Uchiha Nagi

Konoha, on the edge of the Uchiha Clan Compound, in a slightly run-down courtyard.

"Eri, I'm off to school."

Uchiha Nagi looked at Uchiha Eri, still fast asleep, and shook his head helplessly.

"Breakfast is ready. Remember to get up and eat."

A delicate hand emerged from beneath the covers and made an OK sign.

"You weren't this lazy last year," Uchiha Nagi muttered, then set off for his first day of school.

Not long after Uchiha Nagi left, Uchiha Eri got up, too. As she ate the breakfast he'd prepared for her, she couldn't help but feel a little sentimental.

After Nagi's parents died on a mission, Eri, who had once received their help, took five-year-old Nagi in.

She'd thought he'd be a handful, and during that first year, he certainly was. He needed her to look after him in everything.

But perhaps because poor children had to grow up fast, Nagi suddenly became sensible at six years old, and even started taking care of her in turn.

"You brat. You don't even call me 'big sister' anymore."

Eri finished her breakfast with a little relish and muttered.

She had to admit, Uchiha Nagi was a much better cook than she was. He was a natural.

"Little Nagi's started school, too. I should get back to taking missions and earn his tuition for next term."

Eri sighed. Back when she'd attended the academy and graduated, she'd relied on the help of his aunt and uncle.

Now that they were gone, it was only natural that she take responsibility for their child's schooling.

But his aunt and uncle had both been Chunin, and they'd still died on a mission. She was only a Genin who'd graduated from the academy a year ago...

Suddenly, Eri slapped her cheeks hard. She couldn't lose heart. Little Nagi had only her to rely on now. She had to do her best!

Uchiha Nagi was a transmigrator—or, to be precise, he'd awakened the memories of his past life when he was six.

When he learned that he'd come to the world of Naruto and become part of the Uchiha Clan, which would eventually be wiped out, he wasn't all that alarmed.

After all, it was only the year 33 of Konoha, and the Uchiha Clan Massacre was still more than twenty years away.

Even if he really couldn't escape it when the time came, he'd still have gained more than twenty years of life. It wasn't a bad deal.

Besides, with his knowledge of the story, avoiding that calamity shouldn't be too hard.

When the time came, he could find an excuse to take a long-term mission away from the village, or abandon the Uchiha's pride and move out of the compound.

He didn't believe Uchiha Itachi or Obito Uchiha would go out of their way to hunt him down then.

As for Uchiha pride? What a joke. His parents had hardly made anything of themselves in the clan.

In life, they'd been a pair of peripheral Chunin who hadn't even awakened the Sharingan. After they died, they'd left him too little money to cover his school expenses. What pride was there to talk about?

Once he stepped out of the Uchiha Clan Compound, he could see the Hokage Building in the distance. The Ninja Academy was also very close.

The Uchiha, who hadn't yet experienced the Nine-Tails Incident, had not been driven out of Konoha's central area.

Still, the moment you left the compound, villagers would point at you behind your back.

Uchiha Nagi couldn't help scoffing. They didn't dare provoke the Uchiha in the Military Police Force, so they only put on a show of power in front of a "child" like him?

"Petty Konoha villagers and crazy Uchiha make a perfect match."

Fortunately, no matter what, he was still a member of the Uchiha Clan. Their reputation might not have been good, but no one dared to mess with them lightly.

"So I'm benefiting from the Uchiha's 'reputation,' huh?"

Uchiha Nagi muttered, then continued toward school.

Yesterday, he and Eri had only come by to learn where everything was, meet his homeroom teacher, and attend the opening ceremony. He hadn't gotten a chance to see who his classmates were.

"It's the year 33 of Konoha. If I remember correctly, there should be a major figure here. I wonder if we're in the same class."

Uchiha Nagi entered the classroom and began scanning the room.

Soon, his eyes lit up and his lips curled into a smile. That flash of blond hair stood out so clearly in the crowd.

"Lucky me. It really is Namikaze Minato!"

Uchiha Nagi was a little excited. For someone who only wanted to coast through life, finding the right person to rely on was very important.

In theory, Namikaze Minato's lifespan was indeed rather short. But all he needed to do was tell him a little in advance about the Jinchūriki of the Tailed Beasts.

Then Minato wouldn't die alongside Uzumaki Kushina, and his golden support wouldn't disappear.

As for changing the story? What did that matter? Would it help him coast through life in peace?

The Shinobi World was such a dangerous place. He needed someone tall to stand in front, while he could simply live quietly in Konoha under that person's protection.

And Namikaze Minato was clearly just the person for the job. If he didn't die, even the Uchiha Clan Massacre might turn out differently.

With that thought, Uchiha Nagi went over and sat in the empty seat beside Namikaze Minato.

Minato turned to study his future deskmate. He didn't look difficult to get along with.

"Hello, I'm Namikaze Minato."

Minato gave him his trademark gentle smile and spoke first.

"Hello, I'm Uchiha Nagi."

"Uchiha?" Minato was clearly taken aback.

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry. You're just a little different from the Uchiha I've heard about," Minato said, apologizing for his rudeness.

He'd heard that everyone in the Uchiha Clan was arrogant, even from childhood.

At first, he hadn't believed it. But he'd seen some Uchiha around Konoha with his own eyes, and after watching how they acted, he'd gradually come to accept it as true.

"It's nothing. Most of what you've heard about the Uchiha is right. I'm just an exception."

Uchiha Nagi didn't mind. In fact, he couldn't help admiring Minato's character.

He was still young, but he really was the same humble and polite Fourth Hokage Nagi knew.

"Is that so?" Minato nodded. He was a little curious, but didn't say anything more.

That was an internal matter for the Uchiha. As an outsider, he shouldn't ask too much.

Soon, the bell rang.

Uchiha Nagi saw his homeroom teacher walk into the classroom. The man was in his thirties or forties, wore black-rimmed glasses, and seemed rather amiable.

"I'm Ide Masaya, and I'll be your homeroom teacher from now on. You can call me Teacher Ide. I'll take attendance next. When I call your name, please stand up and introduce yourself. Well, I'll demonstrate first."

"I'm Ide Masaya. My favorite food is dango. I like people who are positive and motivated, and for now, there's no one I dislike. In the future, I hope to teach one excellent class after another."

After introducing himself, Ide Masaya picked up the attendance list he'd prepared and began calling names.

Takahashi Sho.

Akimichi Yoshimaru.

"I'm Namikaze Minato. I like lots of different foods, and there isn't any food I particularly dislike. My dream for the future is... to protect the village and the people who are important to me."

After Minato finished introducing himself, it was finally Uchiha Nagi's turn.

"I'm Uchiha Nagi. There's no person or thing I particularly like. My dream for the future is to live my life in peace."

The others were a little surprised when he finished. They hadn't realized their class had an Uchiha in it.

After all, Uchiha Nagi's clothes didn't bear the Uchiha Clan Crest.

Ide Masaya also looked at Nagi in surprise. In all his years of teaching, he'd never met an Uchiha like this.

The Uchiha he'd met before were either arrogant or at least rather aloof. How could one of them express such a... modest ambition?

"Hmph! You think you deserve to bear the Uchiha name?"

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

He had a thick head of black hair, and his clothes, marked with the Uchiha Clan's distinctive crest, made his identity clear.

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

Uchiha Nagi glanced at him and couldn't be bothered to respond.

At this point in time, the only famous Uchiha was probably Uchiha Sasuke's mother, Uchiha Mikoto. But she was a few years older than them, so there was no way she'd be in their class.

Seeing this, the Uchiha boy snorted disdainfully to himself. He thought Uchiha Nagi was avoiding him again, too scared to meet his eyes, and looked down on him even more.

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

"Listen up, all of you! My name is Uchiha Enichi!" he declared, raising his voice.

"What do I like? Naturally, things worthy of the Uchiha name! And what do I hate?"

He scoffed, sweeping his gaze over Uchiha Nagi once more before looking at Namikaze Minato beside him with disdain.

"Of course, I hate those worthless people who stain the Uchiha's honor, and those fools who overestimate themselves and dare challenge the Uchiha!"

"And my dream for the future? Do you even need to ask? To awaken the powerful Sharingan and master the unparalleled power of the Uchiha Clan!

"I'll stand at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World and show everyone the true power of the Uchiha Clan!

"To revive the clan and make the Uchiha's name ring across the entire Shinobi World—that is the ambition we should all have!"

He paused, then glanced toward Uchiha Nagi again, his tone full of contempt.

"Unlike certain people who've thrown away even the Uchiha's pride and only think about scraping by. They don't deserve to bear the Uchiha name!"

Uchiha Nagi was a little bored. Was this guy targeting him?

Still, Uchiha Enichi's introduction was so over-the-top that it fit his stereotype of the Uchiha Clan perfectly.

Beside him, Namikaze Minato looked from Uchiha Enichi to Uchiha Nagi, and suddenly understood exactly what Nagi had meant earlier when he said he was an exception.

They were both Uchiha. How could they be so different?

Teacher Ide was a little exasperated, too. So this was what a proper Uchiha was supposed to be like. Uchiha Nagi really was an exception.

It seemed their class might not have a peaceful six years ahead.

"All right, now that introductions are over, sit down. Let's continue..."