They were late on the first day of school because they'd gotten into a fight.
Then they'd lost more time getting treated in the infirmary.
By the time Ruohuo and Obito reached the classroom, the bell for fourth period had already rung.
The teacher filling in for the class was the same one who'd taken them to the School Infirmary.
Ruohuo and Obito followed the teacher to the front of the classroom.
The teacher had arrived late, and the first-year Ninja Academy students were all little kids, so the classroom was a noisy mess.
The young teacher didn't have much experience. Maybe it was because he wasn't wearing a flak jacket, but he'd told them to "quiet down" several times, with no effect at all.
Ruohuo frowned.
Their Uchiha Clan hated this kind of disorder the most.
"Everyone, shut up!" Ruohuo slammed his palm down on the lectern.
His shout worked remarkably well. The classroom fell silent at once, and even the teacher beside him jumped!
Ruohuo swept his gaze across the room, lingering half a second longer on a few "familiar faces."
Especially that white-haired kid.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Uchiha Ruohuo, and this is my younger brother, Uchiha Obito."
"We're both from the oldest ninja clan in the Ninja World, the Uchiha Clan!"
Obito immediately straightened his back!
"Sorry."
Ruohuo suddenly spoke.
His unexpected apology brought questions to the students' faces. Even the teacher beside him looked a little confused.
Was this guy the type to apologize?
"I'm heartbroken..."
"On my way to school today, I ran into some bastards bullying a classmate. I sent them to the hospital on the spot, which made us late."
"Being late is wrong, but Teacher Oki praised me for it."
Ignoring the teacher's strange expression, Ruohuo said solemnly.
"He also asked me to serve as the class monitor!"
Senior Oki never said that!
He absolutely never did!
The substitute teacher kept glancing sideways, screaming inwardly!
But he didn't dare say a word...
"Bullying isn't allowed at school. We in the Uchiha Clan hate evil and can't stand people picking on others!"
"From today on, if anyone threatens you, make sure to tell me right away!"
Ruohuo waved his hand grandly. "As class monitor, I'll see that justice is done and protect all of you!"
His impassioned speech won over the whole class of elementary schoolers in an instant.
Especially the girls.
It definitely wasn't because Ruohuo was so handsome. They just loved having a class monitor who was willing to protect everyone!
And so, quite a few students joined in, cheering, "Class monitor! Class monitor! Class monitor!"
Since when was he the class monitor?!
The substitute teacher was about to lose his mind. He'd beaten those kids badly enough to put them in the hospital, and threatened Teacher Oki and him... three times in all!
Hadn't the students noticed he'd stolen my flak jacket, too?
"Quiet down!"
Ruohuo pressed both hands down.
Quite a few students had already accepted him as their class monitor, especially the girls, and the classroom gradually fell quiet.
"Teacher Oki asked me to arrange the seating."
"I'd appreciate your cooperation. This is, after all, my first assignment as class monitor."
Ruohuo said it with a straight face, then pointed at a boy.
"You there. Yes, you, Four-Eyes. You're so young and already nearsighted. What are you going to do when you become a ninja?"
"You need to protect your eyesight at school and try to improve it before graduation... Come sit up front. There's an empty seat here."
The bespectacled boy he'd singled out immediately stood up and obediently moved to the front.
"Obito, go over there."
Ruohuo pointed toward Rin Nohara.
She wasn't really Ruohuo's type, but Rin was a kind girl.
She'd be perfect for helping Obito awaken his eyes...
Uchiha Madara's plan was too wicked, but it worked, and the general idea was right.
Ruohuo had a brand-new version of the eye-awakening plan.
One day in the future, on a dark and windy night—perfect for murder and arson—
Obito would come home and find Rin Nohara in his big brother's arms, her clothes disheveled and unconscious.
"My foolish little brother, this girl... is quite the catch!"
Gasp—
Wouldn't that awaken the Mangekyo on the spot?
Obito jogged over and sat beside Rin Nohara.
Rin shifted slightly to make room, then smiled at Obito. He immediately couldn't take it.
His little face turned red, and every quill on his spiky head seemed to be blushing.
"Hello, Obito. I'm Rin Nohara. I hope we get along."
"H-hello..."
Obito sat down, all bashful.
Ruohuo raised an eyebrow.
He'd just given his foolish little brother a treat. Now it was his turn.
They were all elementary schoolers, so Ruohuo wasn't that much of a beast.
But the idea of a girlfriend he could raise to adulthood did have its appeal...
Ruohuo was an honorable man.
And an honorable man wouldn't leave a sweet girl a widow.
Especially not with her pregnant before marriage. That would be downright immoral.
Then it was settled...
"You, the guy who looks so much like the Lord Third, spit out that toothpick!"
"If you're chewing toothpicks now, you'll be smoking before long!"
"Smoking in public—don't you have any consideration for others?!"
Konoha Hospital.
Teacher Oki had no idea that his class had already been reshaped in Ruohuo's image.
By the time he arrived, the hallway was packed with members of the Hyuga Clan.
At their head stood a young man with an extraordinary bearing. He stood there quietly, yet exuded the air of someone in a position of power.
This must be the newly appointed head of the Hyuga Clan.
Teacher Oki's head started pounding. How had even this man gotten involved?
But there was nothing he could do now but steel himself and go speak with them.
Before he could get close, however, two Hyuga members stepped forward and stopped him.
"Who are you?"
"Uh... I'm Aoba Oki, a teacher at the Ninja Academy. I teach those children..."
The two Hyuga members were a little too overbearing. Teacher Oki was annoyed, but there was nothing he could do about it...
The Hyuga were, after all, one of Konoha's most powerful clans.
"Let him through."
At that moment, Hyuga Hiashi spoke calmly from nearby.
Only then did the two Hyuga members let him pass.
This is a hospital, not the Hyuga Clan's private property!
If you're so capable, don't call for a doctor!
Teacher Oki grumbled to himself, but still walked over.
To be fair, the Hyuga Clan's reputation wasn't all that bad.
But thanks to one particular new student, Teacher Oki hadn't had a very smooth day, and he wasn't in the best mood...
"I'm Hyuga Hiashi, head of the clan to which these children belong."
When Oki came closer, Hyuga Hiashi spoke.
"I've already learned most of what happened... Those children provoked the other two first, were outmatched, and then got sent to the hospital."
"This was a failure on my clan's part to discipline them."
Hyuga Hiashi paused. "I'd be grateful if you could convey my thanks to those two children."
"If they hadn't brought them to the hospital in time, these children might have lost the chance to become ninjas..."
As soon as he finished speaking, one of the Hyuga stepped forward and produced an envelope stuffed with cash.
From its thickness, there seemed to be quite a lot.
"However, these children probably won't be returning to the Ninja Academy for a while."
"Once they've recovered, they'll need some special training to regain the dignity they've lost."
"I'm telling you this today so you can pass it along as well."
With that, Hyuga Hiashi walked past Oki.
The rest of the Hyuga followed him away.
Oki looked down at the envelope in his hand, his brows gradually drawing together.
After years of teaching, he knew how these powerful clans operated.
The one thing they wouldn't tolerate was anyone challenging their clan's dignity.
"Special training after they recover, huh..."
Looking at the closed hospital room door, Oki sighed. He couldn't help feeling that, for those children...
It was a little too cruel.
Then again, the bigger the clan, the more ruthless it was.
By comparison,
those two troublesome Uchiha brothers seemed...
"Tsk!" Oki shook his head.
He was so worked up that he'd actually started thinking those two brothers weren't so bad?
As if!
He'd better hurry back to school...
But... those two brothers probably hadn't had lunch, had they?
Forget it. He'd bring them a meal anyway. They were still growing.
Hopefully, after you've eaten the lunch your teacher brings, you'll behave yourselves a little better, you little brats!
Before you continue