Dusk in Konoha always brought a tranquil orange glow.
The four stone faces carved into Hokage Rock cast long shadows in the twilight, where a certain blonde kid would occasionally perform his performance art.
Sei sat in his backyard, idly spinning a standard Konoha training Kunai in his hand.
His black hair was slightly dishevelled by the evening breeze, and his deep eyes stared at the villagers walking home in pairs on the street outside.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips.
“I’ve been back in the village for a week now.
Aside from watching a bunch of kids play in the mud at school every day, I haven’t even had a decent meal of barbecue yet.” Sei grumbled quietly under his breath.
He bit his finger, squeezing out a drop of crimson.
“Summoning Jutsu!” With a small puff of white smoke, a palm-sized Katsuyu wiggled its tiny antennae, appearing on his hand.
“Lord Sei, did things not go well at school today?” Katsuyu’s gentle voice echoed in his mind.
As a clone of the Shikkotsu Forest Sage, it was exceptionally sensitive to the fluctuations in Sei’s Chakra.
“Go well?
Lady Katsuyu, have you ever tried asking someone with a medical doctorate to teach kindergarteners how to count?” Sei rolled his eyes and leaned back against the windowsill.
“Iruka-sensei spent an entire class lecturing on the Will of Fire today.
By the end, he was practically moved to tears, while I was sitting in the back using a Chakra Scalpel to sharpen my pencil.” “Uh, that does sound boring.
Let me connect you to Lady Tsunade.
One moment,” Katsuyu replied.
Though she didn’t know what a “doctorate” was, she understood what a kindergarten was.
Meanwhile, in a small tavern on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass…
Tsunade sat with her legs wide apart at a greasy wooden table, three empty sake bottles piled in front of her.
The tiny Katsuyu resting on her left shoulder slowly opened its eyes, conveying Sei’s complaints from Konoha word for word.
“Ungrateful brat!” Tsunade snorted, a hint of amusement flashing in her amber eyes.
She spoke to the slug on her shoulder, “Tell him that when I was at the Academy, I didn’t even have time to sharpen pencils.
I beat every boy in my class to a pulp.
Tell him to keep a low profile and stop showing off his Chakra control all day.” Through Katsuyu’s shared consciousness, Sei heard Tsunade’s reply almost instantly.
“Master, that’s called bullying, not training,” Sei made a face at the Katsuyu on his knee.
“Besides, you told me to keep a low profile, but yesterday the old man Third Hokage called me into his office.
He asked if I wanted to graduate early and join the Medical Corps to help out.
I figured if I went there and misdiagnosed someone, you’d have to come back to save them anyway, so I turned it down.” “You turned it down?” Tsunade’s voice went up an octave, laced with frustration.
“The Medical Corps may have a lot of rules, but it has the most abundant herb reserves in Konoha!
How could a money-grubbing brat like you bear to turn down that stipend?” “The stipend is pocket change.
My current goal is to revitalize the Senju Clan’s abandoned real estate in Konoha.” Sei shifted into a more comfortable position, his eyes growing deep.
“Master, I walked past the Senju compound today.
The weeds are taller than a person, and the seals on the front gates are practically rotting away.
It’s truly heartbreaking to watch.” On the other end, Tsunade fell silent.
The noisy chatter in the tavern seemed to fade away in an instant.
She gripped her cup tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.
The Senju Clan was a painful memory she preferred not to touch, and one of the reasons she fled Konoha in the first place.
“Sei…
do whatever you want with those properties,” Tsunade’s voice softened considerably.
“But remember, those Konoha elders aren’t push-overs.
They’ve had their eyes on that land for a long time.
You’re just a war orphan with no official status.
Trying to take a bite of that cake might break your teeth.” “Don’t worry, Master, I’m your star disciple,” Sei said, sensing the shift in Tsunade’s mood.
He adopted a lighter tone.
“I’ll use the gentlest methods to claw back everything that belongs to you piece by piece.
That way, when you return to the village to take the throne, I’ll have a proper Hokage residence ready for you.
You won’t have to stay in motels and jump out of windows to dodge debt collectors every day.” “You brat, who said I’m ever going back to take the throne!” Tsunade’s face flushed slightly, though whether from the alcohol or anger was anyone’s guess.
“Also, keep your Sharingan well-hidden!
Shizune told me that old man Danzo has been collecting all sorts of strange Kekkei Genkai lately.
If you dare expose it, I won’t be able to save you, even if I storm the Hokage building myself!” Shizune, holding Tonton, stared at Tsunade with a deadpan expression, looking as if she wanted to pretend she didn’t know her.
“I know, Master.
You’re so naggy.” Sei looked at the moon rising outside, his gaze softening.
“Lady Katsuyu, cut the visual sharing.
Let Master rest early, and tell her to drink less cheap sake.” “Understood, Lord Sei.” The white smoke dispersed, and silence reclaimed the room.
Sei reached into his robes and pulled out a magatama pendant that symbolized his Uchiha bloodline.
It was fashioned from the remnants of ninja tools his parents had left behind.
“Low profile, huh…” He closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.
The light purple, diamond-shaped mark on his forehead—the Yin Seal—was absorbing every stray drop of Chakra in his body at an extremely slow but steady pace.
During his week at the Academy, he hadn’t actually been wasting time.
Through his interactions with Naruto and Sasuke, he had gained a basic understanding of the rookies’ upper limits.
Naruto’s Chakra was massive but highly unstable, while Sasuke was completely obsessed with raw power.
While his foundation was solid, he lacked flexibility.
As for Ino…
Thinking of the blonde girl who followed him around all day, even sneakily handing him snacks during training, Sei’s lips curled upward.
“If things could stay this peaceful, that wouldn’t be bad.
But what am I going to do about this persistent entanglement…” The next morning, Sei was still dreaming of holding beautiful blonde girls in his arms when he heard Ino’s trademark shout from downstairs.
“Sei!
Wake up!
I’ve already made breakfast and bentos!
Today’s first period is Iruka-sensei’s theory class.
If we’re late, we’ll have to stand in the back or run laps!” Sei pushed open the window with a sigh, looking at the blonde girl waving her arms with a bright smile under the morning sun.
“Got it, coming.” “Sigh, there goes sleeping in.” Though he grumbled, his movements were exceptionally swift.
Slinging his pack over his shoulder, he lightly vaulted over the balcony.
After all, what self-respecting ninja used the front door?
Still half-asleep, Sei walked side-by-side with the incredibly energetic Ino toward the Konoha Ninja Academy, his boring school life continuing…