"Rin!"
A figure suddenly rushed past Shien, dashing toward the brown-haired girl ahead, whose cheeks were marked with two purple streaks.
It should've been a beautiful scene—but Shien reacted as though he'd just seen a viper.
Yes.
The one who just rushed over was none other than that future super white-eyed wolf—the man who would one day kill his own master, annihilate his own clan, and nearly destroy the entire world.
Uchiha Obito.
Even though Shien knew that the Uchiha clan would still face ruin under the machinations of schemers like "Master Gou" Madara and that scheming "Scapegoat Shadow" Danzo, he still couldn't help but see Obito as a walking disaster waiting to happen.
Before transmigrating, there were plenty of people online who admired characters like him—those "for love, I'll destroy the world" types.
But in real life? That kind of person was downright nauseating.
The Fourth Hokage had treated him with nothing but sincerity, yet because he didn't arrive in time to save him, Obito turned his hatred on him?
You've got a screw loose, haven't you?
The Fourth Hokage was one of the village's top fighters, not a babysitter—and besides, he wasn't even there at the time!
As for the Uchiha clan, they'd never wronged Obito in the slightest.
So when Shien thought about this future traitor who betrayed his village and teacher out of some twisted self-pity, he just felt disgust.
And what made it worse—future Naruto actually forgave this bastard just because his "dream" was to become Hokage.
Tsk, tsk!
If all those who'd died by Obito's hands could come back to life, they'd probably tear Naruto apart for that.
To forgive that kind of person… that's not compassion—that's brain damage!
No, no matter how the story tried to "redeem" him, Obito was beyond saving in Shien's eyes.
Still, this was the present—Obito had just entered the Academy. It was far too early to condemn him for what he would become. Otherwise, Shien might not have stopped at simply looking disgusted.
Honestly, the moral compass of the Ninja World was seriously skewed—but hey, at least everyone looked amazing.
Maybe it was because of chakra, but ninja girls here didn't look like they lived in a war-torn world at all.
Just look at his own "white-thigh fiancée"—her beauty could easily rival the character from that game he used to play before transmigrating. Without that resemblance, Shien probably couldn't have stomached living off her family's wealth.
Ahem! He was thinking too much.
No matter how cute Nohara Rin was, Shien wasn't into playing the bull-headed cuckold. Especially since they were just kids—he wasn't some degenerate Doulou.
A man shouldn't… at least, he shouldn't… right?
Obito and Rin left the area soon after, laughing about something. The Ninja Academy was on break, so their paths diverged from his.
Before long, Shien arrived at the school.
The Uchiha compound was in the village center, much closer to the Academy than his old home on the outskirts.
The moment he entered the classroom—
"Shien!"
Honda Taka, sitting in the corner, waved him over. Several other students looked his way too.
Before yesterday, nobody except his two friends would've dared greet him—the class bottom-feeder.
But after he'd gone head-to-head and beaten Kakashi, the so-called "super genius," everyone's attitude had changed.
Ignoring the stares, Shien walked over and sat beside his two best friends.
"Got any intel on today's class assignments?" he asked the moment he sat down.
Don't be fooled by the chubby guy's weak combat ability—his information network was top-notch. If there were rumors, he'd know.
Team assignments and mentors were crucial—your future could literally depend on it.
Having a strong and capable jonin instructor could make or break a ninja's career.
Take the "Future Twelve" for example—if their team leaders hadn't all been elite jonin, you think they would've grown so much? They'd have probably died mid-mission.
Assassinating "enemy geniuses" was practically a tradition, after all.
That's why Shien was paying such close attention. Getting stuck with a mediocre chunin instructor could be a death sentence—the guidance would be weak, and the protection even weaker.
Honda Taka leaned closer and whispered, "I heard there's been a change this time…"
He even glanced at Shien while speaking.
Clearly, the "change" had something to do with him.
Yesterday's exam had stirred things up.
After all, in the ninja world, personal power was everything.
A top-tier fighter was worth more than an army of fodder.
So when a "genius" appeared, the village would definitely pour resources into nurturing them—it wasn't something they'd ignore.
And Shien, who'd just defeated Kakashi, had officially joined that "genius" category.
Even if his strength came from his Summoned Beast, results were all that mattered.
Ninjas didn't care about "fair fights"—only about who won.
Soon, the instructors began entering one by one, each calling out the names of their assigned teams.
"Class Two—Kuriyama Kazuhiko, Kido Eri, Toda Ayaka…"
Three-man squads.
Each "class" was essentially a small ninja team.
Graduates were called up group by group.
"Honda Taka!"
A chunin instructor finally called the chubby boy's name.
Assignments were decided by the higher-ups, not by classroom friendships, so it was perfectly normal for friends to be split apart.
"You be careful out there. Also—" Shien handed him several vials of diluted healing potion.
"If you run out, come find me."
Since the existence of his healing potion had already been exposed, it'd be heartless not to share a few bottles with his best friend.
The usage instructions were written on a note.
With those potions, Honda Taka's survival chances during missions would be much higher.
He didn't open them immediately, though. Instead, he gave Shien a grateful look before slipping out of the classroom.
Smart move. It wasn't wise to flaunt good stuff in front of others.
Despite his chubby appearance, Honda Taka had a sharp and thoughtful mind.
"Yours."
Shien handed another set of bottles to his other friend.
"Thanks."
Yamanaka Koji accepted the gift silently, eyes showing a flicker of emotion but no further words.
Between close friends, words weren't needed.
Shien knew that beneath Kōji's cold exterior lay a loyal and passionate heart.
Otherwise, even with his talent, Shien would never have befriended him.
Now you see why, after transmigrating, he chose these two as his "friends."
Originally, his plan was simple—live a lazy life relying on Honda Taka for finances and Yamanaka Koji for combat strength.
That way, he could be a carefree salted fish forever.
Unfortunately, that plan had gone up in smoke—he had to work hard now.
Still, he wasn't about to abandon his friends.
They were the only people he could truly trust.
Everyone else—even his "white-thigh fiancée"—he couldn't fully rely on.
Sure, they were technically engaged, but they hadn't spent much time together.
He wasn't like those other transmigrators who blindly trusted every Uchiha just because of how they were portrayed in the anime. That kind of naïveté would get you killed.
Anime was anime. Reality was reality.
The anime glorified "passion, youth, effort, and friendship," but conveniently ignored everything else.
In truth, the Uchiha clan was rife with internal power struggles and selfish politics—the anime just slapped a "tragic and noble" filter over it all.
Too much of a filter, really.
That's why, even after transmigrating, Shien had no desire to move back to the Uchiha compound. If his "lazy life" plan hadn't failed, he definitely wouldn't be living there now.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, the classroom continued to empty out.
Most of the instructors were chunin; only a few were Special Jonin.
And those few? They exclusively took on prodigies or clan heirs.
So dark!
It really put things in perspective—no wonder the "Konoha Twelve" all had elite jonin teachers. The favoritism was insane.
In other words, regular graduates and civilians were treated as cannon fodder.
By the end, only Shien and Yamanaka Koji were left.
Before they could even speculate about who their instructor might be, two figures—one tall, one short—appeared at the classroom door.
Damn!
That was Shien's only thought.
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