Chapter 5

The break room was filled with the sound of shuffling paper and Academy teachers slurping their coffee. Some of the teachers were preparing for yet another day of dealing with slacking, sniveling, farting, and noisy little demons. Others in the room, were preparing to enter the dens of geniuses and prodigies who made them question who the teachers were again.

One man, though, was a perfectly content and jovial fellow. His class was, what you might call, just right. A lovely balance between good and bad students. Daikoku was very happy with the current peaceful state of things. Not having to deal with stresses that could make a person wish the era was a bit more violent once again.

In those times, they had to deal with the demons called children only from a few months to a couple of years. Now, for the foreseeable future, they had to deal with them ten to twelve hours a day, six days a week, for six to seven whole years. Possibly even more for the lazy ones and dead lasts.

Yeah, Daikoku could see why that could be stressful. He even pitied some of the other teachers. He didn't know what he would do in their positions, but he was content nonetheless with his own class.

He was able to, on rare occasions, select which students enter his class. An honor only few Academy teachers are granted.

What he really enjoys, though, aside from observing the funny quirks of the next generation, is teaching them how to actually survive for the tomorrow.

"Hey Daikoku, I hear you're getting a new Uchiha in your class."

"Really?" a woman asked before Daikoku was able to reply. "Is he cute like Itachi-chan was?"

"Oi, Suki," a man across the way drawled out. "no one said the Uchiha was a boy."

"Yeah, Suki!" a woman stood to glare down at Suki. "Besides, you're a grown woman. You shouldn't go around traumatising little boys the way you do!"

Daikoku, knowing what was about to come, simply smiled and nodded, edging towards the door the next instant.

He sighed once he was clear down the hall. The room he had just escaped had erupted into the routine morning argument.

Eventually he reached his own classroom. Sliding the door open, he strode in. He placed the stack of papers he had been carrying neatly on his desk. He then walked to the large windows that lined the wall opposite of the door.

He stared down at the academy's training ground before he looked up at the sky. He watched the sky brighten, enjoying the quiet of the morning. Eventually soft yellow sunlight started to hit the training grounds.

Daikoku turned around and froze.

"Hey, there. I didn't see you."

Truth was, he did not even sense anyone was in the room with him.

Opposite of him, in a second row desk along the wall near the exit, sat a kid. The boy's large dark eyes staring into his. Equally dark hair framing a pale face. A scar was slightly visible on the boy's neck. It started below his chin, just missing his throat, and went down to be hidden by the collar of his dark blue shirt.

Both of the boy's hands lay flat on the desk. His posture straight. The Uchiha insignia was on the shoulder of his long sleeved shirt.

Daikoku smiled. There was no doubt about it. He matched perfectly Danzo's description of him.

"Good morning," he greeted. For it indeed was a good morning. "You must be Uchiha Haru."

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Throughout that day, Daikoku kept an eye on the new Uchiha. All the new students he received never interacted with others. Which was usual for first days, but something that always changed as time went on. Well, for most of his students.

The next morning, he found Haru, once again, early and sitting in his self-assigned desk. It was a good thing that no one was sitting there already, otherwise Daikoku would have had to find Haru a new place to sit.

Over the next two weeks, Daikoku found himself going to his classroom earlier and earlier. Haru was always there first, sitting quietly. Never broaching much conversation.

Daikoku had entirely moved his morning routine into his classroom after the first week. He even found himself coming to the academy before the other teachers. Haru, always being in the classroom when he got there.

He also found himself trying to draw comparisons between Haru and his former prodigy of a student, Itachi.

Like Itachi, Haru always beat everyone in spars, he excelled in target practice, and always kept to himself.

Unlike his former student, though, whenever Haru was approached by someone or was spoken to, he smiled.

When it came to quizzes, Daikoku always slipped Haru progressively harder sheets. Then, during one normally silent morning, he decided to give Haru a copy of a previous written graduation exam.

That led the two to their current staring contest. Two weeks from when Haru entered the class. At the end of the day when all students were gone. This was the moment he decided to test a theory that he would not have thought about if not for Itachi.

They stared at each other for a few moments before Daikoku reached out and pinched Haru's cheek.

All his student did was blink.

After a few more moments of staring, he finally sighed.

"Alright, Haru, you can dispel now,"

A few intense moments passed where Daikoku was pretty sure he was the only one who felt the tension. Then, one end of Haru's mouth lifted in a smirk.

The next thing Daikoku knew, the area his student once occupied was empty. A smokeless and soundless dispelling of a shadow clone.

"Damn..." was the only thing that came out of his mouth.

Haru and Itachi may be similar, but he knew one thing for certain.

Haru is no Itachi.

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The wooden cane struck the floor of the Hokage's office as Danzo came to a stop.

"What do you want, Danzo?"

"Fugaku-sama, I hear your nephew is quite the prodigy,"

Fugaku frowned and leaned over his desk. "Is there a reason you're watching my nephew?"

"Talent always attracts me, Fugaku- sama , especially talent that can graduate two weeks after joining the Academy,"

"Danzo, I'm sure you didn't come all this way to speak about my nephew,"

"Perhaps," Danzo said. Half ignoring the new Hokage's statement. "I want to take the young Uchiha under my tutelage,"

"No,"

Danzo stood for a few seconds in silence before turning his back.

"Very well, Fugaku-sama, I hope you reconsider,"

Just as Danzo was about to leave, Fugaku spoke up.

"Danzo,"

Said man stopped.

"It's Hokage-sama," Fugaku said. "make sure to remember that."

Slowly Danzo turned his face. A cold smirk could be seen.

"Of course, Hokage-sama ."