Chapter 7

Land of Fire.

Hidden Leaf Village.

The ninja academy was founded by the second Hokage, Tobirama, during the First Great Ninja war, where young children learn and train to defend themselves before starting their path as a ninja of Konoha.

During the warring states period, out of military necessity, he then founded the administrative section. The Mission Assignment Hall. It was where official Ninja receive their assignments.

In the wide-open space with six windows, six figures were lined up in the mission assignment hall. At the center, sat a man with tanned skin and brown spiked hair, and a single line running vertically under the corner of his eyes.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Distinguished by a red full-length kimono that was fastened with a white sash, along with a haori over it; kanji for "Third Hokage" was written on the back.

There were five additional people in the room, including Danzo Shimura from the Anbu. Homura and Koharu from the council, along with two older male chunin at the corner.

"Very well then, it's decided."

An exhausted Hiruzen looked at his three comrades, the wrinkles on his face were clear now as he finally decided on the Medical department of Konoha.

"Have it your way then!"

Listening with a sour look on his face, Danzo snorted but kept his words under his throat, as his suggestion wasn't taken into consideration. He glared at Hiruzen, brow furrowed. Hiruzen too met his comrade in arms' gaze without flinching, who he had met in his genin days.

Knock!!

A sudden knock at the door interrupted them, Hiruzen halted the ongoing discussion as he permitted the newcomer to enter.

"Enter."

"Excuse me, Lord Hokage!"

A chunin instructor of the academy entered the hall, he bowed in respect and passed the Hokage a sheet of paper.

"Hmm. An early graduation request? Izuna Uchiha, oh!"

Sarutobi looked at the information of the student, who requested the early graduation, a bit surprised as he showed it to the figures sitting beside him.

"Oh, he's quite the fascinating child."

It came from Koharu, bewildered at the excellent records Izuna had made in the academy.

'Izuna Uchiha, hm?'

Danzo had a dispassionate look on his face when he heard someone request early graduation. But taking a look at the grades and the new records - boldly written 100 under every subject - made his sharp eyes shine.

"Hm, yes, you are right. He is an extraordinary child. Oh, he has mastered even that Jutsu, quite unbelievable!"

Going through Izuna's detailed reports, the councilor Homura, who had light-brown spiky hair, expressed his surprise.

"Yes, to think he is just a freshman."

Koharu Utatane, sitting at the extreme corner also agreed with his words and nodded her head in agreement.

"Aside from the Clone jutsu, which is a requirement for the academy, Izuna Uchiha has already mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu! He excels in all other subjects and has already broken all the previous records. Even the teachers think there's no purpose in keeping him at the academy any longer."

The chunin instructor of the academy, after explaining all of Izuna's achievements, stood in his place.

"Haha! To think that Akio's son would give us such a pleasant surprise. All right, bring Izuna Uchiha here. I, myself, will see through his graduation exam."

The third Hokage Hiruzen said, standing up as he approached the window. Overlooking the village, his face stretched into a kind smile - the future of the Leaf seemed prosperous in the hands of the next generation.

"I look forward to meeting you, Izuna."

Hiruzen murmured. He remembered the young boy since his first day at the academy. Izuna had left a deep impression on the Hokage, Hiruzen could still recall the determination and resolve that the young kid's eyes had shown.

***

"All right, Izuna. This is the place where your assessment is going to take place."

His teacher said, and opened the door, revealing a wide-open hall.

Izuna nodded briefly in response as he strode in, but was startled to find the figures sitting before him. The members of Konoha Council.

"Haah! This is just going to be bothersome."

Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Izuna muttered, not loud enough for anyone else to hear. He really didn't want any unwanted attention from the man sitting next to Hiruzen. He was well aware of the darkness that lurked behind the peaceful atmosphere of the Leaf.

Danzo Shimura. A rare smile suddenly spread across his lips as his eyes fell on Izuna. He was one of the councilors of Konoha and the founder of the Root division of the Anbu.

With the consideration of staying out of Danzo's sight until he became strong enough, Izuna had trained non-stop since the day he began his ninja training.

However, he had indeed known that he would be a magnet to all kinds of people once he began his path as a ninja, thus wanted to avoid people like Danzo until he became powerful.

"Oh! There you are, Izuna Uchiha."

Izuna stood at the entrance when he heard smiling Hiruzen. He came out of his thoughts as he went inside calmly, and slightly bowed his head.

Turning his gaze toward the Hokage, Izuna tilted his head slightly and couldn't help but raise a question.

"So, would you be the one to oversee my exam, Lord Third?"

"Haha! Yes, of course!"

"How could I let go of an opportunity to assess a prodigy of this generation?"

Hiruzen was silent for a while looking at the young Izuna and then laughed as he expressed his desire. And seeing Izuna's calm expression even after his contemplation, a glint of appreciation flashed through his eyes, as he nodded slightly.

"You must have learned in the academy that the early graduation exams are harder than the normal ones."

Izuna nodded his head. In the village of Konohagakure, a select number of students judged by their teachers to be gifted and quite skilled could take the graduation test without completing their whole term. But the test would be harder than the normal ones. He was well aware of it.

"Generally, graduating from the academy consists of a written and a practical test, but you won't need for a written test as your grades announce themselves."

Izuna didn't speak and simply waited for Hiruzen to continue.

"Instead, I'd like to ask you two questions that you have to answer."

Hiruzen rubbed his goatee, and reminded Izuna of the condition to graduate, looking at the younger boy.

'Here it comes...'

In response, Izuna simply nodded and showed no hesitation in his indifferent face; already knowing what was coming next.

"My dream?"

"It's all right, go ahead and say it."

Hiruzen urged him, seeing Izuna pause for a moment. Just as Izuna had predicted, a phycological question was thrown at him - nothing out of his expectations.

"I want to be the strongest and the greatest Ninja ever, strong enough to protect what I hold dear."

Hiruzen and others before him didn't expect this sort of dream he would share. Others might have laughed and wouldn't take his remark seriously, but those in the room became aware of the conviction reflected in his eyes.

'You really are...'

Apparently, it wasn't Hiruzen's first time hearing those words. He had already heard it six months ago, the day when Izuna started the academy and introduced himself. A smile stretched on the Hokage's wrinkled face.

Calmly standing on his spot, Izuna waited for Hiruzen to speak. He couldn't care less about what others might think of him, or his words.

"Very well done. Now for the second question, what do you think about breaking the shinobi rules?"

"Hmm. Shinobi rules and regulations are important, but they aren't impeccable. A Shinobi must also know when to bend these rules in order to adapt and cope with the situations."

These were his own thoughts that Izuna felt compassionate about, as blindly following the rules transforms a person into a mindless killer.

"Oh!"

Sarutobi and everyone else stared at Izuna in bewilderment, not expecting him to respond with such ease and flawlessly, and the way he put his words, slightly took them aback.

"You have similar thoughts to a capable ninja that I know of."

A fleeting silence flowed through the hall, and then Sarutobi stated with an appreciative nod as if choosing his words.

However, the only one who disagreed was the man sitting beside Hiruzen. Danzo Shimura. For him, shinobi are meant to be used as tools for results and must place the interest of the village above all ethics.

"All right. Now onto the practical. Let's see your shadow clone jutsu!"

Without wasting any more time, Hiruzen ordered Izuna to do the shadow Clone technique. Unlike the usual clone technique required to graduate from the academy, Hiruzen asked him to do the B-rank technique, as he had read in the report that Izuna could perform that forbidden technique.

Izuna, after knowing that he had to perform just a simple Shadow Clone jutsu, did a single hand sign, and a shadow clone materialized in front of everyone with a burst of smoke.

"Woah! What speed..."

Unable to conceal his surprise, Hiruzen muttered in a low voice, his face probably told everything. Others present there were also experienced shinobi and that's precisely why they too were amazed at his speed.

Danzo's soul hadn't stopped shaking since watching Izuna's capabilities as a ninja.

He did find it a little sad that the genius Izuna had been born into a sorry clan like the Uchiha. But no one could escape fate. At the moment he was born an Uchiha, Izuna's path was set.

However the case, Danzo trembled with glee just at the thought of having the genius Izuna Uchiha under him, as his pawn.

How could he get him under his control? That was the issue.

Meanwhile, unaware of his friend's malicious thoughts, looking at the young child before him, Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction, as he understood that another capable ninja was born in the Leaf.

"So, do I pass the test, Lord Third?

"R-right..."

As if pulled out of his trance, Hiruzen nodded with a kind smile, and stood up and patted Izuna's shoulder.

"Yes. You are more than advanced enough to become a genin and fulfill your duties as a ninja of Konoha."

Izuna slightly bowed his head.

"You haven't even started your path to becoming a Ninja yet, but you can already do something like that. I have high hopes from you, Izuna Uchiha."

Expectations bleeding into it, the hoarse yet kind voice of Hiruzen, sounded strong to the ears of Izuna. He nodded his head, calmly.

< Chapter 7 > Fin.