"Did you hear the rumor?" one child asked another. His companion shook his head. "They say a whole country was destroyed. Several villages joined together to wipe him out. I wish I could have seen it; it sure was a one-sided massacre." The children laughed, but could not hide their amazement at that incredible event.
Hitoshi, sitting a little further back, raised an eyebrow and watched them curiously. For a few seconds, he froze. He knew that the destruction of the Whirlpool Country was inevitable, but he did not expect it to happen so soon. Apparently, the villagers were already starting to spread rumors about it.
"Even being allies, Konoha shows no respect for the Uzumaki," he muttered to himself, sighing and shaking his head. "I expected nothing from that village, and yet they manage to disappoint me even more."
"Uzumaki Mito is still alive, and they do nothing? They don't even try to dialogue or come to an agreement. Don't they respect the wife of their first Hokage?" He decided not to give the matter any more thought and went back to his reading while waiting for his sensei. Gradually, he settled into the rhythm of the academy.
After a few months, he realized that that place was almost a waste of time. "Almost", because, to his surprise, at times it seemed to benefit him. A small smile crept onto his face at the thought.
After a physical practice, his young master stopped him. That day, Hitoshi mentally went over all the possible reasons. "Have I done something wrong?" he asked himself as he sat in the classroom, alone as usual, with a book in his hands. He was waiting for his sensei to finish something he had mentioned to him.
Hunger was starting to get the better of him, and he thought about leaving. After all, even if a teacher asks you to stay a little longer, he shouldn't let you go without eating. As he tidied his backpack, he was about to leave when, just at that moment, his master entered.
The man looked at him and smiled at him with absolute, almost laughing confidence. "Fukui-san, sorry I'm late. I was just finishing up some paperwork I was asked to do at the last minute, but I'm ready now. And, from what I can see, so are you." He noticed the backpack on Hitoshi's shoulder and added, "Let's go, or you won't be able to arrive early tomorrow."
The teacher took his belongings and began to guide Hitoshi toward his destination. The boy, however, carried a great unknown in his mind. He had even prepared a plan in case his sensei turned out to be a bully. His kunai rested in his sleeve, ready for any unpleasant surprises.
The walk passed in silence. Master Oda knew his student well and knew he was of few words, so he avoided starting an unnecessary conversation. He was confident that what he had prepared would be enough to motivate Hitoshi.
Noticing that they were entering a forest, Hitoshi tightened his grip on his kunai. "It seems that today will be my first death in this world, and at the hands of my master," he thought. "I will become a missing ninja. But, to save my dignity and integrity, I am ready for anything."
When they reached an esplanade, Hitoshi was on edge. Any strange move and he would not hesitate to attack his master's neck. However, all his anxiety suddenly disappeared when he saw what was in front of him.
"So you hold back in training." Those were his master's first words, and with them, Hitoshi could breathe a little easier, although he maintained a defensive stance.
"No, sensei. Holding back in training would be counterproductive for me," the boy replied firmly, his voice clear and his expression serious.
"Oh, would it?" The chūnin pulled a kunai from his bag and threw it towards Hitoshi without warning. The boy reacted instantly, drawing the kunai hidden in his sleeve and blocking the attack with precision. His once serene face now showed an unsettling coldness as he locked his gaze on his master.
"What is the meaning of this, sensei?" it was not a question, but a warning. Hitoshi backed up a few steps, adopting a fighting stance, ready for anything.
"Good reaction, excellent speed and a potential strategist. You wouldn't be a little genius, would you?" The master smiled as he aimed another kunai directly at Hitoshi's skull. "From the movement of your pupils, I noticed that you already thought of several ways to escape. You know you can't beat me, and your position is weak. But that's understandable, after all, your parents and grandparents were civilians. They could not have left a legacy of taijutsu."
Hitoshi remained motionless, not responding. His master smiled again. "Now, Hitoshi, why do you hold back?" The question caused the boy to tremble slightly, though he did not show it overtly.
"Why did you bring me here, do you want to murder me?" The question elicited a laugh from his master, who even held his stomach from the effort. When he finally calmed down, he replied, "You answer first, and then I will answer you."
Trapped and with no other choice, Hitoshi decided to be honest. "I hold back so as not to draw too much attention to myself at the academy. Happy?" he watched as his teacher narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "That's the whole truth," he added.
"Unhappy," Hitoshi muttered, but continued. "I know people who could complicate my life. And, as I guess you heard the first day, I just want to live in peace."
"But you also said you hate people who don't take things seriously," the teacher reminded with a smirk. "And not taking your academic trainings seriously is, shall we say, a bit hypocritical." Hitoshi frowned, which elicited a chuckle from his sensei. "Fukui-san, I came today with a serious intention. Put the kunai down, I won't hurt you. I want to help you."
Hitoshi did not lower the weapon, which made his master sigh. "I was expecting this. After all, this scene looks like a betrayal."
"Apparently, you finally understood the mood, Oda," Hitoshi said, without lowering the kunai. His master frowned. "That's disrespectful, kid, but I'll let it go for now." He pulled a folder from his backpack and tossed it toward Hitoshi. "I also know those people you speak of. My father was one of their victims."
Hitoshi looked at the open folder. "Kentaro Oda." The name didn't ring a bell, but the picture showed a cheerful and charismatic man, much like his teacher. "Rank: Jōnin... next to it it says 'ANBU', but it's crossed out," he read quietly.
"My father was ANBU for several years," his master explained, watching as Hitoshi nodded. "You seem to know what ANBU is. You're smart." Hitoshi cursed himself internally for letting that information slip out, but kept his composure. "My father was a village tool. As such a talented civilian, he was watched and recruited from a young age. He served under Tobirama-sama," the master continued, smiling as he recalled how his father would come home with stories of his missions. "But when the Nidaime passed away and the Sandaime took over, everything changed."
There was a silence, his sensei glanced sideways and a faint smile grew but disappeared very quickly. "I hardly ever saw him. He always said the borders were under constant attack. My father was on the front lines, defending a village that never recognized him. While the ANBU of the clans rose, he was still treated like a rookie, despite his experience."
Hitoshi slowly lowered his kunai, listening carefully. He knew some of this, but not in such detail.
"Since the Sandaime took over, the village has seen its darkest time," the master continued. "Clans like the Senju and the Uchiha have been marginalized, while the Hokage's allies flourish. It is no coincidence."
Hitoshi feigned surprise, though internally he was confirming what he already suspected. "Sensei, if anyone heard you say this, you'd be fired... or worse."
"Fukui-san, I have watched you. I know you despise the 'will of fire' and everything the village stands for," the master said, pointing at him with a smile. "There it is, that cold attitude you adopt when I speak of these things."
"The point of this is to warn you," he continued, serious again. "My father found out too late how things work here. Civilians and former heroes are ignored, while the powerful benefit. I don't want more people to fall into their clutches."
"Holding back isn't wrong. In fact, it's smart," the master admitted. "But Minato, for example, has already been marked. The clans are watching him, and soon they will manipulate him. They love to use people with no connections, easy to discard."
Hitoshi nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of the situation.
"My father left me a collection of jutsu before he died," the master confessed. "But I don't have the talent to master them. You, on the other hand, could. Are you willing to learn from me and defend yourself against this cruel world?"
The master's eyes, once warm, now showed a mixture of coldness and determination.
Hitoshi hesitated. It was a lot of information all at once, and one mistake could cost him his life. But the opportunity to learn from someone like his master was invaluable.
"Sensei, I have my doubts," he finally admitted. "But if we don't try, we'll never move forward. To live in peace, I may have to become Hokage." He let out a nervous laugh, but his master nodded earnestly.
"If you succeed in living in peace, it will be because of your skill and effort. Without that, you'll be just another pawn," the master said, drawing another kunai. "But first, I want to see your taijutsu."
Before Hitoshi could react, his master charged at him. The boy narrowly dodged, surprised but ready for what was to come.
With the memory still fresh in his mind, Hitoshi put his hand to his right side, feeling the slight pain that persisted after another intense day of training. Several weeks had passed since that conversation with his sensei, and since then, he had not missed a single day of practice. His teacher, though stern, knew how to get the best out of him. Although he had not yet mastered impressive jutsu, his physical condition and chakra control had improved astonishingly. If before he could run through the forest for hours without fatigue, now he was able to do it almost all night without problems.
The initial effort had given him a considerable advantage, though it had also cost him suffering. But he understood. His sensei, when he went into his "instructor mode," transformed into an almost fearsome figure, relentless and demanding. Every morning, Hitoshi woke up with new bruises, but they would disappear by late afternoon thanks to a special ointment his master prepared for him. It was an exhausting cycle, but the results were undeniable. Everything he already knew had been perfected, and he felt stronger and more confident than ever.
However, his new aura of confidence and serenity did not go unnoticed. Some of his peers began to look at him with envy, and it wasn't long before the first signs of resentment emerged. One day, as he sat in the courtyard reading his herbal medicine book, a group of boys approached him with clearly hostile intentions.
The leader of the group was a boy from the Inuzuka clan, a scruffy-haired, fierce-looking boy, accompanied by his faithful canine companion, a medium-sized dog that growled slightly. The Inuzuka were known for their unique connection with dogs, their philosophy of loyalty and their belief in strength through the pack. To them, hierarchy was everything, and this boy, named Goro, seemed hell-bent on proving he was the "alpha" of the group, even though his class standing was far from impressive.
"Look who we have here, the bookworm with his new book," Goro said, snatching the book out of Hitoshi's hands in one swift motion. His dog barked in support, as if backing up his master's action. The other boys, a couple of civilians who followed Goro as if they were part of his pack, laughed knowingly.
Hitoshi calmly observed the group. He knew that the Inuzuka valued strength and loyalty, but he also understood that Goro was nothing more than a bully trying to compensate for his own insecurities. "Would you give me back my book, please?" he said serenely, keeping his composure. He wasn't about to fall for her games.
Goro smiled mischievously, waving the book in front of Hitoshi's face. "Ah, Fukui-san wants his stupid book? How about we use it to play for a while?" his dog growled again, as if agreeing with the idea. However, before Goro could throw the book, a hand appeared out of nowhere, stopping him firmly.
"Give the book back to Fukui-san," said a calm but firm voice. It was Minato Namikaze, the blond prodigy of the class, whose natural talent and charisma made him stand out even among the best. Goro froze for a moment, his bullying attitude fading quickly. The Inuzuka respected strength, and Minato, while not aggressive, exuded a quiet authority that even Goro could not ignore.
"Minato...," Goro muttered, lowering his gaze. His dog, sensing the tension, stopped growling and curled up at his feet. With a gesture of annoyance, Goro handed the book back to Hitoshi. "Take your garbage, you good-for-nothing," he said, though his voice lacked the conviction of before. Then, with a sharp movement, he walked away, followed by his pack of followers, who seemed just as intimidated by Minato's presence.
"Thank you, Namikaze-san," Hitoshi said, picking up his book and returning to his reading. He didn't want to engage Minato in a long conversation; he preferred to keep a low profile. He had a plan in mind, and that required that he not draw too much attention to himself. For now, he had to make the most of every opportunity that came his way.
Minato nodded with a polite smile, but before he could say anything else, Hitoshi had already returned to his book. The blond seemed to understand that this was not the time to insist and calmly walked away, leaving Hitoshi alone.
However, as he went back to immersing himself in his reading, Hitoshi felt a gaze fixed on him. He frowned and looked up cautiously. After weeks of noticing that presence, he had finally figured out who it was: Mikoto Uchiha, the heiress of the Uchiha clan. It was she who was watching him from the shadows. The revelation had left him dumbfounded for several minutes when he first found out. Why would someone like her be looking at him?
But after weeks of feeling that lingering gaze, Hitoshi was tired of the uncertainty. Today he would decide to address the matter. He was going to talk to Mikoto and clear up any misunderstanding there might be between them.
As always, when their teacher entered the classroom, everyone was silent. This occasion was no different. The man sat at his desk with his arms folded, watching his students with a piercing gaze.
"Would someone please remind me what we saw yesterday?" many hands went up, and the teacher couldn't help but smile at the sight of his students' enthusiasm.
Hitoshi snorted. He knew his sensei very well. He loved to see how his students actively participated in class. As he used to say, "Watching students learn is the best gift a teacher could receive." Although, of course, that didn't stop him from beating them during training. Maintaining a jovial and attentive attitude, Hitoshi tried to camouflage himself among the other students.
With the sound of the bell, the students filed out of the classroom in an orderly fashion to go to lunch. Hitoshi slyly put away his things slower than the others, intending to observe the movements of his little "stalker". Mikoto quietly left the classroom, with that aura of nobility and calm that characterized her. He was following her little by little, but suddenly she stopped in her tracks. Hitoshi felt strange. He was following a girl barely six years old, and from another perspective, that was... strange. Without giving the matter any more thought, he decided to investigate why the heiress of the Uchiha clan would be so interested in him.
The moment Mikoto sat under a tree, alone, Hitoshi knew this was his chance. Although it had been a long time since he had interacted with young children, he thought his strategy was foolproof.
"Why is Fukui-san following me?" thought Mikoto once she left the classroom. She had gotten used to the boy's routine by now. After class, he was usually one of the first to leave, heading to the rooftop for lunch. At that time, she would follow him and accompany him in silence, even though they had never technically seen each other. To her, he was pleasant company.
When she noticed him following her this time, she became a little worried. She had never thought this would happen. She thought her skills at going unnoticed were good. She mentally smacked herself. "Clearly it was because of the training she received. She was going to develop these skills." Now she would have to create a fake routine so she wouldn't be discovered.
Spotting a tree with a nice, solitary shade, she sat down at its base, as if she had been repeating that action for months. She took her lunch out of a lunch box and began to eat, trying not to look directly at Hitoshi, but keeping him in her field of vision. She wanted to see if he would follow her, but didn't want to risk making another mistake.
"She looks quiet. Will I disturb her?" hesitated Hitoshi for a second, but finally approached. He began to execute his strategy: sit next to her without saying anything. "Approaching and saying nothing is foolproof with small children. Besides, she's likely to initiate the conversation," he mentally told himself, applauding his great plan. He simply pulled out his lunch box and started eating.
Seconds passed, then minutes, and nothing happened. Neither of them spoke or made any comment. The atmosphere around them was strange, but not awkward or unpleasant. It was, somehow, strangely comfortable.
Hitoshi enjoyed his rice ball, thanks to a little recommendation from his teacher. He had found the best way to prepare the rice so that it would be delicious. "Family secrets," his sensei had told him when he taught it to him. It was at that moment that he noticed a small movement beside him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mikoto watching him, specifically his rice.
"Bingo," he mentally exclaimed. Finally, an opening. Calmly, he stretched his chopsticks towards her, offering her an onigiri. "Would you like some?" he asked, his tone disinterested, without formality or pretense. As if there was nothing behind that simple offer.
Mikoto finally gave him a full glance, looking him in the eyes. It was like the usual lunches, but this time, he was accompanying her. It was... nice. After a long time, she could see herself reflected in those brown pupils. She had always watched him from behind, knowing that he had never looked at her or shown interest. But now, for the first time, she felt seen. In her young mind, so many possible scenarios played out, but on the outside, her noble appearance did a great job of hiding her emotions.
Nodding, he accepted the onigiri with his fingers and ate it. Any kind of elegance or politeness was forgotten for a few seconds. He simply enjoyed the food. Hitoshi, for his part, smiled proudly. He felt satisfied that the noble girl, who had probably tasted all kinds of exquisite dishes, accepted his humble onigiri and enjoyed it so much.
Once the food was finished, Mikoto looked at him and murmured a soft and almost imperceptible "Thank you". The bell rang just in time, saving them both from the awkwardness that might have arisen. They tidied everything up and walked together back to the living room. As at the beginning, they did not speak. They simply walked in silence.
They each took their seats, and Hitoshi let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding back. "Does this count as my strategy working? I guess it doesn't. Well, maybe tomorrow it will work," he thought, leaning back a bit at his desk.
But his rest didn't last long. The kids, as usual, were cheeky little buggers, and didn't mind talking even having the gossip protagonists right behind them. "Did you hear what happened?" one child asked another.
His friend shook his head, and the first began to speak softly. "Uchiha Mikoto ate with someone at lunch, and it was with Fukui Hitoshi." The friend's eyes widened in surprise and he didn't hesitate to ask, "Do you think it was the Sharingan? The Uchihas can do anything with those eyes, and fooling a civilian like us wouldn't be that complicated."
The other nodded, adding, "Some say that, but they don't think it feasible. No one has commented on her awakening the eyes. But maybe it was a close relative who controlled her to have friends."
Hitoshi looked at them quizzically. "Why do the Uchihas have such a bad reputation so soon? The Nine-Tails haven't even shown up or done anything wrong. Sure, there's the Uchiha police, but for these civilian kids to be so brainwashed, they had to have done something lousy. Although, trying to remember, in the last six years, the Uchihas haven't done anything wrong." He frowned, hesitating. "This village is a hole of bad decision after bad decision," he thought, shaking his head, having the image of the Hokage and the advisors.
The afternoon at the academy passed without major developments. The training focused on physical exercises and the basics of kunai throwing. Many of the children from clans were already experienced in handling weapons, but for the civilians, this was something completely new. The teacher took the time to explain to them in a clear and simple way how to get started in the art of kunai throwing.
Hitoshi was one of those civilians. With a wooden kunai in hand, he acted excited, almost like a child who had just received a new toy. His lighthearted attitude resonated well with the other students who, like him, were discovering this world for the first time. The only thing that caught his attention was the absence of that feeling of being watched.
"Uchiha-san is no longer watching me," he thought as he twirled the kunai between his fingers. He found it strange, but decided not to give the matter too much thought.
When classes were over, Hitoshi waited for his teacher and together they left for their usual training place. However, as soon as they arrived, the sensei surprised him with a punch straight to the face, making him fall to the ground while holding his nose, moaning in pain.
"Why did you do that?" asked Hitoshi, looking at his master angrily as he tried to hold back the bleeding.
"You looked distracted," the sensei replied calmly. "As a shinobi, you must always be alert, even when you are with people you trust. Your mind cannot afford to wander, no matter how many thoughts invade it. You must be attentive to everything going on around you."
Hitoshi sighed, acknowledging that his teacher was right. "I understand, sensei. I'm sorry," he said, getting up from the ground. But before he could regain his balance, another blow knocked him back down.
"It seems you still don't quite understand," said the sensei, laughing lightly before adopting a serious expression. "Now, will you tell me what's wrong?"
Hitoshi rubbed his head, containing his frustration. Finally, in a shy and awkward voice, he asked, "How do you make friends with young nobles?"
The sensei looked at him silently for a moment, then smiled. "I take it you're referring to Uchiha Mikoto," he said, and Hitoshi nodded. "She's a complicated child. Being the heir to such an important clan and burdened by the expectations of so many people must be exhausting. But, Fukui-san, I must warn you that getting close to someone like her carries political risks. However, something tells me you wouldn't heed my advice even if I gave it to you."
Hitoshi gave a nervous laugh, and the sensei continued, "If you really want to get close to her, be cautious. Think carefully about every move you make in public. When you're alone together, you can relax a little, but if someone else is watching, be careful. The Uchiha aren't just any family."
"Understood, sensei," Hitoshi replied, trying to stand up again, but his teacher stopped him with a gesture.
"I'm not finished yet," he said, staring at him. "To connect with people like her, first, take advantage of your youth. At your age, intentions are usually purer, and that's something they value. Second, be genuine. Nobles are trained to detect falsehood from afar. If you're not sincere, they'll know it immediately. And third, remember that they are human, like you and me. They are not gods or daimyōs. Treat them with respect, but without fear. Take advantage of your youth; later on, approaching people like that will be much more difficult."
The sensei paused, taking a kunai from his pocket. "Now that we've talked about this, it's time to train. If you want to be among important people, you'll need to earn their respect. And to do that, you must first be strong." His gaze turned cold, and the air around him seemed to thicken with tension. "You have three seconds to run. If you manage to survive an hour, you'll have taken one step forward. One…"
Hitoshi didn't wait for him to finish counting. He ran as fast as he could, feeling fear and adrenaline rush through his body. The sensei watched his back as he walked away, and a smile spread across his face. He couldn't deny that he felt a certain affection for the boy. He was more than just a student; he was almost like a friend, although he couldn't find the right words to define their relationship.
"The relationship between teacher and student is something incredible," he murmured to himself. "That's why I fell in love with teaching the younger generations." With a swift motion, he threw the kunai toward the last place he'd seen Hitoshi, then took off in pursuit.