To her left sat a boy named Iruka, a little older than her. On her right was Kamizuki Izumo, who was about the same age as Iruka. Both of them had already graduated as Genin, while Kokoro was still the youngest in the class.
The only other student close to her age was a seven-year-old boy named Fumizuki Kai, one of her classmates.
The one most pitied among them was Iruka, followed closely by Kai. It was said that Iruka's parents had been killed during the Nine-Tails' attack. Kai's tragedy was different—his father had been a member of the Anbu, while his mother, just an ordinary villager, had passed away long ago.
From the window of her home, Kokoro could sometimes glimpse the lake within the Uchiha clan's territory, but she never went to see it. The Uchiha name… it wasn't something she wished to hold onto.
The next time she saw Itachi was at the freshman orientation ceremony. Alongside him were Izumi and a little girl named Inuzuka Hana.
Kokoro leaned against the classroom window, gazing down at the courtyard.
"Kokoro." Fumizuki Kai walked up behind her. "This class is self-study, you know. Hey, what are you looking at?"
She shook her head, not answering, and when Kai leaned over to see for himself, she let him. With so many people gathered below, who could tell what—or who—she was looking at?
"Usami."
There weren't many who called her by her family name. One of them was a boy nicknamed Fatty. He was actually a senior student, but his younger brother sat behind Kokoro in class. Fatty often skipped lessons to take his brother out, which was how he'd first crossed paths with her.
Kokoro didn't turn around. She chose to ignore him.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue in annoyance, his disdain obvious.
Kai, still peering outside, glanced back when he heard the exchange. Kokoro, however, didn't waver. She knew they wouldn't try anything today—it was orientation, after all.
Sure enough, the older boy didn't press further. He just huffed and slipped out of class, taking advantage of the distracted teachers to skip again.
Afterward, Kokoro found herself confronted by the pair. Irritated, she looked at them coldly and said, "Move."
"Usami, you're just a transfer. Don't act like you're special. My brother's graduating next year!" the younger one sneered proudly.
Kokoro's hands formed seals.Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
It was the ninjutsu her mother had taught her—the Uchiha clan's signature technique. Many in the clan could perform it, but it still held weight.
Though her fireball wasn't large, it was enough to send both brothers reeling back in terror.
"N-Nii-san… was that real ninjutsu?" the younger one stammered, his legs giving out.
How could a transfer student—who hadn't even been at the Academy for a year—already use ninjutsu?
The blazing sphere exploded against the ground before them, leaving the two trembling where they stood.
Without another word, Kokoro turned and walked away.
From that day on, whispers spread through the Academy: Usami Kokoro wasn't just a quiet transfer—she was a genius who could already wield ninjutsu. Her family name soon became one most students didn't dare to call aloud.
Kai remained the exception. He continued going to and from class with Kokoro as if nothing had changed.
Half a year later, Kokoro had grown distant from the Academy altogether. She already understood most of what was taught, and the basic ninjutsu she'd learned from Yagumo-sensei the year before far outpaced her classmates.
Her frequent absences drew attention, though her exam scores always came out above average. To her peers, she no longer looked like a prodigy—just a solitary girl who didn't care to socialize.
In truth, Kokoro simply didn't want to stand out. Being called a genius was flattering, but it also set her apart in ways she didn't want.
Sometimes she would see Itachi in the hallways. Always reserved, always disciplined.
Eventually, her truancy was reported up the chain. When the matter reached the Third Hokage, he dismissed it with a wave: "Don't worry about her." And from then on, no one bothered her again.
Kokoro relished the freedom, attending only the necessary exams. Kai always made sure to remind her when they were coming up, and with some last-minute cramming, she never failed a test.
One afternoon, Kokoro headed to a grove to practice Wind Release.
"There's someone training here?" a curious voice sounded behind her.
Startled, she spun around. A boy with curly black hair and a short sword on his back approached, his wide eyes brimming with curiosity.
"A little girl? You don't look like a shinobi. Are you from the Academy? Skipping class?"
He wasn't much older than her, perhaps a recent Genin. His expression was open and inquisitive, and Kokoro found herself instinctively trusting him.
"Yes," she nodded softly. "And you are?"
"Shisui," came another voice from behind him—familiar, measured.
Kokoro's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the taller figure. Faint lines had begun to form along the sides of his nose.
"Itachi?" she said, a little awkwardly. They hadn't seen each other in over a year.
"Eh? You two know each other?" Shisui asked, glancing between them.
Itachi's eyes softened. "Kokoro. It's been a long time."
"Yes… it has," she replied.
Both had grown taller, though Itachi still stood a head shorter.
"This is Kokoro—Usami Kokoro," Itachi introduced her.
"Shisui?" Kokoro echoed. Her eyes flicked to the fan-shaped crest on the boy's back. Uchiha.
Uchiha Shisui. A prodigy destined to be remembered only in tragedy—the boy who, at eleven, would sacrifice himself, leaving behind the most formidable genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami.
A pang of sorrow struck Kokoro, and before she could help it, her gaze turned melancholic.
Shisui tilted his head, puzzled by the pity in her eyes, then looked toward Itachi.
Itachi shifted uneasily. "I have to go. My shadow clone's been discovered."
And just like that, he was gone.
Kokoro blinked, remembering—it was true. By the age of seven, Itachi had already mastered the forbidden Shadow Clone Technique.
Shisui sighed, watching him vanish. "Itachi really is a genius."
"You're a genius too, Shisui-san," Kokoro said without thinking.
He chuckled. "Oh? How would you know that?"
Her cheeks flushed. How could she explain? She shouldn't even know who he was—let alone his reputation.
Thankfully, Shisui didn't press. "Itachi will probably graduate early," he mused.
Kokoro nodded. She herself was nearing that point.
After the war, with manpower stretched thin, the Third Hokage had announced that promising students could graduate ahead of schedule. He'd even told her personally: If you don't want to stay at the Academy, you don't have to. And if you don't want to be a shinobi at all, you can simply walk away.
Whether it was indulgence, or simply indifference, she couldn't tell. Perhaps he only extended that courtesy because of her late teacher, Yagumo.