After testing the three rookies, Mitsuro walked with calm, steady steps through the streets of Konoha, enjoying the cool air as he thought about his tasks for the next day.
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind him: " Mitsuro Sensei!"
It was Konohamaru, with his usual energy. He came running, panting, and stopped right in front of him. Mitsuro calmly adjusted his glasses.
"What's up, Konohamaru?"
Konohamaru straightened up, his voice firm and filled with childish pride. "I want to get strong! Teach me ninjutsu!"
Mitsuro looked at him calmly. "Kid, you haven't even mastered the basic 'Henge no Jutsu' yet, and you're already asking for a new one?"
"That's not what I mean!" Konohamaru calmed down a bit. "I want to be as strong as Naruto-niisan... I want you to be my sensei!"
Mitsuro raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Konohamaru, I'm already your teacher. You have my class next semester. Did you hit your head or something?"
At that moment, a middle-aged man with slicked-back black hair and large, round glasses approached them. He wore a long green vest and had his forehead protector tied around his head. Mitsuro bowed his head respectfully in greeting. "Ebisu-san..."
Ebisu, with his usual arrogant air, pushed up his glasses and gave Mitsuro a contemptuous look. "Uchiha..." Then he turned to Konohamaru and said in a serious tone, "Young master, I will show you the true path of a ninja."
Konohamaru looked at him unwillingly. "I'm not taking lessons from someone who even lost to Naruto-niisan!"
Hearing this, Mitsuro narrowed his eyes and stared at Konohamaru. "Konohamaru... it shows a narrow perspective to insult a Konoha Jonin and say he's weaker than a rookie Genin."
Embarrassed by Mitsuro's words, Konohamaru turned his head away and changed the subject. "You're a Jonin too, Sensei! You can teach me things!"
Mitsuro's voice held a hint of disappointment. "Haven't I been teaching you all along? You'll keep learning from me as long as you're in the Academy. So what's all the fuss about?"
Konohamaru was stunned. "But the other kids said you were leaving the school!"
Mitsuro gave a gentle smile. "Well, congrats. The kids were wrong. You'll still have my class next semester. Now, stop bothering Ebisu-san and go home."
Mitsuro gave a slight nod and continued on his way. Konohamaru stood frozen, watching his teacher leave with a spark in his eyes. He knew Mitsuro was the teacher he was meant to learn from. He couldn't wait for the new semester to start.
Oblivious to what Konohamaru was thinking, Mitsuro unlocked his front door.
The moment he stepped inside, the familiar scent of instant noodles and tobacco filled the air. He sighed and went to the couch without turning on the lights. Senta was asleep on his sofa. With an exasperated look, Mitsuro grabbed his shoulders and, in one swift motion, pushed him onto the floor.
Senta hit the ground face-first and yelled, "Ow! What a brute!"
Mitsuro replied coolly, "A Brute? Didn't I tell you not to stay in my house? You've been living here ever since you came to Konoha."
Senta got up, frantically dusting off his clothes. "Well, I told you I'm broke. Give me some money so I can leave! You should be happy to have me as a roommate! Your place is finally starting to look like a real home!"
Mitsuro looked at him in disbelief. "What's wrong with my place?"
"What's wrong?! You don't even have a single plate! All you eat is cup noodles! Boss, how do you even survive?" Senta asked, putting a hand to his face in a hopeless gesture.
Mitsuro smirked. "The same way you've survived here so far. And stop eating all my instant noodles! You haven't left any for me!" Then he kicked Senta's leg.
Senta shrieked in pain and pleaded, "Ow! Okay, okay! I get it! But please, give me some money. I'm sick of eating noodles every day, honestly!"
He then walked to the table, picked up a letter, and slid it to Mitsuro. "Here, this came from our contact in Takigakure this morning... They say they're ready to start , but they're broke, just like me!"
Mitsuro took a step back, and after reading the letter, his tone became more serious. "Pack your things. We have to go somewhere tomorrow."
Senta asked in surprise, "Where?"
Mitsuro burned the letter with a snap of his fingers. "You want money, right? We're going to make a fortune! We have to leave Konoha for a while."
Senta raised his eyebrows. "Is it really okay to just take off from the village like that?"
"It's fine. The Academy is on break, and I'm not considered an active ninja, so my leaving Konoha won't be a problem. Of course... I'll tell the Hokage's office in the morning that I need some time off."
Senta got up and started rubbing his backside. "Will they be watching us?"
Mitsuro smirked. "Let them... We're going to the orphanage first. The Hokage already knows I'm associated with that orphanage."
Senta grumbled sarcastically, "I bet they know what's going on inside it too!"
Mitsuro gave him an angry look. "You big-mouthed idiot! If they knew what was going on inside, would I be standing in front of you right now?!" He kicked Senta's backside again.
A short while after leaving Konoha, Mitsuro and Senta arrived at an orphanage in a nearby village.
The children were playing outside, and when they saw Mitsuro, they smiled broadly and rushed toward him, shouting greetings.
"Boss!"
"You're finally back! We missed you!"
"Did you bring us a gift?"
Mitsuro was the orphanage's secret director, the one who took care of them. He smiled and said, "Alright kids, calm down! I just got here."
He ruffled a few of their heads and gestured to Senta to hand his backpack to one of the kids.
"I brought you some yummy snacks. Just make sure to share them properly, okay?"
"Okay!"
At that moment, a ten or eleven-year-old boy came out of the orphanage and stared at Mitsuro proudly. "You're finally back?"
Mitsuro grinned and put a hand on the boy's head. " Zwei! I see you've gotten a bit taller."
Zwei irritably swatted Mitsuro's hand away. "Don't call me that when we're alone! Use my real name!"
Mitsuro sighed in resignation. Uchiha kids were always arrogant and proud; it was in their blood.
"Alright, Daiki. But you shouldn't get used to it. You can't let anyone know your name until the time is right."
If the Third Hokage and Danzo knew that a generation of Uchiha were alive without their supervision—not just one, but six of them—they'd probably pull their hair out. Five years ago, after being released from the hospital, Mitsuro had secretly taken them out of the shelter and immediately arranged for their escape from the village. He had brought them to this orphanage.
"By the way, before I forget, Sasuke just became a Konoha Genin. He'll probably start his first out-of-village missions soon... They say he's Konoha's top talent this year."
"A traitor's brother is a talent?! What a joke! Becoming a Genin at twelve isn't a big deal."
"Daiki, you're not even eleven yet... and I don't recall you having a Genin license."
Daiki pulled his shoulders back and puffed out his chest. "Does a license matter? I've been at the Genin level since I was six! You said so yourself!"
Mitsuro, walking down the orphanage corridors, gave him a side-glance. "I said that you'd mastered the three basic jutsu as well as a Genin from my time! I didn't say Sasuke was less skilled than you! Back when you hadn't even learned to control your chakra, Sasuke was learning how to use the Fire Style jutsu! Don't underestimate him!"
"Hmph! Don't worry, I won't lose to that traitor's blood! When the time comes, I'll destroy Konoha with my own hands."
"Kid, destroying Konoha isn't our goal... Understand that."
Daiki's eyes transformed into two one-tomoe Sharingan. "It's not your goal, Sensei! But it is mine! They destroyed our clan!"
The older Daiki got, the more his innate Uchiha obsession grew
"Daiki, It's not Konoha that destroyed our clan; it's the corrupt officials! Konoha is actually the Uchiha's property! Even if it's fallen into the hands of thieves, we shouldn't destroy it. We have to take it back! Remember that!"
He walked toward the orphanage manager's office. After a single knock, he entered. A woman in a white cloak with red hair stood up from her chair and said happily, "Boss! Welcome back!"
Mitsuro gave a gentle nod. "How are things, Kaori? Is everything going well?
Hey everyone,
I have added the character illustrations to the prologue section. You can take a look if you'd like.
Thank you.