After finishing the entire book, Kiseki decided to go straight to sleep. He had taken in far too much information in such a short amount of time, practically all of it from a single reading, and he knew that if he kept trying to analyze everything that same night, he would only end up mixing one thing with another. It would be better to rest and organize his thoughts with a clearer head the next day.
The following morning, he woke up normally, had breakfast, spent some time playing with his big-foreheaded little sister, then got ready to head to the Ninja Academy. After saying goodbye to his family, he left home and followed the usual path until he reached the building. When he entered the classroom, several students were already there, and Kiseki's eyes quickly landed on someone who stood out from the rest.
Itachi Uchiha.
He was sitting near one of the windows, calmly staring outside, completely separated from the other students. Kiseki watched him for a few seconds. From the outside, Itachi looked exactly like the quiet and reserved child described in the story. He did not make noise, he did not try to show off, and he did not seem interested in receiving anyone else's attention.
"There he is..."
Many people said that Itachi did not possess the arrogance commonly associated with some members of the Uchiha Clan. There was even that famous claim that from a young age, he already possessed the mindset of a Hokage. Kiseki could partially accept that. Itachi did not seem arrogant in the traditional sense, but that did not mean he lacked another kind of arrogance. In Kiseki's eyes, one of Itachi's greatest flaws was precisely his belief that his own view of things was the correct one. He could listen to other people, but when it truly came time to make an important decision, he always seemed to believe that his conclusion was simply better than every other option.
And Kiseki knew perfectly well where that mentality had led in the story he remembered.
The Uchiha Massacre.
Every time he thought about that event, Kiseki found it difficult to understand how so many people portrayed Itachi only as a perfect victim of circumstance. Yes, the situation had been terrible. Yes, Danzō had carried a huge amount of responsibility. Yes, Hiruzen had allowed the problem to grow for far too long. But Itachi had still made his own choices.
"If he'd been a little smarter..."
Kiseki frowned slightly. Maybe he could have stopped the situation before it ever reached that point. Even if he had failed to solve the conflict politically, with enough strength he could at least have tried to restrain his own clan instead of immediately choosing extermination.
Shisui was a clear example in Kiseki's eyes. He also believed Shisui had been influenced far too much by that ridiculous Will of Fire, but even with all his ideas about the village, he had never completely abandoned his clan. He had tried to find a solution that protected both Konoha and the Uchiha.
And before dying, he had asked Itachi for one thing, protect the Uchiha Clan, yet the result Kiseki remembered had been exactly the opposite.
Itachi massacred them.
Men, women, elders, children, even babies who could not possibly have had any responsibility for a coup, practically everyone.
Kiseki knew that was the original history he remembered, but he also could not guarantee that events would unfold exactly the same way now that he was actually living in this world. In truth, he did not care enough to think too deeply about it right now. There was still a long time before any of that would happen.
While Kiseki remained lost in his thoughts, Itachi continued looking out the window. The young Uchiha was calmly thinking about things that seemed far too large for someone his age, mainly conflict between people, war, and whether there might someday be a way to avoid both.
Then he felt someone staring at him.
Itachi slightly turned his head.
His eyes immediately met Kiseki's, for several seconds, the two children simply looked at each other.
Itachi noticed something strange, the boy staring at him did not seem to feel simple hatred.
Since the Nine-Tails attack, rumors that the Uchiha Clan had somehow been responsible had spread farther and farther through the village, so Itachi had slowly grown accustomed to certain looks of distrust.
But this was different, there was contempt in Kiseki's eyes, and more than anything disgust.
Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly. That was what confused him. He had never spoken to this boy before. He could not even remember having any real interaction with him.
So why was he looking at him like that?
Kiseki, meanwhile, finally realized he had been staring at Itachi for far too long.
"Ah..."
Itachi was staring right back at him.
Kiseki reacted quickly, raised one hand in an awkward greeting, and forced a small fake smile onto his face. Itachi simply responded with a slight nod.
Kiseki immediately looked away and walked toward another corner of the classroom before sitting down. Itachi watched him for another moment, then returned his gaze to the window. Although the look had been strange, there was no reason to give it too much importance. From his perspective, Kiseki was nothing more than another Academy student he had barely interacted with.
Not long after, the teacher arrived, everyone took their seats, and class began.
Kiseki initially tried to pay attention, he really did, until he heard the topic of the day, the Will of Fire, again.
The teacher enthusiastically began explaining how every generation had to protect the next, how everyone in Konoha was one great family, and how the will of those who had built the village continued burning inside the new generation. Naturally, the explanation eventually reached the glorious Third Hokage as well.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the brilliant leader of Konoha, the powerful shinobi who protected everyone, one of the greatest Hokage.
By the time the teacher had been speaking for a while, Kiseki's expression had become completely empty.
"This damn Will of Fire..."
He had barely started attending the Academy and already wanted to leave.
Kiseki looked around the room. Many of the other children listened to the teacher with admiration shining in their eyes. Some even seemed to imagine themselves becoming great shinobi one day, protecting the village exactly as the teacher described.
Eventually, the teacher finished his explanation and, after seeing the impressed expressions of his students, nodded in obvious satisfaction. He truly believed every word he had just said. To him, the Will of Fire was not simply another lesson taught at the Academy, it was something he genuinely believed in.
Kiseki let out a quiet sigh, fortunately, the teacher finally changed the subject.
"Alright, everyone. We're heading outside now for your first practice matches. Get ready."
The atmosphere inside the classroom changed instantly. Students who had been sitting quietly only seconds earlier immediately began talking excitedly among themselves. Some practically jumped out of their seats, others started boasting about who would win, and several rushed toward the courtyard.
Kiseki raised his head as well, for the first time since class had started, real interest appeared in his eyes.
"Oh... finally, something interesting."
He stood up and followed the rest of the students toward the courtyard. At last, he would be able to see what the level of the children who had just entered the Academy was actually like.
And perhaps more importantly, he would finally be able to see just how different Itachi Uchiha really was from everyone else.