"Uzumaki Shin, don't you think your introduction was a bit short? Shouldn't you talk about your dreams?"
Tanaka-sensei looked at Shin expectantly.
"Dreams are fleeting. That's why they're called dreams. Just keep them to yourself, I say."
"Alright... Next."
Tanaka-sensei shook his head and turned to Kushina.
Kushina looked at the class, feeling nervous. Shin gently squeezed her hand, reassuring her.
Kushina relaxed instantly.
"I'm Uzumaki Kushina! I like Shin, I hate Tsunade, and my dream is to be with Shin forever!"
Kushina declared boldly.
The class erupted in gasps and whispers. Such a forward declaration!
"She hates my sister?!" Nawaki gaped, shocked that Kushina disliked Tsunade.
Tanaka-sensei sighed. Kids these days were so precocious.
Shin looked at Kushina, who had buried her face in her hands, her cheeks flaming red.
"Ahem, settle down!"
Tanaka-sensei cleared his throat and sternly called for order.
"You two, find an empty seat."
Shin scanned the classroom. The only empty seats were at the back, so he led Kushina there.
Akiko and Kai gave their introductions. Akiko's was unremarkable; she came across as a shy, timid girl.
Kai, on the other hand, simply stated his name coldly, giving the impression that he wasn't approachable.
"They all have the name 'Uzumaki' and the same red hair. Are they all from the same clan?"
A boy with a pineapple-shaped haircut and bored eyes glanced at them.
"Shikaku, you're awake? That's a rare sight," Inoichi Yamanaka, sitting next to Shikaku Nara, remarked.
"I didn't want to wake up, but you were all so loud," Shikaku grumbled.
"Hi, I'm Uzumaki Shin. Nice to meet you."
Shin, settled in his seat next to Kushina, greeted the girl with beautiful black hair sitting next to him.
The girl looked surprised, then gave a gentle smile. "Hello, I'm Uchiha Mikoto. Nice to meet you too."
Shin froze. He had only greeted her because she was pretty, but he hadn't expected her to be Uchiha Mikoto.
But something wasn't right. He looked at Kushina, then back at Mikoto. Were they the same age?
No, that couldn't be right. Mikoto should be older than Kushina. She should have already graduated from the Academy.
'Maybe it has something to do with me being a transmigrant. In the original story, only Kushina came to Konoha. Now there are four of us, including me.'
Even a butterfly flapping its wings could cause a hurricane, let alone a person.
'Looks like I'm one of those people who inadvertently change the world.'
Shin felt a surge of pride.
"Ouch! Kushina, what was that for?"
Shin looked at his arm, which was turning red from Kushina's pinch.
"Hmph, you lecher!"
Kushina glared at him. So that was why he had chosen this seat, to be next to this pretty girl.
Shin felt wronged. He admitted Mikoto was pretty, but he was just being friendly. He wasn't a pervert! He didn't have any inappropriate thoughts about little girls. He couldn't understand Kushina sometimes.
But then he remembered Kushina's bold declaration in front of the whole class. She was definitely jealous.
Kids in the ninja world really did mature fast. Obito had a crush on Rin before he was five, and Sakura was infatuated with Sasuke at six.
"Uchiha-san, why are you sitting at the back?"
Shin was curious. It wasn't common for girls to sit at the back. At least, that hadn't been his experience in his past life. The back was usually reserved for the tall kids and the troublemakers.
"Because no one wants to sit with me."
Mikoto gave a wry smile. Everyone avoided her, so she had resigned herself to sitting at the back.
"Why?"
Kushina, her jealousy momentarily forgotten, was also curious.
"You're not from Konoha, are you?" Mikoto asked.
"Wow, you're amazing! You figured that out right away!" Kushina exclaimed.
Mikoto shook her head. "I'm from the Uchiha Clan. That's why they avoid me."
Kushina looked at her, confused. Shin, however, had an idea.
The Uchiha Clan's reputation in Konoha was... complicated. They had basically offended every other clan and even the civilians.
The Uchiha were known for their arrogance. Mikoto didn't seem arrogant, but it was a common trait among the Uchiha.
Their arrogance made them unpopular, and their tendency to act superior only worsened things.
The Uchiha Clan was in charge of the Konoha Police Force, an important department responsible for maintaining law and order within the village.
This position required them to interact with the other clans and the civilians.
For other clans, it would have been an opportunity to build relationships and gain favor. For example, if someone from another clan committed a minor offense, they could turn a blind eye and earn their gratitude.
But the Uchiha, with their strict adherence to the rules and their tendency to escalate minor offenses, had made themselves unpopular. And when it came to their own clan members, they were lenient, often turning a blind eye to their wrongdoings.
This behavior naturally led to resentment from the other clans and the villagers.
But the Uchiha Clan was powerful. With the decline of the Senju, they were the strongest clan in Konoha. No one challenged them or even speak ill of them, for fear of being summoned to the Police Force headquarters for "Questioning."
If they couldn't fight them, they would avoid them. The Uchiha Clan was isolated, which was exactly what some people wanted.
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