Should I try the Rasengan? Aizen wondered, his gaze drifting away from the teacher at the front of the classroom.
The lecture was about the founding of Konoha, how the clans had come together during the Warring States period, putting aside conflict for the sake of peace.
At least, that was the official version.
The teacher spoke as if Konoha had always been a collective effort. As if every clan had stood equally when the village was formed. No mention of the Senju. No mention of the Uchiha. Just a vague "everyone came together" story, polished for classroom consumption.
So we're pretending Hashirama and Madara didn't exist now? Aizen thought with a sigh. What a load of hypocrisy.
Rather than waste time listening to revisionist history, Aizen turned his attention inward, back to his thoughts about the Rasengan.
If he could recreate it from scratch, based only on the concept, without direct instruction, it would be an impressive feat.
But…
If Minato had already developed it by now, that could complicate things.
Aizen's brows furrowed slightly, deep in thought.
His eyes shifted to Kakashi, seated beside him. Ever since the meeting with White Fang, the two had been spending more time together. It wasn't exactly friendship, not yet, but there was mutual interest. Kakashi gravitated toward talent, and Aizen? Well, he fit the category Kakashi respected: genius.
How ironic, Aizen mused, lips curling into a faint smile. Kakashi sees me as a prodigy.
Noticing the smile, Kakashi turned toward him, sharp eyes narrowing. "What?"
"Nothing," Aizen said, voice light. "Just wondering if you've got bunny teeth hiding behind that mask."
Kakashi sighed, his momentary curiosity vanishing like mist. "Hn. Should've known."
Just like that, he looked away, interest thoroughly lost.
Still, if I'm not mistaken, Minato was about ten years older than Kakashi at least, which means he should currently be around fourteen to sixteen years old.
I don't remember exactly when he created the Rasengan, only that he used it during the war. It's said that it took him two to three years to develop it.
As for the inspiration behind it, I believe it was the Tailed Beast Bomb. But I can't recall exactly which beast or Jinchūriki he saw it from.
I doubt it was Kushina, since there weren't any berserk incidents in the past three or four years, as far as I remember. And I don't think they would've let Minato anywhere near her during the Nine-Tails sealing.
So most likely, he witnessed the Tailed Beast Bomb outside the village, during a mission involving another Jinchūriki.
Surviving them isn't just about strength. It takes luck too. So, most likely, he was on some mission or had a bad encounter while travelling with Jiraiya, since he was his teacher.
Though it's said Nagato was around thirty-five at the time of his death, meaning he should be about ten right now, Jiraiya didn't start teaching the trio until after the Second Shinobi World War. As far as I can say, Minato didn't participate in the second war either.
And there's been no news about Jiraiya taking students.
I don't understand the timeline.
Anyways, I'm going to make the Rasengan. Let's see what happens.
"Let's go," Kakashi said, snapping Aizen out of his thoughts.
"What happened?" Aizen asked, noticing everyone getting up around them.
"Class is over. Where was your mind?" Kakashi replied, raising an eyebrow at his confused expression.
"Nothing. Just thinking about creating a jutsu," Aizen said casually.
"When you make the key, teach me too," Kakashi added with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"Okay, I'll teach you," Aizen nodded seriously.
Kakashi blinked. Is he for real? Just a few days ago, he was going on about sword styles, and now he's talking about making jutsu?
As they walked down the hallway, they noticed Shimura Naoya standing ahead of them, arms crossed like he'd been waiting. Beside him were Shimura Kaito and Mitokado Gaku. All three were Aizen's classmates, and none of them looked like they were here to chat.
"Aizen, let's battle today. I'm going to teach you Uchiha brats a lesson," Naoya declared, his voice carrying the arrogance of a judge about to deliver a sentence.
His challenge echoed through the courtyard. Conversations paused, footsteps halted, and every eye turned toward them. It was clear a fight was about to break out.
Even the teachers noticed, but none of them stepped in. Their job was to teach and prepare the students for the real world. What the students chose to do with that training was outside their jurisdiction.
In fact, these fights were quietly observed and even encouraged. They were seen as practical exams, tests of judgment, reaction time, technique, and control. Every move was noted. Every result reported. When the time came to shape a shinobi's future, it wasn't just their present that mattered, but everything leading up to it.
Aizen tilted his head slightly, looking genuinely confused. "Are you challenging the entire Uchiha clan?"
Naoya scowled, fists clenched, but before he could speak, Aizen stepped forward. His voice was calm and even, carrying through the now-silent courtyard.
"Naoya," Aizen said softly, almost like he was trying to prevent a misunderstanding before it could grow, "are you sure about this?"
He looked him in the eyes, not with hostility, but with quiet sincerity.
"I'm not trying to mock you. I really mean it. I don't want you getting hurt."
The words were spoken without sarcasm, without pride. Just a clear warning, simple and direct.
"I don't know if you've heard it often, but the Uchiha clan is known to be one of the strongest in the world. That's not me bragging. That's what people say, from all over the nations. You can ask any instructor, any elder. It's not a title we gave ourselves."
He paused for a breath, then added, "That's why this kind of challenge—one person versus a whole clan—doesn't make sense. It creates the wrong message."
Aizen glanced around at the growing crowd, then back at Naoya. His tone shifted, gentler.
"Aren't we all from the same village? Konoha was formed so we wouldn't have to keep fighting each other. We're supposed to grow together, under the Will of Fire. One trunk. Many roots. Stronger when we're united."
"I'm not saying this to avoid a fight. I'll accept it if you really want to go through with it. But I'm giving you the choice to walk away without shame. No one here will think less of you for that."
For a moment, silence.
"What? Is Naoya seriously challenging the Uchiha clan?"
"Is he stupid? The whole clan?"
"That's insane. Even adults wouldn't try that."
"Maybe he's not acting alone."
"Isn't Naoya from the Shimura clan? Could this be something his elders put him up to?"
"So it's Shimura versus Uchiha now?"
"That's what it sounds like…"
The murmurs rippled through the courtyard like a spreading fire. What started as a schoolyard challenge was quickly turning into something far more political.
And right at the centre of it, Aizen just smiled faintly, like a fox watching chickens panic before the first feather even dropped.
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Explain Timeline