"My name is Uchiha Shien. I like sleeping and playing games. My dream is to lie down and die peacefully in a world without war."
That was Shien's dream—plain and simple.
Yet that one sentence made both Namikaze Minato and Kakashi glance at him in surprise.
Unlike everyone else who boasted about becoming Hokage, Shien's dream was… startlingly lazy.
And honestly? He wasn't wrong. For anyone outside the Hokage bloodline, that dream of sitting in the Hokage's chair was just a fantasy.
Even someone as powerful as Madara Uchiha had never been given that chance. There was no way an outsider could ever reach that position.
Future events only proved him right.
Even in that so-called "unburnable" sequel—Boruto—the Hokage's seat still belonged to the same family line.
Such "democracy," huh?
Sometimes, the more you thought about the world of the anime, the more terrifying it became.
After introductions were over, Namikaze Minato began walking with them while explaining basic knowledge that every full-fledged ninja needed to know—battlefield tactics, trap mechanisms, formation awareness, and so on.
None of this was taught at the Academy.
Why? Because those things changed constantly.
Relying only on what was taught in school could get you killed.
That was the real reason team instructors existed—to use their experience to help new ninja avoid fatal mistakes.
This system had proven so effective that it became standard across the entire ninja world.
Shien could only feel grateful—he was learning a lot.
Even something as small as the way to form hand seals more efficiently had already improved his ninjutsu casting speed.
That had always been one of his weak points.
The Uchiha clan certainly hadn't taught him anything, and the Academy never covered it either.
Even his summoning jutsu—he'd only gotten that thanks to the influence of his "white-thigh fiancée." Otherwise, he'd never have managed it.
Ninjutsu—only after truly living in this world did he realize how hard it was to acquire.
The Academy only taught the basic Three Body Technique—a D-rank ninjutsu. Anyone who knew other techniques had either inherited them from their clan or learned them from a master.
Which was why both Shien and Yamanaka Koji listened with rapt attention.
Only Kakashi looked a bit bored.
After all, his father was the famous White Fang of Konoha. Kakashi had been trained personally since childhood—this was nothing new to him.
Soon, they arrived at a training ground.
Konoha had plenty of them—any team could reserve one in advance.
Each major clan even had private training grounds of their own.
That said, most were nothing fancy—just open spaces with wooden dummies and throwing targets.
Given how destructive ninja training could get, there was no point making them too elaborate. The repair costs alone would bankrupt the village.
Simplicity was best—especially since no civilians were allowed nearby.
"All right, let's begin the assessment," Minato said, announcing the start of the test.
Most instructors wouldn't bother with such thoroughness.
After all, their main job was to help fresh graduates adjust to being real ninjas—not to train them in depth. Only when they found a student they really liked would they offer extra guidance.
But Minato wasn't that kind of half-hearted teacher.
He was earnest and responsible to the core.
And for his students, that was a blessing beyond measure.
He didn't just give advice—he taught. Sometimes, he even passed down actual jutsu.
That was why having a good teacher made all the difference.
Kunai throwing, physical fitness, close combat technique, chakra extraction, seal forming speed, the Three Body Technique…
Every one of these was part of a ninja's foundation.
Ninjas didn't become strong just by mastering flashy ninjutsu.
Plenty of powerful shinobi had died on the battlefield because their fundamentals were weak.
The most famous example—Senju Nawaki.
A direct descendant of the Senju clan, yet he died to a simple paper bomb trap.
The "Prince" of the Senju, student of none other than Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin—bloodline and pedigree couldn't save him.
His death was proof enough: neglect your foundation, and even the mightiest fall.
When the test ended, Minato nodded, evaluating his students.
"I've seen enough to gauge your strength. Starting tomorrow, I'll design individual training plans for each of you."
Kakashi's talent was the highest. Yamanaka Koji came next.
And the weakest—was Uchiha Shien.
Honestly, it didn't make sense.
For someone of his physical condition, mastering the Summoning Jutsu should've been impossible. He was a civilian, after all.
Everyone knew his background—his "Uchiha" surname came only from being married into the clan. Unlike real Uchiha heirs, he hadn't inherited their chakra reserves or natural affinity.
Clan-born ninja had both hereditary and environmental advantages—stronger bodies, greater chakra, and inherited experience from the previous generation.
Still, Minato didn't question him.
In the ninja world, everyone had secrets. A good teacher didn't pry.
"That's enough for today," Minato said at last.
"We'll begin missions tomorrow."
He reached into his pouch and handed each of them a forehead protector.
"These are your headbands. Congratulations—you're now officially genin of Konoha. Meet at the Hokage Building tomorrow morning. Dismissed!"
The command was simple—but final.
Ninja were a militarized profession. Orders from superiors were absolute.
Even if those orders meant certain death.
Cold? Yes. But that was the reality.
Just look at the White Fang.
A man with strength surpassing even the Sannin, yet he was driven to suicide simply because he disobeyed an order to save his comrades.
Such was the fate of those who broke the rules.
Disobedience could mean execution on the spot.
As for abuse of authority—there were ways to uncover that, too. With all the genjutsu and secret techniques available, the truth could always be extracted.
After dismissal, the three of them went their separate ways.
Normally, Shien would've gone back to his rented lab to continue his research.
But now… he had no choice but to return to the Uchiha compound.
Even if the clan was currently negotiating with the village, he still feared Danzo might "forget his morals" and make a move on him.
Upon his return, a woman from one of the main Uchiha branches greeted him.
"Lady Mei has been sent on an urgent mission," she said.
"Your quarters have already been prepared."
The Uchiha respected strength above all else.
Before, they'd looked down on Shien for being a "weakling." But now that he'd defeated Kakashi, their attitudes had shifted dramatically.
In the past, someone like her wouldn't have even spoken to him.
"Got it, Aunt Muxiang," Shien replied politely before hurrying home.
He wasn't surprised that Uchiha Mei had gone on a mission.
She was a well-known workaholic—and that was why she'd become a Special Jonin at such a young age.
If she kept up the pace and improved her strength, a full jonin promotion was only a matter of time.
And in Konoha, the difference between jonin and everyone else was enormous.
Jonin could even vote in the Hokage elections.
If Mei wanted to become the recognized head of her clan branch, being a jonin was the prerequisite. For now, her title was only nominal.
Once she officially became a branch head, her authority would be second only to the clan chief—and above hundreds of others.
Naturally, such a position invited envy.
Unless, of course, you had the overwhelming strength of someone like Madara Uchiha—then no one dared question you.
When Shien finally reached the underground lab, he froze.
All around him were neatly arranged pieces of brand-new equipment—precision instruments, scroll racks, and rows of books.
Many of the scrolls bore the Uchiha crest.
As one of the great noble clans of the ninja world, the Uchiha's archives were staggering.
Shien grabbed one scroll at random—and his eyes widened.
[The Nature and Analysis of Chakra]
Authored by—Uchiha Madara.
Good heavens.
Shien could only gape.
When it came to understanding chakra, who could possibly rival the "Demon of the Shinobi World" himself?
Even the "God of Shinobi," Senju Hashirama, couldn't compare. The man was a powerhouse, sure—but hardly the academic type.
This… this was worth more than all his own research combined.
And this was just one scroll out of many.
Shien's excitement surged as he eagerly reached for the next one, his mind burning with anticipation.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/FicHaven786