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Under the big tree, Evan put on a little act.
That last line he said definitely didn't sound like something a five-year-old kid should be capable of saying.But hey—this was the Naruto world. Uchiha Itachi was still in school when people were already saying he had the mind of a Hokage.
Evan believed this had to be the purest embodiment of the Will of Fire—utter political perfection.
Unfortunately, only a few people seemed to take notice.
One of them was his teacher, Ninmu Ryusei, who gave him a surprised look.Wanting to become Hokage was every kid's dream—had been his, too, back when he was their age.Looking back now, he couldn't help but cringe a little.Being Hokage wasn't something you just decided to do.
Evan, though… was a bit different.
Ryusei couldn't help but nod and smile."Very well said. I believe you'll grow up to be a fine shinobi—one who protects the village, your family, and your friends."
Down below, Kakashi was watching Evan closely.
This plain-looking classmate had caught his attention.What Evan said just now… it sounded almost identical to what his own father used to say.
As Evan stepped down from the stage, he caught Kakashi's gaze, smiled, and nodded slightly.Kakashi, his mouth hidden behind his mask, returned the gesture with his eyes.
That was the first time the two ever acknowledged each other.
Back at his seat, Shizune leaned closer and whispered,"Evan-kun, why do you say you like dango… but also don't like it?"
Evan whispered back, "Just call me Evan. As for why—"
He smiled faintly. "Because my family sells dango."
Shizune froze for a second, trying to make sense of that, but before she could ask, the teacher was already calling her name from the podium.
And so, the first class passed in a blur of introductions.
When the bell rang, Ryusei-sensei called Evan, Sarutobi Asuma, Kakashi, and Uchiha Obito—along with a few other students—to help distribute textbooks.
Yes, the Ninja Academy actually had textbooks.And quite a few of them, too.
Titles like Detailed Analysis of Hand Seals, Overview of Chakra, Introduction to Genjutsu, A Brief History of the Ninja World, Konoha and the Will of Fire, Ninjutsu Mathematics, Intro to Talismans and Seals…
Evan flipped through the stack and thought, Math, huh? Yeah, that actually makes sense.
Opening Overview of Chakra, he found pages of foundational theory—like the discussion of the five basic chakra natures. Which really made him think: Wow, Naruto must've learned absolutely nothing in class.
Then A Brief History of the Ninja World—a rundown of the major clans and powers, plus a not-so-complete version of shinobi history. Evan shook his head as he read."If Uchiha Madara hadn't been so damn ignorant, Black Zetsu wouldn't have been able to play him so hard."
Once everyone had their books, the second class began—on chakra.
But Ryusei-sensei didn't start with how to refine chakra.Instead, he went over the most basic concepts first—the origins of chakra, the legend of the Sage of Six Paths, and so on.
Evan noticed most kids from shinobi families weren't even listening, busying themselves with their own stuff.Only those without any formal training seemed to be paying attention.
He glanced at Shizune, who was quietly flipping through A Brief History of the Ninja World, then turned back to his own book and began taking notes.
If he wanted to play the "genius" role, he couldn't just rely on having a Rasengan someday.
He'd show progress bit by bit over the next year—chakra refinement, control, the three basic jutsu, taijutsu, shuriken throwing, combat training…
Slowly, carefully.
After all, even though his grandfather had been a shinobi, his parents were just regular people.There was no way he could suddenly start performing like a full-fledged genin out of nowhere.
Genin-level skill wasn't much on its own—but for a civilian-born kid just starting school, it would be considered genius.
Evan wasn't aiming to be some inexplicable prodigy that made everyone suspicious.He wanted to be the kind of genius who grew steadily and realistically—someone whose progress could withstand close scrutiny.
And more importantly—he believed in solid foundations.
The more basic something was, the more crucial it became.Like building a house—the stronger the foundation, the higher it could stand.
Before he knew it, class was over.
Evan had listened intently from start to finish, filling his book with detailed notes.Shizune, sitting beside him, widened her eyes in surprise.
Because Evan's notes didn't just include what the teacher said—he'd added his own thoughts and analysis, clearly marked in parentheses.
"Evan," she whispered, "you've learned this before?"
He nodded, then shook his head. "My grandfather used to be a ninja. I've read some of his old training notes."
That part was true.
"But Sensei explains it in a much clearer way."
That part was… half true.
Shizune looked genuinely impressed."You're amazing, Evan. My uncle left notes too, and Lady Tsunade even taught me some things—but I don't think I understand them as well as you do."
Tsunade! Evan's eyes lit up. "You're being modest, Shizune. Lady Tsunade's one of the Legendary Sannin!"
Shizune blushed. "She's a great teacher… I'm just not as smart as you."
Flattery would get her everywhere. Evan basked in it for a second, then grinned."I'll ask Sensei if my notes are accurate. If he says they're fine, you can copy them."
Shizune's eyes brightened. "Really? Thank you, Evan!"
He waved it off casually, got up, and chased after Ryusei-sensei to double-check his interpretations.
Ryusei flipped through Evan's notebook, and his eyes lit up."Excellent, Evan! You've understood it perfectly. Keep up the good work!"
"Yes, Sensei!"
Evan answered like the model student he was pretending to be.
Back in class, he handed his notes to Shizune and then opened Detailed Analysis of Hand Seals.
Hand seals were an essential part of being a ninja.
What, you're telling me the Sage of Six Paths didn't need them?Yeah, well, Evan didn't really consider the Sage a "ninja" in the first place.
Even Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama still needed to form seals for their techniques—though, to be fair, Hashirama mostly just slapped the ground and magic happened.
Even the Third Hokage, the "Professor," relied on seals.And the honest types—like Kisame or Zabuza—used them all the time.
But Evan knew something deeper.
The origin of hand seals traced all the way back to Indra, the elder son of the Sage of Six Paths.
So, even if he weren't trying to keep up the "genius" image, Evan still felt it was worth diving deep into the study of seals.
He had the skills of a genin—his seal forming was steady, neither fast nor slow.
It would need polishing, of course.
But more than that—he wanted to truly understand the essence behind every seal.
"..."
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