"Sigh."
Only after Danzo had stormed off did Hiruzen Sarutobi rise and walk to the window. He puffed slowly on his tobacco pipe, eyes following Danzo's retreating figure as it disappeared down the road. "Danzo… time will prove that I was right all along."
"And it'll also prove… you were never destined to become Hokage."
Hiruzen knew Danzo too well. That man had never truly accepted Hiruzen as Hokage, always coveting the seat himself. Had Hiruzen not needed Danzo's talents—and believed he could keep him in check—he might have disposed of him long ago.
At Konoha Hospital.
Tsunade had just received the news: a young prodigy from the Uchiha clan had supposedly mastered the Mystical Palm Technique in a single day.
"Ren Takashi? And he's already proficient in healing jutsu like Mystical Palm… in one day? Is that for real?"
Even she couldn't believe it. Not even she had achieved such a feat at his age.
Her interest was piqued. She was even beginning to consider taking him as a disciple.
"But... why does he have to be an Uchiha?"
Tsunade let out a sigh, shaking her head. She didn't hate the Uchiha, but she knew all too well that her teacher—Hiruzen—held a deep-rooted suspicion toward them. Over the years, he had used every method available to sideline the clan politically.
Even if she wanted to, taking Ren Takashi as her disciple would be almost impossible.
"Forget it for now. Once I'm done with this paperwork, I'll hit the casinos. Heh."
And just like that, her attention drifted elsewhere.
Back at the Uchiha compound.
Mikoto Uchiha had just returned from the academy. The moment she got home, she rushed to the Takashi household's training yard, where she found Ren mid-practice.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive orb of blazing red flame, easily over eight meters in diameter, exploded from Ren's mouth. The sheer heat of it scorched a semi-spherical crater into the ground and turned nearby grass and foliage to ash.
"Whoa…"
Mikoto drew in a sharp breath as she approached. "Already? Your Great Fireball's this powerful already? The size… the heat… You're grasping the nature transformation of fire chakra, aren't you?"
Ren smiled, turning to face her as he deactivated the jutsu. "It's all right, I guess. I actually find this jutsu a bit too rigid. The casting motion is obvious—too easy to dodge."
"I've been wondering if I could compress a fireball in my palm and launch it like a projectile instead. It'd be far more flexible that way. What do you think, Mikoto-senpai?"
His inspiration came from his past life's concept of casting fireballs in fantasy RPGs. Though he hadn't succeeded yet—manipulating and stabilizing compressed flame wasn't easy—he was close.
"Wait, is that even possible? Wouldn't you burn your hand?" Mikoto asked, her eyes wide.
"That's easy to solve." Ren grinned. "You just insulate your hand with chakra. It's not any more dangerous than spitting flames from your mouth."
"That said, it's harder to control, so I wouldn't recommend it for the average shinobi. This kind of adaptation is only practical for those with… well, talent."
"So it's a genius-exclusive technique…" Mikoto's expression dimmed slightly, despite the sparkle in her eyes. "Guess that rules me out."
"Who says that?" Ren chuckled. "You've already awakened your Sharingan at eight. Everyone in the clan calls you a genius."
Indeed—Mikoto's Sharingan had awakened following her father's recent passing. Her potential was undeniable. In Ren's mind, it was no surprise she would one day be the mother of both Itachi and Sasuke.
But in this life, there was no way he was letting her marry Fugaku.
Mikoto was his chosen one now.
"Ehehe… you're exaggerating." Mikoto blushed. "Compared to you, I feel like I'm just average."
She wasn't being modest. When Ren had first started learning jutsu, she'd offered to teach him. But her pride was swiftly crushed—he mastered everything after just one demonstration.
Worse, within days, his proficiency had already surpassed hers.
That sort of progress was enough to make even the most confident shinobi question their worth.
"By the way, the academy term started today," Mikoto said suddenly. "You're joining us tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah." Ren nodded. "It's about time I enrolled. How's it been so far?"
"It's all right." She nodded, then paused. "You meet a lot of people, but honestly, I'm not learning anything new. Feels like a waste of time."
"How about I go with you tomorrow?"
Ren raised a brow, surprised but pleased. "Sure! I'd like that."
He had no intention of refusing more time with Mikoto. In fact, he welcomed it—any opportunity to grow closer was a win.
"Oh, and if the academy's really that boring," Ren added slyly, "you could always send a Shadow Clone in your place."
"Wha—! You can do that? Isn't that… disrespectful to the teachers?" Mikoto looked both thrilled and scandalized.
Ren laughed. "Not if you're not learning anything new. Honestly, using a clone is more respectful—it shows you're still attending, even if your real self is off mastering new skills. The way I see it, becoming stronger is the best way to honor your teachers."
He gave her a mischievous wink.