Early Graduation

"Shimizu, sit."

As Shimizu entered the room, a commanding voice reached his ears.

Following the sound, he looked toward its source: a stern, square-faced middle-aged man sitting on the tatami. It was none other than Uchiha Fugaku.

"Lord Fugaku."

"There's no need to be so formal."

Fugaku tried to force a smile, but even after giving it a try, he couldn't manage one.

He rarely smiled, and even when he forced one, it only looked awkward.

Regardless, the boy's parents had once been his subordinates, and they had died for the Uchiha. As their captain, he needed to show the proper respect.

"Shimizu, have you heard about the White Fang?"

Fugaku asked suddenly.

Mikoto poured Shimizu a steaming cup of tea and set it in front of him.

Shimizu rubbed his fingers over the teacup, feeling its warmth. "I have."

The White Fang of the Leaf's real name was Hatake Sakumo. His swordsmanship was peerless, and he had made a name for himself in the previous Ninja World War. His reputation even surpassed that of the Sannin.

But he had died some time ago.

He had died by suicide.

But had the White Fang of the Leaf really taken his own life simply because he couldn't handle the pressure?

According to the official databook, the White Fang of the Leaf had completed twenty-seven S-rank missions and 123 A-rank missions.

Spying on the enemy and using underhanded methods to carry out assassinations were basic tenets of being a ninja.

He had also completed hundreds of missions of other ranks. He was a seasoned veteran who had seen death countless times.

Ninjas inevitably took part in espionage. These were all clandestine affairs conducted out of sight.

Yet he had still taken his own life.

For a time, people were gripped by unease, and the clans of the Hidden Leaf Village quietly speculated about the reason.

The Uchiha couldn't stay out of it either. As a powerful clan with a great deal at stake, they had to think even harder about how to survive.

"Shimizu, your skills are already good enough for you to graduate, aren't they?"

"I'd like to spend a few more years honing them."

Shimizu shook his head.

Graduating one day earlier meant being sent on missions one day sooner.

He wasn't short on money. Why would he waste his time on those pointless missions?

"No. These are turbulent times, and the Uchiha need to build up every bit of strength they can."

Uchiha Fugaku took a sip of tea, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The various ninja clans had their own ideas about Hatake Sakumo's death.

Some believed the Third had felt that Hatake Sakumo threatened his position as Hokage because of his great reputation.

Others believed that ninjas had to abide by the rules, and that discipline was paramount. They thought every mistake had to be pursued to the end in order to maintain stability in the village.

Otherwise, how could mere slander have hurt Hatake Sakumo?

If the Third had issued an order, wouldn't everyone have shut up? Anyone who kept saying a single bad word about Hatake Sakumo would be going against the Hokage and showing that they didn't care about the village.

"Lord Fugaku, this..."

Shimizu furrowed his brow slightly.

So he's forcing me to graduate. He thinks I have talent, so he wants to train me right away and turn me into a tool?

"Shimizu, you know there's some discord between the clan and the village right now. As a member of the Uchiha, you have a duty to help everyone. It's good that you have a talent for medical ninjutsu, but I don't want you wasting time."

Uchiha Fugaku paused, then continued:

"If it were my child, I'd send him to the battlefield even at three or four years old, so he could witness the cruelty of the ninja world."

Shimizu said nothing, taking a sip of tea as he thought it over.

Uchiha Fugaku hadn't been lying. He really would do that.

Itachi had been sent to the battlefield at four. Fugaku hadn't cared whether it would cause him psychological harm. He'd simply insisted that he had to be a ninja and that he had to be strong.

Shimizu's prolonged silence made Uchiha Fugaku furrow his brow.

He was speaking to him as the clan head, yet Shimizu was still putting him off. Did the boy even care about the Uchiha?

Just as the atmosphere began to grow tense, Shimizu finally spoke.

"Yes, Lord Fugaku."

"Good."

Fugaku nodded, satisfied with Shimizu's answer.

He began asking after Shimizu's recent life, and Shimizu answered each question.

There was no going against someone more powerful, so he had no choice but to agree to graduate early.

He was only a few months away from graduating anyway. A few months sooner was no big deal.

Before long, the two were chatting amiably, like old friends who hadn't seen each other in years.

Mikoto came out of the kitchen with some cake and looked puzzled.

Why hadn't she been able to hear a thing from the living room while she was in the kitchen? Now the two of them were talking so loudly.

"Shimizu, have some cake."

Mikoto pushed a small cake toward Shimizu.

"Sorry for the trouble, Sister Mikoto."

Shimizu smiled warmly.

But in truth, his opinion of Uchiha Fugaku had plummeted.

Fugaku already knew how to use the Uchiha Clan's duties to pressure him. But when the Uchiha Clan Downfall came, why hadn't he fulfilled his duty as clan head?

Uchiha Fugaku bore a heavy share of the blame for the Uchiha's deaths.

When Itachi betrayed the Uchiha, he slaughtered countless innocent clan members.

Yet Uchiha Fugaku hadn't sought revenge. Instead, he praised Itachi.

According to the ending of Itachi Shinden, even at the very end, Fugaku showed not the slightest resentment.

On the contrary, he felt that his own suffering was nothing compared to Itachi's—just a moment in time.

Itachi was the one who had truly suffered. He deserved praise for making such a decision.

Fugaku had calmly accepted his fate and waited to die, bringing about the Uchiha Clan's complete annihilation.

There was a reason the Uchiha were sometimes called lunatics.

Their way of thinking was beyond anyone's comprehension.

Back when Shimizu had only read about this in a book, it hadn't bothered him much. But now that he was one of the Uchiha, he really wanted to ask Fugaku: You think your precious son suffered, but did you ever ask how all those clan members felt?

A clan head didn't have to bring prosperity to the clan, but at the very least, he should care about its members.

All sorts of thoughts flashed through Shimizu's mind, until Fugaku spoke again.

"Shimizu, help Mikoto get her health in order. I know you've learned a lot from the head of the Medical Team."

Uchiha Fugaku had gotten the answer he wanted and had no desire to waste any more time. He still had to patrol the village.

Without waiting for Shimizu to reply, Fugaku left.

A man and a married woman alone in a room would normally invite gossip, so people usually avoided such situations.

But Shimizu was only nine, just an ordinary child. He had the privilege of being a child.

"Ah, I'll have to trouble you, little Shimizu."

Mikoto tidied up the plate with the cake crumbs on it and explained what was going on.

As it turned out, she had been suffering from a minor ailment for some time. Every month, when those days came around, she was in terrible pain.

At first, Mikoto had assumed it was an old injury from her days as a ninja. Since it didn't interfere with her daily life, she hadn't done anything about it.

She had talked to Fugaku, but he was busy and had no time to worry about such trivial matters.

In his eyes, a ninja was someone who endured pain.

He still had old injuries from when he was young. What was a little pain like this?

Mikoto had no choice but to go to the hospital and get some medicine, and that was that.