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My name is Ren—Shimura Ren, in this life. I'm a shinobi of Konohagakure. To be more precise, I'm currently a first-year student at the Konoha Ninja Academy.
My father dotes on me endlessly, showering me with anything I ask for. But no matter how indulgent he is, I can never truly feel comfortable.
After all, my father is none other than one of Konoha's shadow rulers—Shimura Danzō.
In my previous life, watching the Naruto anime, Danzo always struck me as a ruthless and manipulative man.
For the so-called "greater good" of the village—and himself—he would dive headfirst into the darkest of schemes without a second thought.
That deep contrast between the man I knew from fiction and the man doting on me now made it hard to adjust, even after several years.
The enthusiastic droning of our classroom teacher continued as he gave today's lesson, but my mind was elsewhere.
I rested my chin in my left hand, gazing downward with half-lidded eyes, thoughts drifting toward the unfolding timeline of this world.
'Hiruzen Sarutobi has already become the Third Hokage… Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya should've just made Jōnin. If I'm in my first year at the academy now, then the Second Great Ninja War must still be a few years away, right?'
My memory of the exact chronology from the anime was fuzzy at best, and the uncertainty left me with a gnawing unease.
The biggest red flag? In the anime, Danzo was never mentioned to have a son—much less an heir. So, what the hell am I? A ripple in the timeline? An anomaly? A blip that's destined to disappear when history decides to correct itself?
If my presence is inevitable, then fate will eventually push me off the edge, erase me from this world's narrative.
After all, no record of my existence exists in the story I once knew. I could be fated to die in obscurity.
Just as that grim thought clawed its way to the surface of my mind—
Whoosh!
Something sliced through the air with an audible crack.
Thwack!
"Ouch!"
A sharp pain erupted on my forehead. A red welt began to form almost instantly.
When I snapped out of my daze, I realized the source: a chalk eraser. And standing at the podium, glaring at me with the fury of a disappointed elder, was none other than the Sandaime Hokage himself—Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The classroom erupted in laughter.
"Shimura Ren! You tell me—what did I just say?" Hiruzen's voice was stern, frustrated. He wasn't targeting me out of malice.
No, this was the frustration of a teacher who expected better, especially from the son of a rival.
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly, grinning and feigning innocence. "Sorry, Sensei. I didn't mean to space out… I'm not feeling well. I've got a terrible headache."
"Headache?" Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, glancing at the class. Most of the students were stifling their laughter with puffed cheeks and trembling shoulders.
He didn't quite understand the context, but he definitely sensed some trickery.
"If you have a headache, then go to the academy infirmary. Get a medical certificate, and you can head home early."
"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, but… my headache is so bad, even the school doctor wouldn't dare issue a certificate."
That did it.
"Hahahahaha!" The class burst out laughing again.
Sarutobi's face darkened. "Get. Out!"
...
After giving his lecture, Sarutobi-sama left the academy—probably relieved to escape babysitting duties.
I waited until he was gone before strolling back into the classroom like I was returning from a victorious campaign.
I raised a middle finger toward the direction the Hokage had exited from. "Tch. Grumpy old monkey."
Naturally, my fellow students treated me like a hero for standing up to the Hokage. Kids love chaos, after all.
"Oi, Little Sun, was I handsome back there?" I clapped a hand on the shoulder of the boy sitting in front of me, grinning with shameless pride.
"It wasn't handsome at all," the boy replied, turning around with a cheerful, almost girlish voice. "Hokage-sama's lectures are very important. I learned a lot today."
Yep. That's Namikaze Minato—future Yellow Flash of Konoha. And this isn't just a class of nobodies. Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Chōza, Nara Shikaku, Inuzuka Tsume, and even Uchiha Mikoto—all future elites—are part of Year 1, Class A.
"Boring," I scoffed at Minato. "Good boys like you never get girlfriends."
I sauntered back to my seat, reached casually to my left—and grabbed a soft, delicate hand.
"Mikoto, was I cool just now?" I turned on the charm with a lazy smirk.
"Ah… uh…" Mikoto flushed crimson. She tried to pull her hand away, but I held firm. Her expression grew even more flustered, like a rabbit caught in a trap.
"Ren, you were really amazing… I–I…" She stammered, clearly overwhelmed.
Before I could tease her further—
"Let go of her, Shimura Ren."
A cold voice rang out. I looked up to see an Uchiha student striding toward us, eyes narrowed, black attire emblazoned with the iconic Uchiha fan symbol.
Here comes the cavalry.
"She belongs to Uchiha Fugaku-sama—the next clan head's chosen partner," he growled. "Touch her again, and you'll regret ever being born."
Uchiha Canon Fodder #1 stood with arrogant bravado, chakra pulsing from him like heat waves. For an academy student, his chakra reserves were freakishly high—on par with a Genin. The pressure alone was enough to make most students freeze.
Nara Shikaku narrowed his eyes in concern. "That's… not normal for our age. If he really attacks Ren, it could get messy."
Shikaku knew my family background well. If an Uchiha laid a hand on me, it would spark tension—Danzo would make sure of that.
He opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Canon Fodder #1 turned and shot him a cold glare that silenced him instantly.
Shikaku sighed. "Danzo's kids… they don't back down."
Canon Fodder #1 turned back to me. His posture screamed superiority. His chakra flared once more, a thin sheen of power humming around him.
I smiled gently, eyes narrowing slightly.
Sheep's clothing?
Please.
In an instant, the sheep became a tiger.
A pulse of chakra exploded from my body—blue, controlled, dense. A shockwave tore across the room.
BOOM!
Canon Fodder #1's eyes widened as he was blasted backward by my concentrated chakra strike, smashing into the classroom wall hard enough to crack the surface.
CRACK!
He slid down the wall, coughing blood, face contorted in pain. Hands clutched his abdomen, and even though he tried to act tough, his entire body trembled.
Despite everything, the Uchiha pride wouldn't let him bow his head. He glared at me through the pain, even as blood dripped from his mouth.
The class was dead silent. Shocked.
Moments later, our homeroom Chūnin instructor stormed in from the neighboring room.
"What happened?! Shimura Ren! Did you just—? Are you out of your mind?! You could've killed him!"
He knelt beside the downed Uchiha, checking his vitals and stabilizing him with basic medical ninjutsu. His expression went from angry to horrified.
"Shimura Ren, you're suspected of attempting to kill a classmate. You're coming with me to the Hokage's office—now!"
"No."
"…What?"
"I said no," I repeated, brushing dust off my sleeves like nothing had happened.
A golden aura shimmered faintly around me—ethereal, unseen by the others. A subtle pressure filled the room, weighing down on everyone.
"Canon Fodder #1, sensei…" I smiled lazily. "Give me face, and let this go."
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