"Lord Fugaku, what brings you here personally?"
Mizuki, smiling in his usual mild-mannered way, approached respectfully.
"I'd like to ask you to take these two children to their classroom," Uchiha Fugaku replied in a calm and flat tone, his usual stern demeanor unshaken.
"Understood. These two must be your sons—future prodigies of the Uchiha Clan, no doubt."
Mizuki's smile widened as he turned to Sasuke and Chen. "Come with me, I'll take you to your class." His warm and friendly appearance could easily fool anyone into believing he was trustworthy.
But Chen, who had seen the anime in his past life, saw straight through the façade. Mizuki was no kind-hearted teacher. He was a conniving, treacherous man who would one day deceive Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals—just to pursue his own ambitions.
"Go with him. He'll guide you to your classroom," Fugaku instructed the twins.
"Yes, Father. We'll be going now."
Chen and Sasuke gave a respectful bow and followed Mizuki down the corridor.
"You're a little late—class has already started for the others," Mizuki said over his shoulder with a grin as he led them through the Academy halls.
"Oh."
Chen gave a nonchalant response, while Sasuke didn't even bother acknowledging him, walking coolly with his hands in his pockets.
"Haha…"
Seeing neither brother paying him any mind, Mizuki gave a hollow laugh, but there was a glint of resentment in his eyes. After that, he fell silent.
Soon, they reached a classroom door. Mizuki stopped in front of it.
"This is it. Wait here for a moment while I call your teacher."
He walked up to the door, where a lecture was underway, and knocked lightly. On the podium stood a brown-haired teacher wearing a forehead protector and the standard Chūnin flak jacket. He turned when he heard his name.
"Iruka-sensei, can I have a word?" Mizuki asked politely.
It was Iruka Umino, one of the most compassionate teachers in the Academy and a key figure in Naruto's early life.
"Oh, Mizuki! One moment."
Iruka turned to the class and said, "Self-study for now." Then he stepped out into the hallway.
"What is it?" Iruka asked, glancing at the two boys behind Mizuki.
"These two are new students. I was asked to bring them in." Mizuki said with a professional smile.
"Ah, I see. So these are the ones."
Iruka looked them over, then smiled warmly. "Welcome. I'm your teacher, Iruka Umino. I'll be in charge of your class."
"Please take care of us, Iruka-sensei."
Chen bowed politely. He held genuine admiration for Iruka. In his past life, he had always respected the man—not because he was powerful, but because of his unwavering kindness. It was Iruka's recognition that kept Naruto from spiraling into darkness. Without him, Naruto might have never walked the path of light.
Suddenly, a burst of laughter echoed from inside the classroom. Iruka's warm expression darkened.
"Excuse me, Mizuki-sensei. I need to get back to class."
He gave an apologetic nod.
"Hehe, it's fine. You take care of them, Iruka-sensei," Mizuki replied, waving casually.
Iruka turned to Chen and Sasuke. "Come with me."
Inside the classroom, a familiar scene played out. On the blackboard, a crude drawing of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, with monkey ears and a goofy face, was on full display. Laughter filled the room as the students pointed and giggled.
"Naruto! You idiot! Get back to your seat!"
Iruka's voice thundered through the room.
There he was—Uzumaki Naruto. The knucklehead troublemaker who used pranks to get attention. The future hero of the Hidden Leaf.
Naruto grumbled as he put the chalk down and trudged back to his seat. "Tch… So boring."
Iruka returned to the podium after a sigh and clapped his hands to settle the room.
"Alright everyone, quiet down. We have two new students joining us today. Please give them a warm welcome."
The class fell silent as everyone turned toward the door, curious expressions on their faces.
"New students?"
You two, come in," Iruka called gently from the front of the class.
Chen and Sasuke stepped through the door and stood at the front. Chen bowed again, while Sasuke stood with an aloof look, arms crossed.
"Teacher Iruka," Chen greeted respectfully. Sasuke, true to character, remained cool and detached.
"Wow! They're both so cool!"
"Are they twins?"
"They look exactly the same!"
The class immediately erupted with gasps and admiration. A few girls already had sparkles in their eyes.
"Quiet down!" Iruka chuckled, then turned to the boys. "Please introduce yourselves."
"I'm Uchiha Chen. Please take care of me," Chen said with a slight smile.
"…Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke said coldly, his tone flat and uninterested.
The room burst into a louder buzz.
"Uchiha? As in that Uchiha clan?"
"I heard everyone in the Uchiha clan is a genius!"
"Lucky us, we get to be classmates with Uchihas!"
To the common folk of Konoha, the Uchiha clan was nearly mythic—an elite family known for their prowess in ninjutsu and their legendary dōjutsu, the Sharingan. Although no one here had seen a Sharingan yet, just the clan name was enough to stir awe.
Sasuke, hearing the praise, smirked proudly and slipped his hands into his pockets like a true heir of the clan. His body language screamed confidence—and condescension.
Chen, meanwhile, rolled his eyes internally.
All geniuses? What a joke. These people don't know anything.
To Chen, the Uchiha clan wasn't invincible. Without the Mangekyō Sharingan and high-level fire-style techniques, they were no different from other jōnin-level shinobi. At this point in time, not a single Uchiha possessed a Mangekyō. The so-called "genius clan" was coasting on reputation.
Still, he played along. There was no need to reveal his true thoughts just yet.
Hey! As expected of the young master from a prestigious family, arriving late on the first day of school."
A condescending voice echoed from the crowd.
Sasuke and Chen turned their attention to the source. A boy with spiky hair and two red streaks painted across his face glared at them disdainfully. This boy was none other than Inuzuka Kiba, one of the future members of the Konoha 12. "That's right, truly arrogant!" Naruto, sitting across the room, muttered with visible frustration.
"Naruto, Kiba, quiet down!"
A girl with long pink hair and a yellow ribbon tied in a ponytail snapped at the two boys. It was Haruno Sakura, accompanied by the excitable Yamanaka Ino. The two girls quickly became the center of attention, as the other female students in the class chimed in, berating Naruto and Kiba for their disruptive behavior.
"Ugh~~ Women are so troublesome," a lazy voice came from next to Ino. It was Nara Shikamaru, who groaned in exasperation. His comment earned him a sharp reprimand from Ino. "Shikamaru, shut up!" she yelled, her frustration growing.
Seated next to Shikamaru was a pudgy boy who seemed unfazed by the noise around him. This was Choji Akimichi, who was busy munching on snacks without a care. He, too, was destined to become one of the Konoha 12.
"You can't be late for class. That's the rule," another voice said calmly. This belonged to the stoic Oil Girl Shino, who sat with his usual sunglasses on. Shino was from the Konoha insect-controlling clan and, like the others, was also a future member of the Konoha 12.
Next to Shino sat a girl with pale eyes, her fingers twirling in unison as she covertly glanced at Naruto. This was Hinata Hyuga, the heiress of the Hyuga clan, who would eventually join the ranks of the Konoha 12. She looked shy and quiet, but her face flushed with subtle embarrassment as she watched Naruto.
There they were: the arrogant Kiba, the guilty Naruto, the excitable Sakura and Ino, the lazy Shikamaru, the food-obsessed Choji, the cool and composed Shino, and the bashful Hinata.
The future Konoha 12, and not to forget, Sasuke, the ever-powerful Uchiha, standing right beside Chen. Chen couldn't help but think to himself, Ah, the Konoha 12, plus the prestigious Sasuke. Nine of them are already here. It would be nice to meet them all. He smiled at the thought, recalling his previous life when he watched the anime and found the Konoha 12 so appealing.
"Alright, enough noise!" Iruka, the teacher, called from the front of the classroom, trying to restore order.
Once the room quieted down, Iruka gestured to a seat next to Sakura. "Sasuke, please sit next to Haruno Sakura."
"Okay!" Sasuke nodded, moving toward the seat. As soon as he settled down, Sakura nearly leapt out of her chair in excitement.
"Ugh, this is so unpleasant, sitting next to someone like him," Naruto grumbled from across the room, his words drawing an immediate punch from Sakura.
"Honestly, Sakura, why should I be stuck with these two weirdos?" Ino complained, glancing at Shikamaru and Choji.
"Eh~, so troublesome," Shikamaru lazily muttered, clearly uninterested in the situation.
"Chen, you can sit next to Xiaojing," Iruka said, pointing to an empty seat beside a cute, long-haired girl in the back row.
"Okay," Chen responded with a nod. "Let's go."
"Yes, Iruka-sensei," Chen said as he walked toward his seat, with Sasuke following suit.
"Alright, class, let's get back to our lesson," Iruka said after seeing that the students were seated.
"Hello, classmate Chen. My name is Tiancheng Xiaojing. Please take care of me," the girl with long hair said, smiling sweetly at Chen as he sat down.
"Uh, hello. Please take care of me," Chen responded politely. He glanced over and noticed Xiaojing's long, flowing hair that reached her waist. Though she was still young, her delicate features were already apparent, and her petite face was framed by her silky locks.
Wait a minute, this girl wasn't in the original story! Chen thought with a sly smile. An original character, huh?
"Hey, boy, don't you dare talk to Xiaojing," came a voice from the seat beside her. A little boy with a somewhat brash attitude declared, "Xiaojing is going to be my bride. If you try anything, I'll beat you down. I don't care who you are, Uchiha or not."
"Taiyi, you idiot! What nonsense are you spouting?" Xiaojing snapped, her big eyes flashing with irritation.
"Shabi Taiyi?" Chen muttered under his breath, confused. He looked curiously at the boy named Taiyi. The kid was a bit sturdier than average, with an outlandish watermelon rind-shaped hairstyle, and his large eyes gave him a comical appearance.