After everyone finished their introductions, Iruka began the lesson. As Kagaya had expected, the first lesson for new students covered very basic topics—things like "why we go to school" and "what we'll learn here." Kagaya found it uninteresting and had no desire to listen, so he started daydreaming.
Turning his head to look out the window, a large tree caught his eye. Beneath it was a swing—likely the same one Naruto sat on in the opening scene of Naruto, radiating loneliness. Kagaya still remembered that sense of isolation vividly.
"Hey, that kid."
"It's that kid, huh?"
"He's the only one who failed."
"Hmph, serves him right."
"If someone like him became a ninja, it'd be a disaster."
"That kid…"
"Hey, you can't say that next part."
Back then, two women had spoken with disdainful mockery. Did Naruto hear them? If he did, what would he have thought?
At this thought, Kagaya pulled his gaze back from the window and glanced at Naruto on the other side of the room, chuckling softly to himself.
'Gossip of small-minded people.'
The Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life to protect the village, and Naruto dedicated his entire existence as the Jinchuriki, serving as Konoha's trump card. Yet, in return, he faced countless scornful glances and venomous words.
In this regard, the Third Hokage had truly failed. On the surface, it was said to be for Naruto's protection—to shield him from the Fourth's enemies and those coveting the Nine-Tails.
The reasoning was sound, and it carried a sense of justice. But in the end, it boiled down to the Third's incompetence. The greatest ninja village in the world lacked the confidence to protect a single child?
During the First Hokage's era, Mito Uzumaki was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. The First had made plenty of enemies during the Warring States period, yet who would dare come to Konoha to target Mito? Who had the guts?
The same held true for the Second Hokage's era, the Third's era, and the Fourth's era. But after the Fourth's death, when the Third resumed his role as Hokage, he became overly cautious, prioritizing stability in everything. To protect Naruto, he let the hero's son endure scorn. To preserve Konoha, he allowed the Uchiha Clan to be nearly wiped out. To maintain political stability, he merely warned Danzo after his assassination attempt and let it slide. To protect Orochimaru, he didn't pursue him with full force even after discovering his human experiments, allowing him to escape.
In the end, the Third, in his prime, still had boldness and was renowned as the strongest Hokage for mastering countless ninjutsu. But in his old age, while his strength might have remained, his courage had waned. He sought not to achieve greatness but to avoid mistakes.
'Sigh.'
Kagaya sighed inwardly, pushing these thoughts aside. This wasn't something he should be dwelling on now. His most urgent priority was finding a way to survive the Uchiha massacre, which would come in six months to a year.
He turned back to the window. The faint chirping of birds drifted in from outside. In the classroom, the students occasionally read aloud in unison under Iruka's guidance. A gentle breeze blew in, brushing lightly against Kagaya's cheek. How wonderful it would be if life could stay this peaceful and serene forever.
But that was impossible.
'The Uchiha Clan. The Uchiha Clan. Why did it have to be the Uchiha Clan?'
"Uchiha Kagaya, I hear you're considered a genius in the Uchiha Clan. Why don't you answer Naruto's question?" Iruka called on Kagaya.
"Huh?" Kagaya looked up, confused. He had been daydreaming and had no idea what was happening.
Iruka, aware that Kagaya was distracted, had deliberately called on him. He wanted to see if this so-called genius was simply uninterested in the lesson or if he truly already knew the material.
"Naruto, repeat your question," Iruka said.
Naruto scratched his head and responded, "Oh, I asked Teacher Iruka what chakra is."
Iruka looked at Kagaya, signaling him to answer.
Kagaya thought for a moment, then stood up and replied, "Chakra is the energy needed to perform ninjutsu. It's usually formed by combining a ninja's mental energy with the physical energy stored in their body."
Naruto stared at Kagaya blankly, completely lost. He had only asked about chakra out of curiosity after hearing Iruka mention it, but the answer left him clueless.
Iruka nodded with satisfaction, gesturing for Kagaya to sit down before moving on to other topics.
The other students looked at Kagaya with varied expressions.
"No… no wonder he's called the Uchiha genius."
"Good thing he didn't call on me. What a hassle."
"Hmph, I could've answered that easy question too."
Kagaya ignored the kids' opinions and glanced at Iruka with a hint of suspicion. Had he somehow upset Iruka?
Chakra wasn't something these kids needed to deeply understand on their first day at the academy. In the original story, even after graduating, Naruto and the others needed Sakura to explain chakra's principles. This showed that chakra theory was typically taught years into the academy curriculum.
Right now? Kagaya was certain that, aside from himself and Iruka, no one in the classroom fully understood his answer.
Those claiming they could answer were just boasting.
So why had this question, which shouldn't have come up, been raised? And why was he specifically asked to answer? Most likely, Iruka wanted to test whether Kagaya's "genius" reputation was hollow or genuine.
Kagaya sighed helplessly. 'This was the downside of being called a genius—some admired you, but others doubted you.'
"Tch." Clicking his tongue as if annoyed by the trouble, Kagaya turned back to the window.
But this time, the tree was gone, and the birds' chirping had vanished. In their place was a starry sky, accompanied by its unique silence.
Above the starry sky, several lines of text appeared:
Codename: To Be Determined
World: Naruto
Identity: Uchiha Kagaya
World Suppression: Medium
Mission: Escape the Night of the Clan Massacre and Survive!
*****
A/N: Itachi was born on June 9, Konoha Year 43, and exterminated the clan at age 13, meaning the Uchiha massacre occurs shortly after June 9, Konoha Year 56. The protagonist is currently in September, Konoha Year 54, so there's actually just under two years left. However, the protagonist has miscalculated, believing the massacre will happen in Konoha Year 55.
This setting isn't particularly significant; it simply shows that the protagonist can't perfectly recall every timeline detail. In the future, he might misremember other events' timing as well.