A series of system notifications flashed through Makoto’s mind.
He quietly felt the changes in his body.
His strength, speed, and taijutsu had all received a noticeable boost.
While it wasn’t quite at the level of “beating three with one hand,” it was indeed more than enough to handle someone like Aoki.
What a pity.
Makoto clicked his tongue internally.
That kid Obito claimed to believe him, but deep down he only half-believed it.
A 50% trust level, combined with his weight as a major supporting character, only manifested to this extent.
He wondered how massive the feedback would be from a complete fool like Naruto from the original story.
Moreover, the manifestation of a lie was tied to the target’s inner perception.
Since no chakra was gained this time, it proved that Obito didn’t believe Makoto possessed chakra yet.
Oh well, no point dwelling on it.
“A-are you serious?” Obito stammered out a question.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Makoto raised an eyebrow, glancing at Aoki, who was already storming over.
Aoki was red in the face from anger.
“Makoto Uchiha!
Get outside with me right now!
To the training ground!
I’ll make you realize the price of talking big!” “Sure,” Makoto shrugged.
“But it’s class time right now.
Are you going to skip class right in front of the teacher?” Aoki froze.
Right on cue, the classroom door swung open.
A Chunin teacher walked in holding an attendance register.
Seeing the two standing off against each other, he frowned.
“What are you doing?
Get back to your seats!” Aoki glared fiercely at Makoto, mouthing the words “wait till after school,” before holding back his anger and sitting back down.
Makoto lazily strolled toward his own seat as well—the second to last row by the window.
As he passed Obito, the spiky-haired boy lowered his voice and said: “Makoto…
you only said that earlier to stand up for me, right?
Th-thanks!
But Aoki’s father trains him personally.” “Shut up and sit properly.” Makoto pressed him back down into his seat.
He then walked to the window, sat down, and rested his chin on his hand, looking outside.
Roll call began in the classroom, but quite a few glances were still sneaking toward Makoto.
Might Guy flashed him a big thumbs-up, his mouth silently forming the word “Youth!” Asuma raised an eyebrow, seemingly finding it interesting, while whispering something to Kurenai Yuhi.
Rin glanced at Obito from time to time, then looked over at Makoto.
Very good.
Makoto nodded internally.
*Persona established.* Even though today’s system usage was spent, trading it for a boost in strength and the attention of the entire class was a solid deal.
Besides, as long as he displayed a bit of strength later, his bold claim of “beating three with one hand” could easily be consolidated into the impression that “this guy really is a tough fighter.” “Kurenai Yuhi.” When the teacher called her name, a very pretty young girl stood up and answered.
“Here.” Makoto took a brief glance.
Kurenai Yuhi, the future sensei of Hinata Hyuga.
Even though she was only in her first year at the Ninja Academy, it was already clear she would grow into an exceptional beauty.
Roll call continued.
Obito secretly looked back from diagonally ahead, pulling faces at him and mouthing, “Together after school!” Makoto ignored him and went back to staring out the window.
Class officially began.
“Makoto Uchiha.” “Here.” As the roll call wrapped up, Makoto answered lazily, his mind already floating off to the high heavens.
The leaves outside rustled in the wind, and sunlight streamed through the glass onto his desk, forming a dazzling patch of light.
Makoto stared at the patch of light in a daze, his finger absentmindedly drawing circles on the desk.
At the podium, the Chunin teacher cleared his throat.
“Alright, roll call is complete.
We’ll begin our first lesson now.” The teacher turned and wrote several large characters on the blackboard.
Makoto glanced up, and his whole body instantly froze.
*Chakra Refining Method.* Those words were like nails, pinning him to his seat.
“…Chakra is the fundamental foundation of a ninja, created by mixing physical energy and mental energy together.” The teacher’s voice echoed in the classroom.
“Today, we will learn the most basic refining method.” A flurry of excitement broke out in the room.
The kids whispered enthusiastically among themselves, and even Asuma, who had been sleeping on his desk the whole time, raised his head.
Makoto Uchiha, however, couldn’t feel excited at all.
He stared at the blackboard, a bell ringing loudly inside his head like a steady thump, thump, thump.
The very first lesson is teaching the Chakra Refining Method?
How come he remembered Naruto’s generation didn’t cover this until their second year?
No, that wasn’t the main point!
The main point was— “Konoha Year 41…” Makoto silently recalled.
“Obito is 6 now.
The Battle of Kannabi Bridge is at 12…
which means Konoha Year 47…” He gasped sharply.
The Third Shinobi World War.
The devastating war in the original story where the Uchiha Clan took on Kirigakure largely on their own and suffered catastrophic casualties.
“The war breaks out in Year 46, Kannabi Bridge is in Year 47…” Makoto’s fists clenched under the desk.
“Only five years left.” Five years.
It sounded long, but when calculated carefully: During wartime, students graduated from the Ninja Academy in three to four years, which meant he would only be ten years old.
By Year 46 or 47, he would only be eleven or twelve.
Normally, that was precisely the age Genin were thrown onto the battlefield.
With good luck, he might have reached Chunin.
And then?
And then he would be tossed directly into that meat grinder known as the “Third Shinobi World War.” If he was lucky, he’d lose an arm or a leg; if he was unlucky…
“Tsk.” Makoto couldn’t help but click his tongue.
At the front, the teacher was still talking endlessly: “…Therefore, refining chakra requires a quiet mind and focused spirit, feeling the energy flow inside your body…” Makoto didn’t hear a single word.