The morning mist still carried the dampness from the previous day.
Inoue Satoru adjusted his hairstyle and walked into the office, immediately spotting Suzumei Meimei, whom he had been teaching since her first year. Her flaxen hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and her ninja vest couldn't conceal her curvaceous figure.
Meimei was organizing materials for the children she would be teaching again.
Like all academy instructors, she followed her class from their first year until graduation, only to start over with a new group of beginners.
Satoru fiddled with his clothes, flashed what he believed to be a charming smile, and rushed up to Meimei.
"Suzumei-sensei, would you like to have dinner together tonight?"
"No." Meimei didn't even look up, her eyes fixed on her lesson plans.
Dejected, Satoru returned to his desk. This was the teachers' preparation time—classes wouldn't start for a while yet.
After finishing her preparations, Meimei picked up a few notebooks and suddenly asked Satoru about Uchiha Kin.
"Inoue-sensei, I heard Uchiha Kin was sent back to your class?"
Satoru instantly perked up.
"Yeah, I remember he transferred to your class last year."
Meimei had also taught Kin for a year.
The thought of that kid—who always seemed like he hadn't slept the night before, dozing off in class—made her head throb.
He was an even bigger problem than Kushina, who at least paid attention in class, even if she was quick to explode.
Kin's combat evaluation was still zero, and it wasn't because Satoru had deliberately failed him—Kin simply didn't care. He slept through the entire test! How could anyone grade that?
Seeing Satoru's troubled expression, Meimei sighed in sympathy.
"That child is a real handful. Not only does he sleep in class, but he also keeps asking me out to dinner."
Meimei let out another sigh. She knew her figure attracted attention, but even an underage kid kept hitting on her.
Was it her fault, or was the brat just too precocious?
And the way he looked at her was no different from how Satoru did!
He was only twelve! Since when did kids mature so fast?!
What was she doing at twelve?
Oh, right—she had a crush on a handsome Hyuga boy.
Never mind.
Early maturity was practically a tradition at the academy.
But Kin had been a constant headache. For a while, he'd showered her with flowers and invitations, making it seem like he attended class just to see her. It wasn't quite harassment, coming from a child, but it was close.
"What?! That brat dared to harass you, Meimei-sensei?!" Satoru's eyes widened. He couldn't believe the kid shared his taste—no, wait—dared to harass his goddess!
"He's just a child, so it's not a big deal," Meimei said dismissively.
"But Inoue-sensei, you should be careful. That kid loves skipping class."
Meimei recalled the previous year—Kin's attendance rate was only fifty percent, especially after she flatly rejected him. He'd practically vanished.
"What?!" Satoru's face turned grave. If Kin skipped class, it would stain his teaching record. It wouldn't affect his job, but it would make him question his own abilities.
With that thought, he rushed out of the office and headed straight to the classroom.
Once everyone had arrived, one seat remained conspicuously empty.
Sure enough.
"Uchiha Kin!!"
…
Meanwhile, Uchiha Kin was skipping class—boldly and without a care.
Yawning as he walked, he muttered, "I could probably recite the academy textbooks backward by now."
Honestly, he knew the material better than Satoru did.
It was just a shame Meimei, the bombshell instructor, wasn't teaching him anymore. Without her, his motivation to attend had plummeted.
The streets of Konoha were bustling, but few people lingered.
Kin glanced at the passersby, who clutched their thin coats and hurried along with worried expressions. Most of the open shops were restaurants, and aside from the rushed civilians, there were ninjas with furrowed brows darting past.
The war hadn't officially begun, but its shadow was already creeping into the village.
In the commercial district, Kin spotted Might Dai helping a merchant unload goods.
Bent under the weight of five or six bags, Dai worked alone—his teammates nowhere in sight.
Kin clicked his tongue. Even if Dai wasn't at his peak yet, he could probably open the Sixth Gate without issue. Yet here he was, doing manual labor.
He walked over and greeted him.
"Hey, old man. Fancy meeting you here."
Dai's face twisted in terror the moment he saw Kin.
"Uchiha!!"
He leaped back—a clear aftereffect of last night's scare.
"Be careful!"
The merchant waiting for his goods scowled at the disruption.
"Sorry, sorry!" Dai hastily apologized.
Kin raised an eyebrow, but the merchant merely glanced at the Uchiha crest on his clothes and backed away without a word.
In Konoha, the Uchiha name carried its own kind of intimidation.
"Give me a minute," Dai whispered before doubling his efforts, hauling a dozen bags at once to finish the job.
He then bowed repeatedly to the merchant, who finally nodded in satisfaction and let him leave.
Kin, leaning against a lamppost, watched with amusement.
The shinobi world was a twisted place. The real power lay with the daimyo—ordinary men who treated ninja as nothing more than tools.
Tools that sometimes didn't obey.
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The nobility and merchants feared ninja yet looked down on them.
It was absurd.
It wasn't that civilians couldn't hold power—it was that the ones in charge were incompetent and arrogant.
In a normal world, they'd have been overthrown long ago.
"Hahaha! Sorry to keep you waiting, kid!"
Dai wiped his hands on his pants, unsure why this Uchiha boy had sought him out.
"Old man, did you practice that jutsu I gave you?"
Kin looked up with childlike expectation.
His skills might not be top-tier yet, but his acting was flawless.
"I did! It was way easier than I expected!" Dai laughed heartily. That jutsu might be one of the only two he'd ever mastered.
Then why haven't you mastered it yet?!
Kin kept his smile intact, though he wanted to scream. Minato and Kushina had grasped it overnight—why was Dai taking so long?
"Do you have any questions? I can explain it again."
"Huh? You practiced it too? But doesn't it block normal jutsu?" Dai looked surprised.
The scroll had clearly stated that beginners couldn't use standard techniques. Dai had only tried it because he had no talent for ninjutsu.
But an Uchiha who couldn't use ninjutsu…
"You're Uchiha Kin?!" Dai pointed at him, eyes wide.
"Took you long enough," Kin said dryly. He wasn't surprised—his reputation had spread like wildfire.
Why did everyone hate the Uchiha so much? He was just one kid who couldn't use ninjutsu, and suddenly the whole village knew.
He didn't get it.
"Hahaha!" Dai laughed awkwardly.
Was that a compliment or an insult?
"So, old man, if you've got questions, ask away. After all, it's an Uchiha technique. If you can't pull it off, I'll have to tell everyone you stole—"
Before Kin could finish, Dai clamped a hand over his mouth, sweating bullets as he glanced around nervously. He released Kin and hissed,
"That was my payment for the mission!"
"True, but I'm the only one who knows that. Officially, I reported it as a cash reward to the Hokage."
Kin showed no shame as he laid out his frame-up.
Dai's face went pale, and he swayed on his feet.
He'd been set up by someone from his own village. Since when couldn't you trust your own people?
"Now, I'll give you two options. Complete one, and we'll forget this ever happened. Fail, and well…"
Kin let the threat hang, watching Dai's expression shift.
Bullying honest people was way too fun.
"Please, sir, have mercy! My wife is pregnant!" Dai dropped to his knees, begging.
Kin scratched his cheek, suddenly feeling guilty. He yanked Dai up, glancing around nervously.
Thankfully, no one had noticed. He lowered his voice.
"Just hear me out. Option one: master the jutsu by tonight. Or…"
"Defeat me."
Dai scratched his head, his eyes practically turning into question marks.
But if those were the only conditions, it wasn't so bad. He relaxed slightly.
"That's it?"
"That's it," Kin confirmed.
Suddenly, he realized honest people were terrifying.
Maybe he shouldn't mess with them after all.
Dai frowned, then suddenly lit up, giving Kin a thumbs-up.
"So you're trying to motivate me! I'm touched!"
Tears streamed down his face.
Kin wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. He'd gotten carried away earlier.
"Yeah, that's right."
"Don't worry, kid! I'll master that jutsu for sure!" Dai clapped Kin on the shoulder, brimming with confidence. Even if it took ten or twenty years, he'd do it!
"If you can't, I'll definitely spill the beans."
"Huh? Wait—what?!" Dai stared at Kin in horror. Every word out of the kid's mouth sent his heart racing.
"If you think the jutsu will take too long, then you've only got one choice left."
Kin patted Dai's back—his shoulders were too high to reach.
"But…" Dai hesitated. Kin was just an academy student. Wouldn't this be bullying?
Seeing his reluctance, Kin grinned.
"Don't underestimate me. I'm strong."
His goal today was simple: to witness the legendary technique…
The one that could kick open the gates to the finale…
The Eight Gates.
(End of Chapter)