The Konoha Academy had started its new term.
This year's intake was particularly eye-catching.
That was because the heirs of nearly all the major clans were entering the academy this semester.
Among them, the ones who drew the most attention were Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji.
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki went without saying, but what shocked many was that despite the current estrangement between the Uchiha and the village, the clan had still sent Sasuke to attend school.
What's more, it was Uchiha's vice-clan head, Natsuki, who personally escorted him.
The implications behind that move… perhaps there was more meaning hidden in it.
Was this a gesture of goodwill from the Uchiha, or something else?
Neji, meanwhile, quickly became close friends with Sasuke and Naruto after entering school.
Because Naruto had begun interacting with Natsuki, he now had an elder who cared about him. With Sasuke and Neji as his friends, he became far less mischievous than before.
He no longer deliberately played pranks just to earn attention or stir dislike.
Everyone who entered the academy—be they commoners or nobles—understood the weight of Sasuke and Neji's identities.
With the protection of two heirs from the great dōjutsu clans, hardly anyone dared to cause trouble for Naruto.
His life was already turning out much better than in the original timeline.
Meanwhile, the delegation from Kumogakure finally arrived in Konoha after their long journey.
After multiple rounds of negotiations, the terms were agreed upon, and the peace treaty was set to be signed.
For the occasion, Konoha even prepared a grand peace festival.
Though the villagers didn't particularly like Kumogakure, no one liked war either.
Thus, many villagers eagerly joined in the celebrations.
Konoha's main commercial streets bustled with noise and laughter, packed with crowds.
But under the guise of enjoying the festival, the Kumo delegation was secretly gathering intelligence.
What they discovered shocked them.
The entire Uchiha clan had completely withdrawn into their own compound.
In their place, the Hyūga clan had taken over responsibility for village patrols and public security.
Yet strangely, the Hyūga's own defenses seemed to have slackened considerably.
Yugito gathered all the intel and felt somewhat relieved. Pulling out a Hyūga patrol map that Kumo had spent dearly to acquire, she carefully examined it.
"Shinichi Nagasaki, have you truly made up your mind? Perhaps it would be better to send someone else for this task," Yugito asked regretfully.
"Ma'am, three of my elder brothers died in the war. Now, I have only one thought left—revenge," Shinichi replied. His eyes were hollow, his entire being radiating the aura of a man ready to die.
"Whether I succeed or fail, Kumogakure will benefit either way."
At that moment, a boisterous, offbeat voice broke in.
"Yo, yo! Yugito, why you sittin' here glum, huh? Festival's a blast, fool, ya fool!"
It was Killer B. As the de facto leader of the delegation, he had just returned from touring Konoha, accompanied by several of the village elders as hosts.
"B, enough fooling around. Go prepare. Tomorrow, we may need your strength," Yugito said.
B immediately dropped the goofy act and clenched his fists tightly.
The lively festivities of Konoha had little to do with Natsuki.
He had no interest in such merriment. More importantly, after much deliberate stalling, the Uchiha's new compound was finally complete.
The very moment the construction finished—
[Ding… Development Mission: Breaking free from Konoha and achieving self-reliance, First Stage complete.]
[Reward: Knowledge of Konoha-style Sealing Techniques.]
An immense amount of sealing knowledge flooded into Natsuki's mind.
His spirit surged with excitement—this was precisely what he needed most.
Beyond the well-known Four Symbols Seal and Eight Trigrams Seal, one technique was especially crucial:
The Barrier Detection Technique—a defensive sealing art that allowed chakra-based barriers to alert users when intruders crossed into the designated area.
This was exactly what the Uchiha had always lacked.
By inscribing sealing formulas at key points around the compound, the barrier could be activated with chakra, instantly reporting any breach.
Given the Uchiha's current territory, just three shinobi rotating shifts would be enough to cover the area.
With this, there would no longer be any fear of Konoha's surveillance.
In the past, the Third Hokage had built tall towers near the Uchiha compound for obvious monitoring. Now that the clan had relocated beyond the village, without towers nearby, ANBU had been sneaking around in secret instead.
Natsuki had long been annoyed with these pests, but he couldn't waste his days chasing them like flies.
Now, however, it was time to pluck out every one of Konoha's hidden nails.
Natsuki quickly selected three candidates: Uchiha Keimei, Uchiha Iori, and Uchiha Daichi.
Each of them possessed natural talent for sealing techniques.
Keimei was once Natsuki's teammate. Though weak in combat, he was highly capable otherwise. His elder brother, the loud and dim-witted Yayo, had already left with Itachi.
Iori, like Izumi, was one of the few medical-nin within the Uchiha, tall and graceful with long flowing hair. Her sensory skills were outstanding.
Daichi was the classic "all-rounder," strong in both ninjutsu and taijutsu, with hardly any weaknesses.
"Captain! Natsuki-sama! Vice-clan head!"
The three greeted him with different titles—his rise to vice-clan head had been so fast that many still hadn't adjusted.
Natsuki nodded. "I called you here today because I have something important to entrust you with."
"Please give us your orders," Keimei replied.
"In the past, when our clan was still inside Konoha, the village shamelessly built tall towers all around us for surveillance.
Now that we've moved to a new location, ANBU still lurk around, spying on us.
It's time for the Uchiha to establish our own Barrier Detection Network. You three are the ones I've chosen for the task."
The three exchanged glances. Barrier Detection Jutsu wasn't something just anyone could perform.
It required both deployment and operation. The latter they could manage—but the former required sealing techniques, a field that was tightly guarded as a Konoha secret, which the Uchiha had never possessed.
Still, if the vice-clan head had summoned them for this, surely he had a solution.
So they remained silent, waiting for his next words.
Natsuki noted their calmness with approval.
With a sweep of his hand across his arm, sealing formulas lit up across his skin.
"This is… the Barrier Detection Formula!?"
The three were stunned. None of them had expected Natsuki-sama to possess sealing skills!
Natsuki only smiled and began instructing them in chakra control and formula inscription.
The trio felt both gratitude and nervousness—grateful for his trust, yet worried about failing him.
But to their surprise, they found sealing techniques oddly natural, as though their talents were perfectly aligned for it.
They absorbed Natsuki's teachings swiftly. Daichi even offered some of his own insights.
It was as though they were simply "remembering" knowledge they had always been meant to know.
All three couldn't help but think the same: Natsuki-sama truly has a discerning eye.
Several hours later, Natsuki had finished teaching the complete technique.
"Have you mastered it?" he asked.
Keimei instinctively tested the formulas in his hands. To his delight, light from the barrier inscription glowed brilliantly.
Iori and Daichi followed suit, and their seals also shone.
Natsuki nodded in satisfaction. As expected, once they had the knowledge, their innate affinity carried them the rest of the way.
The three, visibly excited, quickly began shaping the formulas into different forms—a sign they could already apply the basics.
"How long will it take before you can actually deploy the barrier?" Natsuki asked.
After a quick discussion, Keimei replied, "With practice, about seven days to fully familiarize ourselves with the technique, plus some materials. Deployment itself would take about two weeks."
"Good. Iori, tomorrow you'll report to Fugaku. Daichi, coordinate with the patrol teams. Keimei, gather the materials.
Once preparations are done, begin immediately. I want to see the barrier active in three weeks."
He stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles. "As for tonight… I'll start pulling out Konoha's ANBU nails myself."
At last, no more flies buzzing overhead.
---
There are 45 chapters on patreon today.
patreon.com/dzeref887