Uchiha Shingetsu's unlucky day

"Shingetsu."

As Tobirama Senju drew closer, calling her by such a familiar name, Shingetsu's scalp prickled and goosebumps rose all over her body.

If there was anyone Shingetsu feared most right now, it was undoubtedly Tobirama Senju. Just watching him approach sent an instinctive chill down her spine. If Madara Uchiha and Hōkaku hadn't been there, she would have turned tail and run without looking back.

Wh-what was he going to do?

The bizarre scene before her sent dread creeping into her heart. Shingetsu swallowed, unable to stop that frightened thought.

"I'm truly sorry about what happened before."

Under Madara's mocking gaze, Hashirama's encouraging one, and the horrified stares of Hōkaku and his daughter Shingetsu, the corners of Tobirama's mouth slowly lifted. His normally expressionless face, stiff as a mask, twisted into an eerie smile that never reached his eyes.

"Eek!"

Shingetsu reacted as though lightning had struck her. Tobirama's bizarre smile made every hair on her body stand on end, and she burrowed desperately into Madara's arms like a terrified kitten.

His smile was so scary!

Shingetsu whimpered. Tobirama's smile brought certain classic horror movie scenes to mind. If she had to describe how it felt, it was the smile a murderer, demon, or butcher lurking in the darkness wore a second before raising a blade to slaughter and dismember an innocent victim.

Waaah, was she going to have nightmares tonight?

Tobirama's smile was chilling enough to make anyone's skin crawl, and Shingetsu wasn't the only one who felt that way. Even his own elder brother, Hashirama Senju, stared in shock and took half a step back, fine beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. That went double for Madara Uchiha and Hōkaku, who already couldn't stand him.

"Tobirama Senju!"

Madara Uchiha fixed Tobirama with a murderous glare. If looks could kill, Tobirama would have died ten million times over.

He carefully shielded Shingetsu, gently stroking her trembling back with his fingertips. His movements were light and slow as he did his best to soothe her fear. Meanwhile, Uchiha Hōkaku silently pulled a large bundle of Kunai and Explosive Tags from a nearby cabinet, his blood-red Sharingan gleaming with murderous intent.

"Madara, Hōkaku, calm down! Give him another chance!"

Hashirama Senju hastily grabbed the furious Uchiha Hōkaku and snatched the weapons from his hands. Struggling to hold back both Hōkaku and Madara as they teetered on the brink of violence, he shouted at Tobirama:

"Tobirama, try again! Don't smile like that!"

Tobirama Senju's lips trembled. The cold muscles of his face twisted and knotted beyond his control, until anyone watching could almost hear the creaking of joints. After a series of contortions that set everyone's teeth on edge, his rigid, cement-mask face finally produced a passable, slightly apologetic smile.

In a voice as stiff and cold as his expression, he said without a trace of sincerity:

"Shingetsu, I'm truly very sorry."

"I forgive you, Teacher Tobirama!"

Shingetsu kept her face firmly buried in Madara Uchiha's chest, lacking the courage to look up at Tobirama. She hurriedly cut off whatever else he was about to say, offering forgiveness in an equally emotionless voice.

Rather than sincere forgiveness, her behavior looked more like a desperate attempt to get rid of a problem.

And that was exactly what Shingetsu was thinking.

If she didn't forgive him, wouldn't Tobirama Senju keep smiling like that? How could she bear it? Would she ever sleep again?

Stop smiling at me, you terrifying man!

"There, that settles everything! I told you an apology would do the trick. Now everyone's made up again. Isn't that wonderful? Hahaha!"

Hashirama Senju released his hold on Hōkaku. Looking at Tobirama and Shingetsu, who had at least verbally agreed to make peace, and Madara, who had agreed to let the children return to school, he was thoroughly satisfied with the outcome and burst into smug laughter.

What exactly had been settled? And who exactly had made up?

Shingetsu's and Tobirama Senju's mouths twitched at the same time. Neither had any words for the foolish, utterly unreliable Hashirama. But when their eyes accidentally met, they both looked away almost simultaneously, silently cursing each other in perfect accord-

Ptooey, you scheming old Senju bastard!

Bah, you evil little Uchiha brat!

Three days later, after the withdrawal uproar that had lasted nearly half a month, news of the Uchiha's return to the Ninja Academy spread through every street and alley in Konoha.

The shinobi clans, whose instincts were as keen as their loyalties were fickle, immediately withdrew their withdrawal requests before school began the next day, sending their children back as though nothing had happened.

Their skin was thick enough to rival a city wall, leaving Hashirama Senju utterly amazed. Still, whatever the circumstances, the threat of the school closing had finally passed.

Of course, none of that had anything to do with Shingetsu, who was once again facing elementary school life.

All she had to do was arrive at school on time. But for Shingetsu, who struggled to get out of bed, that was no easy task.

Given that she was a repeat offender among repeat offenders, Uchiha Hōkaku, who had already paid dearly for it, reached an agreement with the Uchiha youngsters: someone had to keep an eye on her.

As it turned out, that was a very farsighted decision.

On the day school resumed, Shingetsu lived up to everyone's expectations by refusing to get out of bed yet again. But thanks to the devoted supervision of Kagami Uchiha and Uchiha Hōkaku, she finally managed not to be late.

When the Uchiha youngsters returned to the classroom together, the shinobi clan students all turned to look at them. Shingetsu drew the most attention, accompanied by constant whispers and pointing fingers.

Since defeating Hiruzen Sarutobi in their duel, Uchiha Shingetsu's name had gradually entered the public eye, and she had come to be regarded as the leading genius of the new generation.

Awakened the Sharingan at five, Madara Uchiha's disciple, a genius-with those dazzling labels attached to her, Shingetsu would have found it hard to go unnoticed even if she wanted to.

As children from shinobi clans themselves, they understood exactly how much those titles meant. Looks of jealousy, wariness, and admiration kept landing on Shingetsu, but not one of them dared approach her. They simply watched quietly.

Since they weren't bothering her, Shingetsu was happy to enjoy the peace.

"Shingetsu, you're here!"

A brown-haired girl wearing glasses entered through the classroom doorway. She scanned the room, and her eyes lit up when she spotted Shingetsu. Walking briskly toward her, she greeted her with a smile.

"Morning, Chinatsu."

Shingetsu recognized her as the girl from the orphanage whose surname was Yakushi and nodded to her.

"Here, this is the present I promised you."

Ignoring a few unfriendly stares, Yakushi Chinatsu walked straight to Shingetsu's side. She took a grass-woven Grasshopper from her patchwork schoolbag and presented it to Shingetsu like a treasure.

"Oh, thank you!"

Pleasantly surprised, Shingetsu accepted the gift. Her eyes widened in wonder at the lifelike grasshopper in her hand, and she carefully reached out to touch its realistic wings and body.

"Did you make this? It's amazing!"

"Hehe, these are toys I usually make for my little brothers and sisters."

Whenever she mentioned her younger brothers and sisters, an exceptionally tender expression appeared on Chinatsu's face. It was clear that she truly cherished her family at the orphanage.

"Do you like it? I know how to make other things too. If you like, I can make you some more."

Chinatsu watched with a smile as Shingetsu kept playing with the Grasshopper in fascination. As the oldest student in the class, she saw all her classmates as children around the same age as her younger siblings, which made her instinctively want to look after them.

"Really? Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

"Not at all. I can make these really quickly."

Just as Shingetsu was chatting away with Chinatsu, Grasshopper in hand, the noisy classroom suddenly fell silent. Everyone's eyes converged on the doorway, then abruptly shifted to Shingetsu.

Puzzled by their reaction, Shingetsu followed their gazes toward the classroom door. A very familiar, very unwelcome figure stood there-

It was none other than the other participant in that day's duel, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The instant they saw him, every Uchiha youngster's expression turned cold, and they glared at him angrily. Shingetsu also frowned in displeasure and turned her face away, avoiding his gaze.

She hadn't forgotten Tobirama Senju's terrifying smile, or how Hiruzen Sarutobi had nearly killed her that day. But she didn't want to cause trouble either.

So she would simply pretend she hadn't seen this annoying, troublesome boy.

Yet, to everyone's surprise, Hiruzen Sarutobi acted as though he hadn't noticed the Uchiha youngsters' angry stares or Shingetsu deliberately turning away to ignore him.

His face was solemn and his steps heavy, as though he had resolved to do something. Only then did he walk straight up to Shingetsu and slam both hands onto her desk.

"Did you want something?"

Shingetsu turned back and cast Hiruzen Sarutobi a cold glance, her lovely little face covered in frost.

She had no idea what he wanted, but she certainly wasn't afraid of someone she had already defeated.

Under everyone's tense, puzzled gazes, bright with barely suppressed excitement, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath. His face flushed scarlet, and he threw caution to the wind and shouted:

"Uchiha Shingetsu, I like you! Marry me when we grow up!"

"Is there something wrong with your brain?!"

Ever since Shingetsu defeated him half a month earlier, Hiruzen Sarutobi had found that whenever he thought of Uchiha Shingetsu, his head buzzed like a beehive and his heart pounded wildly.

That feeling, as though his entire body were roasting over a fire, convinced him beyond any doubt that he was in love.

He, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was a boy just over ten. In the Shinobi World, where everyone matured early, this was precisely the age when romantic feelings first blossomed.

When Uchiha Shingetsu defeated him, she had also opened his heart. Her dashing figure, hand gripping her sword's hilt, had become firmly engraved in his mind. He lost his appetite and lay awake at night, utterly consumed by his obsession.

His friends had the following opinions on Hiruzen Sarutobi's newfound romantic journey and strange behavior-

Shimura Danzō: "Oh no, losing hit Hiruzen so hard he's gone insane!"

Mitokado Homura: "Putting everything else aside, aren't you afraid Teacher Tobirama will beat you to death?"

Utatane Koharu: "You actually fell for a five-year-old? Gross. You're really gross!"

To his friends' assessments, Hiruzen Sarutobi responded like this-

Bah, a bunch of idiots who don't understand the true meaning of love!

Of course he knew the path to winning Uchiha Shingetsu's heart was filled with countless obstacles. Foremost among them were his Teacher Tobirama, who had "I hate the Uchiha" engraved in his DNA, and her master, who likewise had "I hate Tobirama Senju" engraved in his.

But to Hiruzen Sarutobi, that only fired up his fighting spirit. It made him all the more determined to overcome those two towering obstacles and stage a romantic tale of "Saru-meo and Shinge-liet."

And that was the love this boy, just entering puberty and his rebellious phase, sought-scaling mountain after mountain, overcoming challenge after challenge, and defeating every fearsome dragon before marrying the most beautiful, noble princess.

Whenever his curious friends asked why he had fallen for Uchiha Shingetsu, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face would redden slightly, and he would answer in an embarrassed tone:

"Don't you think her eyes are especially beautiful? They sparkle, just like jewels!"

"So you just fell for her face. How shallow."

Utatane Koharu couldn't resist mocking him. She still remembered how Hiruzen Sarutobi had stared blankly at Uchiha Shingetsu's Sharingan, and she agreed that those eyes were beautiful and dazzling. She herself had stared at those jewel-like eyes for quite a while that day.

Mitokado Homura could more or less agree as well. Those beautiful eyes, inspiring longing yet seeming out of reach, certainly possessed an indescribable charm.

But Shimura Danzō was bewildered. He couldn't understand how everyone could so readily accept a reason that seemed utterly absurd to him.

Whenever he recalled those eerily, almost unnaturally bewitching Sharingan, an instinctive chill ran through him.

What was beautiful about those eyes?

He found them nothing but terrifying.