Hokage-sama, here is this year's list of graduates.Hokage's Office.The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, leisurely reviewed the student records handed to him by Iruka.
"Among them, Uchiha Sasuke achieved the highest overall performance..."
"What about Naruto?"
Interrupting Iruka's report, Sarutobi Hiruzen flipped to the final page of the file. Naruto was dead last in the written exam, with average scores in the physical and shuriken tests. Aside from the Transformation Jutsu, he had failed the other two techniques: the Substitution Jutsu and the Clone Jutsu.
"Looks like Naruto won't be graduating this year."
The Clone Jutsu had already been selected as the final graduation test. And Naruto...
Recalling the bizarre and lifeless clones Naruto had created, Iruka shook his head in frustration.
"Yes."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and turned to another page.
"Besides Uchiha Sasuke, what about Uchiha Kage's results?"
"Also excellent. I think he has the potential to become a skilled shinobi."
If Naruto was the class troublemaker, then Uchiha Kage was unquestionably the most well-behaved student.
Iruka had a strong, positive impression of Uchiha Kage.
"To speak of him that way, you must be fond of the boy?"
"Anyone who meets him would be..."
Knock knock."Hokage-sama, Danzo-sama requests an audience."
Just as Iruka was mid-sentence, a knock came at the office door.
"Danzo?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen paused briefly. He already knew why Danzo had come—he'd seen what happened outside through his crystal ball, and a report had just arrived from the Anbu. Still, he hadn't expected Danzo to beat him to it.
Even so, Sarutobi Hiruzen maintained a neutral expression.
"Let him in."
He waved Iruka away.
"Understood."
Iruka collected the student files and respectfully left the office.
Uchiha Kage didn't lower the kunai hidden in his sleeve until the purple-haired kunoichi walked away.
Though it had been a false alarm, it completely ruined his mood for the day.
"I need to find something to keep these two old fossils busy so they'll stop fighting each other in the village and interfering with me."
With parasites like Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo lurking around, no matter how low-key he tried to be, trouble would always find him.
These two old men had their eyes glued to every inch of Konoha. It made it impossible for Uchiha Kage to sleep or eat peacefully.
"This... This is where you live?"
At the end of Konoha Street, Uchiha Kage finally brought Naruto into the Uchiha clan's territory.
Seeing the ruined streets and decaying buildings, Naruto felt a chill run down his spine.
He'd heard about the Uchiha clan's massacre, but never imagined the aftermath could be this haunting.
Until now.
Looking around at the ghost town, even an orphan like him couldn't help but feel sympathy for Uchiha Kage and Uchiha Sasuke.
"Everything's in ruins. Only the house up ahead is still livable."
As they walked through what had once been a bustling clan district, Uchiha Kage led Naruto to a large house at the far end.
"Oh."
Naruto scratched his head, unsure what to say. It felt too late to offer sympathy, but too awkward to continue goofing off. So he simply followed in silence.
It wasn't until they entered the house and saw Sasuke in the kitchen frying eggs that Naruto finally snapped out of it.
"Hahaha! Sasuke! I never thought I'd see you wearing an apron and cooking!"
"You dead-last idiot..."
Seeing Naruto doubled over laughing, Sasuke was so irritated he nearly snapped his spatula in two.
"Why'd you bring an outsider into our clan's territory?"
His voice was cold and accusatory as he glared at Uchiha Kage, who looked more amused than concerned.
"He had no money and nowhere to eat, so I brought him back."
Truthfully, Uchiha Kage was in a good mood today and felt sorry for Naruto. But mostly, he enjoyed watching Naruto annoy Sasuke.
That stone face of his could really use a little loosening up.
"Tch. Don't just drag strays back here next time!"
Still, despite his grumbling, Sasuke turned back to the stove and fried another egg, serious as ever.
"I'm not some stray animal..."
Naruto wanted to argue—or curse him out—but remembered he was a guest. He settled for grumbling under his breath before sitting on the couch and sipping the tea Uchiha Kage had served.
"Hiruzen, that Uchiha brat is a threat to the Nine-Tails!"
The moment Danzo stepped into the Hokage's office, he launched into his accusations.
"Oh? Sasuke got into another fight with Naruto?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen feigned ignorance.
"Not Uchiha Sasuke. Uchiha Kage."
"Uchiha Kage? What did he do?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen calmly wiped dust from the crystal ball on his desk.
"He..."
Danzo glanced at the ball. He knew Hiruzen already understood the situation.
"Regardless, letting an Uchiha get close to the Nine-Tails is dangerous. Who knows when another rebellion might happen?"
Tapping his cane for emphasis, Danzo continued.
"And Uchiha Kage is a mistake—Itachi's failure. He's blind and weak. He should've been erased years ago."
He couldn't even awaken a single tomoe in his Sharingan after witnessing the death of his entire clan. Keeping a failure like that around served no purpose.
And with a name like Kage [meaning "shadow"], surely he was ambitious. Dangerous.
If Hiruzen hadn't hesitated back then, and if other ninja hadn't arrived, Danzo would've dealt with him on the spot.
"Uchiha Kage's origins are suspicious, Hiruzen. You must stay vigilant."
"That's enough!"
For the first time in their conversation, Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed the table with force.
If the boy hadn't been found among the corpses, clearly traumatized, Hiruzen might've doubted his identity too.
But years had passed. Uchiha Kage was respectful, calm, and weak in combat. He reminded Hiruzen more of Uchiha Kagami than anyone dangerous.
"Danzo, you're attacking your own villagers without cause. Who gave you the right?"
A blind Uchiha who couldn't even activate his Sharingan—how could he possibly endanger the Nine-Tails?
No, Danzo's real target was likely Naruto.
Hiruzen's anger didn't stem from the attack on Uchiha Kage, but from Danzo's hypocrisy. He had already forbidden Root from interfering with Naruto—yet Danzo had sent his men anyway.
"The Uchiha are cursed..."
Danzo didn't just want Uchiha Kage gone. He wanted Sasuke eliminated too. As far as he was concerned, all Uchihas were inherently evil.
"Enough! One more word and I'll confine you permanently!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen deeply regretted the Uchiha massacre. Not because of the deaths—but because it left him without the Uchiha clan's strength.
Now, with turmoil on the horizon, he desperately missed having that blade at his side.
"Hiruzen, your weakness will come back to haunt you!"
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's glare was like ice.
"If I catch you near Naruto or harassing the Uchiha again, I'll dismantle Root myself!"
"You..."
Danzo could only sneer before storming out.
If he were Hokage, Konoha would be ten times stronger.
If only the teacher had chosen better...
"But this Uchiha Kage..."
After Danzo left, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat quietly, gazing at the portraits of past Hokage.
That name—Uchiha Kage—it sounded familiar.
Wasn't there once a child by that name picked up by the First Hokage?
Age dulls memory, so Sarutobi Hiruzen went to the archives to investigate.
Finally, he found it.
After Uchiha Madara's death, the First Hokage found an abandoned Uchiha infant the next morning. He named the boy Kage ["shadow"].
But below that entry, a line had been crossed out.
The handwriting looked like his teacher's—Senju Tobirama.
Why had Lord Tobirama redacted it?
And if Kage was raised in the village, how come Hiruzen had no clear memory of him?
"Forget it—it was decades ago."
Konoha had many with the same name. It couldn't possibly be the same Uchiha Kage.
Shaking his head, Sarutobi Hiruzen shut the archive door.
But as he passed the room where the forbidden scrolls were kept, he paused for a moment.
"Naruto needs to grow up fast. And Sasuke..."
The perfect Jinchuriki of the Hidden Cloud had stirred envy in every village.
Hiruzen was no exception.