In the current ninja world, things like having children early are to be expected, since one may even be killed before ever reaching adulthood. It's better to have offspring early so that their bloodline won't accidentally end with them.
Even back during the Warring States Period, many shinobi married and had children at the age of 10; not all of them could even survive to 18 to start a family. Back then, children around 4 were already sent to the battlefield to fight for their lives.
Even with the village system founded by Hashirama and Madara, the tradition of starting a family early hasn't faded completely; it just extended a few more years.
Take Kagami, for example; he died at the age of 25 or even maybe 26, while Kadoya and Natsumi are around 10 years apart in age, meaning he got married quite early on and had children.
Not everyone is like Madara, who believes that women can only lower the speed of his hand seals. This leads to him being around 80 or 90 years old and having to abduct someone else's children to be his successor.
"Zzzzz..."
While Kadoya and Nobunaga lay peacefully tangled up in each other after five rounds of sparking in bed together. Kadoya's shadow clones were once again being mercilessly overworked.
In a nearby sealed-off room, five clones were hunched over scrolls, formulas, and half-finished seals drawn across the floor, desperately trying to accomplish the impossible: convert chakra into mana or create a chakra-based Command Seal system that would let Nobu tap into Kadoya's chakra like her own.
"I'm done! I can't take this anymore!" Clone #1 shouted, slamming his brush down and nearly flipping the table.
"Unfortunately, we don't get to quit," Clone #2 said, massaging the dark circles under his eyes. "We're literal manifestations of Kadoya's will. Our suffering is non-negotiable."
"This is why we're a walking contradiction," Clone #4 muttered, dragging a hand through his long black hair. "We're somehow the most overworked and laziest guy in Konoha."
"…I think Number Three's dead," Clone #5 chimed in, nudging Clone #3, who was collapsed face-first on a pile of scrolls.
"He's not dead," said Clone #2, poking at the body with a stick. "Just playing dead."
Clone #1 groaned, slumping into a seated position.
...
After some time, Kakashi stood in front of the Uchiha Academy gate, staring up at it with the deadest of dead-fish eyes before releasing a long, soul-weary sigh.
He really, really didn't want to go back to school.
But there was nothing he could do about it.
Last night's conversation had gone something like this:
Kakashi: "I'm not going back to school! I'm already a ninja!"
Sakumo: "Ninja? You're still too green to call yourself that. Get a proper education first."
Kakashi: "I refuse."
Sakumo calmly pulled out a flyer, "UCHIHA CREMATION SERVICES: Fast, Clean, Clan-Approved."
His name was already signed in the customer box.
Sakumo: "You either attend, or this goes straight to the Clan Head."
Kakashi: "…"
Needless to say, here he was.
Kakashi begrudgingly dragged himself through the school gate, trudging across the pristine academy grounds like a man walking toward execution. Everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but Uchihas, students with jet-black hair and prideful eyes, teachers with that same calm arrogance, even staff members with the clan fan printed on their sleeves.
It was like stepping into enemy territory wearing a giant bullseye.
He didn't know a single person here. He was the only Hatake in a sea of Uchihas. And while he wouldn't admit it out loud… it made him feel a little out of place.
"Hey! New kid!"
A voice called out, making Kakashi turn around. A group of Uchiha students was approaching, their postures relaxed but confident.
"You new here?" asked one of them, a boy slightly taller than Kakashi. His tone was calm, expression unreadable.
"Yeah," Kakashi replied, keeping his voice even behind his mask. "Transferred today. First day."
"I see. I'm Hino Uchiha." The boy nodded and offered a handshake.
"Kakashi. Kakashi Hatake." Kakashi took his hand, his gaze steady, watching Hino's face for any hint of judgment or pity.
But there was none.
Not in Hino's eyes, nor in the others'. Their expressions remained neutral, welcoming even.
There are no sideways glances. No whispers about his father.
Just… acceptance. As if he were just another student.
Not the White Fang's son. Not the prodigy. Just Kakashi.
"Hello! I'm Mizuki Uchiha," said a girl, stepping forward with a polite smile.
"Kazuki Uchiha," added another boy. His tone was dry, his expression vaguely brooding. Resembling Sasuke during his emo phase.
"I'm Midori Uchiha. Nice to meet you," a second girl said, her voice soft and composed.
They chatted with Kakashi for a bit, nothing deep, just friendly conversation. Then, one by one, they said their goodbyes and split off toward their respective courses.
Kakashi headed to the Shinobi Course wing and found his classroom: Room 2-C.
His first few classes passed without incident: basic shinobi subjects, history, and other subjects. Nothing too difficult. Nothing he hadn't already heard of.
But surprisingly… the history class caught his interest.
Unlike the regular Ninja Academy, which spent thirty mind-numbing pages preaching about the Will of Fire, this one was different.
The Uchiha Academy taught the real history, how Konoha was founded, the alliance between Hashirama and Madara, and the actual reasons the village came into being.
The Will of Fire was mentioned, sure, but only briefly, and only in Hashirama's original meaning:
The strong protect the weak. So that children never have to go to war.
Kakashi found himself… intrigued.
"Hey, Kakashi."
A voice called out, prompting Kakashi to glance up from the book in his hands. It was Midori, one of his classmates, walking over with an amused expression.
"Didn't take you for a book nerd."
Kakashi frowned beneath his mask but kept his tone neutral. "I'm just… interested."
In the Ninja Academy, the was nothing like this in the history book, even some of the info a different. Both said that it was the Senju and Uchiha who founded Konoha, but there is only a mention of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, with no mention of Madara Uchiha, the second founder.
Kakashi wasn't sure if this version of history was true or if it was just something the Uchiha made up. Either way, he'd already decided to ask his father about it later.
"Today's Practice Training Class will be using wooden weapons," their homeroom teacher announced.
Kakashi nearly groaned. Wooden weapons?
He'd already graduated once. Sparring with kids felt like a step backward. He almost flipped open his book again until Midori grabbed his sleeve and dragged him onto the training field, tossing him a wooden sword.
"This is a training class. You're not going to become a real ninja by reading all day. You need actual experience," she said, raising her own wooden blade.
Kakashi stared at her, then at the others already paired up and sparring. What caught his eye was that many of them were already using chakra.
At the Ninja Academy, chakra wasn't introduced until the second grade. Most of the early curriculum was dedicated to lectures about the Will of Fire and throwing kunai.
After the Second Shinobi War, the standard for graduation in the Ninja Academy has been extended so that most students now graduate around 10-11 years old, meaning they would have at least spent around 5-6 years studying mostly how to throw shuriken and kunai and the three basic ninjutsu.
But here at the Uchiha Academy, even first-years were learning about chakra. By the second year, they were already expected to grasp the three basic jutsu, or at least know the basics, and had already started training their chakra control.
Courses that focus on training the students into shinobi, will be more advanced than the other courses, having training sessions, and if you're talented enough, you get to study the third year's study material early, which is where they will begin learning ninjutsu and genjutsu.
Kakashi held the sword in his hand, finally ready. He and Midori squared off on the training field.
Their wooden blades clashed with a satisfying crack, the sound echoing across the grounds.
What surprised Kakashi wasn't the weapon, it was Midori.
She kept up with his White Fang style, her movements clean and sharp. During the Academy's early years, Kadoya had personally taught his kenjutsu to the staff and other Uchiha clan members. Midori's parents were among them. They took those teachings to heart. After being discharged from the hospital, they passed it on to their daughter from a young age.
Just like Kakashi's father had done, teaching his son at an early age.
In this school, many parents did the same, learning under the Clan Head, resting at the hospital, and then training their children with what they knew. No one wanted their child to fall behind.
"You're not half bad," Midori said, pushing Kakashi back during a power struggle.
"I could say the same to you!" Kakashi grunted, twisting his stance and going for a decisive strike.
But she didn't meet it head-on. Instead, she shifted subtly, guiding his sword aside with graceful precision, then struck his shoulder cleanly, knocking him to the ground.
"Your movements are a bit stiff. The kenjutsu's solid, though. Still…" she smiled smugly, puffing her chest, "you're no match for our Uchiha swordsmanship."
Kakashi lay on the ground, silent for a moment. It was the first time he'd lost to someone his age.
"Don't just lie there. Get up," Midori said, her tone teasing but with an edge of challenge. "At this rate, you'll never graduate."
That lit a spark in Kakashi's eyes.
He stood, readjusted his stance, and raised the sword again. "Let's go."
They clashed once more, this time not just with kenjutsu, but also with taijutsu and shurikenjutsu.
By the end of class, Kakashi walked out of the nurse's office with a bandage wrapped around his head and a visible frown. A bruise was forming under one eye.
Despite being evenly matched in swordplay and throwing techniques, he had to admit, Midori completely outclassed him in taijutsu. Her movements were fluid, fast, unpredictable. He just couldn't keep up.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away," Midori said with a sheepish grin, clapping her hands together in apology.
"It's fine," Kakashi replied, surprisingly more talkative than before. "It's training. Injuries are part of the deal."
Kakashi has always been viewed as a genius in the Ninja Academy, but now coming here and studying at the Uchiha Academy. He suddenly felt like he wasn't a genius; it was just that his old classmate was too weak.
"Great, let's go grab lunch," Midori said cheerfully, grabbing Kakashi's hand and tugging him along. "Since you're new, you have to try today's lunch. I heard today it's chicken curry!"
Kakashi didn't argue. He simply followed, still nursing the dull ache in his head as they made their way into the spacious, bustling cafeteria.
Midori guided him through the line, handing him a tray as they approached the food counter.
"You don't need to pay, kiddo," the lunch lady said kindly, setting a generous portion of curry on his plate. "Meals are covered by the school."
Kakashi blinked. "Seriously?"
Midori smirked as they walked to an empty table. "Surprised?"
"A bit, yeah. Back at the Ninja Academy, we had to bring our own food or pay for cafeteria meals." Kakashi said, still a bit shocked by how different the two Academies are.
Not just that, looking down at the free food provided to the students, the meal is... full of nutritional value. Something that looks quite expensive, consisting of a main course, a side dish, soups, snacks, and there are even a dessert.
Midori sat beside him, her eyes glinting with admiration. "From what I heard, this was all the Clan Head's idea. He's amazing. I really hope I get to meet him someday."
Kakashi paused, realizing that the "Clan Head" she was talking about was none other than Kadoya Uchiha, his adopted father.
His conversation with his father the night before had cleared that up. Since the identity of the Clan Head is kept a secret, because he said so, Kakashi naturally won't be foolish enough to reveal that he is now the adopted son of the Clan Head.
He simply nodded and stayed quiet.
Soon, they were joined by Midori's group of friends. The casual atmosphere made it easy for Kakashi to settle in.
"Yo, Kakashi," Hino grinned, sliding into the seat across from him. "Didn't expect you to get a black eye on your first day."
Sensing no malice in the boy's voice, Kakashi simply shrugged. "I got careless."
"Well, better be careful next time," Kazuki added dryly. "Or you'll end up like the second Might Guy, great at one thing and hopeless at everything else."
Hearing a name that wasn't Uchiha piqued Kakashi's interest. "Who's Might Guy?"
"Over there, green jumpsuit," Kazuki replied, pointing at another table.
Kakashi turned his head and spotted a boy in an unmistakably bright green outfit, laughing and chatting with a few Uchiha students.
"Guy's amazing at taijutsu," Mizuki chimed in. "But… not so great at everything else, chakra control, ninjutsu, genjutsu, all that. Still, he trains harder than anyone I've ever seen."
Despite her words, there was no mockery in her voice, just respect.
After all, the Uchiha were a proud clan, famous for their prowess and not exactly known for humility. But the attitude here was… different.
Ever since Kadoya's reforms, they'd started placing more value on strength of character, not just raw power.
What mattered now was strength, effort, loyalty, and intent. If you didn't show hostility and proved your worth, the Uchiha would treat you like one of their own.
Kakashi turned back to his food, the curry warm and fragrant.
"I see," he murmured, realizing that this place wasn't what he had expected.
And maybe… that wasn't such a bad thing.