"Lord Third Hokage?" Minato looked at the Third Hokage, puzzled. He didn't know what the Hokage meant.
The Third Hokage looked up at Minato. "You haven't been Hokage for long. Though I'm keeping things under control for now, you still need to build up your own team. Kakashi is doing well, but there are too few of them, and they're still young. Still, as you said, it's too early to tell. Things will become clearer after they graduate. Has Iwagakure been making moves again?"
Minato nodded, his expression turning serious. "They're just making a few moves. Ever since the Battle of Mount Kikyo, Iwagakure has been stirring up trouble. It looks like they're trying to take advantage of Konoha's weakness, but I won't let them get away with it."
"Ah, you've had a hard time of it. I handed you the burden of being Hokage at the most dangerous time," the Third Hokage sighed.
Minato smiled brightly. "Becoming Hokage was my dream. It's my responsibility to do my part for Konoha at a time like this. It's no trouble."
Mirai had started learning the basics at the Ninja Academy. Alongside regular academic lessons, they were also learning about the history of the ninja and the history of Konoha Village. The lessons progressed gradually, and the morning passed in no time.
Noon was lunchtime. The Ninja Academy had arranged the most practical meals, so the students didn't need to bring their own food.
The cafeteria was noisy, and many children chatted excitedly. A few children who often played with Mirai sat near him.
"Practical training starts this afternoon. I wonder what powerful jutsu the teacher will show us," a boy said. He came from an ordinary family in Konoha Village and was named Cunxia Ye.
"The Academy only teaches basic jutsu. Powerful jutsu aren't good for our development, so they won't teach them here. We'll learn some jutsu after becoming Genin. And you don't even know the most basic Hand Seals yet, do you?" Mirai replied with a smile.
"The teacher hasn't taught us yet. How could I know them?" Cunxia Ye scratched his head awkwardly.
"So don't get ahead of yourself. Learn the basic seals first. Almost every jutsu requires Hand Seals. The faster you form them, the faster you can use a jutsu, and the easier it'll be to defeat your opponent."
"Mirai, you know so much. No wonder you come from a big clan. By the way, you're from the Uchiha Clan too, right? You must know that guy over there. Want to invite him to eat with us?" another boy asked, pointing at Uchiha Itachi, who was sitting alone some distance away.
Knowing all this had nothing to do with coming from a big clan. He'd learned it all from watching Naruto. But when he heard the boy, Mirai followed his gesture and looked toward Uchiha Itachi.
At that moment, Uchiha Itachi was eating lunch alone at a table. The other children didn't dare go near him. Besides the air he gave off that seemed to keep people at a distance, there was also his family background. Uchiha Itachi was the son of the Uchiha Clan's leader, while many of the children in Mirai's class came from ordinary families.
There was a clear divide between social classes in Konoha Village. It was the same in the modern world, too. If someone's father was a powerful official with money and influence, how could ordinary people dare talk to him?
Mirai also remembered the mission he'd accepted. There was no punishment for failing it, but he didn't have any Points yet, and this was the easiest mission for earning them.
"I'll go ask him," Mirai said. He couldn't shake the feeling that Uchiha Itachi's little body held the mind of an adult. Not like him, a transmigrator, of course. Itachi was simply precocious. A child like that couldn't be won over with candy.
Mirai walked over to Uchiha Itachi's table. Itachi noticed someone approaching and looked up at Mirai. "Hmm? You're Itachi, right? Do you know who I am?"
Uchiha Itachi nodded, his face still expressionless. "I do, Cousin Mirai."
At Itachi's words, Mirai nearly fell flat on the floor. He stared at him in disbelief. "Uh... what did you just call me?"
"Cousin. Cousin Mirai's mother is my mother's younger sister, so she's my aunt. You're also a month older than me, so you're my older cousin." Uchiha Itachi looked at Mirai, confusion in his eyes. He seemed to think Mirai was acting strangely.
Mirai grumbled inwardly. Damn, he'd thought he was just some distant member of the Uchiha Clan. He'd never imagined that his mother, whom he'd never met, had such a connection to the family. This wasn't like those Chinese webnovels, was it? Hopefully, there'd be less of that "return home, save your mother, and restore the clan" kind of plot.
He'd assumed Itachi wouldn't recognize him when they first met. Turns out Uchiha Itachi was his younger cousin. Damn, this transmigration was really pushing him toward a dead end. Everyone knew the Uchiha Clan specialized in screwing over their brothers. It had gone back generations. No wonder their friendship level had been five points. It was because he was Itachi's cousin.
"Cousin Mirai, is something the matter?" Uchiha Itachi asked.
"Oh, Itachi, I saw you sitting all alone, so I thought you might like to come sit with us. It's livelier with more people, isn't it? We're all classmates, and we'll be studying together for years. It'd be nice to get to know one another." Mirai gestured toward the others.
At Mirai's words, Uchiha Itachi's expression shifted slightly. His lips moved, and after a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Is that all right?"
"Of course. You're my cousin. Why wouldn't it be? We're all classmates, and we might even be teammates in battle someday. It's good to get to know each other." Mirai thumped his chest, taking charge of the situation as though he really were an older brother.
"Then... all right," Uchiha Itachi agreed. Perhaps because of his upbringing, he seemed rather solitary, but deep down, he still wanted friends.
[ Ding! Uchiha Itachi's favorability toward you has increased by 5 points. Current favorability: (10/100). Reward: 1 Point! ]
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