Chapter 10: Enrollment at the Ninja Academy

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''Middle of the Night''

Sasuke lay in bed, feeling the abundant chakra coursing through his body and the warmth in his eyes. He was filled with excitement.

"System, open the host template."

'Ding, opened successfully.'

''Status''

''Host:'' Uchiha Sasuke 

''Age:'' 5 years old 

''Special Physique:'' Reincarnation of Indra, Chakra Affinity 

''Bloodline Limit:'' Sharingan (Three Tomoe) 

''Chakra Attributes:'' Lightning, Fire

As Uchiha Shisui became a missing-nin and Itachi withdrew from the Konoha Anbu, Itachi took up the role of a first-class officer in the Konoha Police Force.

In the blink of an eye, two months passed, and Sasuke reached the age to enroll in the Ninja Academy. Itachi brought Sasuke to the Academy for his enrollment day.

Outside the Academy, many parents were gathered, accompanying their children. Sasuke observed the crowd until his gaze fell upon a little girl sitting alone on a swing in the corner.

She had short lavender hair, a cute face, and the most striking white pupils, which made her stand out among the others. In the minds of children, those who stand out often become targets for bullying.

Four or five boys surrounded the girl—Hinata Hyuga.

"Hey, you're from the Hyuga clan, aren't you?" one of the boys sneered. 

"If you're from the Hyuga clan, show us your Byakugan!" 

"Why didn't your parents bring you here? Or are you some kind of freak?" 

"Your eyes are really creepy!" 

"You're just a monster with those white eyes—hahaha!"

Hinata felt hurt by their cruel words. She didn't understand why they were bullying her when she hadn't done anything to them.

She glanced behind her, hoping to see her elders, but they were nowhere to be found. Fearfully, she got off the swing and tried to back away, but the group of boys continued to chase after her, taunting her mercilessly.

Sasuke witnessed this scene and realized it was a perfect opportunity to win Hinata's favor. He pulled his hand away from his brother's grasp and ran forward, shouting, "Hey, you idiots! Stop bullying her!"

The boys turned around, surprised by the interruption, only to see Sasuke standing there with his Sharingan activated, the three Tomoe spinning in his eyes.

"What's the big deal about picking on a girl?" Sasuke challenged. "If you're so tough, why don't you try bullying me instead?"

The lead boy, trying to appear brave, charged at Sasuke, but his movements were painfully slow in Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke easily dodged and counterattacked, knocking the boys down one by one without using any ninjutsu.

As the commotion grew louder, the parents of the boys rushed over. One particularly large man saw his son on the ground and became furious, stepping forward to confront Sasuke.

"Hey, you red-eyed brat! Whose kid are you? How dare you bully my son? I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

Sasuke subtly prepared to use a Shadow Clone, figuring the man wasn't a significant threat in Konoha. However, before he could act, a figure in a green vest stepped between them—Itachi.

Itachi's Sharingan shifted into a Mangekyō pattern, and he said calmly, "He's my younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke. If you think you can bully him, you're mistaken. Trust me, you're no match for me, even if you all come at me together."

Itachi's words immediately intimidated the crowd, who quickly retreated, muttering curses under their breath. Itachi glanced at Sasuke and Hinata but said nothing.

Hinata, grateful, whispered, "Thank you for saving me."

Sasuke smiled and extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Uchiha Sasuke. What's your name? Can we be friends?"

Hinata blushed deeply as she looked at Sasuke's handsome face. She shyly took his hand and whispered, "My name is Hyuga Hinata..."

Sasuke responded warmly, "Hinata, from now on, we're friends. If anyone ever bullies you again, come find me. You're a really cute girl, and I want to protect you!"

Hinata, who had always felt neglected by her family, was overwhelmed by Sasuke's kindness. Her heart raced, and she felt faint.

Sasuke quickly caught her and asked, "Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?"

Hinata was too nervous to reply. At that moment, Neji Hyuga, who had been watching from the shadows, appeared. Neji, who had been branded with the Caged Bird seal, harbored resentment toward the Hyuga main family and was cold towards Hinata, despite being her cousin and a genius of the Hyuga clan.

Neji, a student a year ahead of Sasuke and Hinata, looked at them impassively.

Hinata broke free from Sasuke's arms and happily called out, "Onii-chan!"

Neji replied coldly, "Let's go. We need to complete the enrollment process."

Hinata was enthusiastic, but Neji remained distant.

Sasuke, puzzled by Neji's behavior, asked, "As Hinata's brother, why did you just stand by and watch when she was being bullied?"

Neji stopped and looked back at Sasuke. "This is none of your business. You don't understand anything."

Sasuke retorted, "Isn't it natural for an older brother to protect his younger siblings? Do you really need to hesitate about something like that?"

Neji was taken aback for a moment, then clenched his teeth and pulled Hinata along, wanting to leave.

"If you don't understand anything, then don't speak nonsense," Neji snapped.

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