Observing the shy Mikoto, Chen pondered her role in the Naruto world.
Although her appearances in the anime and manga were few, her popularity among fans was undeniable.
'No wonder,' thought Chen, considering that Mikoto embodied the ideal wife in this universe: beautiful, kind, and devoted.
'Well, I've decided, no matter the cost, she will be mine,' Chen thought, a slight smile playing on his lips. 'And I don't see why I should worry about Fugaku. Let him focus on his clan, and I'll focus on Mikoto.'
For a moment, Chen wondered if Itachi and Sasuke would be born in this new timeline.
But he quickly dismissed the idea. He didn't really care. Chen had never sympathized with the "Itachi Script," mainly because their philosophies and personalities were diametrically opposed.
Itachi loved the village above all, even prioritizing it over his own clan and family (except for Sasuke).
In contrast, Chen considered himself extremely selfish. He only cared about himself and a handful of people who truly mattered to him.
'It's not that I have anything against Itachi,' thought Chen. 'I just can't agree with his actions. My heart can only encompass a few people. I'm not capable of loving an entire village like he does,' he thought with a sarcastic smile.
And as for the "avenger emo," he didn't feel the slightest sympathy for him.
Mikoto, noticing Chen's intense gaze, shifted uncomfortably in her seat. With a trembling voice, she asked, "C-Chen, why are you looking at me like that?"
Chen, without missing a beat, responded with a charming smile, "Because you're beautiful, Mikoto-chan. You stole my heart the moment I saw you."
Mikoto's face turned a deep shade of red. She quickly looked away, not daring to meet Chen's eyes. However, Chen could tell that despite her embarrassment, Mikoto did not reject his attention. In fact, she seemed secretly pleased by it.
From the other side of the classroom, Nawaki watched the scene with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Finally, he couldn't contain himself any longer and stood up.
"Hey, Chen!" Nawaki exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing? Stop bothering Mikoto-chan!"
Chen turned to Nawaki with a mocking smile. "What's the matter, N-a-w-a-k-i-kun? Are you jealous? I can't help it, I feel comfortable sitting next to beautiful women."
Then, pointing to Minato, he added, "Though if you prefer, you could sit with Minato-kun. He seems like a nice guy."
Nawaki blinked in confusion, not fully grasping the meaning behind Chen's words. "Huh? What do you mean?"
Chen chuckled. "Nothing, nothing. I just wanted to make it clear that I'm not interested in men. Maybe you should look for someone else, Nawaki-kun."
Finally understanding the insinuation, Nawaki turned red with anger. "What?! I don't like men!"
Minato, involuntarily dragged into the conversation, looked at Nawaki with wide eyes and moved a little away from him.
Nawaki, furious, threatened Chen, "I'll tell my sister that you have a lover!"
Chen, unfazed, simply shrugged and turned his attention back to Mikoto, who by this point was so blushing that it seemed like her face was going to boil.
"Chen…" murmured Mikoto, her voice barely audible. "...If you keep bothering me like this, I'll ignore you."
Chen, noticing the genuine discomfort in Mikoto's voice, decided it was time to stop. He didn't want to leave a bad impression or negatively affect their future relationship.
"I'm sorry, Mikoto-chan," Chen said sincerely. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Then, as Chen turned his attention to the front of the classroom, Mikoto couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment seeing him stop talking to her.
As time passed, the classroom quickly began to fill with the students of Class A. Among them, Chen recognized the future Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, the Hyuga brothers, and a young woman from the Inuzuka clan.
Chen noticed that Hizashi threw him a look full of anger before quickly hiding behind his brother. He couldn't help but smile inwardly, remembering the times he had "disciplined" Hizashi.
The fear in Hizashi's eyes was evident.
Hiashi, with a barely perceptible sigh, guided his brother to some empty seats.
Chen simply shrugged at the scene and decided to make the most of his time. He leaned back on the table, pretending to sleep, but in reality, he was refining his chakra with great concentration.
Suddenly, the sound of a chair being forcefully dragged broke the relative calm of the classroom.
Nawaki had stood up, his face contorted with anger, and was heading toward a boy who had just entered.
"Uchiha Jian!" Nawaki shouted, pointing an accusatory finger. "What do you think you're doing?!"
The person in question, a young man with black hair and dark eyes, with the unmistakable Uchiha clan emblem on his back, looked at Nawaki with disdain.
"I'm entering my class, Senju," Jian replied in a cold voice. "And everyone here should know that in this classroom, I'm the one who gives the orders."
The atmosphere in the class became tense immediately. Hiashi, who had been busy with his brother until then, stood up, his eyes fixed on Jian.
The historical rivalry between the Senju and Uchiha clans was palpable, and the pride of the Hyuga clan was not far behind.
Chen, without opening his eyes, listened with interest. He knew well that the Uchiha clan and the Hyuga clan fiercely competed for recognition as the possessors of the best ocular powers in Konoha. Additionally, the role of the Uchiha clan as the village's police force granted them a special status, though not always a positive one.
'Arrogant,' thought Chen. 'No wonder so many clans in Konoha despise them.' He remembered the rumors he had heard among the civilians, who often referred to the Uchiha clan as "stinking shit."
Jian continued his diatribe, his arrogance offending more and more students with each word.
Chen, though still pretending to sleep, was increasingly tempted to intervene, not to calm the situation, but to incite it even further.
Finally, Chen decided to gather more information. Opening one eye, he addressed Mikoto in a low voice.
"Hey, Mikoto-chan, who is that boy exactly?"
Mikoto, who had been watching the scene with concern, leaned towards Chen.
"That's Uchiha Jian," she whispered. "He's considered a genius in our clan, but... his arrogance knows no bounds. He's the grandson of one of the elders and is qualified to compete for the patriarch position in the future."
Chen nodded, understanding. "No wonder he's so arrogant then."
Mikoto frowned slightly. "Yes, but he's very annoying. He spends his days intimidating people and acting like he's superior to everyone."
Chen noticed with interest the trace of disgust in Mikoto's voice. Even someone as gentle as her seemed to have her limits when it came to Jian.
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