As he walked into the classroom, many students cast glances of disdain in his direction. But Sasuke Uchiha remained unfazed. He strode straight to his seat and sat down, his expression cold and unreadable.
"I need to hurry up and train," he thought to himself, fingers twitching slightly as if eager to form seals. "I basically understand what's going on now, but I still can't intervene directly. I'll seek out Hiashi after school—hopefully that small favor I did before will count for something."
Sasuke immediately sank into quiet meditation, tuning out the classroom chatter. Ever since awakening spiritual sensitivity through a rare system-based encounter, he'd been able to perceive and absorb spiritual particles—though not nearly enough.
Rukia, the strange girl from another world who now guided him in secret, had once told him: "Your spiritual pressure is still two or threefold too low to manifest me in the real world." According to the system's interface, the threshold for manifesting a Zanpakutō spirit required the spiritual power equivalent to a captain-level shinigami, roughly around 48,000 units of spiritual energy.
Currently, he had only half that.
Still too far to go.
---
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Office, chaos reigned.
After Uchiha Fugaku had been summoned by the Fourth Hokage the previous night, Minato Namikaze hadn't said much—just inquired about the facts surrounding the internal incident and then issued an official arrest warrant for Uchiha Setsuna, a rogue member who had defected.
Although this issue could jeopardize village security, Minato had acknowledged that the root of the conflict lay within the Uchiha compound. As clan head, Fugaku bore some responsibility. The punishment Minato handed down was to cut the Uchiha clan's financial allocations by one-ninth.
Fugaku, understanding the political implications, did not object. In fact, compared to what could have been imposed, this was already merciful.
However, not everyone agreed.
At that moment, Shimura Danzō barged into the office, his face twisted in fury.
"Namikaze Minato! Do you realize what kind of threat you've invited into the village?!" Danzō shouted, foregoing any formal address.
Minato calmly set down his pen and asked, "Elder Danzō, what exactly are you referring to?"
"Hmph! Don't play dumb. I'm talking about the Uchiha defection incident!"
Minato didn't rise to the bait. "I've already reviewed the report thoroughly. Yes, the defection stems from their internal mismanagement. Accordingly, I've punished the clan. Do you have a specific concern with my judgment?"
"You call that punishment?" Danzō sneered. "A one-ninth budget cut? That's nothing. What if those rogue Uchiha leaked intel to our enemies? Do you even understand the consequences?"
"I've dispatched an Anbu team to pursue them," Minato replied evenly. "And Fugaku has agreed to cooperate in tracking down the traitors. Let's not forget—the Uchiha clan has repeatedly proven their loyalty. Not long ago, it was Shisui Uchiha who singlehandedly forced the Kirigakure intruders to retreat. During the Third Great Ninja War, they defended the village against the Hidden Mist's elite forces. The clan has made substantial contributions."
Minato's gaze sharpened. "I believe my response was appropriate."
He was aware of the long-standing marginalization the Uchiha faced since the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju appointed them to the Konoha Military Police Force. That role, though prestigious on the surface, had only deepened the rift between the clan and the common villagers.
Though proud and aloof, most Uchiha were driven by a strong sense of duty and valued loyalty deeply—traits Minato hoped to nurture. His personal rapport with Fugaku gave him hope that integration was still possible.
But implementation had proven difficult.
The Uchiha were already split internally: one faction sought harmony with the village, the other demanded power and dominance for the clan. And outside the clan, villagers held deep-seated prejudice, often viewing the Uchiha as ticking time bombs.
To counter this, Minato had proposed placing other clans into the Konoha Military Police, aiming to reduce the perception of Uchiha monopolization. But even this modest reform met heavy resistance.
Especially from the elders.
Now, with Danzō making a public scene, it was clear others were maneuvering as well.
Danzō gave a slow, derisive chuckle. "Minato, every clan has obligations. Contributions don't deserve praise—they're expected. But negligence? That demands punishment. And your 'handling' of this crisis is unacceptable."
Minato's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying I, the Hokage, don't have authority to make this decision?"
Danzō smirked. "You've forgotten something, haven't you? If all the village elders reject your decision, it can be overruled. Perhaps you should consider the broader consensus."
At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the retired Third Hokage, stepped in smoking his pipe, flanked by Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
"There are indeed irregularities in your judgment," Hiruzen said calmly.
Mitokado added, "We should call a council of clan leaders tonight. Let them help decide how the Uchiha situation should be addressed."
"Minato," Danzō pressed, "will you continue to act unilaterally, even with all four elders in opposition?"
Minato looked at the stony faces before him. He understood the weight they carried—Hiruzen still controlled key portions of the Anbu, and Mitokado and Koharu held influence over village logistics.
If he pushed too hard now, they might counter him with force.
Minato exhaled slowly. "Fine. Then you decide the time."
"Tonight," Hiruzen said, puffing gently on his pipe.
The others nodded.
---
Outside the Ninja Academy – Gate of Iruka's Classroom
Sasuke leaned silently against the wall, eyes closed in still meditation. Invisible to the untrained eye, minute threads of reiryoku—spiritual particles—drifted toward him like motes of dust and sank into his body.
"Whoa! Sasuke's seriously amazing!" Naruto Uzumaki gawked, standing a few paces away. "Even after being called out of the classroom, he can still fall asleep standing up!"
Next to Naruto were two other boys. One had a pineapple-shaped hairstyle and leaned casually against the wall with his hands in his pockets. The other was chubbier, with round cheeks and a guileless expression.
"Guuu~," the chubby boy's stomach suddenly growled loudly.
Choji Akimichi clutched his stomach with a plaintive look. "Shikamaru… I'm starving…"
Corrected:
*Kurozawa Ren is Sasuke*