Uchiha Nagi

In Konoha, on the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan compound, inside a somewhat dilapidated courtyard.

"Eri, I'm off to school."

Uchiha Nagi looked at Uchiha Eri, who was still fast asleep, and couldn't help but shake his head helplessly.

"Breakfast is already prepared. Remember to eat when you wake up."

At this moment, a small, tender hand stretched out from under the covers and made an "OK" gesture.

"You weren't this lazy last year," Uchiha Nagi muttered, before setting off on his way to his first day of school.

Not long after Uchiha Nagi left, Uchiha Eri got up. As she ate the breakfast he had prepared for her, she felt a wave of emotion.

Ever since Nagi's parents died on a mission, she, having received their help in the past, had taken the five-year-old Nagi under her wing.

She had expected him to be a handful, and in truth, the first year was exactly that; he had needed her to take care of his every need.

But perhaps it was true that the children of the poor grow up early; at six years old, Nagi had suddenly become sensible and was now able to take care of her in return.

"Little brat, he doesn't even call me 'big sister' anymore."

Finishing her breakfast with a sense of enjoyment, Eri muttered to herself.

It had to be said, Uchiha Nagi's cooking skills were truly better than her own; he was a natural-born chef.

"Little Nagi has successfully enrolled, so I should get back to taking missions to earn his tuition for the next semester."

Eri sighed. The only reason she had been able to attend school and graduate back then was thanks to the help of his aunt and uncle.

Now that they were gone, it was naturally her responsibility to handle their child's schooling.

It was just that, even though his aunt and uncle were both Chunin, they had still died on a mission, and she was only a Genin who had graduated from the Ninja Academy a year ago...

Suddenly, Eri slapped her cheeks hard. She couldn't lose heart; now that little Nagi only had her to rely on, she had to give it her all!

Uchiha Nagi was a transmigrator—or more accurately, he had awakened the memories of his past life at the age of six.

When he learned he had arrived in the world of the Naruto anime and had become a member of the Uchiha Clan, which was destined for annihilation, he didn't feel much panic.

After all, it was only the 33rd year of Konoha, and there were still more than twenty years until the Uchiha Clan's destruction.

Even if he really couldn't escape it when the time came, he would have gained twenty extra years of life for nothing; it wouldn't be a loss.

What's more, knowing the plot, it shouldn't be too difficult to avoid that catastrophe.

When the time came, he could find an excuse to take a long-term mission outside the village, or simply abandon the glory of the Uchiha and move out of the clan compound.

He didn't believe that Uchiha Itachi or Uchiha Obito would go out of their way to hunt him down, right?

As for the glory of the Uchiha? What a joke. His parents had barely managed to scrape by within the clan.

In life, they were just fringe Chunin who hadn't even awakened the Sharingan, and the funds they left behind weren't even enough to cover his school expenses—what glory was there to speak of?

Walking out of the Uchiha compound, one could see the Hokage Building in the distance, and it was also very close to the Ninja Academy.

The Uchiha, who had not yet experienced the Nine-Tails Incident, had not yet been driven out of the core area of Konoha.

However, the moment he stepped out of the compound, he was met with all sorts of furtive, pointed looks from the villagers.

Uchiha Nagi couldn't help but sneer. They didn't dare provoke the Uchiha of the Military Police Force, so they only dared to act tough in front of a "kid" like him, right?

"Konoha's unruly mob and the Uchiha lunatics—a perfect match."

Fortunately, he was still a member of the Uchiha, and while the Uchiha's reputation in the past wasn't great, no one dared to provoke them lightly.

"I suppose I'm still basking in the glow of that Uchiha 'reputation'."

Uchiha Nagi muttered to himself before continuing toward the school.

Yesterday, he and Eri had only come to identify the location, meet his homeroom teacher, and attend the opening ceremony; he hadn't paid attention to who his classmates were.

"Konoha 33... if I remember correctly, there should be a heavyweight presence here. I wonder if he's in the same class."

Uchiha Nagi walked into the classroom and began to scan the room.

Soon, his eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth curled into a smile; that flash of gold was so conspicuous among the crowd.

"Luck is on my side. It really is Namikaze Minato!"

Uchiha Nagi felt a surge of excitement. For someone who just wanted to coast through life, finding the right person to latch onto was crucial.

Although, in theory, Namikaze Minato's lifespan was quite short, he only needed to share some knowledge about the Jinchuriki of the Tailed Beasts with him in advance.

If he did that, Minato wouldn't have to die for Uzumaki Kushina, and in doing so, his golden ticket wouldn't expire.

As for changing the plot? What did that matter? Could it help him coast through life peacefully?

The world of Naruto was so chaotic; he needed to find someone tall to stand in front, and he only needed to live peacefully in Konoha under that person's protection.

And Namikaze Minato was clearly that tall person. If he didn't die, perhaps even the Uchiha annihilation might take a different turn.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Nagi walked over to the empty seat next to Namikaze Minato and sat down.

Seeing this, Namikaze Minato turned his head to size up his future desk-mate; he didn't look like someone who would be hard to get along with.

"Hello, I am Namikaze Minato."

Namikaze Minato flashed that signature gentle smile of his and took the initiative to speak.

"Hello, I am Uchiha Nagi."

"Uchiha?" Namikaze Minato was visibly taken aback.

"Is something wrong?"

"My apologies, it's just that you are a bit different from the Uchiha I've heard rumors about." Namikaze Minato apologized for his rudeness.

He had previously heard that every member of the Uchiha Clan was arrogant and looked down on others, even from a young age.

He hadn't believed these claims at first, but after seeing some Uchiha around Konoha and witnessing their behavior firsthand, his attitude had slowly shifted toward tacit acceptance.

"It's nothing. Your perception of the Uchiha is correct in most cases; I'm just an exception."

Uchiha Nagi didn't mind the comment, even finding himself marveling at the other boy's personality.

Although he was still young, he was indeed the humble and polite Fourth Hokage he remembered.

"Is that so?" Namikaze Minato nodded; though he was curious, he didn't press the matter further.

These were internal Uchiha affairs, and as an outsider, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to ask too much.

Soon, the bell for class rang.

Uchiha Nagi watched as his homeroom teacher walked into the classroom. The man was in his thirties or forties, wore black-rimmed glasses, and looked quite amiable.

"I am Ide Masaya, and I will be your homeroom teacher from now on. You can call me Teacher Ide. Next, I will take attendance. When your name is called, please stand up and introduce yourself. Hmm, I'll start with a demonstration."

"Ide Masaya. My favorite food is dango, I like positive and motivated people, I don't have anyone I dislike for now, and my future goal is to teach wave after wave of excellent students."

After Ide Masaya finished his introduction, he picked up the prepared list and began calling names.

Takahashi Sho.

Akimichi Yoshimaru.

"I am Namikaze Minato. I like many kinds of food, I don't have any food I particularly dislike, and my future ideal is to... protect the village and the people who are important to me."

After Namikaze Minato finished his self-introduction, it was finally Uchiha Nagi's turn.

"Uchiha Nagi. I don't have any favorite people or things, and my future ideal is to be able to live my life peacefully."

Once Uchiha Nagi finished speaking, the others were somewhat surprised; they hadn't realized there was another member of the Uchiha Clan in their class.

This was because Uchiha Nagi's clothing lacked the iconic Uchiha clan crest.

Ide Masaya also glanced at Uchiha Nagi with some surprise. In all his years of teaching, this was the first time he had encountered an Uchiha like this.

Past Uchiha, even if they weren't arrogant, were usually the cold and aloof type. How could one express such a... low-key ideal?

"Hmph! Do you even deserve the surname Uchiha?"

Suddenly, a black-haired boy on the other side who hadn't introduced himself yet spoke up.

He had a thick head of black hair, and his attire—bearing the signature Uchiha clan crest—clearly marked his identity.

He was the second Uchiha in the class besides Uchiha Nagi.

Uchiha Nagi glanced at him, too lazy to engage.

The only famous Uchiha from this era was Uchiha Mikoto, the mother of the Second Pillar, but she was a few years older than them and couldn't possibly be in the same grade.

Seeing this, the Uchiha boy let out a disdainful snort, thinking Uchiha Nagi was just avoiding him and too afraid to meet his eyes, which only deepened his contempt.

He didn't wait for Ide Masaya to call his name and stood up directly.

"Listen well, all of you! My name is Uchiha Enichi!" His voice was deliberately raised.

"Hmph, what do I like? Naturally, things that are worthy of the name Uchiha! What do I dislike?"

He sneered, his gaze sweeping over Uchiha Nagi again, even casting a look of disdain toward Namikaze Minato beside him.

"Naturally, those who are ignorant and tarnish the glory of the Uchiha, and those who overestimate themselves by daring to challenge the Uchiha!"

"As for my future ideal? Does that even need to be asked? Of course, it is to awaken the powerful Sharingan and master the unparalleled strength of the Uchiha Clan!"

"I will stand at the pinnacle of the ninja world and let everyone witness the true power of the Uchiha Clan!"

"Revitalizing the clan and making the name of the Uchiha resound throughout the entire ninja world—that is the ambition our generation should have!"

After speaking, he paused and glanced toward Uchiha Nagi again, his tone filled with scorn.

"Unlike some people who have even discarded the pride of the Uchiha and only think about scraping by; you don't deserve the surname Uchiha at all!"

Uchiha Nagi felt a bit bored. Was he being targeted?

However, Uchiha Enichi's self-introduction was truly heavy-handed, fitting the stereotypical image he had of the Uchiha Clan.

Namikaze Minato looked at Uchiha Enichi and then at Uchiha Nagi, gaining a clear understanding of Uchiha Nagi's earlier remark about being "the exception."

They were both Uchiha, so how could the gap between them be so obvious?

Teacher Ide also felt a bit helpless. As expected, this was how an Uchiha was supposed to be; Uchiha Nagi was just an exception.

It seemed their class might not have much peace for the next six years.

"Alright, since the self-introductions are over, please sit down. Next, we will continue..."