Come Clean—Do You Have a Cheat?

Konoha, Year 23.

As the years flew by, four years passed in the blink of an eye.

Before a smooth, square tombstone engraved with the name of a former classmate—Nara Kashio—ten-year-old Aokiji wore a deeply melancholy expression and let out a heavy sigh.

In a few months, he would graduate from the Ninja Academy.

Because of the war, the originally six-year school program had been shortened to five years. Since he had enrolled a year early, that meant Aokiji would graduate two years ahead of schedule and become glorious cannon fodder.

In fact, it could have been even sooner. Most students effectively graduated after just two or three years. Someone like Aokiji, shamelessly dragging things out until he completed all five years, was incredibly rare—so rare that he was the only one.

Of course, the school could not give him special treatment by assigning him a private teacher. Instead, they had him, a senior student, mingle with the junior students. In simpler terms, he had been held back...

Aokiji had once approached the clan elders and made his stance clear: could he avoid becoming a ninja? The clan did not immediately refuse. Instead, they found a ninja a few years younger than him—someone named Uchiha Fugaku, if he remembered correctly—and demanded that he fight him.

Aokiji was familiar with this routine.

In the original story, Hinata, who had once been nurtured as a key prospect, lost to her younger sister Hanabi and was then abandoned by the Main Family.

Aokiji accepted, then lost to the other party cleanly and decisively.

He thought that would make the adults in his family give up on him, but then he realized he had been overthinking it.

Ninja—you had to become a ninja...

That was the firm stance of the clan elders.

At first, seeing Aokiji slack off so badly at school, the clan had indeed considered giving up on him. But after that battle, they immediately dismissed the idea.

Through the Sharingan, the Uchiha Clan could clearly see the Chakra flowing within Aokiji's body, far surpassing that of children his age, as well as the fact that this brat had thrown the match.

Ordinary people might not have been able to tell, but with their unparalleled perception granted by the Sharingan, they were not blind enough to miss it. Aokiji was just playing clever tricks because he did not want to become a ninja.

At first, Aokiji vehemently denied it and insisted he was useless.

Then the adults of the clan turned their eyes red, like they had conjunctivitis. It was actually called the Sharingan. Aokiji instantly caved and admitted that he had thrown the match.

He did not want to be controlled by the Sharingan. Who knew what they might make him reveal?

Just as Aokiji was feeling deeply troubled over this, a crisp voice drifted lightly through the air.

"I have some good news for you."

Aokiji held his breath and turned around. It was a blonde girl, dainty as a pearl and adorably pretty—Tsunade.

Over the past four years, Tsunade had not changed at all in one particular area, but she had changed quite a lot otherwise. The baby fat on her face had begun to fade, and since girls matured early to begin with, she had become increasingly radiant and charming.

Aokiji lazily said, "Unless the news is that I don't have to become a ninja, nothing else can excite me..."

"You really are... Forget it. Let me tell you something. The village is planning to form an alliance with Kumogakure. Teacher Yuan Fei has gone with them as part of the escort."

"An alliance?"

"Yes. If the alliance succeeds, then I think the war will end very soon. And then the Ninja Academy might return to a six-year program. In other words, you should be able to keep dragging things out for another year."

So it had finally come.

Aokiji gave Tsunade a meaningful look.

If he remembered correctly, this was when the Second Hokage would be ambushed by Kinkaku and Ginkaku of Kumogakure and meet his end.

Aokiji had deliberately hinted to Tsunade before, hoping she would remind the Second Hokage to watch out for Kinkaku and Ginkaku of Kumogakure. He did not know whether it had worked.

But it probably had not. Someone as sharp as Tobirama must have already considered the possibility of a trap. Yet for the sake of peace, he had to go to Kumogakure to discuss an alliance and ceasefire.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. I recently developed a new dish called Chips. Want to try some?"

The moment she heard there was a new product, Tsunade's eyes lit up. "Sure, sure... Huh? That's strange. Why aren't you happy at all?"

Aokiji sighed wearily. "Even if I manage to stall for another year, those old fossils in the clan probably still won't agree to let me avoid becoming a ninja. Damn it, I've already slacked off this hard. Why won't they just leave me alone?"

Tsunade said speechlessly, "Just accept your fate. With those eyes of yours, you were born to be a ninja."

Aokiji looked as if he were facing a formidable enemy. His expression changed drastically as he hurriedly waved his hands in denial. "Eyes? What eyes? Don't spout nonsense. I don't have any."

Tsunade: ...

Aokiji looked around. Seeing no one nearby, he leaned close to Tsunade like a thief and whispered into her ear, "You didn't go around telling people about me, did you?"

His breath traveled into her ear along with his voice, ticklish and warm. Tsunade stomped hard on his foot, making Aokiji cry out in pain. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Tsunade coolly swept her hair back with both hands. "I know I'm very pretty now, and boys like you who are just hitting puberty can easily lose control. But please have some self-respect. Acting like this will only be Counterproductive."

Aokiji looked her up and down from head to toe.

Tsunade glared fiercely and threatened, "Keep looking at me with those lecherous eyes and see if I don't dig your eyeballs out."

Aokiji shrugged dismissively. "I admit you're good-looking, but if you think I'm the kind of guy who judges people by their appearance, then you're thinking far too shallowly of me.

"There are countless beautiful faces, but interesting souls are one of a kind. Compared to looks, I care more about a person's breadth of mind."

After saying that, Aokiji deliberately glanced at her. "A broad chest of mind—do you have one? You narrow-minded woman with a chest as flat as a plain."

"Heh, you really have the nerve to say that. I wonder who got caught red-handed sneaking into the bathhouse with Jiraiya last time..."

Aokiji immediately replied, "I know. Orochimaru."

Tsunade: ...

Orochimaru had been dragged into it by those two.

Just as she was about to mock Aokiji some more, something suddenly occurred to her.

Aokiji never spoke properly. He loved hiding needles in cotton and jabbing people with veiled barbs. Sometimes, a perfectly normal word would take on an entirely different meaning coming from his mouth.

At times like this, she had to consider the context and analyze it word by word.

Tsunade gave it a brief analysis, then completely lost it.

She was good in every way now. Her skin was nice, she was tall enough, and there was even less need to mention her looks. But she had one fatal flaw.

In the past, she had comforted herself by saying she was still too young. But as the people around her all started to "grow," while she alone remained stuck in place, Tsunade had been worried sick over it. Now that Aokiji had indirectly ridiculed her over it, it was like getting a tube shoved straight into her lungs. Her blonde hair shot upward in rage like a Super Saiyan's. "Go die twice."

Killing Aokiji once would not be enough to vent her anger. She had to whip the corpse too.

Facing Tsunade in her enraged state, Aokiji wisely ran. He ran.

Tsunade's Monstrous Strength was becoming more and more terrifying, and she had no sense of restraint when she attacked. He no longer dared to take her blows head-on.

After being relentlessly chased by Tsunade, Aokiji finally managed to shake her off after a great deal of effort. By the time he returned to the clan compound, he was panting heavily. There, he happened to run into an old man with graying temples and a face full of wrinkles, who was leading a black-haired, black-eyed child beside him.

"Uh... Elder Itachi."

Aokiji greeted the older one to show his respect.

To be honest, when he had first learned that name, he had really wanted to complain. Uchiha Weasel—were you sure you had not transmigrated too?

It was only after learning that this old man had taken a student named Uchiha Fugaku that he finally understood.

So Fugaku not only had a habit of naming his younger son after his superior's father, but also a habit of naming his elder son after his teacher.

As someone born and raised in the great foodie empire, Aokiji found this habit rather jarring. What normal person named their son after their superior's father? It was far too easy for people to get the wrong idea.

Was it not enough to make your superior your son? You also had to make him your grandfather? In reality, if that superior found out, he would probably be the first to make trouble for his subordinate, starting with the question: What the hell are you trying to do? Is making me your father not enough? You want to make me your grandfather too?

Were you trying to rebel or something?

Later, after learning more about it, he found out that directly naming one's son after someone else seemed to carry a certain meaning. It was somewhat like in some country across the ocean in his previous life—hoping that one's son would become as outstanding as that person.

The person whose name was borrowed usually would not be angry. On the contrary, they would gladly accept it, because in a sense, it was recognition of their worth.

Elder Itachi spoke in an aged voice. "Aokiji, do you have time?"

No...

Well...

Aokiji wanted to say that, but he did not have the guts. The man was only being polite. Did he really dare to push his luck?

"I do. Of course I have time."

Aokiji beamed and politely said, "If Elder Itachi is looking for me, then of course I have time."

Elder Itachi nodded. "Come with me."

After saying that, he sent Fugaku home first.

Aokiji lowered his head obediently and silently followed behind him. Before long, they arrived at a residence with fresh air and peaceful, secluded surroundings.

Aokiji crossed his hands behind his head. "Elder Itachi, why did you bring me to your residence? Did something happen?"

Elder Itachi smiled kindly, his brows benevolent and eyes gentle. "Are you still resentful about being made to continue as a ninja?"

Aokiji denied it. "No."

"That's good..." Elder Itachi fell silent for a moment, then his face darkened. "Tell me honestly—have you awakened a Kekkei Genkai or not?"