrowed her eyes and smiled.

Kaede walked ahead, oblivious to the many expressions on Tong's face. He was thinking about how to get Tsunade to treat her.

In his view, Tsunade was so renowned in Konoha that Tong's father couldn't possibly have never considered asking her to treat Tong's congenital condition. So why hadn't he?

The only explanation was the tangled history between the Uchiha and Senju Clans. It was certainly a problem. If Tong were an ordinary villager, Tsunade would absolutely be willing to give it a try. But she was Uchiha. Just thinking about how Tsunade had treated him a few days ago made it clear how much she disliked the Uchiha.

That left only one option: appeal to what Tsunade liked if he wanted her to treat Tong.

What did the Big Fat Sheep like?

"Gambling?"

"No, it's money. She needs money to gamble. She must be completely broke right now. Only a large sum could tempt the princess of Konoha."

That would simply make Tsunade choose the money she liked over the Uchiha she hated, allowing her to treat Tong as an ordinary villager. Thinking it through, he immediately felt much clearer-headed.

That was the Uchiha Clan's predicament in Konoha: they could barely take a step forward. Apart from their own people in the clan compound, there was hardly anyone who felt kindly toward the Uchiha.

"And our good clan leader, Fugaku, really is lacking in ability. He lets the situation keep getting worse without doing anything about it, while focusing on power in the village. Truly foolish.

"Doesn't he know that the people's support is what wins the world? If he wants power, he needs to earn the villagers' approval first!"

Take Minato Namikaze, who had emerged victorious in the selection for Fourth Hokage. The villagers' support for him surpassed even that of Orochimaru, one of the Sannin renowned throughout the Shinobi World. In the end, he became Hokage, not Orochimaru.

With the tide of opinion running so strongly, even the Third Hokage couldn't change things. He had always wanted his own student, Orochimaru, to become Fourth Hokage.

"Winning the villagers' approval and getting close to the Hokage's faction... Maybe that's a way to save the Uchiha. I could give it a try," Kaede thought.

"Kaede, I'm home." Tong's clear voice came from behind him.

Kaede turned around. She stood there timidly, head lowered, quietly looking at her toes.

"Mm. Go on inside. Once I figure out what to do, I'll come see you again. Until our attempt has failed, don't give up on your dream, Tong."

He waved goodbye as he spoke, completely missing the disappointment in Tong's eyes. He needed to go back and think it through carefully, so he could avoid making any mistakes.

The Big Fat Sheep wasn't easy to fool. If things went badly, one flick to the forehead could cost him half his life.

"Hmph! Stupid man. I can't stand him."

Watching Kaede walk away, Tong stamped her foot angrily, opened the gate, and went inside.

After thinking it over for a long time in the basement, he finally sorted out his plan. There was one crucial thing left: money.

He was broke, with pockets emptier than his face. Tong didn't look like she had money either, so he could only talk to her father and see if they could scrape some together to satisfy the Big Fat Sheep.

"Too bad Father isn't here. He should have quite a bit of spending money tucked away. I just don't know where he hid it."

Kaede mischievously wondered if he should sneak in and steal all of his father's hidden cash.

"Too bad the Sharingan can't see through things like the Byakugan. Otherwise, I could search for it."

Speaking of the Byakugan, Kaede remembered that there wasn't a single Hyuga child in their year. He had been hoping to get a look at the Hyuga's cataracts.

The Hyuga Clan definitely had children old enough to attend, yet they hadn't sent a single one to the Ninja Academy. They'd shown the Third Hokage such disrespect and still gotten away with it, while the Uchiha had actively answered the Hokage's call to embrace the Will of Fire.

And yet they were targeted at every turn.

That showed the root of the problem wasn't in the present, but in the past. Kaede's resentment toward Second Hokage Tobirama deepened a little more.

"Now's not the time to think about this. Tomorrow, after school, I'll go to Tong's house and talk to Uncle Tangdong. As a Jonin, you must have plenty of money. For your precious daughter's sake, contribute all of it!"

As far as Kaede knew, Jonin could indeed earn quite a lot. They took on relatively dangerous missions, so the rewards were naturally substantial. But Jonin also spent money quickly.

He had to have at least one chakra metal weapon—the most expensive kind of ninja tool!

He needed to stock up on essential supplies like Soldier Pills!

Explosive Tags, sealing scrolls, medicine, precious medicinal herbs, food and clothing for the family, and everyday expenses—it all added up fast.

Konoha didn't equip its ninja with these things outside wartime. They had to pay for them themselves.

So saving money wasn't easy. Still, even an Asuma's allowance for retirement should amount to something. Contributing a little of it to satisfy the Big Fat Sheep might be a good start.

The next day, before he had a chance to visit Tong's father,

"Today, I have some bad news to share with you..." Kimura Oishi looked at the few students left in the classroom, his expression downcast.

"Because there are so few students in our class, the school has decided to combine classes. Class B will merge with Class C. Teacher Fujiwara and I will manage the new Class C together."

Kimura Oishi's words finally stirred the quiet Class B into a commotion. Everyone began discussing it. They had trouble accepting the news, especially that Class C wasn't the one being merged into Class B.

"There's also some good news. Starting today, the entrance tests are over. Those of you who remain can study at the Ninja Academy in peace for six years. After that, once you pass the assessment, you'll become real ninja!"

There was a moment of silence, followed by thunderous cheers. After enduring all this for so long, they had finally made it through. At last, they could breathe easy.

"Class C, huh..."

There were quite a few people there he wanted to meet. It was a good chance to get acquainted.

As they walked home, neither of them said a word.

"Kaede, are you really going to my house today?" Tong had struggled to hold back, but she asked again.

"That's the tenth time, Tong."

He gave her an annoyed look. He was only going to her house. What was there to be so nervous about?

"Kaede?"

"What now?"

"I... We're here."

Tong pointed to the door beside them.

"Oh! Sorry, I was distracted."

Kaede stepped into the courtyard first. In Konoha's Core Circle, a family with a spacious courtyard must have held a respectable position. The Uchiha might not be popular, but strength was what mattered in the Shinobi World.

The Uchiha's strength was plain for all to see. Even though the Uchiha had no representative among the top fighters at the moment, their average ability was absolutely the highest among the clans of the Shinobi World.