Class Assignment: The Art of Persuasion

Casting a halo of genius over Nawaki was a clever form of concealment. Given his status, how could he avoid attracting attention from all sides? Rather than unnaturally hiding him away—which would only invite suspicion and investigation from enemy nations—it was better to proactively expose a portion of his talent to divert their gaze, all to hide the true secret: Wood Release. One had to admit that Konoha played this hand beautifully, deeply versed in the art of balancing truth and deception.

This also aligned perfectly with Nawaki's own wishes; he could gain prestige while keeping his secret, so he naturally supported it with both hands.

Hyuga Hiashi caught the nonchalance in Nawaki's tone and continued, "Please, Young Clan Head, do not misunderstand. This Humble One has no intention of blaming you. Such talent and effort from the Young Clan Head are worthy of admiration and praise; not everyone is as competitive as the Uchiha."

Hearing Hiashi's reply, Nawaki deduced that upon learning of his Wood Release, the Hyuga Clan had abandoned their neutral strategy and leaned toward the Hokage—the Senju lineage—in advance! Although he had not explicitly explained the matter of Wood Release to Hiashi, there must have been instructions for him to build a good relationship with him, which was why he had deliberately approached him and enrolled two years early.

While the Uchiha Clan might not have fully surrendered or abandoned their ambitions for power in Konoha, they must have given Uchiha Fugaku similar instructions. However, due to his pride and competitive nature, Fugaku had not complied; instead, he had rebelliously provoked him. The words he had just used to disparage the Senju Clan would surely spread rapidly. Yet, this would not only fail to damage the Senju Clan's reputation, but would actually compel the Hokage-aligned ninjas—who were connected by blood, including various minor clans and a large number of civilian ninjas—to unite and support one another around the Senju Clan, while the Uchiha 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, composed of the Uchiha Clan!

Having a clan fully control a department sounded like immense power, but in reality, it was not! The Military Police Force was the department responsible for Konoha's public security, commonly known as the police. Aside from guarding the gates and patrolling to protect the safety of the villagers, there was basically nothing to do. As the premier ninja village located in the heart of the Land of Fire, it was nearly impossible for Konoha to be directly attacked by an enemy nation, so the Military Police Force rarely earned merit, leaving them with no path for advancement!

The Military Police Force had a fixed number of positions, each one occupied, and since most Uchiha clan members joined the force immediately after graduation, the quota for Jonin could not be increased. One had to realize that to become a Jonin, one needed not only strength but also a certain number of completed missions as credentials. Jonin were the backbone of the ninja village, possessing significant authority and serving as a prerequisite for becoming part of the upper echelon.

Because the vast majority of Uchiha clan members could not form squads led by Jonin to complete missions after graduation, they not only lacked the experience to grow their strength, but also failed to obtain Jonin positions, making it impossible to compete for higher-level roles. More importantly, they could not fully integrate into the village or build relationships with other ninjas! Nor could they earn wealth through missions to develop the clan's strength. One had to know that a ninja's primary source of income came from missions of various ranks, whereas the Military Police Force received a fixed salary allocated by the village; the two were incomparable.

Furthermore, Uchiha clan members who did not join the Military Police Force after graduation were easily suspected or even ostracized by the clan. For example, Obito, Shisui—who inherited the lineage of Kagami Uchiha—and Itachi; all of these individuals had conflicts with the clan.

Thus, the Second Hokage had dug a massive pit for the Uchiha Clan using the Military Police Force, first isolating them, then slowly weakening and dividing them like a frog in boiling water. By the time the Uchiha Clan discovered the problem, they no longer had the strength to struggle. Therefore, their fate had been sealed from the very beginning: either fully integrate or be wiped out and disappear. The Second Hokage was truly the wisest existence in the ninja world...

In an instant, Nawaki thought everything through and smiled at Hiashi, "You flatter me. To protect the village and everyone, I must work even harder! As long as you hold this conviction, you can do it too! Let us work hard together!"

Hiashi and Hizashi were only four years old; although they had received clan education, they were still relatively innocent and easy to sway. After being hit by his "Talk no Jutsu," they offered a portion of Wish Power to Nawaki and developed a sense of identification with him. A conviction to protect? It's the same as the branch family's motto! What an amazing person.

Having successfully developed two little followers, Nawaki said in high spirits, "Let's go in; the registration is about to start."

Today was Nawaki's first day of school, and the Third Hokage was naturally paying close attention. Using the Telescope Technique, he saw everything that had just transpired. This little brat really is charismatic, though he's also infuriating when he starts joking around.

Seeing the scene where Uchiha Fugaku had been left looking ashen by Nawaki, he couldn't help but recall his own miserable experience seven months ago and decided to provoke this little disciple less in the future; he still planned to live for a few more years.

However, he grew increasingly appreciative and approving of the conviction Nawaki spoke of. He had always found it strange: why would a two-year-old child have such firm perseverance to undergo such rigorous training? It turned out it was supported by conviction, which further proved how strong his Will of Fire was. He was truly the grandson of the First and Second Hokage!

It had to be said that Hiruzen Sarutobi was overthinking it; Nawaki was merely habitually using "Talk no Jutsu" to earn Wish Power. As for his diligent training, it stemmed more from a pursuit of power and a fear of death.

After registration, the classes for the new students were quickly divided. As expected, Nawaki was assigned to the elite class. However, despite being called an elite class, the only ones Nawaki could name were Uchiha Fugaku, Hiashi, and Hizashi; the others were mere extras who had left no names in the original story.

It was worth mentioning that the population of the three major clans was at its peak, so there were several clan members who enrolled alongside Nawaki, each forming small circles around their respective young clan heads.

The teachers at the ninja academy were all Chunin. These people might not have had exceptional strength, but they were particularly skilled in theoretical knowledge and were quite patient.

After entering the classroom, they followed the customary routine of self-introductions. They were all five or six-year-old brats, and aside from being childish or trying to act cool, there was nothing to them. The only one who caught his attention was a little girl from the Hyuga Clan who looked very much like Hinata, named Hyuga Setsuna. However, she said she was already six years old, so she probably wasn't Hiashi's wife—perhaps Hinata's aunt?

Because he was the youngest, Nawaki was the last to go on stage. His "tall" stature caught the attention of his classmates. "Hello everyone, I am Senju Nawaki, grandson of the First Hokage. My dream is to become Hokage and protect the village for my grandfather! I like the Will of Fire the most, and I hate schemes and conspiracies the most!"