The sun over Konoha is sharp today, piercing through the large windows of the Academy and illuminating the chalk dust floating in the air. This is the day. The day it's decided whether a bunch of incompetent brats will become Genin, or if they'll be sent back to their mothers.
I'm sitting in the back of the class, legs kicked up on the desk—something Iruka-sensei usually hates, but with the Uchiha, he tends to look the other way as long as they have results. And I have results.
My cousin, Sasuke, is sitting two rows in front of me, hands folded before his face, ignoring the entire world. He's good, I'll give him that, but his "suffering" attitude gets on my nerves.
My attention, however, is currently focused elsewhere. Ino Yamanaka. Today, she has her hair tied differently, exposing her neck.
My gaze slides over her with an analytical precision I should probably be dedicating to tactics instead. Next to her is Sakura Haruno—annoying, but when she's quiet, she has something going for her.
Too bad both of those girls are obsessed with Sasuke and see me only as "the other Uchiha." For now.
Suddenly, the door bursts open with a crack.
Iruka-sensei stumbles into the classroom, dragging a tied-up Naruto Uzumaki behind him. Naruto is covered in paint, grinning like an idiot even though he just defaced the Hokage monuments.
"Today is the final exam! And you're out here playing the vandal!" Iruka screams, a vein bulging on his forehead. "Because of Naruto, everyone will now review the Henge no Jutsu! Everyone, line up, now!"
A disgusted groan ripples through the class.
"Again? But we already know this," Shikamaru says, sounding bored.
"Everyone!" Iruka commands.
The girls stand up to line. I see Ino stand and adjust her skirt. I feel a mixture of boredom from repeating basic techniques and a slight thrill at the thought of showing off in front of the girls. Sasuke goes first. No words, no wasted gestures.
"Henge!"
Puff.
A perfect copy of Iruka stands before the class.
"Excellent, Sasuke," Iruka nods, making a note.
Sakura and Ino start screeching: "Sasuke-kun, you're amazing!"
Sasuke returns to his seat with his hands in his pockets, not even glancing my way. Typical.
"Next! Mrož Uchiha!" Iruka calls out, looking at his list.
'What a drag.' I think to myself.
I stand up and feel the eyes of the entire class on me. My Taijutsu and strength are at a Chūnin level, so my movement is fluid, like a predator rising from rest. My entrance is different from Sasuke's. While he walked with indifference, I walk with predatory confidence.
I pass Naruto, who's still squirming on the floor, and give him nothing but a short, condescending smirk.
I stop in front of Iruka. He looks at me with expectation, pen ready over the paper.
"Mrož, transform into..." Iruka begins, but I don't let him finish.
My hands blur into seals. It's not the seal for Henge no Jutsu. My fingers weave into the familiar signs of Snake, Ram, and Tiger. With my Chakra Control, I feel the energy in my body react instantly and obediently.
"Bunshin no Jutsu!" I say in a cold, deep voice.
Puff!
The sound of a crack echoes through the room as white smoke appears. When it clears, Iruka isn't standing across from one student. He stands surrounded by three identical copies of Mrož Uchiha.
All three copies—illusions created by my chakra—have their arms crossed over their chests in perfect synchronization. They don't look like Iruka. They look like me, and more importantly, all three are looking at their teacher with the same deeply superior gaze.
My black eyes pierce through him, and my chin is tilted slightly up. It's a look that says: "This exercise is beneath me, and you won't lecture me on what to do."
Silence falls over the classroom.
Sasuke raises his head. His eyes narrow. He recognized the quality of the technique, but also the sheer audacity.
Naruto blinks with his mouth hanging open: "What? He didn't transform!"
A vein throbs on Iruka's temple. The pen in his hand cracks dangerously.
"Mrož..." Iruka hisses through gritted teeth, trying to maintain his teacher's composure. "The assignment was Henge no Jutsu. Not Bunshin."
I (all three versions of me at once) simply shrug.
"The result is the same, sensei," I say calmly.
Even though, due to my "unique" intelligence, I don't quite grasp that I technically failed the assignment, my arrogance overrides it.
From birth, I was highly talented in the realm of power, but my intelligence lagged behind. That's why most Uchihas, including my father, saw me only as a living weapon, not a human being.
"I've proven that I control my chakra better than most of this room. Why should I transform into someone as... average as you?" I say.
A murmur sweeps through the class.
Ino covers her mouth with her hand, her eyes shining.
"Wow... he's so bold! That's actually... sexy," she whispers to Sakura.
Sakura frowns, torn between her loyalty to Sasuke and the fact that my performance was objectively "cool."
"It's just showing off," she snorts, but she's blushing.
Iruka takes a deep breath. He knows I'm right about one thing—my clones are perfect. At the Academy level, maintaining three stable illusions at once is difficult.
"You are arrogant, Mrož Uchiha," Iruka sighs, writing something in the papers. "But the technique was flawless. You pass. But next time... listen to orders. In a mission, disobedience can cost you your life."
The clones vanish in puffs of smoke. I'm left standing there alone with a victorious smirk. I take my new, shiny Konoha headband from the table. I have officially become a Genin of the Leaf.
I turn to the class. My gaze immediately wanders to the girls' desks. I see Ino watching me. My "recording" mind (and my mental copy of my hidden notebook) makes a note. Ino Yamanaka: Responds to dominance and audacity.
I don't go back to my seat in the back. Why would I? I'm a Genin, I have my headband, and I've just shown everyone that rules are for the average.
With my new Konoha headband nonchalantly tied around my neck (to emphasize my jawline and neck, of course), I head straight into the "lion's den"—the girls' desks.
I ignore Choji munching on chips and Shikamaru yawning. My goal is clear.
Ino was just whispering something to Sakura when it suddenly goes dark above her. I stop at her desk. My strength and athletic build really do cast a shadow over them. Sakura looks up, ready to snap something, but I don't look at her. For me, in this moment, only Ino exists. My arrogance toward "others" (Sakura currently falls into this category because she's in my way) is palpable.
I place one hand on her desk and lean in, invading her personal space. My face is just inches from hers. I can smell her perfume—some kind of flowers, typical for the Yamanaka clan.
"Ino," I say. My voice is deeper than is normal for a twelve-year-old boy.
Ino blinks, surprised by my directness. She expected me to sit down and be quiet like Sasuke.
"Uh... Mrož? What do you want? We're in the middle of talking about Sasu—"
"Forget about him," I interrupt calmly, with a cold smile. My finger gently traces the edge of her desk. "I just became a ninja. That needs to be celebrated. And you're the only one in this class with enough taste to keep me company."
Ino turns red. She's not used to someone "hitting on her" this aggressively. Most boys are either afraid of her or ignore her because of Sasuke.
"A date?" Sakura blurs out next to her, her forehead wrinkling with anger. "Hey! You think Ino will just go with you? We're waiting to see if Sasuke-kun goes!"
I slowly turn my head toward Sakura. My gaze is blank, as if I'm looking at a piece of furniture.
"Did I ask you?" I say coldly.
Sakura goes quiet, caught off guard by my seriousness.
I turn back to Ino, who is watching me with a mix of shock and interest. I'm an Uchiha and I'm known for my talent. And I just "shut down" her rival. It flutters her; my intelligence might not let me understand that Ino currently sees me more as a trophy to spite Sakura than a life-long love, but the result is the same.
Ino smirks, flips her hair over her shoulder, and looks at me with those blue eyes.
"You know what, Mrož? You've got guts," she says, winking. "If you take me for Dango after everyone gets their headbands... maybe I'll let you walk me home. But don't make slurping noises while you eat."
"Deal," I reply with a victorious smile.
I straighten up, mission accomplished. I feel Sasuke's gaze on my back; this time it's not indifference, but slight irritation. I'm making noise and causing scenes. And worse—I'm bringing shame to the clan by acting like a skirt-chaser. But I don't care; I have a date.
Iruka has just finished signing off the last student.
"Alright! You all have your headbands," Iruka announces, though he looks exhausted.
"From tomorrow, you are officially ninjas of Konoha. Tomorrow morning, I will divide you into three-man teams under the leadership of a Jōnin! You have the day off today. Dismissed."
The classroom explodes into noise as everyone packs up.
Ino stands up and looks at me. "Alright, let's go, Mrož."
I leave the classroom with her, leaving behind a pissed-off Sakura and an ignoring Sasuke.
Outside the Academy, I walk beside Ino through the streets of Konoha. The sun is setting, and I'm thrilled—I'm on a date with Ino.