After Class – Just Outside the Academy
"Yo, Aizen! Let's battle again!" Obito called out the moment they stepped out of the academy gates, eyes shining with energy.
Aizen glanced over his shoulder, offering a small, apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Obito. I'm busy today. Can we do it tomorrow?"
Obito puffed up his cheeks, clearly ready to say something dramatic or challenge him anyway, but then he noticed the look on Aizen's face. Genuine regret.
"...Tch. Fine," Obito muttered, scratching the back of his head. "But next time, I'm totally beating you. Be ready!"
Aizen chuckled softly, hands in his pockets.
"Of course. I'll work hard. I wouldn't want to fall behind you."
Then, after a short pause, he added with a sly grin,
"Actually, scratch that. I'll make sure you're always playing catch-up."
Obito blinked. "Huh?!"
Aizen coughed.
"Ahem. I meant I'll work hard so I don't fall behind you. Yeah. That's what I meant."
Obito narrowed his eyes. "...You—"
But Aizen was already walking ahead, waving lazily over his shoulder.
"Tomorrow then!"
Obito huffed, crossing his arms.
"Tch. Just you wait..."
Turning his head, Obito glanced at the rest of the students trickling out of the academy.
"Guess I should head back too… Grandma's probably waiting."
He started walking in the same direction Aizen had gone, toward the Uchiha district.
---
Aizen reached the clan gates just as the sun dipped a little lower in the sky. Two familiar figures stood guard.
"Danzo-nii, Renji-nii! Thanks for guarding the gate," he called out with a warm smile.
The two guards straightened up, clearly pleased.
"Haha, Aizen! Look at you, always so polite," Danzo said with a grin.
"Yeah," Renji chuckled. "So? How was your first day at the academy?"
"Yeah, did anyone give you trouble?" Danzo added, frowning slightly like an older brother ready to throw hands.
Aizen shook his head, waving it off with a small smirk.
"Nope, all good. Everyone was chill. And even if someone did try something…" He puffed out his chest. "I'm strong enough to handle it myself!"
The two guards laughed.
"That's the spirit!"
"Just don't go around picking fights either, alright?"
"Of course not!" Aizen said, already walking past the gate. "See you later!"
Aizen moved quickly through the compound, nodding politely to a few passing clansmen, until he finally reached his home.
Out front, a kind-faced woman was tending to a small plant near the porch.
"Aunt Reina," Aizen called out as he approached, "where's Grandpa?"
She looked up with a gentle smile.
"Ah, Master Aizen. Renzō-sama is meeting with the clan head right now."
Then, as if remembering something, she added,
"Oh, and he left a message for you. He said if you're feeling tired, it's alright to skip today's training."
Aizen gave a small smile and shook his head.
"I'm good. Not that tired. I'll head to the backyard and get in some taijutsu practice."
Reina gave a fond nod.
"Of course. Just don't overdo it. Dinner will be ready by sundown."
"Got it, thank you!"
With that, Aizen slipped off toward the backyard. His eyes already focused, his pace picking up.
Time to train.
---
"Ahhhh—one more!"
Aizen gritted his teeth as he forced himself through another deep squat, muscles trembling under the strain. Sweat dripped from his forehead, soaking into his shirt, and his legs felt like they could give out any moment. But he didn't stop. Not until the set was complete.
Only when he hit his final rep did he finally collapse backward onto the ground, gasping for air, eyes staring up at the slowly darkening sky.
The moon was beginning to glow, high above the fading sun, casting long shadows over the compound. Aizen wiped the sweat from his brow and gave a dry laugh.
"…How the hell am I supposed to fight beings that can create moons?"
The thought echoed in his mind, absurd and terrifying. His breath slowly steadied as he stared at the heavens.
Five years.
It had already been five years since his reincarnation into this world.
And yet, some days… it still felt like a strange, vivid dream.
The timeline was still mostly intact. The founding of Konoha, Madara's defection, his return with the Nine-Tails, his defeat… the deaths of the First and Second Hokage. Two Great Ninja Wars already in the past. The rise of the Legendary Sannin.
And now… the clouds of war were forming again. The Third Great Ninja War wasn't far off.
If the tension at the borders wasn't proof enough, the atmosphere in the village certainly was.
"Haaah…"
He exhaled, closing his eyes, letting the cool wind hit his sweat-soaked face.
Even if I somehow survive the war… there's still that psycho Obito.
The Nine-Tails attack will happen. Minato will die. And the Uchiha will be exterminated like criminals.
He gritted his teeth.
Can I really stop all of that?
Sure, I could try to stop Obito's descent into darkness. But what if it's not enough? What if Madara just finds someone else to manipulate?
And even if I somehow save Shisui and Itachi from being brainwashed by Hiruzen's idealistic shadow games… how can I be sure there aren't others already acting as spies? Only a fool would think they were the only ones.
His hands clenched the grass beneath him.
As for Minato… everyone loves to believe he would've stood by the Uchiha if he had lived. But that's wishful thinking. This was never about innocence. It was about power. About control.
At the end of the day, there are two factions: the Uchiha… and everyone else.
And I believe at the end of the day Minato will be against Uchiha, be it with his choice or Hiruzen's manipulation.
And that's not even the worst of it.
He opened his eyes again, staring into the now-full glow of the moon.
Black Zetsu.
A cockroach that would outlive gods. Crawling out from the cracks no matter how well I tried to patch them.
He wouldn't stop—not until he brought his mother back.
Aizen sat up slowly, dragging a hand across his sweat-soaked face.
"…Let's do it again."
His voice was tired, but not defeated.
He glanced up at the stars beginning to peek through the sky. Then, without thinking, as he had done every single day for the past five years, he whispered under his breath:
"System, are you there?"
Silence.
Not that he expected anything else. But even so, he asked again.
Every day. Without fail.
Just in case.
"Status."
Nothing.
"Menu."
Still nothing.
"…Inventory?"
Nada.
He let out a breath and fell back onto the ground again, laughing bitterly.
"Am I really going to end up meeting Orochimaru just to shove some Hashirama cells inside me?"
He stared up at the sky, the stars twinkling like they were mocking him.
"Forget it. Let's try again tomorrow."
Then—
[Initializing…]
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