Enrollment

Year 21 of Hidden Leaf Village, spring.

Six-year-old Uchiha Nen had finally reached the age to attend school.

On enrollment day, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood atop the massive platform in the Ninja Academy plaza, draped in his Hokage Battle Robe, delivering an impassioned speech to Hidden Leaf Village's new sprouts:

"Wherever leaves dance, fire burns. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village and make new leaves sprout. When one wishes to protect those most precious to them, a ninja's true strength will reveal itself..."

A gentle breeze blew, and a hundred flowers bloomed. At that moment, students and parents alike basked in the sunlight, happy smiles on their faces and eyes full of hope for the future.

Only Uchiha Nen stood silently at the back of the crowd, his eyes lowered, looking utterly alone.

For some reason, even though the Hokage himself had come and everyone was joyfully gathered together, he could not feel the slightest warmth. A feeling of disgust even rose within him.

He hated occasions like this.

Because this atmosphere was only temporary, only false. No matter how wonderful things were now, wouldn't he still have to return to that empty little home after school?

He raised his head and swept his gaze across the crowd. At last, he spotted two familiar, furtive figures in a patch of bushes.

Tong Ren, Orochimaru!

Those two had ultimately skipped class to "attend" his enrollment ceremony.

Nen's gaze trembled slightly. At that moment, he made up his mind.

This so-called Ninja Academy is nothing more than a slightly bigger house. I don't need to fit in with them. These two friends are enough for me.

Time slipped away unnoticed, and the ceremony quietly came to an end amid Nen's wandering thoughts.

Just as he was wondering whether to go say hello to Tong Ren and the others, someone suddenly bumped his shoulder. He staggered, his muscles tensing instinctively, and only barely managed to stay upright with his excellent balance.

Before Nen could turn around, an aggressive curse reached his ears.

"Hey, are you blind? Or did you forget to bring your eyes when you left home?"

It was a fat boy with slightly brown curly hair. His loose vest bore the crest for "food." He was probably a new student enrolling this year as well.

Nen came to that conclusion because he noticed a similarly broad and heavyset woman following behind the fat boy.

"Asahi, mind your manners when you speak to people!" the fat woman symbolically "scolded," though her gentle tone was full of indulgence.

Clearly, those words were useless, because the fat boy immediately stepped forward and grabbed Nen by the collar with his short, thick arm.

"Uchiha Clan, huh? Hmph. What's your name?" The fat boy had noticed Nen's clan attire.

Nen remained calm and raised his hands. "My name is Uchiha Nen. I'm very sorry for bumping into you."

Akimichi Asahi shoved Nen away, his tone threatening. "Hmph, watch where you're going next time!"

"My, my~ Don't be so angry. You might end up in the same class someday..." The fat woman covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll get along with him just fine..." Akimichi Asahi turned back and gave Nen a sinister smile.

Nen straightened his collar and did not respond to the provocation.

Since he had already decided to be invisible, there was no need to get angry. He did not want to attract attention on his first day of school.

Thus, after school on the first day, Uchiha Nen was blocked by three children his age in a dark alley near the school gate.

"Asahi? Is this the guy who offended you?"

The speaker was a blond youth. Judging by his clan attire, he should have been a child of the Yamanaka Clan.

"Hey, he's still from the Uchiha Clan. Don't take things too far," a boy with a ponytail warned.

Akimichi Asahi gave a cold snort. "What's so great about the Uchiha? My Grand Uncle was ambushed by an Uchiha Rogue Ninja back then and died tragically. I don't have the slightest good feeling toward that bunch."

There was no fear on Nen's face, only a hint of helplessness in his voice. "So? What are you planning to do? I remember apologizing already."

The three before him were probably children of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans. Being targeted by them on the first day of school was hardly a good thing.

"Hehe, what am I going to do?" Akimichi Asahi sneered. "Just loosen you up a little. Next time you see us, remember to take another route!"

"There's no room for discussion at all?" Nen's gaze remained calm, but before he could finish speaking, Akimichi Asahi charged forward and swung a fist at his face.

"Then there's nothing I can do." Nen sighed helplessly. He took half a step back and twisted his body, letting the pudgy fist brush past the tip of his nose as he lightly dodged the attack.

"You dare dodge!" Akimichi Asahi stopped short, twisted at the waist, and turned around with another punch.

Nen bent his knees slightly, lowering his center of gravity as he tilted his head left, once again evading the fat boy's fist.

Akimichi Asahi was now completely exposed, every weakness on his back laid bare before Nen. If he wanted, he could have followed up with a left hook to the back of his opponent's head and made him shut up for good.

But he merely shoved Akimichi Asahi in the back, causing him to stumble forward and fall into his companions' arms.

"I'll say this one last time. If you're angry because I bumped into you, I can apologize. But that's as far as it goes."

Nen's emotions were remarkably steady, his tone neither heated nor cold. "First, I'm afraid of pain, so I don't want to get beaten up. Second, even if my dignity is worthless, I won't let you humiliate me so easily."

In fact, during the year before enrollment, he had learned from Orochimaru and Uchiha Kirito how to gather Chakra. That day, four different reactions had appeared on the Chakra Paper!

One corner ignited in flames, one was dampened by water, one split into two, and the final corner crumbled into scraps.

That meant Nen had been born with Chakra of no fewer than four attributes!

Thus, he had also learned a few minor Wind Style and Fire Style Ninjutsu from the two of them. Beyond that, through day-after-day training at the Abandoned Training Ground, Nen had attained a respectable level in Taijutsu and Shuriken throwing.

Though he still could not compare to Orochimaru and the others, dealing with a few children his own age was more than easy enough.

"Bastard! Who are you looking down on?!"

Akimichi Asahi's face flushed red as he charged forward again, unwilling to admit defeat. The other two behind him exchanged Eye Contact. "Let's get him together!"

"You forced me to do this."

Nen adjusted his breathing and remained standing at his Original Spot. Only when the three came within a few steps did he throw his shoulder bag, smashing it into Akimichi Asahi's face.

While Akimichi Asahi's vision was obstructed, Nen rushed first at the Yamanaka Clan child. He raised his left arm to block the other's punch, seized his wrist in return, then stepped forward and cut into the other's lower stance like a long blade tearing through an enemy formation.

Nen's gaze suddenly sharpened. Taking advantage of the momentum, he spun fiercely and executed a clean shoulder throw, slamming the Yamanaka boy into the ground and leaving him dazed.

At that moment, the bag fell to the ground, revealing blood streaming from Akimichi Asahi's nostrils. The weight of the books had all landed squarely on his nose.

Then he saw Uchiha Nen trip Nara with a sweeping kick, form a Hand Seal with both hands, and breathe a gust of air toward him.

Wind Release: Breakthrough!

The air surged violently. Akimichi Asahi instinctively shut his eyes as a fierce gale sent him flying into the wall behind him.

"It hurts!" He clutched the back of his head, tears welling from the pain. By the time his vision cleared, Uchiha Nen was already standing before him.

"Let's end today's matter here."

Nen looked down at Akimichi Asahi from above, a Shuriken pinched between two fingers and pressed against that fat face.

"I have no intention of making enemies of you, nor will I challenge your dignity. Let's leave each other alone from now on. Is that alright?"

The icy touch finally brought Akimichi Asahi back to his senses. He looked up at Uchiha Nen, staring into those dead-fish eyes as still as an ancient well, and shuddered violently.

"Alright." He opened his mouth with difficulty. The enormous gap in their strength left him no choice but to face reality.

Just then, applause rang out from the mouth of the alley. Uchiha Kirito and Orochimaru appeared side by side, their approving gazes making them seem as though they were looking at their own disciple.

"Not bad, Nen. Your Taijutsu is becoming more and more like mine."

"Mm, your Wind Style has improved a lot too."

Akimichi Asahi was completely Stunned. "S-senior students..."

The tiny bit of thought he had harbored about settling the score later vanished without a trace.

The crisp, forceful applause was like a slap across his fat face.

On the wall's eaves, a Cow Cat licked its paw, then straightened up and stretched elegantly.