The Academy training field was an open space filled with dozens of wooden stakes. These stakes were normally used by students to practice Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and ninja tool training, such as shuriken throwing.
Sarutobi Hiruzen gently patted Roy's back. The old and the young stood together against the backdrop of lush, green sycamore trees whose branches were covered in fresh, tender leaves. They watched as one young ninja after another stepped forward to perform the Fireball Jutsu after their names were called by Yoshioka Yu.
Speaking of Fugaku, and speaking of the Uchiha... even though Roy had once been an outsider and was now the eldest son of Fugaku Uchiha, bearing the title of young patriarch, he had to admit that the stereotypes Sarutobi Hiruzen mentioned—stubborn, tense, and cold—were not mere rumors.
Innate evil was the true color of the Uchiha. It was a foundation based on their own Bloodline Limit: the darker, the stronger; the more extreme, the more twisted the talent. One needed a heavy stimulus to awaken the eye, and the transplantation of a close relative's eyes to open the Mangekyō. This was the essence of Indra, the essence of Yin Release.
Just as light and shadow were opposites yet formed a contradictory unity, the same was true for Yang and Yin.
"I don't know about other Uchiha, but as for me," the boy said, choosing not to comment on the Hokage's evaluation of his father. He simply smiled at the old man and continued, "Though I may be in the shadows, my heart has always turned toward the light."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand, which had been patting the boy's back, paused. The eyes hidden beneath the shadow of his hat flickered with surprise. He looked at the boy again and slowly shook his head. "Those aren't words a child your age should be saying. Who taught you that?"
"You did." Jin tilted his chin slightly and nodded toward the slogans carved onto the school walls.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was stunned for a moment before remembering. To guide the students toward the Will of Fire and increase the sense of belonging for the young ninja in Konoha, he had personally drafted a series of inspirational slogans. He had ordered the school to carve them and insisted they be repainted every school year to prevent them from blurring or peeling. Returning to the present, he met a pair of mischievous eyes.
"Teacher Yoshioka really admires the Hokage," Jin said with a smile. "He always says that the Third Lord is the strongest of all the generations." The boy paused, tilting his head innocently to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen. "Is that true?"
"Cough... cough..." Sarutobi Hiruzen's face reddened. He balled his hand into a fist and cleared his throat. "Every Hokage has their strengths and weaknesses. It's... hard to compare."
'Right... when it comes to having a thick skin, if you claim second place, Hashirama and Tobirama wouldn't dare claim first.'
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A small flame, no bigger than a fist, flickered out. It wobbled through the air, and before it could even reach the wooden stake, it was extinguished by a gust of wind. Another young ninja stole a glance toward the Hokage and retreated in embarrassment.
Yoshioka Yu shook his head and continued, "Yano!"
The young ninja named Yano stepped out, looking nervously at Sarutobi Hiruzen. Encouraged by the Hokage's smile, the boy began to form hand signs clumsily. He messed up the first time, but succeeded on the second. He opened his mouth to exhale, but his performance was even worse than the previous student's. The flame only gathered in his throat and died the moment it left his mouth, resulting in an embarrassing puff of black smoke.
"Takuya... Kawasaki... Yuna..."
One by one, as Yoshioka Yu called their names, they performed the Fireball Jutsu. Occasionally, a student would show a flash of brilliance, condensing a fireball that hit the stake and left a scorched mark—these were the ones who had been eager to show off earlier.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jin watched quietly until the old man suddenly asked, "Child, do you like Konoha?"
A gust of wind blew, making the branches of the sycamore trees sway. The sun was approaching the center of the sky, casting spots of light through the leaves onto Jin. The boy fell into thought, reminiscing about the past. Whether it was his previous life as a corporate slave on Earth, his rebirth into the Hunter world as the eldest son of the Zoldyck family growing up on Kukuroo Mountain, or his awakening of the Gate of Cognition and traveling to the world of Demon Slayer as Eiichiro Kamado... and now, as a member of the Uchiha, growing up with Mikoto, Fugaku, and later his brother Itachi. Jin reached out his right hand to catch a spot of light, feeling the warmth and vitality of the sun on his fingertips.
He said gently but firmly, "Of course. I like any place where the sun shines."
"Heh heh heh..." Sarutobi Hiruzen blinked at the boy. "It's a good thing you were born in Konoha and not the Land of Water."
The Land of Water, one of the five great nations, was shrouded in mist year-round, making it hard to see one's own hand, let alone a ray of sunlight. Just thinking about staying in such a place made it easy for Jin to understand why the Mist Village implemented the Blood Mist policy, closed its borders, and systematically slaughtered ninja families with powerful Bloodline Limits like Ice Release and Lava Release. Ultimately, the environment shaped everything. Living long-term in a dark place without sunlight would inevitably breed psychological distortions.
"I like the sunlight too," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, mimicking Jin by reaching out to catch a spot of light. He let it dance on his fingertips and said deeply, "I've thought more than once that after I retire, I'll take a small stool and sit by my door. I'll bask in the sun every day and watch you vibrant young ninjas coming and going, growing up batch after batch. That would be a beautiful thing."
"Like a fire, never-ending?"
"Yes, like a fire, never-ending."
Suddenly, a student named Arima finished his hand signs and exhaled, condensing a fireball the size of a human head. It hit the wooden stake, leaving a shallow pit the size of a bowl. The boy, who had spiky hair that stood up like a hedgehog, pumped his fist and shouted excitedly, "Osu!"
He immediately turned to look at Sarutobi Hiruzen. The old man gave him a nod of approval, then turned his head to the boy beside him. "Konoha, like fire, will surely endure forever. Jin," Sarutobi Hiruzen's hand moved slightly, letting the light slip through his fingers before placing it on Jin's shoulder. He looked at him seriously. "Are you willing to protect Konoha for this sake?"
Jin looked up. His small figure only reached the Hokage's shoulder, but he met Hiruzen's gaze without fear. He asked with equal seriousness, "Does the Hokage's Konoha include the Uchiha?"
Meeting the boy's clear, bright eyes, Sarutobi Hiruzen hesitated for a moment. He thought of Danzo saying, 'Every single Uchiha should be killed!' He thought of his teacher Tobirama saying, 'The Uchiha are an innately evil clan!' He thought of Koharu Utatane saying, 'Hiruzen, you absolutely cannot let the Uchiha with the Sharingan get near Kushina. If they control the Nine-Tails, it will be a disaster for the village.' He thought of Homura Mitokado saying, 'We must be wary of the Uchiha. We cannot let them grow strong and threaten the position of Hokage.'
At that moment, Yoshioka Yu's voice rose as he called out, "It's your turn, Jin Uchiha!"
As Sarutobi Hiruzen snapped back to reality, the boy, wearing the windbreaker embroidered with the Uchiha crest that Mikoto had woven for him, brushed past his shoulder. His figure was small, but he stood under the blazing sun with a firm step. Without looking back, he said, "I see... so that's how it is."
"The fire of the Lord Hokage is just fire. Its temperature isn't high enough. It can't cover the Uchiha, and it can't protect the ninja world."
Step... step...
The wind blew, fluttering the hem of the boy's clothes. [Ren] erupted, igniting fiercely! His aura nodes opened, and all his Nen was converted into [Scorching True Intent]!
Two clusters of flames rose from below, enveloping Jin. He walked forward step by step, treading on lotuses of flame and leaving a trail of scorched marks behind him. Yoshioka Yu, Yano, Takuya, and Arima all felt the shift in atmosphere and their expressions changed. In their eyes—whether proud, disappointed, or embarrassed—the boy's face was reflected. Instinct drove them to step back, subconsciously clearing a path for him.
Then, they watched.
Jin stopped. At a distance of several hundred meters—nearly twice as far as the standard test—he leisurely formed hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
He exhaled lightly. A red glow emerged from his throat like a rising sun, tearing through the darkness and announcing the dawn. The moment it left his mouth, it expanded... and expanded... and expanded!
It swelled until it was the size of a classroom. Then, with a final gust of wind, it grew to cover half the training field. It rivaled the sun itself, casting a shadow that completely enveloped all the teachers and students, including Yoshioka Yu.
With a roar, it shot toward the distant wooden stakes! In an instant, it transformed into a fire dragon that surged forward, baring its fangs and claws. It swallowed the dozens of stakes and the school wall behind them, which bore those inspirational slogans. Finally, it turned into a pillar of fire reaching toward the sky, adding a magnificent streak of red to the broad daylight.
The shockwave blew the Hokage hat—the symbol of Konoha's supreme authority—off Sarutobi Hiruzen's head. It tumbled and fell to the ground with a thud.
Today, the Academy was silent.
The sound of students collapsing to the ground in terror filled the air. Yoshioka Yu swallowed hard, his throat dry. When the flames dissipated, a massive, fan-shaped scorched path leading outside the school grounds forced itself into everyone's sight.
The boy let out a soft breath and slowly turned around. Looking through the crowd of horrified and stunned faces, he gave the dazed Sarutobi Hiruzen a faint glance. His body exploded with a bang, vanishing into thin air.
'A clone... it was just a clone...'
Under the sycamore tree, Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent. He and the teachers and students—the young ninjas he called the future of Konoha—stood in the wreckage of the training field. Their faces were flushed red by the residual heat of the fire. It took a long time for anyone to regain their senses.
"Father, I'm afraid... you'll have to work overtime."
Inside the Uchiha compound, in the small courtyard belonging to Fugaku Uchiha near the commercial district, Jin lay on the porch alongside Fugaku and Itachi. Feeling his clone's energy vanish, he turned his head to speak to the man.
Fugaku Uchiha had just pulled an all-nighter. He had intended to enjoy the sun with his sons and take a short nap. Hearing this, a bad feeling rose in his heart. He opened his eyes and looked at Jin. "What did you do?"
"Nothing much... I just accidentally opened a hole in the school."
Fugaku: "..."
Itachi: "..."
All traces of sleepiness vanished. Fugaku sat up, and sure enough, an Anbu member wearing a cat-face mask appeared in the courtyard.
"Lord Fugaku, the Hokage summons you!" The Anbu had a long blade on his back and a kunai at his waist. He gave Jin a long, deep look.
Fugaku stood up, blocking the Anbu's gaze. "Go back and report to the Hokage. I am on my way."
"Yes." The Anbu withdrew his gaze and leaped over the wall, disappearing.
Fugaku turned to glare at his son. "Hurry up and write down that Limb Regeneration Technique of yours!"
Jin rolled over lazily. "Itachi, I'll dictate, you write."
Fugaku's eyes widened. "Don't you have plenty of hands? Write it yourself!"
Jin: "..."
"Fine."
He stood up and pinched Itachi, who was suppressing a laugh. He followed Fugaku to the study. A moment later, he finished writing down the details of the technique to regenerate arms and handed it to Fugaku.
The door creaked open. Mikoto Uchiha, wearing an apron, had just finished making lunch. She called out to Fugaku as he was putting on his shoes to leave, "Anata, lunch is ready. Eat before you go."
"I'm not eating. I'm already full of anger!" Fugaku snorted and stormed out the door without looking back. Itachi and Mikoto watched him go from the doorway, then looked at each other.
"Itachi, why did your brother make your father angry again?"
"Nii-san... blew up the school," Itachi said obediently.
Mikoto: "..."
She glared at the lazy Jin through the half-open study door and sighed. "Eat first."
She went back to the kitchen and brought out Tonkatsu bowls with fresh miso soup. She immediately put the fact that her son had blown up the school to the back of her mind. In this world, eating was the most important thing.
In the Root base, Danzo had not yet been stripped of his position as Hokage Assistant due to the future Uchiha massacre. He hid in his dark basement, which was a one-to-one replica of the Hokage's office. He sat behind a desk nearly identical to Sarutobi Hiruzen's, eating a simple meal.
Suddenly, his one eye moved as he heard three knocks on the door. He said calmly, "Come in."
The door opened, and a ninja wearing a mask and a black cloak that covered his entire body walked in. He had a bandage-wrapped thin sword on his back. As soon as he entered, he bowed to Danzo.
"Torune," Danzo said. "Speak. What is it?"
"Reporting to Lord Danzo. The Academy... has been blown up!"
The sound of chopsticks hitting the table followed as they rolled onto the floor. Shimura Danzo froze for a moment, then looked up at Torune Aburame, narrowing his eyes. "Who did it?!"
"Jin Uchiha, the son of Fugaku Uchiha!"
Danzo: "..."