[Ding! "Overwhelmed the entire class to take first place"][Fusion Progress +1%]
After returning from the academy, that pleasant notification rang out in Aiden's mind once more.
What he hadn't expected was—
this time, it wasn't some measly 0.0-something increase.
It jumped by a full 1% in one go.
"Looks like my guess was right after all."
With this confirmation, Aiden now knew exactly what he needed to do next.
His mood immediately brightened. Hands behind his back, he leisurely strolled toward the clan compound.
Several family attendants followed obediently behind him.
As for safety?
At this stage, Aiden didn't need to worry at all.
Setting aside the fact that the attendants he brought along were all chūnin-level, there were also who-knew-how-many ANBU and Root members hidden in the shadows.
Anyone who dared lay a hand on him inside Konoha would truly be seeing the world for the first time.
This was the real guarantee behind his daily life as a spoiled young master.
As long as he didn't leave the village, he was effectively untouchable.
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage's office…
The moment Sarutobi Hiruzen returned, his anger flared straight up.
"That damn brat!"
"He's going to piss me off to death!"
What infuriated him the most was this—
those students had blatantly messed around right under his nose.
Several of them clearly had the ability to score a perfect ten, yet deliberately turned in sevens instead.
Originally, Hiruzen had even planned to give a little speech about the Will of Fire afterward.
After seeing that display, all he could think was—
Will of Fire my ass. What a load of crap.
Just as his temper was reaching its peak, Iruka suddenly pushed the door open.
"Hokage-sama…"
Seeing him, Hiruzen quickly reined in his emotions.
He picked up the pipe on his desk, took a slow puff, and spoke calmly.
"Oh, Iruka. What is it? Something the matter?"
Hiruzen placed considerable importance on Iruka.
After all, the class Iruka managed included heirs from major clans—
and the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Naruto.
Either one alone was enough to warrant close attention.
"Hokage-sama, I wanted to talk about the issue with Sarutobi Aiden."
The moment he heard Iruka's intent, Hiruzen understood immediately what he wanted to say.
He chuckled and spoke first.
"Perfect timing, Iruka. I was just thinking about that brat myself."
"You know he didn't attend school at all last year."
"To be honest, I'm not entirely at ease letting him stay in second year."
"How about this—let him repeat and transfer into your class instead?"
Iruka froze.
He'd come to report Aiden's vile personality and spoiled behavior—
and somehow, the result was Aiden being dumped into his class instead?
Before Iruka could even voice an objection, the decision was already made.
Just like that, he wandered out of the Hokage Tower in a daze.
Staring at Sarutobi Aiden's file in his hands, Iruka fell into deep confusion.
"…Why did I even come here?"
At the same time,
what happened at the academy spread rapidly through Konoha's major clans.
As the Sarutobi clan's young master and the Third Hokage's grandson, Aiden naturally attracted a great deal of attention.
Inside an Akimichi barbecue restaurant—
the current generation of Ino–Shika–Cho, the backbone of the Hokage faction, sat together.
Reading the intelligence in their hands, the three exchanged glances.
"Shikaku, you're the smartest—what do you think?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Faced with their questions, Nara Shikaku seemed unconcerned, calmly flipping meat on the grill.
After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
"Some things… it's enough just to know."
"No need to discuss them too much."
"Don't forget who his maternal grandfather is."
At those words, Choza and Inoichi immediately understood.
They stopped the topic without another word.
As for Konoha's smaller clans—
they didn't even dare mention it.
Meanwhile, within the Uchiha clan—
inside the Naka Shrine.
"Hahaha! Who would've thought Sarutobi Hiruzen's grandson would be this kind of trash?"
"Nothing to worry about!"
"Exactly! Just a spoiled second-generation brat."
"If the Sarutobi clan ends up in his hands, looks like the Uchiha's good days are coming!"
A large number of Uchiha clansmen were gathered together.
Led by the clan's elder faction, the radicals were practically beaming with delight.
Off to the side, however, Uchiha Fugaku—the clan head—remained silent.
In his heart, he subconsciously compared Sasuke with Sarutobi Aiden.
In Fugaku's view, Sasuke could crush Aiden without breaking a sweat.
Still, seeing the clan members getting carried away, he finally spoke.
"That's enough. He's still the Hokage's grandson."
"Don't get too arrogant."
Hearing this, the crowd gradually quieted down.
But at that moment, the head elder spoke again.
"Fugaku, preparations still need to be made in advance."
"The Hokage faction is full of useless fools now."
"This is the Uchiha clan's golden opportunity."
"Don't miss it."
Faced with the elder's words, Fugaku fell silent.
The clan's situation was like a lone boat adrift at sea—
one wrong move, and it would be utterly destroyed.
As clan head, he had always walked on thin ice, constantly maintaining balance with the Hokage faction.
All for the sake of resolving things peacefully—
not for staging a coup.
"I'll consider it."
"But remember this."
"I am the clan head."
"Do not make any unnecessary moves."
As Fugaku finished speaking, his crimson Sharingan swept across the shrine.
Everyone—including the elders—fell silent at once.
After all, the Uchiha clan head had a fearsome nickname—
Wicked Eye.
A reputation carved out through real killing.
Even the elders didn't dare say another word.
The clan meeting ended on a sour note.
And shortly after it concluded—
several shadowy figures slipped out from within the Uchiha compound,
vanishing silently into the night.
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