Konoha F4

"Wow, Chiya-kun, you're amazing!" Seeing that Fujiwara Chiya had actually mastered the Three Body Technique on the very first day, Uchiha Izumi was stunned, unable to help but shower him with praise.

"Shh." Fujiwara Chiya quickly covered Uchiha Izumi's small mouth, making a hush gesture. "Please keep this a secret for me; I don't want others to know."

With her mouth covered, Izumi nodded, her pretty face turning bright red. It's fine if I do, but why doesn't Chiya-kun want others to know? With his handsomeness, he should be able to become as popular as Itachi-kun. She kept the latter part of that thought to herself.

"Because if I do, I'll be watched by too many people, and I won't be able to come over to your place for free meals anymore." Fujiwara Chiya casually made up an excuse to brush her off.

He certainly couldn't tell her that he didn't want to enter the line of sight of the Konoha F4 until he possessed enough strength to protect himself.

"Oh... is that so?" The speaker had no intention, but the listener took it to heart. Hearing this, Uchiha Izumi's face turned even redder, a pink hue spreading all the way to her neck. She continued, "My family does have a collection of ninjutsu, but most are forbidden from being passed on outside the clan. If I give them to you, I'm afraid my clansmen might cause you trouble."

At this, she hesitated for a moment. "How about this? I'll start by giving you Fire Style: Great Fireball, Shadow Clone Technique, and the Body Flicker Technique. These are relatively common ninjutsu in Konoha, so even if my clansmen see you using them later, they won't think much of it."

"I am deeply grateful." Fujiwara Chiya excitedly grasped Uchiha Izumi's hand; these were, without a doubt, the ninjutsu he needed most right now.

Especially the Shadow Clone Technique, which could use chakra to create a physical clone possessing an independent consciousness and a certain degree of durability. Once dispelled, the clone's memories and experiences would return to the original body.

It was practically a cheat code.

The same went for the Body Flicker Technique. If combined with the high-level flash skills from the Heavenly Steel Art, he might just become the second-greatest taijutsu user in the ninja world. As for the first, that would be the future Might Guy; with the power of the Eight Inner Gates, in terms of pure taijutsu, he feared no one was his match.

The Ninja Academy in times of peace, while training qualified genin, also taught necessary life skills.

In the morning, the teacher, aiming to pique the students' interest, simply explained how to refine chakra and demonstrated the Three Body Technique.

The afternoon was for formal instruction.

Although there were many children from prestigious families like the Uchiha clan in the class, the first lesson at the Ninja Academy still started with teaching how to refine chakra.

As evening approached, the day's classes ended.

The next day, Fujiwara Chiya received the Great Fireball, Shadow Clone, and Body Flicker techniques from Uchiha Izumi. After reviewing the curriculum for the first year, he found that most of it involved stealth, trap-making, and common ninja knowledge, with no practical combat training.

It could all be handled by a shadow clone.

After mastering the Shadow Clone Technique that very night, he simply stopped going to school.

As for his original body, he sought out a secluded forest and began his path of cultivation.

Likewise, another person who stopped attending the Ninja Academy was Uchiha Itachi.

From the second day on, that guy started using a shadow clone to attend class.

Although Chiya didn't particularly like the guy's personality, he had to admit that Uchiha Itachi was a genius in the truest sense.

He learned everything almost instantly, often surpassing his teachers. If Fujiwara Chiya hadn't read the original story, he would have suspected that Itachi was a transmigrator too.

The kind with a "Dragon Overlord" protagonist start.

One year later.

Konoha Hokage Building.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu—the entire Konoha F4—were present, seated at the leadership table.

Below them stood the chunin teacher responsible for the class containing Fujiwara Chiya and Uchiha Itachi.

Just like in the original story, Uchiha Itachi had inadvertently gotten into a conflict with older students, exposing his use of the Shadow Clone Technique, which solidified his reputation as a genius.

At the end of the school year, the day before the sixth-year graduation, the chunin instructor reported this to the Konoha F4 and recommended that he graduate early.

Fujiwara Chiya, who was well-versed in the original plot, had learned of this through his shadow clone. To avoid entering the Konoha F4's field of vision, he had made a point to attend school in his original body during that period.

"A genius, you say?" Danzō spoke, his expression calm. His right eye was covered by bandages, making it impossible to read, but his left eye revealed a very specific emotional fluctuation—a mix of wariness, cunning, and a faint, hidden trace of killing intent.

He appeared entirely gloomy, radiating an aura of conspiracy at every moment.

As the staunchest supporter of the belief that the Uchiha were an inherently evil clan, he loathed the Uchiha more than anyone, yet he envied them even more.

He envied the Uchiha for that unique bloodline—the Sharingan.

"Yes, Danzō-sama. Not only the Clone Technique from last year's graduation exam, but he has even mastered the Shadow Clone Technique. He is outstanding in every other aspect as well. Keeping him in the Ninja Academy any longer serves no purpose," the chunin teacher replied respectfully.

He stood straight, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard, not daring to meet Danzō's gaze. It was clear that this leader of the Root organization, known as the darkness of the ninja world, had reached a point where he terrified his own villagers.

This was exactly why Danzō was destined never to become Hokage, though he himself had no inkling of it.

"But he is only in the first grade, isn't he?" Sarutobi Hiruzen was a man who stuck to tradition. Living in an era of peace, he did not want Uchiha Itachi to graduate so soon.

"Yes," the chunin teacher replied weakly, sensing the Third Hokage's dissatisfaction.

At this, Danzō, who always enjoyed contradicting the Third, spoke up. "Isn't that a good thing? It's not as if there is no precedent."

"But the times are different now; that was during wartime..." The Third Hokage wanted to say more, but Danzō cut him off with a single sentence.

Danzō said to the chunin teacher, "He is a genius, isn't he?"

"I have never seen a student like him," the chunin teacher gave a definitive answer.

"Letting Itachi graduate is for his own good as well!" Hearing this, the Third Hokage lowered his head slightly, his eyes obscured by his hat, and he spoke no further opposition.

Next, the chunin teacher reported on other outstanding students as usual, most of whom were from prestigious families.

During this time, the Third Hokage remained silent until the mention of Fujiwara Chiya, a commoner, caused him to finally look up. "Is he the child of the Fujiwara family?"

The chunin teacher said, "Yes, Hokage-sama. Among the first-year students, aside from Itachi, the orphan of the late Special Jonin Fujiwara has the best talent in the class. Although he is far from being a match for Uchiha Itachi, he is quite excellent in all aspects. As long as he is nurtured, he has a bright future ahead."

"I see... It seems Fujiwara left behind a good child!" The Third Hokage mused, though no one knew what he was thinking. Meanwhile, Danzō and the others had their attention entirely fixed on Uchiha Itachi, and they scoffed somewhat at the mention of a so-called commoner genius like Fujiwara Chiya.

Of course, this was exactly what Fujiwara Chiya wanted to see.