"This must be Itachi, right? He really is a good-looking child," Hyuga Hiashi said calmly, looking at the small boy beside Uchiha Fugaku. "Speaking of which, it must be troublesome for the Uchiha clan to come all the way from the suburbs to the Academy now. I happen to have a house near here. Why don't I give it to Itachi as a school gift?"
He said it with a polite smile, but there was a faint, smug glint in his eyes.
Uchiha Fugaku's expression darkened immediately.
Once, the Uchiha clan had lived in Konoha's inner district—close to the center, close to power, close to the Hokage Tower.
Then came Shimura Danzō and the other Konoha elders.
Under the banner of "village security," they forced the Uchiha to relocate to the edge of the village. In return, they handed over a large piece of land in the suburban zone—as if it were some generous gift.
It was nothing but a polite eviction notice.
The land itself wasn't worth much. Not many people wanted to live there. It was so remote that even corpses would probably complain about the distance.
If Fugaku hadn't swallowed his anger for the sake of the clan's survival, the elders might have seen firsthand what "the bloodiness of the Uchiha" truly meant.
So when Hiashi mentioned having a house "near here" and offered it so casually, it felt like salt in a wound.
Fugaku forced a polite smile and answered:
"No need. Ninjas should experience hardship—physically and mentally. The distance is just training. Besides, the police force will protect the children's safety."
Hiashi's mouth twitched.
Acting noble now, are we? Keep acting like this… one day you'll be flat on the chopping board, he thought silently.
For a moment, the two clan heads simply stared at one another, their gazes sharp.
Sharingan vs Byakugan.
Scarlet eyes vs pale eyes.
The Two Great Eye Clans of Konoha.
If someone drew this scene, they could call it: "When ophthalmology goes to war."
Behind them stood the next generation:
Uchiha Itachi: calm, quiet, observant.
Uchiha Souji: stressed, confused, and internally screaming.
A few Hyuga kids: watching in silence.
Souji looked at Hiashi and almost drooled with envy in his heart.
That house in the central area… if it were mine, I could sell it and buy three or four houses in the capital of the Land of Fire. Then become a landlord. That's real happiness.
But he wasn't stupid.
The air was tense. Sparks were flying between Fugaku and Hiashi.
If he opened his mouth now and said, "I'll take it!", he'd instantly become the idiot who ruined his patriarch's face.
So Souji wisely shut up and pretended to be invisible.
---
The Hokage Appears
Just as the atmosphere was about to become even more awkward, a light, almost amused voice cut through the air:
"Hiashi, Fugaku… seeing you two chatting so peacefully really warms my heart."
"It is because of our unity that Konoha becomes stronger and stronger."
Souji didn't even need to look back.
Only one person in the entire village could say this kind of thing with a straight face.
That bad old man. That smiling fox. That professional liar.
Sure enough, when he turned his head, he saw an old man in white robes walking slowly toward them, a white hat on his head with the kanji for "Fire" written across it.
A long pipe dangled from his fingers, smoke rising steadily.
Sarutobi Hiruzen. The Third Hokage.
He walked forward like a kind grandfather, but to Souji, he looked more like a walking danger sign.
Fugaku and Hiashi immediately bowed slightly.
"Lord Hokage."
Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe and exhaled slowly, wearing that familiar gentle smile.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The fire will continue to illuminate the village, allowing new leaves to sprout."
"Seeing the young generation of Konoha here… it makes me feel a few years younger."
Souji's scalp tingled.
So this is what it looks like when someone lies with full confidence…
Even just standing near him felt uncomfortable.
Without thinking, Souji quietly stepped behind Fugaku, half-hiding his small body behind the patriarch's back.
When Fugaku felt the slight movement, he didn't say anything.
Instead, he felt… proud.
Good boy.
You instinctively avoid the Hokage.
You understand where danger is.
He gave Souji's head a firm rub, as if silently encouraging him.
Souji was completely confused.
Hello?? I only moved behind you to stay alive! Why do you look so satisfied?! What are you encouraging me for?!
He rolled his eyes in frustration.
Fugaku didn't see it.
But someone else did.
Hiruzen.
The instant Souji's eyes rolled slightly with clear dissatisfaction, Hiruzen's gaze sharpened.
Such a tiny motion. Such a quick, instinctive reaction.
To anyone else, it was nothing.
But to Hiruzen—a man who had built power for decades—it was a treasure.
"An Uchiha who hates the Uchiha…
Interesting.
Very, very interesting."
A tiny seed of thought formed in his mind.
If trained properly, this child might one day become clan leader… the perfect puppet.
Hiruzen stepped closer, squatted slightly so he was at eye-level with Souji, and turned to Fugaku.
"Fugaku, why don't you introduce them?"
Fugaku internally rolled his eyes.
Introduce? As if you don't already know everything about every person in this village. You probably even know what color underwear your own son is wearing.
Still, out loud, he spoke politely.
"This is Uchiha Itachi, my son.
And this is Uchiha Souji. His parents died in the Third Ninja World War. I just happened to bring them both today."
His tone when mentioning Souji was very casual—almost dismissive. To an outsider, it might have sounded like an ordinary introduction.
But Hiruzen heard something else.
"The patriarch personally sends this orphan to school…"
He almost drooled.
What kind of joke is this? Since when does a clan head personally take care of an orphan?
The only explanation?
These two boys were the core of the next Uchiha generation.
Itachi, supported by Shisui, was clearly one of his key targets.
Souji… was now the second.
Hiruzen looked at them both carefully.
Itachi bowed politely.
"Lord Hokage."
His tone was respectful, calm, proper. Exactly what you'd expect from a genius raised in a strict clan.
Souji, on the other hand… was screaming internally.
If I catch this old man's attention, I'm dead. Look at how Naruto lived—no parents, no respect, instant orphan. I do NOT want that path! I just want to retire quietly in the capital, drink Happy Water, and rent out houses!
He was so nervous that when Hiruzen's kind-looking face leaned in closer, his brain short-circuited.
Before he could think, his mouth moved on its own.
"Hello, Grandpa Hokage!"
The world went silent.
Hiashi: "…"
Fugaku: "…"
Hiruzen: "…"
Even Itachi blinked.
"Grandpa… Hokage?"
Hyuga Hiashi's expression collapsed.
You shameless little brat! Your Uchiha blood is crying! Itachi just said 'Lord Hokage' like a proper heir, and you jump straight to 'Grandpa'?!
Hiruzen, however, quickly recovered.
The stiffness on his face melted into pure joy.
His heart practically sang.
"Successor to the Will of Fire!"
He gave Souji a warm, grandfatherly smile and patted his shoulder gently.
"Good child. Good child."
There is a future here. A bright, controllable, promising future.
Fugaku also smiled slightly, but for a different reason.
After speaking with Souji yesterday, he thought he understood the boy.
He believed Souji trained secretly because he felt the weight of the Uchiha name and wanted to prove himself worthy of it.
A hardworking, low-talent child who clung tightly to the clan name.
And now he saw Souji cleverly calling Hokage "Grandpa" in a way that made Hiruzen happy without lowering Uchiha's dignity too much.
What a good seed for undercover work.
"Alright then, I'll head in first. You all take your time."
Hiruzen gave Souji a meaningful nod and walked toward the Academy building, pipe in hand.
Souji stood frozen.
What was that look? Why do I get the feeling you just bookmarked me like a favorite project?!
Before he could think more, Fugaku gently pushed him forward.
---
The Path of the Elite
As members of a major clan, Uchiha children didn't need to take the entrance exam like common-born kids.
For powerful clans like Uchiha, Hyuga, Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, etc., their children were almost guaranteed to have:
Strong chakra
Basic combat ability
Early training at home
So as long as the clan agreed, the children were directly assigned to the elite class.
Souji walked past the exam area and saw a group of nervous children performing basic tests: physical ability, chakra sensing, simple throwing techniques.
He couldn't help but feel a tiny wave of pity.
Some people are born in Rome,
others are born pulling the carriage.
In the shinobi world, this was even more obvious.
Children like Souji and Itachi were born into one of the strongest bloodlines in history.
Even the weakest Uchiha typically had chakra reserves far beyond "normal" ninjas.
If the average village civilian had a chakra "value" of 1…
Then a "weak" Uchiha might start at 100.
A talented Uchiha could reach 1,000 or even 10,000 with growth and training.
And that was without counting Sharingan, combat training, or clan secrets.
This was the difference between the top of the pyramid and the base.
Souji sighed in his heart.
The world really is unfair. But since I'm already standing on the peak of the pyramid, I'd better not fall off and die.
After all, long before any of them were born, the ancestors of the Uchiha stood beside the Sage of Six Paths and helped seal the Ten-Tails.
Back then, they had already completed what most shinobi couldn't even dream of.
So yes.
Uchiha ancestors were truly ancestors.
And Uchiha descendants were born with their shadows behind them.
Souji scratched his cheek.
"You are Uchiha… so don't die cheap." he muttered to himself silently.
Whether he liked it or not, this surname came with blood, history, glory… and a death flag the size of the Hokage Monument.
His only hope was to survive it.
By running at the right time.
And not getting crushed by expectations along the way.