Giving Nawaki the aura of a genius was also a clever way to conceal the truth. Given his identity, how could he possibly avoid attracting everyone's attention? Rather than hide him away in a way that would raise suspicions and invite scrutiny from enemy nations, it was better to reveal some of his talents and divert their attention, allowing his true secret—Wood Release—to remain hidden. Konoha had to be commended for handling this beautifully, showing a profound understanding of the art of concealing the truth behind a facade.
This also suited Nawaki just fine. He could earn a reputation while keeping his secret safe, so of course he wholeheartedly approved.
Hyuga Hiashi could tell that Nawaki wasn't taking him seriously, so he continued, "Please don't misunderstand, Young Clan Leader. I have no intention of blaming you. Your talent and dedication are worthy of admiration and praise. Not everyone is as competitive as the Uchiha."
Hearing Hiashi's reply, Nawaki guessed that after learning he possessed Wood Release, the Hyuga Clan had abandoned its neutral stance and sided with the Hokage Faction—the Senju—early. Although he hadn't explicitly told Hiashi about Wood Release, he must have been instructed to build a good relationship with him. That was why Hiashi had deliberately approached him and enrolled two years early.
The Uchiha Clan might not have fully submitted or abandoned its ambitions for power in Konoha, but Fugaku must have received the same instructions. However, because of his pride and competitive nature, Fugaku hadn't followed them. Instead, he had defiantly provoked the Senju. His earlier insults against the Senju Clan would surely spread quickly. But rather than damaging the Senju Clan's reputation, his words would only encourage the Hokage Faction's shinobi, bound together by blood—including members of the smaller clans and many civilian shinobi—to unite around the Senju Clan and support one another. The Uchiha, meanwhile, would become the target of hostility and suspicion, completely isolated.
There was only one department in Konoha entirely controlled by a single clan: the Konoha Military Police Force, made up of the Uchiha Clan!
Having a whole department under their control might sound like a lot of power, but it wasn't! The Military Police Force was responsible for keeping the peace in Konoha—in other words, they were the police. Aside from guarding the gates and patrolling to protect the villagers, they had little else to do. Konoha was the largest shinobi village, located deep in the heart of the Land of Fire, and enemy nations could hardly infiltrate it and launch a direct attack. As a result, the Military Police Force had few chances to earn merit, leaving its members with no path to advancement!
The Military Police Force had a fixed number of positions, with one person to each slot. Since most Uchiha joined the force as soon as they graduated, the number of available Jonin positions couldn't increase. Becoming a Jonin required not only strength but also a certain number of completed missions to build one's credentials. Jonin were the backbone of a shinobi village, held considerable authority, and had to reach that rank before they could join the village leadership.
Since most Uchiha couldn't form ordinary teams led by Jonin and go on missions after graduating, they lacked experience and grew stronger more slowly. They also had little chance of becoming Jonin, let alone competing for more positions in the village leadership. More importantly, they couldn't fully integrate into the village or build relationships with other shinobi! Nor could they earn more money through missions and use it to strengthen their clan. After all, a shinobi's main source of income was completing missions of various ranks. The Military Police Force paid a fixed salary from the village coffers, which couldn't compare.
Uchiha who didn't join the Military Police Force after graduating were easily suspected or even shunned by their clan. Obito, Shisui, who descended from Kagami Uchiha's branch of the family, and Itachi were all at odds with the clan.
So the Second Hokage had used the Military Police Force to dig a huge pit for the Uchiha Clan. First, he isolated them, then gradually weakened and divided them, like frogs slowly boiled in warm water. By the time the Uchiha realized what was happening, they no longer had the strength to resist. Their fate had been sealed from the beginning: either assimilate completely or disappear as a clan. The Second Hokage truly was the most brilliant mind in the Shinobi World...
In an instant, Nawaki figured it all out. He smiled at Hiashi and said, "You're too kind. To protect the village and everyone in it, we have to work harder! If you hold on to that belief, you can do it too! Let's work hard together!"
Hiashi and Hizashi were only four years old. Though their clan had educated them, they were still fairly innocent and easy to convince. After Nawaki's little speech, they gave him a bit of Wish Power and grew to admire him. A belief in protecting others? Just like the main family's principles! What an incredible person.
After successfully gaining two little followers, Nawaki was in high spirits. "Let's go inside. Registration is about to start."
It was Nawaki's first day at the Academy, so the Third Hokage was naturally paying close attention. Using his Telescope Technique, he had watched everything Nawaki had just done. "This kid really does have a way with people. Though he can be pretty irritating when he jokes around."
Seeing Fugaku left red-faced and humiliated by Nawaki reminded him of his own embarrassing experience seven months ago. He decided to avoid provoking this young disciple from now on. He still wanted to live a few more years.
Still, he admired and agreed with Nawaki's words about belief even more. He had always wondered why a two-year-old had the determination to train himself so rigorously. Now he understood: Nawaki was driven by his convictions. This only proved how deeply he held the Will of Fire. He truly was the grandson of the First and Second Hokage!
The truth was, Hiruzen Sarutobi was reading far too much into it. Nawaki was simply in the habit of using persuasive words to earn Wish Power. As for his hard training, it was driven mostly by his desire for strength and his fear of death.
After registration, the new students' classes were assigned quickly. As expected, Nawaki was placed in the elite class. Despite its name, the only students whose names he recognized were Fugaku, Hiashi, and Hizashi. The rest were background characters who had never been named in the original story.
It was worth mentioning that the three great clans were still at the peak of their population, so several of their children had enrolled alongside Nawaki. Each group gathered around its own young clan leader, forming three separate circles.
The Academy's teachers were all Chunin. They might not have been particularly strong, but they were skilled in theory and quite patient.
Once they entered the classroom, it was time for the customary introductions. They were all five- or six-year-old kids, so aside from childishness and trying to act cool, there wasn't much to them. The only one who caught Nawaki's attention was a little Hyuga girl who looked a lot like Hinata. Her name was Hyuga Setsuna, and she said she was already six. She probably wasn't Hiashi's wife, then. Maybe she was Hinata's aunt?
Since he was the youngest, Nawaki was the last to stand up and introduce himself. His "towering" stature caught his classmates' attention. "Hello, everyone. I'm Senju Nawaki, grandson of the First Hokage. My dream is to become Hokage and protect the village just as my grandfather did! I love the Will of Fire most of all, and I hate scheming and deception!"
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