"Naruto, you go first. Show us your progress."
Iruka set the roster aside and looked up at Naruto.
Expressionless, Naruto stood and walked toward the podium.
"Today, we'll conduct a random assessment of the Three Basic Jutsu. Let's start with the Transformation Technique."
Naruto raised his hands, forming hand seals with stiff, unrefined movements.
"Transformation!"
Bang!
A puff of smoke erupted beneath his feet, momentarily obscuring him. When it cleared, an identical replica of Iruka stood in his place.
"Not bad!" Iruka scrutinized the transformation carefully. It was as if he were looking into a mirror. "I didn't expect you to have mastered it so well. Passed!"
Bang!
Naruto reverted to his original form and returned to his seat without a word.
Iruka turned to the rest of the class. "Alright, next! Come up one by one and demonstrate. It doesn't matter if you haven't perfected it yet—so long as you can perform the technique, you pass."
While the notable students performed decently, the civilian-born ones struggled. Many of their transformations were flawed—some were too fat, others too thin. A few even ended up looking like Naruto's infamous botched clones from the past.
Among the Three Basic Jutsu, the Transformation Technique was the easiest to learn. Clone and Substitution Techniques were more difficult and wouldn't be formally assessed until later.
In the written and theoretical exams, Naruto carefully controlled his scores. He ensured he didn't place last but barely scraped by with passing marks. However, when it came to the Will of Fire section, he scored a perfect mark—of course, it had to be perfect.
As for shuriken and kunai training, only the fundamentals had been covered so far. It wasn't time for an in-depth assessment yet.
Once everyone completed their demonstrations, Iruka announced the holiday.
"Naruto-kun, goodbye~!"
Smack!
Ino was getting bolder, casually patting him on the back. Her hairstyle had changed—short, clean, and refreshing. Short hair suited her better.
Hinata, on the other hand, had grown her hair long at Naruto's suggestion.
As for Tenten… well, she still preferred her signature buns, but what about twin tails? That might look cute, too.
Wait… Am I Uzumaki Shirou now?
Naruto suddenly felt a weak but noticeable wave of malice directed at him. Turning his head, he spotted Yamanaka Inoichi staring at him with a resentful gaze.
"Dad, let's go home."
"But—"
"Dad! Come home!"
"Oh, okay~"
Hinata also gave Naruto a soft goodbye. Neji, ever stern, merely nodded before following her.
"Are we still having that picnic tomorrow?" Shikamaru yawned. "It feels like we're parting ways for a long time. Alright, see you tomorrow, Naruto."
He strolled off with Choji, joining their fathers, Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Choza. Shikaku glanced at Naruto, his expression unreadable. Then, a small, knowing smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
Naruto smiled back.
"Let's head back too. Mom and Dad have been talking about inviting you for dinner."
"Hehe, last time I packed some sweet-and-sour pork for them, and they loved it. My mom even said she wanted to take you as her cooking teacher!"
"Then let's make it together tonight."
"Great~"
Naruto and Tenten left, but before departing, he paused, glancing toward a presence hidden in the shadows.
An Uchiha? A particularly filial one, perhaps?
His gaze instinctively shifted to Sasuke, who still carried an innocent smile.
"Something feels off. The atmosphere… the way they're looking at me… it's not right."
Naruto's thoughts churned. If I remember correctly, in the original timeline, Sasuke was seven when the Uchiha Clan Massacre occurred. That means he should be in his second year now, and the massacre is looming close.
Heh. Thanks for the warning, Obito.
"That guy's got a nasty look, Naruto. Want to go beat him up?"
Kurama's voice suddenly rumbled through his mind, having caught glimpses through their link.
"Tch, another sickly bastard. Maybe I should introduce you to an Uchiha who only shows off when the sun shines and the rain stops."
"Hah. Other than spouting nonsense, got anything useful to say?"
Naruto ignored the fox's grumbling and pondered the bigger picture.
The Uchiha Clan's downfall was inevitable from the moment Konoha was founded.
They were all extreme altruists—martyrs, in a way. Their tragic fate was no surprise.
Obito's awakening of the Mangekyō Sharingan had sealed their doom.
Were all Uchiha evil? Of course not.
But as for Itachi…
Words like divinity and righteousness shouldn't be tarnished by his name.
His sickness and eventual death almost felt like karma.
In Japanese, "Zuo" (Sasuke's name) is also associated with the weasel—a creature often seen as an omen of misfortune.
Of course, the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had played a major role in this mindset, too.
Konoha's leadership had ingrained the belief: The Uchiha are born evil.
"You're an inherently wicked Uchiha brat."
Tobirama once said.
In the original timeline, the Uchiha clan was completely annihilated.
Whether they were truly evil remains uncertain, and the justification for their massacre is unconvincing.
Brainwashed by the Will of Fire and the loss of Uchiha Shisui, Itachi faced not only the radical factions within his own clan but also the deep-seated prejudices of Konoha.
Tobirama Senju's policies had long cast a shadow over the Uchiha, fostering an environment of mistrust. Combined with the discrimination the clan endured, the conditions for their downfall were set.
And Itachi?
A dutiful son, yet a tool used to dismantle his own people.
Naruto turned at the sound of Tenten's cheerful voice, bright and lively like a lark. He had been silently observing the reactions of the great ninja clan leaders.
Calm. Unbothered.
Just as he had expected.
These powerful clans had likely known the truth all along.
Something was off about the Uchiha's annihilation.
On the night of the massacre, everyone saw, heard, and said nothing.
They all understood what had happened—and their silence was an unspoken agreement with Konoha's verdict against the Uchiha.
As for how Uchiha Obito knew the truth about Itachi so well?
Naruto smirked.
"On the night of the massacre, those two must have crossed paths."
"Danzo even revealed information about Uchiha Madara during the Five Kage Summit."
"They're all cunning old foxes."
"But we can't underestimate Itachi either."
On his way home, Naruto listened intently to the murmurs of the villagers.
Just as he expected, some had begun to stoke hatred against the Uchiha once more.
"The dutiful son still doesn't realize his own body is failing."
"If he truly loved Konoha as much as he claimed, he wouldn't have hinted at leaking village secrets just to protect his younger brother."
Naruto's thoughts drifted.
'Right now, Itachi must be thinking that only he and Sasuke remain—one inside the village, one outside.'
'After his clan was wiped out, he joined the Akatsuki, a rogue ninja organization. Meanwhile, Sasuke remained in Konoha, the strongest ninja village.'
'Obito's ultimate goal remains unclear, but it won't be easy to stop.'
'If Itachi had hedged his bets on both sides, he might have ensured that the Uchiha would not be completely erased. But now, with his body failing, his only choice is to put everything on Sasuke.'
Soon, Naruto arrived at Tenten's home.
Her parents welcomed him warmly, and he immediately felt a sense of familiarity. The atmosphere was comforting, like a home away from home.
Tenten's mother, in particular, seemed to take a liking to him, watching him with growing affection.
Naruto turned his gaze toward the Uchiha district in the distance.
"So, among the Uchiha, Hashirama was the only truly reasonable one."
He chuckled to himself.
"But I have to thank both Obito and Itachi. Without their actions, I wouldn't have unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan, much less the Eternal Mangekyō or even the Rinnegan in the future."
"I'll need to focus on Rasenshuriken and Sage Mode training this summer."
"What are you mumbling about?" Tenten tilted her head curiously.
Naruto was about to brush it off when Tenten's mother called from the kitchen.
"Naruto, come in and teach Auntie how to make sweet and sour pork~"
Naruto grinned. "Coming!"
…
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