Enrollment

Ryosuke walked along, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Uchiha Fugaku had been there. Otherwise, his premature intervention might have gotten him killed.

But taking that risk had earned him the Plunder System. That was the greatest reward of all.

He still had four years before the Uchiha Clan's massacre.

Before, all he could do was try to avoid it. But now that he had the system, could he go from being a pawn to a player?

That would all depend on his strength, and the fastest way to grow stronger was with the system's help.

Whether it was recording or plundering ninjutsu, or the incredible abilities of character templates—

given enough time, he could become even more powerful than Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.

As Ryosuke's thoughts ran wild,

he suddenly felt a tug on his left hand. Little Hinata had nearly fallen.

He quickly pulled his right hand from Uchiha Fugaku's grasp and scooped Hinata up.

"Did you hurt yourself?"

Ryosuke asked carefully.

Hinata shook her head. Her big eyes reflected Ryosuke's face, making her look adorable.

"Ryosuke, you seem to like that girl. But she's the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Main Family, and the Hyuga Clan has always coveted the standing of my Uchiha Clan. Otherwise, I could help arrange a match between you two."

Uchiha Fugaku watched Ryosuke and Hinata with a cool gaze.

"Clan Leader, don't joke around. I'm only eight."

"Haha, fair enough. You're still a child. But that move you pulled just now really startled me. That wasn't an ability of the Sharingan, was it?"

Uchiha Fugaku gave an awkward laugh, then brought up the question he'd been turning over in his mind.

"Clan Leader, what are you getting at?"

Ryosuke felt his scalp go numb.

"Lightning Release: Lightning Armor is an S-rank Cloud Ninja technique. Even in Kumogakure, only the Third Raikage and Fourth Raikage know it. How did you learn it?"

Uchiha Fugaku's voice grew colder, as if he were interrogating a criminal.

His eyes had also changed into a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, fixed intently on Ryosuke.

"Are you suspecting I'm a Cloud Ninja spy? Don't forget, my parents were killed by the Cloud Ninja. And I'm a member of the Uchiha Clan."

Ryosuke felt a powerful killing intent. He could barely breathe.

"Fair point. If not for that, I wouldn't have protected you just now."

"By the way, report to the Ninja Academy tomorrow. And don't get too close to Danzo. He isn't friendly toward our Uchiha Clan."

After saying that, Uchiha Fugaku turned and left.

Ryosuke let out a long breath.

For a moment there, he'd even considered striking first.

Fortunately, he'd held back. As clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku wouldn't attack a child of his own clan without cause.

Ryosuke thought about his plans for the future as he walked Hinata back to the Hyuga Main Family.

"Big Brother Ryosuke, are you going to the Ninja Academy tomorrow?"

Just as Ryosuke was about to leave, Hinata peeked halfway around the door and asked timidly.

"Hm? Haha, yes. I should've started school a long time ago."

Ryosuke answered casually.

Hinata nodded, then withdrew her head.

She leaned against the gate and clenched her fists, as if she'd made up her mind about something.

Ryosuke returned to the Uchiha Clan's residential district.

It lay on the outskirts of Konoha. Officially, it was to make administration easier, but in reality, it marginalized the Uchiha Clan.

The Uchiha he passed all dressed alike, and they rarely greeted one another. They seemed cold and aloof.

All of it made Ryosuke feel like an outsider.

"No wonder the Uchiha Clan was wiped out. They were so out of place in Konoha. And I actually thought I could save them. In the end, I might wind up like Uchiha Madara, abandoned by everyone."

Ryosuke chewed on a cold steamed bun as he packed the things he'd need for school the next day.

He had no intention of spending long at the Ninja Academy.

Its teachers were only Chunin-level, so even with the system, he could only record low-level techniques there.

He needed to graduate quickly and become a real ninja.

Only then could he take on missions and leave the village.

By now, he wasn't very interested in saving the Uchiha Clan or changing the history of the Naruto world.

Early the next morning,

Ryosuke arrived at the Ninja Academy in the center of the village, carrying a pack.

He'd come too early to run into any other children.

At the school gate, a man wearing sunglasses stopped him.

He remembered the man's name was Ekisu, a Chunin.

Wasn't he Konohamaru's teacher—the Third Hokage's grandson?

No, it was still too early for that. So before becoming a private tutor, he was a security guard?

"Hey, Uchiha kid! Come here. I've never seen you before."

As soon as Ekisu spotted Ryosuke, he beckoned him over.

Ryosuke didn't want trouble, so he walked up to him.

"I'm here to enroll."

"Enrollment's over. Come back next year,"

Ekisu said coldly, adjusting his sunglasses.

"I have a recommendation from Lord Fugaku. If you don't believe me, you can ask him."

Ryosuke raised his voice.

He couldn't stand this fair-weather flatterer.

"Fugaku? Which Fugaku?"

"Are you talking about my father?"

A childish voice came from behind Ryosuke.

He turned and saw a little boy, a head shorter than him, looking at Ekisu in confusion.

"Ah, it's young Sasuke! You come to school early every day to practice ninjutsu? How diligent!"

The moment Ekisu saw Sasuke, his whole demeanor changed. He even bent down and bowed.

It nearly made Ryosuke sick.

"You're Big Brother Ryosuke, right? Father mentioned you yesterday. He told me to learn from you. I hope we'll get along."

Six-year-old Sasuke bowed to Ryosuke.

Ekisu's expression turned complicated.

"Ryosuke—Young Master Ryosuke? So it's you! I didn't recognize you just now. Please, go on in. I'll handle your enrollment right away."

Ekisu's features scrunched together.

Ryosuke ignored him and walked straight onto the grounds with Sasuke.

The Ninja Academy was bigger than Ryosuke had imagined, and most of it consisted of training grounds for practicing ninjutsu.

As they looked around, Ryosuke asked Sasuke, "Where's your brother?"

"Big Brother Ryosuke, you know Big Brother Itachi too? He already graduated from the Ninja Academy and is a Chunin now. Father says he works in the Anbu."

Sasuke spoke of Itachi with pride.

Damn, Itachi was only a year older than Ryosuke, yet he was already a Chunin.

He'd expected as much, but it still left him feeling a little behind. He had to hurry.