Ninja Academy.
“Chiya-kun, did you hear?
Itachi-kun is graduating early!
To graduate after only one year—he’s truly amazing,” Uchiha Izumi said to Fujiwara Chiya, gazing at Itachi, who was currently the center of everyone’s attention outside the window.
“He is indeed impressive,” Chiya praised without reservation.
Without realizing it, a year had passed since they first met.
Even though Chiya rarely showed up at school in person, through the memories of his Shadow Clones, he had come to understand that Izumi was a gentle, kind-hearted, and incredibly perceptive girl.
There were six years left until the Uchiha Clan massacre.
Chiya wasn’t a saint; he wasn’t about to play the hero and save the entire Uchiha clan—even if he tried, they wouldn’t necessarily trust him.
However, letting Izumi die at the hands of those two psychopaths, Itachi and Obito, was simply not an option.
Perhaps, by that time, it would be best to leave the village for good.
After all, his original plan was to join the Akatsuki.
He’d been coveting those black robes with red clouds for a long time.
“Chiya-kun is amazing too, you know!
If you took the graduation exam now, you’d definitely pass early,” Izumi’s voice cut through his thoughts.
“You overestimate me,” Chiya replied, sliding back into his habitual “humblebrag” mode.
In terms of raw talent, Itachi Uchiha was a true genius.
His combat intelligence was terrifying; if it weren’t for the boost from his Tiangang Art, Chiya knew he would be far behind Itachi.
The only flaw in Itachi’s armor was his emotional intelligence—it was effectively zero.
It was no wonder he ended up being played like a fiddle by the Konoha F4, all while being viewed with suspicion by Obito.
“I don’t think so, Chiya-kun is genuinely incredible,” Izumi leaned in close, her warm breath tickling his ear as she whispered, “Chiya-kun, you’ve been using a Shadow Clone to attend class every day, just like Itachi-kun, haven’t you?” “How did you figure that out?” Chiya looked at her, genuinely surprised.
He knew she had awakened her Sharingan on the night of the Nine-Tails’ attack after losing her parents, but the Sharingan couldn’t detect Shadow Clones; one had to infer it through behavioral observation.
He had been very careful never to let his main body and a clone be seen together.
“Chiya-kun, a girl’s intuition is always sharper than you imagine,” Izumi stepped back, closing her left eye slightly into a gentle crescent moon shape as she smiled.
“Then tell me, am I the real one or the clone?” Chiya was intrigued, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“Hmm…” Izumi covered her lips with a delicate hand, scanning him from head to toe.
After a moment of contemplation, she declared confidently: “The real one.
No matter how perfect a clone is, it’s still a clone.
You can’t fake the eyes.
They’re different these days—probably because you saw Itachi-kun get exposed and were worried about your own secret being revealed, so you decided to show up in person.” “You really are sharp.
But then again, perhaps only you would pay such close attention to me every day,” Chiya gave her a warm, soft smile and, in a moment of impulse, reached out to pat her hair.
Izumi flushed deep red, her face turning into a ripe tomato.
Chiya felt a bit awkward and quickly pulled his hand back.
“Sorry…
sorry!
You were just too cute, I couldn’t help it.” Izumi nodded, whimpering, and turned away from him.
A faint, happy smile touched her lips as she muttered to herself, in a voice only she could hear, “Chiya-kun is just too sly.” The scene was witnessed by a few girls in the corner of the classroom, their gossip-loving hearts immediately ignited.
“Wow…
Chiya-kun and Izumi-chan are so sweet together!
Why didn’t I notice that handsome guy, Chiya-kun, before?
So kawaiii!” “That’s because you only have eyes for Itachi-kun.
I’ve been shipping Chiya and Izumi for the longest time!” “Really?
Tell me everything!” “I want to hear it too!
Tell me!” …
The Hokage’s Private Office.
“Lord Third, here are the files you requested on Fujiwara Chiya and his parents.” An ANBU operative handed the documents respectfully to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
[Name: Fujiwara Chiya Gender: Male Birthday: November 10th Parents: Fujiwara Ichiro (Deceased), Fujiwara Rika (Deceased) Blood Type: O Ninja Way: To protect Konoha; I never want to see bloodshed again.
Hobbies: Helping elderly ladies cross the street.
Person I Admire Most: Lord Third Hokage.
Dream: To become a great ninja just like the Third Hokage.
…
Instructor’s Evaluation: An excellent civilian genius.
If nurtured, his achievements will be no less than those of children from prestigious clans.] The Third Hokage skimmed through the file.
Overall, he was quite satisfied.
Whether it was shuriken throwing, kunai handling, or other fundamentals, the boy was consistently excellent with no obvious weaknesses.
While far less dazzling than Itachi Uchiha, one had to remember that Chiya was a civilian.
He didn’t have the bloodline advantages of an Uchiha or the resources of a great clan.
To reach this level on his own was remarkable.
But that wasn’t the point.
What mattered most was that he saw the “Will of Fire” in this boy.
Someone who dreamed of becoming a great ninja like him, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would surely have the right ideological foundations.
And this was exactly the kind of civilian genius he needed.
“The Fujiwara family has raised a fine son,” the Third lit his pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke as he sighed.
A moment later, he asked, “What is his interpersonal life like?” “He gets along well with everyone in his class…
however…” The ANBU operative’s voice trailed off.
“Go on,” the Third tapped his pipe, his eyebrows lifting slightly, his face remaining unreadable.
“Fujiwara Chiya seems to have a close relationship with a young girl from the Uchiha clan.
It is said that on the night of the Nine-Tails’ attack, Chiya saved her, and they have remained close since.” With the tension between the Uchiha and the village rising, the Uchiha were a sensitive topic.
“I see…” The Third’s brow relaxed.
A plan began to take shape.
Perhaps he could use the boy’s admiration for him to perform some…
“indoctrination”—or rather, “guidance.” He could nudge him to serve Konoha by gathering intelligence on the Uchiha clan and observing them for any signs of rebellion.
But before that, the boy needed to become a true ninja.
With that in mind, the Third addressed the operative, “Tell the Academy to take extra care of that child.
See that he grows up quickly; the village needs talent like his.” “Understood.” The ANBU operative bowed, and with a burst of the Body Flicker Technique, vanished into thin air.
Watching the spot where the operative had disappeared, the Third lit his pipe once more, blew a puff of white smoke, and sighed, “Peace, ah…” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS dead_soul19 Creation is hard, cheer me up!