A year passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside the Hokage's office, Uchiha Izumi stood straight-backed before Konoha's highest authorities. The atmosphere was tense but not hostile—more like a careful evaluation. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk, his familiar pipe in hand, flanked by Danzo Shimura, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado.
Several sheets of paper lay spread across the table—Izumi's personal file, mission trial results, and notes from her instructors.
The Third Hokage studied the papers, then glanced at the girl standing before him. The Uchiha Clan truly does have many geniuses, he thought. And this one is promising—graduating three years early, even without awakening the Sharingan until recently. Specializes in Taijutsu, shows remarkable discipline… and a girl, no less. Her stated dream is to uphold the Will of Fire and become a ninjutsu master like myself. Ambitious. That's good.
He shifted his gaze toward Danzo, almost as if to say, See? Even from the Uchiha, there are those we can trust.
Danzo, catching the glance, felt a small sting of irritation beneath his composed exterior. His face betrayed nothing, but inside, he bristled.
"Izumi," Hiruzen finally said, "your mother has already given her consent, correct?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Izumi replied without hesitation. "Mother agreed after discussing it with my teacher."
Hiruzen nodded, satisfied. "Then it's settled. You truly are an excellent child. I hereby approve your early graduation. I hope you will dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to the service of Konoha in the years ahead."
A faint smile touched her lips. "Yes, Hokage-sama. I will work toward my dream and become a great ninja like you."
"Mm." The Hokage's eyes softened. "Then you must work even harder from now on."
"Yes!"
With that, the formalities concluded. Izumi bowed and turned to leave.
---
Once she was gone, the room fell into a contemplative silence. The only sound was the faint crackle of tobacco as Hiruzen took a slow puff from his pipe.
Danzo broke the quiet. "The Uchiha Clan continues to produce exceptional talents, Hiruzen. Meanwhile, our own younger generation has fewer shinobi capable of matching them. You would do well to prepare for the implications."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed, but his voice was calm. "Danzo, it is a good thing for the village to have excellent shinobi, no matter which clan they come from. We should not let prejudice cloud our judgment simply because she is Uchiha. She is still a child."
Utatane Koharu, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "Her father was a civilian who died during the Nine-Tails attack. If she were ever to discover that the beast was manipulated by members of the Uchiha Clan, it might shake her loyalties."
Homura Mitokado added, "True, but female ninja often step back after marriage and children. This Uchiha Izumi is not someone we need to fear. Our focus should be on Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui—those two will be key in managing the clan's… ambitions. Everything is still under our control."
Hiruzen nodded slightly. "Perhaps. In any case, this is just a simple matter of a young girl graduating early. We'll evaluate her properly based on her future missions. Let's leave it at that."
Danzo snorted softly and glanced down again at Izumi's file, his mind already running through contingencies.
---
At the registration desk, Izumi received her forehead protector from a waiting shinobi. She turned it over in her hands, admiring the engraved Leaf symbol, then tied it neatly around her head.
Finding a nearby mirror, she tilted her head to get a better look. A smile spread across her face—it suited her.
When she returned home, her mother was waiting.
"That's wonderful!" Hazuki exclaimed, pulling Izumi into a tight embrace. "You're a ninja now, Izumi! Work hard and become strong—an excellent shinobi!"
"Hehe, I will," Izumi promised, returning the hug.
Hazuki's expression softened into something more serious. "But remember—missions can be dangerous. Please, always be careful."
"Don't worry, Mom." Izumi tapped her temple, then gestured toward her crimson eyes. "Look—I already have a three-tomoe Sharingan. The next step will be the Mangekyō, right? That's proof of my strength."
Hazuki's eyes widened in astonishment. "Three tomoe… at nine years old? I've never seen that before. You truly are a genius."
Pride shone in her expression, but there was also a flicker of something else—worry, perhaps—that she quickly masked.
---
The next day, Izumi walked into the Academy classroom one last time. The air buzzed with excitement. Dozens of fresh graduates sat waiting to be assigned their jonin-sensei.
Besides Izumi, only two others in the room had graduated early: a quiet boy from the Aburame Clan named Shitsuu, and another named Hyuga Kazuhiro, a branch family member of the Hyuga.
One by one, teachers came to collect their assigned genin. Eventually, a beautiful, short-haired woman entered the room. She was about 1.6 meters tall, dressed in standard jonin gear.
"Hyuga Kazuhiro, Aburame Shitsuu, Uchiha Izumi," she called. "You three, come with me."
Izumi rose with a polite smile. So these are my teammates—a Hyuga and an Aburame. Interesting combination. And a civilian-born jonin-sensei? This could be fun.
The three followed their new teacher out of the room, each carrying silent expectations for the future.
---
That evening, when Izumi returned home, the door slid open to reveal Hazuki waiting with an eager smile.
"How was it? Did you—" Hazuki's words caught in her throat as she saw her daughter's expression. Izumi's lips trembled, her eyes glassy as if holding back tears.
Hazuki's chest tightened. "Izumi…?"
The moment their eyes met, Izumi's composure cracked. Her face twisted, and tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Waaah!" she wailed, rushing into her mother's arms.
Shocked—Izumi had never cried like this before—Hazuki held her close, stroking her hair. "What happened? Did you fail the teacher's test?"
Between sobs, Izumi managed to choke out, "It's so humiliating! Waaah! I… I couldn't even pass the first hurdle!"
Hazuki blinked in disbelief. "That's impossible. You're so talented—how could you fail?"
"We all passed the initial test," Izumi explained in broken sentences, her words trembling, "but then the teacher told us to point out each other's shortcomings… and those two idiots started arguing! Then they fought, and I couldn't stop them. And then—that hateful woman—she declared all three of us unqualified! I didn't even do anything wrong! It's so unfair!"
Her voice cracked, the shame cutting deeper than the injustice. "I've never been this embarrassed before!"
In her heart, Izumi raged. Why was I eliminated for something I didn't cause? Is this what they mean by 'one person makes a mistake and everyone is punished' in a team? Damn it! Why?
She recalled Kakashi's infamous bell tests, where the slightest failure in teamwork doomed the entire group. But she had never imagined she'd face something so similar so soon—and be on the losing end.
In her past life, she had always lived by the rules, working hard, staying honest… yet constantly hitting walls while those who bent the rules thrived. After transmigrating, she had believed her cheat-like abilities would finally let her live freely and succeed on her own terms. But reality had reminded her, harshly, that strength meant little without fitting into the system.
And time was running out. The Uchiha Clan's massacre loomed ever closer, and she still lacked the secure power needed to protect herself and her mother. The anxiety gnawed at her, mixing with frustration until it boiled over.
So she cried—loudly, unrestrained—in Hazuki's arms.
At first, Hazuki was flustered. But as she held her daughter, her expression softened. Izumi had been so independent lately, so self-sufficient that Hazuki sometimes forgot she was still just a child. Seeing her like this… leaning on her… warmed her heart.
A small smile tugged at Hazuki's lips, though she hid it quickly.
"It's alright," she whispered, rubbing her back. "We can try again next year."
"I… I…" Izumi tried to respond, but shame choked the words.
"Listen to me." Hazuki gently tilted her chin up. "A setback like this is nothing in the long run. You are a genius, Izumi. Believe in yourself, and stick to your path."
Izumi sniffled, nodding faintly, though inside, the fire of determination had already begun to burn again.
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