Uchiha Returns to the Ninja Academy

Two days later, the Uchiha Clan returned to the Ninja Academy with their heads held high, but Uchiha Chuan alone did not appear. This also meant that this tactic would no longer work in the future; after all, the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" applied in this world as well. However, neither Uchiha Chuan nor the Uchiha Clan cared about that.

"The Uchiha are back at the Ninja Academy!" As soon as the news spread, the entire school erupted.

"Yeah, those evil Uchiha had me nervous for days," one student muttered under his breath, sounding slightly displeased.

"Shh, stop talking. Be careful, or they might drop out again," the student beside him quickly warned, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

"Heh, let them drop out if they want. Like I'm scared!" Another student curled his lip disdainfully, clearly unconcerned about the Uchiha's return.

The Uchiha's reputation was truly terrible. Even without anyone deliberately fanning the flames, all sorts of rumors belittling the Uchiha surged forth like a tide. The Uchiha students had long grown accustomed to it and simply walked silently into the classroom.

"Obito, you came back to school!" Rin Nohara cried out in delighted surprise when she saw Obito, her eyes full of joy.

"Hehe, that's right, I'm back!" Obito was happy as well, his face beaming as though he had become a completely different person.

"Hmph, weren't you using dropping out to create tension and pressure the village? Why come back? Keep creating tension!" Asuma strode over with a look of utter contempt, his voice dripping with mockery.

Obito scratched his head and said innocently, "I don't know. Uchiha Chuan and the Clan Head told us what to do, so we did it."

"Heh, you do whatever others tell you to do. Don't you have any thoughts or judgment of your own?" Asuma sneered, his tone full of ridicule.

Obito blinked, then asked with genuine confusion, "Uchiha Chuan is a genius, and even the Clan Head listens to him. Asuma, you're not a genius, so no one listens to you. Why should we listen to you? And what makes you think you're right while Uchiha Chuan is wrong? Because you're not a genius and Uchiha Chuan is?"

Obito's voice carried sincere confusion, but it was precisely that sincerity that made Asuma feel incomparably awkward. He opened his mouth, only to find himself completely speechless.

"You..." Asuma's face instantly flushed red, and he could not speak for a long while.

No one had expected Obito to actually defeat Asuma in a normal argument. They all stared at the scene in stunned disbelief.

"Obito suddenly became so cool!" one student could not help whispering in admiration.

"Was that really Obito? That's way too big a change!" another student said in surprise.

Obito overheard the comments and could not help lifting his chin, his face full of smiles. He had never felt so confident before, as though he had become a completely different person.

"Obito, you were amazing!" Rin Nohara could not help praising him too, her eyes full of admiration.

Obito scratched his head and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Hehe, it was nothing. I just told the truth."

Asuma stood to one side, his expression frighteningly dark. He had never expected to be rendered speechless by Obito, the "dead last." Gritting his teeth, he gave a cold snort and turned to leave the classroom.

"Obito, you were so cool just now!" The other students crowded around him as well, showering him with praise.

Obito grinned from ear to ear, feeling utterly delighted. He had never imagined that one day he would be praised for being cool.

The same scene played out with nearly every Uchiha.

However, these Uchiha brats had long since been won over by Uchiha Chuan's greatness. Their admiration and trust for him were even stronger than the adults'.

Therefore, nearly every Uchiha gave an answer with roughly the same meaning as Obito's.

Unless you were stronger than Uchiha Chuan, why should the Uchiha trust you ordinary people instead of Uchiha Chuan?

That was the Uchiha way. Rather than doubt themselves, they first doubted the world.

Thus, the Third Hokage, who had been closely watching the Uchiha students' return to the Ninja Academy, fell silent.

This time, he had not tampered with anything. But after so many years of the Uchiha's bad reputation, every action they took would be scrutinized under a magnifying glass. Sometimes, the results were even better than anything they could have orchestrated.

But the Third Hokage had not expected that, through their admiration for Uchiha Chuan, the returning Uchiha would so easily shatter that momentum.

This made him even more wary of the Uchiha Clan.

After all, a united Uchiha was the most terrifying kind. Under Uchiha Chuan's influence, the Uchiha Clan was truly becoming united little by little.

The formerly arrogant Uchiha might have belonged to the same clan, but they looked down on one another.

But Uchiha Chuan treated everyone the same.

Clan Head or elder, even the Hokage—no, if they were wrong, he would scold them when he should and say what needed to be said.

So the Uchiha gradually became more even-tempered. After all, if the strongest and most talented Uchiha was not arrogant, what right did trash like them have to be arrogant?

"Alas, these recent generations of Uchiha... really are becoming impossible to influence!" the Third Hokage sighed once again.

"Obito, why was Uchiha Chuan the only one who didn't come back?" Kakashi asked quietly as he arranged the books on his desk. There was a hint of confusion and curiosity in his eyes. Since that day's incident, Kakashi's view of the Uchiha had changed greatly. He no longer held prejudice against them. Instead, he believed their actions were merely meant to achieve some goal, not to truly split the village apart.

Moreover, his father, Hatake Sakumo, held the same view. Therefore, compared to the Uchiha's return, Kakashi was more concerned about Uchiha Chuan—the existence even more talented than himself. He had long regarded Uchiha Chuan as his goal and even wanted to learn from him.

Hearing Kakashi's question, Obito curled his lip, his voice carrying a trace of resentment. "What else could it be? We dropped out for Uchiha Chuan, but that guy never wanted to go to school in the first place. There's nothing for him to learn at the Ninja Academy, so he really did drop out."

Obito's tone held a hint of helplessness and regret. In truth, he still hoped Uchiha Chuan could return to school. That way, perhaps the relationship between the Uchiha and the village would become closer, and he could continue learning and growing alongside Uchiha Chuan.

Hearing Obito's answer, Kakashi could not help murmuring, "Indeed, there's already very little left to learn at the Ninja Academy." His tone carried a trace of sentiment. As a genius, he had long surpassed the Ninja Academy's curriculum, and Uchiha Chuan was even more so. To them, the Ninja Academy was more of a formality than a place that could truly improve their strength.

Just then, the class bell rang, interrupting Kakashi's thoughts.

Umino Ikkaku pushed open the door and entered the classroom. His gaze swept across the room, and when he saw that Obito had returned, a relieved smile appeared on his face. However, when he noticed that Uchiha Chuan's seat was still empty, a trace of helplessness flashed through his eyes.

Alas, that child Uchiha Chuan... Umino Ikkaku sighed inwardly. He knew Uchiha Chuan had not dropped out because of any problem with the school, but because his strength and perspective had long surpassed the scope of the Ninja Academy. As a teacher, he could not change that. He could only do his best to fulfill his own duties.

"Everyone, return to your seats. Class is starting!" Umino Ikkaku took a deep breath and shouted, his voice carrying a trace of authority.

The classroom immediately fell silent. The students returned to their seats one after another, preparing to begin a new day of lessons.