SHISUI UCHIHA
The air was sharp, crisp with the morning chill as I walked alongside Elder Shinji.
He was tall and broad, as was his shadow. The Uchiha clan grounds had been quiet, almost somber, this early in the morning, and the silence hung between us, heavy.
Today was the start of my journey at the Academy. My path to bringing honor to the Uchiha name. Or, at least, that's what Elder Shinji kept drilling into my head as we made our way to the village center.
"Shisui," Shinji's voice was low, firm, each word clipped and precise like the typical Uchiha. He didn't waste any flourishes or unnecessary gestures. The clan elder was a man of action, of certainty, with a presence that commanded respect. So, respect I gave.
His eyes, the signature Uchiha crimson when his Sharingan flared, now dark and serious as he looked down at me. "You know what is expected of you."
I nodded, already knowing what would follow. I had heard these words countless times before, from my mother, my father before he died, and now Shinji.
"There is no room for second place," he continued, his voice emotionless. "As an Uchiha, you must always be at the top of your class. Always. Show them what it means to be born into our clan. The might of the Uchiha is your legacy to uphold."
"Yes, Elder Shinji," I said, my voice calm, practiced. The words felt like a routine now. Something I had to say, even though I wasn't entirely sure I believed them.
Elder Shinji was silent for a moment, his gaze hard and assessing as he stared straight ahead. We turned a corner, the tall buildings of Konoha coming into view, their facades weathered by the ongoing war.
The Third War had been raging for four years—most of my life—and though I had been too young too young to truly understand it at first, the weight of its consequence, of my expected future, now sat heavily on my shoulders.
"Do you understand the responsibility you bear?" Shinji asked, his voice breaking through my thoughts. His tone had a sharper edge now, as if daring me to show hesitation.
"Yes, Elder," I replied. But inside, my thoughts churned.
Responsibility. Legacy. The might of the Uchiha. They were words I'd heard all my life, and yet I struggled to connect with them.
I had never understood why everything had to revolve around the clan, why my life—my choices—was always about something bigger than me.
Why was it never about what I wanted, about who I was outside of the Uchiha?
I didn't hate being part of the clan, but I didn't understand why the elders were so fixated on proving something to the rest of the village, to the rest of the world.
What did it matter if I was the best? Wasn't it more important to understand myself, to understand the world around me? There had to be something beyond power, beyond the expectation of greatness.
"Do you understand why we must always be the best?" Shinji's voice interrupted my thoughts again as if he had sensed my internal questioning.
"Yes, Elder Shinji," I said again, though the words felt hollow.
I could feel his eyes on me, even if I wasn't looking at him directly. They were searching for something—perhaps a hint of doubt, a sign of weakness. I gave him none. I didn't know what he would do if he found it.
The Academy gates loomed ahead of us now, a stone structure with the symbol of Konoha etched into the arch above. A small group of people had already gathered outside, waiting for Hokage's speech.
Elder Shinji fell silent the closer we got, his eyes narrowing as if assessing the crowd, his steps slowing as if something had caught his attention.
I glanced up at him, wondering what had caused him to go quiet. His sharp gaze was locked onto a small group standing off to the side, just beyond the gates.
Five older people, Yamanaka by the looks of them, stood behind a boy who looked about my age.
I squinted, focusing on the child at the center of their group.
He had ash-blond hair, slightly tousled, and his posture was calm, confident—too calm for someone just starting the Academy. At least compared to the others.
His eyes, an odd shade of gray, were alert, sharp. Something about him felt… different.
He wasn't dressed like any of the other children waiting outside the gates, myself included—that much was clear.
While the rest of us wore the standard, practical clothes of young shinobi—simple tunics, shorts, and sandals—he stood out in an all-white kimono.
The fabric looked expensive, flowing down to his ankles with long sleeves that hung at his sides. He looked more like he was attending a ceremonial gathering (I was well familiar with) than starting his first day of school.
And then there were the geta on his feet—elevated, wooden sandals that made him stand out even more. They were the kind of footwear one might expect to see on a noble attending a formal event, not on someone my age about to train to be a shinobi.
He looked more like a symbol than a person.
He didn't seem to belong here, and yet… he commanded attention without saying a word.
I looked back up at Elder Shinji, and for the first time since we left the Uchiha compound, he seemed tense. Not outwardly, but I could feel it in the way his jaw clenched ever so slightly, the way his eyes hardened as they fixed on the boy.
"Who are they?" I asked, my voice quiet, cautious.
Elder Shinji's gaze stayed locked on the Yamanaka boy. He didn't answer for a moment… as if weighing something in his mind.
Then, finally, he spoke, his voice low, but dismissive. "It seems the Yamanaka have found themselves a genius to stand behind."
I blinked, surprised by the words. A genius? In the Yamanaka clan? The clan known more for its mind jutsu and support roles in missions than for raw power or combat prowess?
"Never let him surpass you, Shisui," Elder Shinji said, his voice carrying a note of finality, like making a verdict. "No one from the Uchiha will ever be outdone by a Yamanaka. Is that understood?"
I nodded, though my mind was already spinning with questions. Why did it matter if he surpassed me? Why was it always about competition? Strength? Prestige? Why was the weight of my worth measured only by how much better I could be than others?
"Do not disappoint the clan," Shinji said, his gaze finally turning back to me.
"I wont," I replied, the words slipping out automatically.
But as I looked at the boy standing with the older Yamanaka, as we now locked eyes, as he gave a small nod of acknowledgment, I couldn't help but wonder why I got this feeling in the pit of my stomach when I saw how calm he looked.
How… self-assured he appeared. It was different from the other geniuses in my clan. They had an air of pride around them while he had an air of… Hmm, I don't know.
I just might have to ask him what that was.
###
The Will of Fire.
I remember the words as clearly as if they were still ringing in my ears.
"As long as there are leaves, the fire will burn. And as long as the fire burns, the village will endure."
I don't know why, but those words… they stuck with me.
As Hokage-sama spoke to us, standing on that podium in front of the Academy courtyard, his voice moved through the crowd. His eyes swept over all of us, stern yet kind.
But for a moment—just a moment—his eyes paused on me. And on the Yamanaka.
"We must protect the future. Protect one another. This is the Will of Fire."
No one else would have noticed the way his gaze lingered, not unless they were looking for it. But I noticed. I always notice.
The crowd shuffled around me as the Hokage's speech ended, everyone eager to get out of the midday sun.
My mind was still wrapped around those words, around that look in his eyes. What was he thinking? Why did he focus on the two of us?
The Will of Fire…
I shook my head. Too many questions this early in the morning. One step at a time.
The Academy courtyard was crowded now. Students were beginning to make their way inside, and I followed suit.
Elder Shinji had stopped his lecturing the moment we arrived—probably didn't want to make a spectacle of himself in front of the Hokage or the other clans. But his words still rang in my ears.
"Surpass him, Shisui" he had said, his gaze never leaving the Yamanaka surrounded by his elders. "An Uchiha must always be at the top, Shisui."
Why did it matter so much to them that we're always on top? Why was our value measured by how much we outdid everyone else?
I didn't dislike the Yamanaka boy—heck, I didn't even know him. And yet, I was already being told to surpass him, to make sure no one saw me as anything less than perfect.
My mind was spinning again.
There were so many things I didn't understand about the world, about the clan, about this obsession with greatness.
I could feel the gazes of some of the other students on me as we walked toward the Academy building, their eyes stealing glances at me, whispers following my footsteps.
"Is that an Uchiha?" I heard one girl whisper, her voice just barely audible over the chatter.
"Yeah, he's cute," another girl said, giggling softly behind her hand. "Do you think he'll be in our class?"
I sighed inwardly, pretending not to hear any of it.
I had long since been taught to tune those things out. Instead, I kept my pace steady, my hands in my pockets, my eyes half-closed like I didn't have a care in the world. They were just distractions. None of it mattered.
The classroom was small and simple, filled with the nervous energy of new students a year older than me. I scanned the room, my gaze landing on an empty seat by the window. The one next to it was already taken.
The Yamanaka.
I don't know why, but something drew me to him. Maybe it was his calm, how he seemed completely at ease while everyone else buzzed nervously.
Maybe it was the way he held himself—so sure, so steady, like nothing could shake him. Whatever it was, I found myself walking over to him without even thinking about it.
"Mind if I sit here?" I asked, leaning casually on the desk beside him.
He opened his eyes, and for a moment, they locked onto mine. His gaze was sharp, analytical, like he was studying me.
Then, after a beat, he gave me a small smile. "Sure."
I slid into the seat next to him, feeling the tension ease slightly.
There was something oddly calming about sitting here next to him. We introduced ourselves and exchanged a few words—Satoshi Yamanaka, he said his name was—but before we could get much further, the classroom door slid open, and a woman walked in.
The teacher.
She was tall, with dark hair pulled into a neat bun, square glasses, and sharp eyes that surveyed the room with authority. She wasted no time, moving to the front of the classroom and addressing us immediately.
"Welcome to the Academy," she said, her voice firm but not unkind. "Today, we will begin the process of placing you into appropriate classes. This will be done through a series of four tests."
I sat up a little straighter, my attention fully on her now.
Test? That wasn't something Elder Shinji had mentioned, but I wasn't surprised. It made sense to test us right from the start. Separate the strong from the weak. See who has potential and who doesn't.
"The first test will be a written exam, testing your general knowledge of history, geography, and ninja theory," the teacher continued, pacing slowly in front of the room.
"The second will be a stamina test. You will be required to run a set number of laps around the school grounds."
Some of the students shuffled nervously at that, glancing around at each other. I remained still, watching.
"The third test will be a shurikenjutsu test. You will be evaluated on your accuracy and technique. And finally," she paused, her eyes sweeping over us, "the last test will be a combat evaluation. That will conclude your first day."
A small murmur ran through the room. I felt a flicker of excitement for some reason. Maybe because I had the chance to show what I could do. Maybe because I was curious what Satoshi could do.
The teacher's gaze lingered on us for a moment longer before she spoke again. "I will begin passing out the written exams. There is to be no cheating. Anyone caught cheating will immediately be placed in a lower-level class. Understood?"
"Hai, sensei," the class chorused.
As she started handing out the papers, I glanced at Satoshi beside me. He seemed calm—maybe too calm for someone about to be tested. His eyes were closed as if he didn't care about the test at all.
I couldn't help but feel curious about him. There was something about Satoshi Yamanaka that intrigued me. Something that drew me in.
Maybe this year wouldn't be so boring after all.
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[A/N] Gotta say, I love my boy Shisui and his neverending thoughts.
Welp... Why not... Another chapter coming in a few minutes for my favorite little readers ;)