From Shinji's observations, Masashige Sarutobi was a fairly upright kid with some sense of responsibility, illustrious background aside. There was a hint of a "big brother" air in his words and actions as he tried to keep up a semblance of harmony in the class. Shinji could never figure out why this guy was nowhere to be found in the original story, and was even less famous than his younger brother Asuma, who would later smoke, get his hair permed, and play around with the Flying Swallow. But at least here at the Ninja Academy, he did live up to the expectations that came with being the "Hokage's legitimate son."
When the brats in class deliberately or inadvertently put him on the spot, constantly pulling the whole "praise the Sarutobi, put down the Uchiha" routine, Masashige's approach was a textbook example of elementary-school politics: on the one hand, he remained patient and avoided jumping out to become the "vanguard of the anti-Uchiha movement"; on the other, he did his best to rein in his followers' mindless heckling and keep things from escalating.
That stiff, balance-seeking "little adult" act only stirred Shinji's mischievous streak. He already found school life utterly boring. Now that some entertainment had delivered itself to his doorstep, he would be letting himself down if he didn't have a little fun.
So, during one recess, when several followers from minor clans gathered around Masashige again, muttering snidely about how "certain evil Uchiha just don't fit in" and "look down their noses at everyone because of their ancestors' achievements," Shinji went straight on the offensive.
"Hey, Masashige," Shinji drawled, leaning back in his chair. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly through the classroom, which had suddenly fallen silent. "Since everyone's so 'enthusiastic' about putting you on a pedestal, you wouldn't want to spoil their fun, would you?" His gaze swept over the followers, whose expressions had shifted slightly, before settling on Masashige. "Since I've already been branded an 'evil Uchiha,' surely you, the current Hokage's eldest son and our future 'Hokage-in-waiting,' can't just stand by and let an 'evil force' like me pollute the Ninja Academy's pure air? Shouldn't you punish me on behalf of the 'light'?"
"You're taking this too far, Shinji." Masashige Sarutobi frowned slightly, feeling a little puzzled. Shinji might usually be something of a nonconformist, but he generally scoffed at this sort of childish gossip and couldn't be bothered to respond. Why was he picking a fight today? "These are just jokes between classmates. You shouldn't take them seriously. All right, everyone, stop making such inappropriate jokes. The Uchiha Clan was one of the village's important founding clans, and they are our valued comrades. We shouldn't make fun of them like this. It's very rude."
He tried to soothe Shinji while waving the hecklers away, hoping to nip this inexplicable incident in the bud.
Unfortunately, Shinji had come looking for trouble today. He had no intention of taking the offered way out.
"Well, well, well, already thinking on behalf of the whole 'village,' are we?" Shinji's tone instantly took on a wildly exaggerated lilt, dripping with the snide sarcasm of an internet troll. "What's this? Has your Sarutobi Clan already started planning to pass the Hokage position from father to son and turn the village into a family dynasty? Ah, what can we do? We Uchiha have never been Hokage, so we can't even hold our heads high! First, the Second, Lord Tobirama, personally branded us 'inherently evil.' Now our classmates mock us at school, and the son of the Third, Lord Hiruzen, has to 'teach' us to consider the bigger picture... Who can we turn to with the tear-stained history of our founding clan?"
His exaggerated, theatrical performance, turning a minor squabble into a grand political issue, made the watching classmates frown. Even Kushina Uzumaki, sitting some distance away and wrestling with a math problem, couldn't stand watching anymore.
Kushina was straightforward and hot-tempered. She was already annoyed by the way some people in class kept targeting Shinji, even though she often argued with him herself. Now, seeing him being "ganged up on"-at least in her eyes-that little spark shot into a roaring blaze, ready to explode.
Minato Namikaze, sitting beside her, reacted swiftly. Before she could slam the desk, leap to her feet, and unleash a righteous-and furious-roar, he grabbed her and covered her mouth.
"Mmph, mmph, mmph!!!" (What are you doing? They're bullying Shinji! We can't just watch!) Feeling the warmth of Minato's palm, Kushina was anxious, angry, and just a little flustered. Her face instantly turned as red as her hair.
Although she bickered with Shinji all day and he teased her for being an "idiot" and "Little Chili Pepper," she knew perfectly well that he had never truly hurt her out of malice. Sometimes, when others mocked her red hair, he even drew their fire with something more irritating, such as remarking, "That hair color sure makes you a perfect target." In her simple, straightforward logic, when a friend was being bullied, you had to help! Even if that friend looked incapable of being bullied and was always the one bullying others.
Watching the red-haired Little Chili Pepper flailing in his arms, Minato sighed helplessly and lowered his voice. "That's Shinji! When have you ever seen him come out worse off? I don't know what he's up to today, but let's trust him for now! If he really needs help, I'll be the first to jump in, and I definitely won't stop you!"
Only after giving Minato a look that said, "If you're lying to me, you're dead," did Kushina settle down, still fuming. Her eyes remained fixed on the center of the battlefield. Having grown up among the Senju Clan, she should theoretically have been a staunch member of the "Hokage faction," not someone who supported an "evil Uchiha." In fact, Kushina Uzumaki herself had been among those shouting "evil Shinji" the loudest at the start of school. But this girl had always been a perfect example of someone who sided with her friends rather than with whoever was right. She was frank by nature and thought in straight lines. Once she decided you were a friend, she backed you unconditionally.
In another corner of the classroom, the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio was also watching quietly.
Shikaku Nara rubbed his chin, his mind racing, but he couldn't quite figure out what Shinji was up to either. From his observations, Shinji wasn't exactly good-tempered, but he wasn't so petty that he would stoop to squabbling with a few sycophantic brats. He decided to wait and watch a little longer. As for his two trusty sidekicks, Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi, they certainly weren't going to put their limited brain cells to work before Shikaku spoke.
Strictly speaking, the Ino-Shika-Cho Families were different from Little Chili Pepper, Kushina Uzumaki. They weren't purely part of the "Hokage faction." More precisely, they belonged to the "Sarutobi Faction."
Looking back at Konoha during Hashirama Senju and Tobirama's era, the Ino-Shika-Cho Families hadn't been marginal clans, but they had hardly been at the center of power either. The Senju Clan itself was large and flourishing, and the First and Second possessed absolute strength and prestige. In the Konoha of that time, aside from the Uchiha, the other clans were largely dependent on them. Hiruzen Sarutobi's rise to power was different. Although the Sarutobi Clan was a major clan, it was far from being a truly dominant one, with no fundamental advantage over the village's other major clans. Hiruzen Sarutobi himself possessed neither the Senju brothers' peerless might nor their illustrious, almost mythical achievements in founding the village.
More importantly, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju had died in an unforeseen crisis, making his succession a battlefield handover. The Konoha Hiruzen Sarutobi inherited was full of hidden internal currents. On one hand, he had to face Shimura Danzō's relentless pressure. On the other, the Sarutobi Clan's prestige within the village was nowhere near enough to make its word law. His hold on the Hokage position had been far from secure in those early days.
It was during that period that the Ino-Shika-Cho Families had chosen to firmly support Hiruzen Sarutobi, becoming an important force in helping him stabilize the situation. In return, they had been handsomely rewarded. Thus, in a situation that amounted to "children playing house" yet faintly reflected their clans' allegiances, Shikaku knew perfectly well that he had to step forward and support Masashige at the crucial moment, even if he sensed that something was off.
Before you continue