2. Academy and Geniuses

Konohagakure no Sato

Year 67​

Hiruzen POV:

"I see," Sarutobi said, his expression contemplative as he carefully considered the report delivered by Team 2's leader. The information aligned well with what he had gathered from his ANBU operatives, who had been keeping an eye on Minazuki-san due to Danzō's concerns about his inferiority complex. It appeared that Danzō had been overly paranoid.

He shifted a bit on his chair, settling himself into a more comfortable posture. The ANBU in his office tensed at the movement, readying themselves to attack at quick notice.

Recent incidents had made them slightly paranoid, it seemed.

The Sandaime gave pass to this behaviour, and focused back on the jōnin.

'I wonder what Danzō saw in you that painted your image in such a bad light in his eyes.' Albeit the Shinobi no Yami had been rather disagreeable ever since he found out of Sarutobi's indecisiveness when he confronted his former student.

Orochimaru's betrayal was truly a blow…and to think he had been considering passing on the title of Godaime to him.

Dispelling those thoughts, he brought attention back to this recent development within the renewed team 2.

The Sandaime couldn't help but feel relieved that this new team had achieved a greater synergy. However, he wished it could have been that way from the beginning, without the tragic loss of one of their shinobi, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

He knew he would need to question those responsible for team assignments. Their primary task was to ensure that genin assigned to teams had greater compatibility, not harbor resentment like the deceased genin seemed to have had for the prodigious Uchiha…

Even now the echoes of that night still lingered, and because of the evident takeover shown within the Kyūbi's eyes refute was impossible without political ramifications.

...at least, the bright side was that Itachi had managed to awaken his sharingan during the ordeal. The reports spoke of him being no less of a prodigy with it as he was with everything else.

'Truly, mastering the dōjutsu within several months? I'm quite sure such a feat is unheard of.' Sarutobi thought in astonishment. Even young Kakashi hadn't become this hastily proficient with his gifted sharingan, although he did have the excuse of receiving the eye from Obito.

The closest who came to this feat were Kagami and his descendant, Shisui.

Turning his attention back to the jōnin, Sarutobi inquired, "And what of the masked-nin? Had he attacked your team again?"

The investigation they conducted provided little information on the identity of this mysterious shinobi, as no one seemed to match his skill set.

Minazuki shook his head in response, "We haven't encountered him again. I believe the last encounter was merely an unfortunate twist of fate, Sandaime-sama."

Sarutobi considered another possibility, wondering if the rogue-nin might have been targeting Tenma Izumo. Itachi's recount seemed to support this hypothesis. After all, if the masked-nin's goal was to eliminate their employer, there was no need for him to target Konoha-nin, as it would only make him an enemy of the entire village and land him in their bingo books.

Still, the hypothesis of targeting Izumo-san left the question of why such a seemingly unremarkable genin was a potential target. His parents had been chūnin level at best, earning their rank through intelligence rather than physical prowess.

Putting aside that line of thought for the moment, Sarutobi decided to delve into another matter.

"Is Itachi holding up well? While we conducted some psychological evaluations, I would like to hear your input as his sensei."

Minazuki nodded, responding, "He had been understandably shaken, but he showed signs of recovery after the first month. I noticed he has grown more determined and focused on his training as well."

"What about connectivity? Any reluctance?"

The jōnin's expression turned thoughtful, which reassured Sarutobi. It meant that the shinobi wasn't overly suspicious of every action taken by the genin and didn't view Itachi in a negative light.

"Not quite," Minazuki-san replied, "though he is a bit too vigilant during our missions, even going as far as keeping his sharingan active."

Sarutobi knew that Itachi possessed significant chakra reserves for an Uchiha thus the feat wasn't something outside the realm of possibility, although the density of his chakra left much to be desired. However, Itachi's exceptional chakra control compensated for this disadvantage.

Regarding Itachi's vigilance, it was a common trait among loyal shinobi who had experienced misfortune at a young age. Despite that, it seemed Itachi was determined to prevent any further harm befalling his teammates from rogue attacks.

Sarutobi let his stern visage fade, a small smile etching on his features as he nodded at the jōnin.

"Good work, Minazuki-san. Continue to guide and watch over them, as they are the future of our village." He turned to look out his window, "You and your team will rest this weekend, and resume duty and training on Monday."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

The jōnin left without further prompting, and Sarutobi let out a sigh of exhaustion, sinking into the tender embrace of the cushioned chair.

Subconsciously, his hand slipped into his robes and produced his pipe which he lit with an easy flex of his Fire Transformation mastery. With an eager drag, smoke filled his lungs, and the aged kage let it simmer before letting it out.

His eyes flicked towards the file of graduates and team reassignments delivered by Funeno Daikoku.

This year had no individuals with greater potential…but those were a once in a generation occurrence. And they already had Itachi Uchiha.

The only person worth note within the academy was Hana Inuzuka, and only because she was the heiress to her clan. Izumi Uchiha had also been a candidate for someone with exceptional talent, but it seemed her early awakening of her dōjutsu didn't equate to greater physical prowess.

Or proficiency in its other aspects.

Yet again, these two were still second year students moving to third year. There was still time for them to mature.

....

Totsu POV:

The Academy had been different from what I had expected, and it still remained so. Instead of the romanticized expectations of heroic deeds, it primarily focused on essential skills that a shinobi needed to carry out their assignments with utmost efficiency. Topics like killing, fighting, stalking, hiding, medicine, camping, and cold reading were discussed and taught with an unsettling nonchalance, as if they were everyday, mundane subjects.

This world served as a constant reminder that morals were subjective, shaped by the views and agreements of society, and there existed no absolute truth of good or bad set in stone. While the intention was not to turn students into monsters, it certainly aimed to instill aggressive nationalism.

And I was morally flexible.

A part of me appreciated the process, finding it eerily similar to what I had tried to achieve with my siblings in relation to the superiority of our family. I truly believed that my bloodline had been supreme in its make, despite the countless evidence suggesting otherwise. But I had been loyal to my family…and as I looked at the instructors talk about Konoha, I could see the same loyalty shining in their eyes.

This was year 2 in the Academy, approaching the last days in this grade before moving on to the next.

It had been a calmer year, and I had come to appreciate my stay at the Academy. The droning annoyance of the kids had become bearable after I had shown my disfavour for mingling about…unlike the loud and obnoxious Iruka, who had graduated a few months after my attendance started…

Truly, it was uncanny how he and Naruto had such similar personalities.

As for me, I was recluse and distant, I didn't try to interact with the kids, lest I ended up manipulating them. The attitude was understandable, after all, I had just lost my parents, but I didn't want eyes on me, so I was cautious yet not restrained.

Cloaked under my clothes was a piece of paper that danced on my skin…guided by the soft control of my chakra. At this point, the exercise served nothing, but I had grown fond of it. I was sure my control was nigh-perfect, the rigorous training I had subjected myself to didn't lack dedication.

So far I had been successful in being inconspicuous, both in strength and mind. The only time I had felt a subdued chakra shadow me was a few months after the Kyūbi attack, when I had started donating much of my funds to assist in the rebuild and the unfortunate homeless.

The attempt had earned me favour and clout but it was a bit suspicious for a child to possess such forethought.

That hadn't been a mere act of benevolence, but a calculated risk to further dissuade any attempts at capture from the notorious duo, though the snake had gone rogue, I knew he still kept in contact with the extremist.

I gazed out the window, the warmth of the sun and the gentle dance of branches on a typical spring day enveloped me. Chirping birds filled the air, creating a tranquil yet uneventful atmosphere that reminded me of my childhood. I recalled those days spent sitting under a shaded tree in the quiet countryside, pondering why I seemed to be without any true friends.

The answer had been obvious even back then, I hated noise and I hated pointless motion… I never fitted in with my peers, and as years passed by, I found myself finding comfort in my loneliness and proxied entertainment through a screen.

It took a moment before the mood faded and I was brought back to reality and the active bustle of the class.

"…never linger in the air, and always make sure to favour the ground when pursued by enemies."

Hisata-sensei stood front of the room, explaining the importance of distance determination and perception honing while tree hopping. There were a few obstacles she used to demonstrate.

She was one of the more liked instructors among the students, and it wasn't just because she was an engaging teacher, but a person of great beauty. Despite being a shinobi, her body was more voluptuous in its make, with a bountiful rump and an ample chest, coupled with a soft beautiful face with long black hair.

Not once I had sensed some of the male instructors discreetly leering her during her classes as she was prone to movement…a free display of alluring bounce.

Perhaps that was the reason she had chosen to be an instructor, she was a walking bundle of allure, no doubt she would have been familiar with sexual assaults had she taken an active role.

"But sensei, what if the pursuit happens in a crowded forest, wouldn't it be more efficient to tree hop?"

The instructor shook her head…

"Tree hopping is similar to ninjutsu, unless you are proficient with it, it will only serve as a hindrance if used or relied upon in combat," she explained, "and while in mid-air, it allows your enemy an opportunity to predict your motions while granting you limited movement."

Many of the students groaned as this was one of the few things they actually looked forward to doing and mastering… And it was quite easy to master, I had done so within the first month of school. The problems Hisana-sensei had raised were actually easy to overcome with a bit of battle awareness.

But I was stuck with kids, critical thinking, if this could even be called that, wasn't exactly their strong suit. They weren't emboldened like I was, and took to lessons with less enthuse and nonchalance, some still struggled with hand seals…while others had yet to execute a punch with flawless form.

In that regard, I was a genius…albeit a softer one. I had learned most of the programs within my first year, and had gained proficiency in my second. I was still a far cry from the likes of Itachi, who had been my classmate for about a month before being moved up, but I was also born with a severe disadvantage.

My reserves had just now hit what was necessary for a genin, while his were chunin before even hitting puberty— it was an unfair world.

It wasn't only the chakra advantage but the genetic advantages as well, being from a clan and a celestial descendant, the Uchiha weren't quite human in their physiology— superior even. Their chakra was unique, body stronger and more attuned to the energy than humans…

They took to its application faster than we could…and had a direct bloodline of the Jūbi.

I wasn't bitter of course, I had not intended for myself to graduate from the Academy quickly, I would take my time and refine…research, and become a powerhouse once I was ready to stray and begin my path.