CHAPTER 3 :TRUE VIEWS
How long had passed, Uchiha Shin really didn't know.
It may have been more than an hour. By the time Shin felt his legs grow sore from standing, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, finally finished his long speech.
He didn't forget what his top priority was—to survive the Uchiha clan massacre that he knew was coming, to live a peaceful life, and hopefully die of old age rather than on the edge of a blade.
To accomplish this, the first thing Shin had to do was carefully observe his surroundings, especially the Uchiha clan itself, and think about why it had been marked for extermination in the first place.
He had to observe this ninja village, learn why the Uchiha were mistrusted by others in Konoha, and investigate whether there were already signs of rebellion within the clan. If he could figure that out, he might be able to prepare a backup plan for survival.
Observation came first, and through that process he would also need to become stronger.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you need not fear a hundred battles! Shin thought, recalling an old strategy. He felt more and more like a husky surrounded by wolves—always out of place, no matter where he stood.
He was adapting to this world, but after listening to Sarutobi Hiruzen's speech, another strange feeling of absurdity welled up in his chest.
When he summed up the Hokage's words, Shin realized they boiled down to one theme: brainwashing, molding every child into a loyal tool of Konohagakure.
He wasn't particularly hostile to brainwashing—it existed everywhere. A large part of loyalty, after all, came from repeated propaganda. Even in his past life, he had seen organizations that trained their followers with similar rhetoric.
But ultimately, whether or not one accepted an idea depended on the individual. Shin believed that only practical ideals—ones that truly improved people's lives—deserved to be upheld.
Hiruzen's words echoed in his mind: "Where the leaves dance, the fire will continue to burn. The fire's shadow will shine on the village and allow new leaves to bud."
The meaning was simple. The new generation was the future. The older generation had the duty to protect them, and their sacrifices would inspire the young to carry the torch as the next pillars of the village.
But Shin could not help doubting this so-called "Will of Fire."
According to what he had learned, every student would spend six years in the Academy, and afterward all of them had to pass the graduation exam to earn the rank of genin. That meant stepping onto the battlefield.
This infuriated Shin. A group of children taught only the basics of chakra control, shurikenjutsu, and a few elementary ninjutsu were being sent to missions where their lives were constantly at risk.
Even during this relatively peaceful era—years after the end of the Third Great Ninja War—shinobi still undertook dangerous assignments, some of which were life-threatening.
In his past world, teenagers of twelve were still schoolchildren with futures full of possibilities. Here, by twelve, one could already be a killer or a corpse.
He understood that the shinobi world was different, and that even in his old life there had been children forced to fight in wars. Yet the thought still left him burning with anger.
He already knew that Konohagakure was considered the strongest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages. People here lived relatively safer lives compared to those in smaller nations.
Perhaps Sarutobi Hiruzen genuinely did not want children to die in war, but the reality was undeniable—
The comfortable lives of Konoha's civilians were bought by the blood of children.
This was a world where people aged quickly, where death came often, and where childhood was far too short.
But that wasn't the true problem. The real issue was that everyone here accepted this as natural.
The shinobi, who possessed such overwhelming power, did not use it to create lasting peace or stability, but only to fight and take missions, spending their rewards on themselves.
Any mission could end in death—one stray kunai, a shuriken from the shadows, or a single explosive tag could take a life in an instant.
The civilians, meanwhile, feared shinobi yet also envied them, hoping their children might awaken chakra and enter the Academy to climb the ladder of power.
Those in the larger villages like Konoha might live decent lives, but ordinary people in border towns or lawless regions had to worry daily about bandits, rogue shinobi, or enemy scouts.
Is this the Will of Fire? Shin thought bitterly. Are these the "new leaves"?
If that fire is supposed to protect the people, why does it consume its own children as fuel?
The so-called Will of Fire… perhaps it was nothing more than pretty words.
All rhetoric was empty if it ignored the harsh reality of the world.
Uchiha Shin laughed inwardly.
In the shinobi world, power was always divided between two figures in each great nation. The daimyo of the Land of Fire served as the political head of state, controlling the treasury and issuing decrees, while the Hokage of Konohagakure acted as the military commander, protecting the nation with shinobi forces.
The daimyo provided funds every year to maintain Konoha's shinobi corps, and in exchange, Konoha protected the Land of Fire's borders and upheld its authority.
Yet, when compared to the might of a Kage—one who had mastered the greatest chakra techniques—who truly held the greater authority? Was the daimyo of the Land of Fire stronger, or was the Hokage, who commanded thousands of shinobi, the real power? This question was worth pondering.
Shin thought back to his past life. The system reminded him of an island nation where the emperor was the symbolic ruler while the shogunate wielded the true military power. The similarities were striking.
After thinking for some time, Shin retracted his wandering thoughts.
In this ninja village, survival meant becoming someone who understood the so-called "Will of Fire."
Focusing back on what actually concerned him, Shin considered how the Uchiha clan was viewed. From the eyes of the villagers, it was obvious that the clan was mistrusted and even feared. That might have been one of the external causes behind the clan's eventual extermination.
But the Uchiha clan was not composed solely of elite shinobi. Among them were the elderly, women, and children who had never trained as ninja. If the whole clan was slaughtered, what possible justification could there be for killing even the innocent?
Up to now, Shin had not found the true reason for the massacre.
As a current member of the clan, and one considered a "genius" thanks to awakening the Sharingan, he knew he must observe more carefully than ever before.
Perhaps he could search for books or records that explained the political structure of the ninja world in more detail? Shin thought about it.
Then again, maybe his habit of overthinking came from being a transmigrator. Deep down, he was simply terrified of death.
In short, I must survive first. If I have the chance, maybe I can even change this world so that more people who fear death—people like me—can live without fear.
"The fault is not me, but the world!" Shin recalled this line from his previous life.
The world needed to change.
War might never truly disappear, but perhaps he could bring something new to the shinobi world, something that would prolong peace as much as possible.
Shin had finally considered his goal: to live, to see all the landscapes of this world, to learn as many ninjutsu as possible, and—if fortune allowed—to contribute to a real and lasting peace.
All of this was for his own peaceful life.
These thoughts circled in Shin's mind as Sarutobi Hiruzen's long speech finally drew to an end.
The children were divided into their classes, where they would meet their homeroom instructors.
Shin entered Class A of the first grade, the same class that in canon would later include the Rookie Nine. He glanced at the doorway—no chalk or water basins had been set up for a prank.
The seating was unassigned, so Shin went straight to the penultimate row by the window and sat down.
Inwardly, he chuckled at the coincidence. In his past life, this was always the seat he chose in class. In fiction, it was also often the "protagonist's seat." Perhaps fate was telling him he truly was the main character now.
"Can I sit here, please?"
A crisp, cheerful girl's voice rang out beside him. Shin turned his head and saw a girl wearing a pink qipao-style outfit with her hair tied in two buns.
Cute! Shin thought, though he kept his tone flat, unwilling to reveal his inner amusement. In his old world, openly calling a child cute would have been frowned upon, but here it was harmless.
"Sure. No one's sitting here," he replied.
The bun-haired girl sat down energetically and introduced herself with a bright smile.
"Hello, my name's Tenten! What about you? I've heard all Uchiha are geniuses. Please take care of me, Uchiha-san!"
Shin felt a flicker of warmth. He already had some affection for this lively, cheerful girl—and the fact that she wore a cheongsam-style outfit every day made her stand out even more.
"My name is Uchiha Shin. Please take care of me too."
At that moment, a man with ordinary features entered the classroom. He scanned the students, as if confirming the number, and then walked calmly to the podium.
"Hello, my name is Nishio Yutaro," he said. "I'm a chunin, 33 years old. I live near the southern shopping district below the Hokage Monument. I'm unmarried. My hobbies are walking and reading manga. My dream is to help teach a future Hokage. For the next six years, I'll be your homeroom teacher."
After his introduction, Nishio continued with instructions.
"Now, let's begin with self-introductions. Everyone, state your name, what you like and dislike, and your dream for the future."
The familiar ritual of a new school year began, just as it had in Shin's past life.