Chapitre 6: One Year Later, Monkey Notices Me
*Ninja Academy.*
"Aizen-kun, have you heard? Itachi-kun is about to graduate early. He's only been in school for a year, but he's already graduating. That's incredible!" Uchiha Izumi gazed out the window at the widely admired Uchiha Itachi and spoke to Fujiwara Aizen beside her.
"Yeah, that is pretty impressive," Aizen responded, not holding back his admiration.
Unknowingly, a year had passed since they had started spending time together.
Although Aizen rarely attended school, he could understand from his Shadow Clone's memories that Izumi was a kind, gentle, and empathetic girl.
There were six years left before the Uchiha clan massacre.
Aizen wasn't self-righteous enough to try and save the entire Uchiha clan. Even if he tried, they probably wouldn't believe him.
However, letting Uchiha Izumi die at the hands of two maniacs like Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Obito would be a real tragedy.
Maybe, by that time, it would also be the right moment to leave the village.
After all, his original plan was to join the Akatsuki.
That red cloud cloak... he'd been eyeing it for a long time.
"Aizen-kun, you're really amazing too! If you took the graduation exam now, I'm sure you'd graduate early, just like Itachi-kun," Izumi's voice snapped Aizen out of his thoughts.
"You're overestimating me," Aizen humbly replied, taking on a self-deprecating tone.
In terms of talent, Uchiha Itachi was a true genius.
His battle intellect was sky-high. Without special techniques to boost himself, Aizen admitted that he couldn't compare to Itachi.
The only thing Itachi lacked was emotional intelligence — it was practically zero.
No wonder, in the original story, Itachi was wary of Obito but got completely played by the Leaf's council.
"No, no, Aizen-kun really is amazing," Izumi whispered as she leaned close to his ear. Her warm breath carried her words like a gentle breeze. "Aizen-kun, you've probably been using your Shadow Clone to attend school all this time, just like Itachi-kun, right?"
"How did you figure that out?" Aizen asked, surprised, looking at Izumi.
He knew she had awakened the Sharingan after losing her parents during the Nine-Tails' attack, but the Sharingan wasn't supposed to detect Shadow Clones. The only way to tell would be by comparing the clone to the original, but he had never shown both his real self and his clone at the same time in front of others.
"Aizen-kun, a girl's intuition is always sharper than you think," Izumi stepped back, closing her left eye slightly, forming a crescent moon smile as she spoke with soft lips.
"So, tell me, am I real or a clone right now?" Aizen's curiosity was piqued, and he smiled lightly.
"Hmm..." Izumi covered her lips with her hand, carefully looking Aizen over. After a brief pause, she confidently declared, "You're the real one. No matter how perfect a clone is, it's still just a clone. The eyes can't lie. Aizen-kun, your gaze has been different recently. After Itachi-kun got caught using a clone, you must've started attending school in person to avoid suspicion, right?"
"You're really sharp. But maybe you're the only one who'd notice. Who else would watch me so closely every day?" Aizen smiled warmly and gently patted Izumi on the head.
This made Izumi blush deep red. Embarrassed, Aizen awkwardly smiled and quickly withdrew his hand. "Sorry! Sorry! You're just too cute, Izumi, I couldn't help myself."
Izumi nodded shyly, turning her back to Aizen. A soft smile crept onto her lips as she quietly murmured to herself, "Aizen-kun, you're just too sly."
Their interaction didn't go unnoticed by a group of girls sitting in the corner of the classroom, sparking a wave of gossip.
"Wow, Aizen and Izumi are so cute together! How did I never notice Aizen was this handsome before? Kawaii!"
"That's because you only had eyes for Itachi. I've been shipping Aizen and Izumi for a while now."
"Really? Tell me everything!"
"I wanna hear it too! Spill!"
---
*Hokage's Office.*
"Lord Third, here's the information you requested on Fujiwara Aizen and his parents." An ANBU member respectfully handed over the files to the Third Hokage.
---
*Name*: Fujiwara Aizen
*Gender*: Male
*Birthdate*: November 10
*Parents*: Fujiwara Ichiro (deceased), Fujiwara Rika (deceased)
*Blood Type*: O
*Ninja Way*: To protect the Leaf Village and prevent more bloodshed.
*Hobbies*: Helping elderly ladies cross the street.
*Most Admired Person*: The Third Hokage.
*Dream*: To become a great ninja like the Third Hokage.
*Teacher's Evaluation*: A talented civilian student. If nurtured, his potential could rival that of noble clan members.
---
The Third Hokage skimmed the document, generally satisfied with what he saw. Whether it was shuriken skills, kunai throwing, or other ninja arts, Aizen excelled across the board with no major weaknesses.
He wasn't as brilliant as Uchiha Itachi, but it was important to remember that Aizen was a civilian.
He didn't have Itachi's superior bloodline, nor the training resources of a prestigious clan. To have grown to this level was already quite impressive.
But that wasn't the most important thing. What really stood out was the Fire of Will he saw in this boy. Aizen admired him, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and dreamed of becoming a great ninja like him. With that kind of mindset, his loyalty to the village would be unquestionable.
This was exactly the kind of civilian talent the Third Hokage needed.
"The Fujiwara family produced a fine son," the Third Hokage mused, lighting his pipe, releasing a puff of smoke. After a moment, he asked, "How are this boy's relationships?"
"He generally gets along well with his classmates, but..." The ANBU ninja's voice trailed off.
"Go on," the Third Hokage knocked his pipe against the ashtray, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly, his emotions unreadable.
"Fujiwara Aizen seems to have a close relationship with a girl from the Uchiha clan. It's said that during the Nine-Tails' attack, Aizen saved the girl, and that's how they became friends." These days, the Uchiha clan was a sensitive subject, with tensions rising between them and the village.
"I see," the Third Hokage's frown relaxed, as he formulated a plan. Perhaps he could use this boy's admiration for him to guide — no, to educate him. Aizen could be a key asset in gathering information on the Uchiha clan, to see if there were any signs of rebellion.
But first, the boy needed to become a full-fledged ninja.
With that in mind, the Third Hokage gave the ANBU a new order: "Have the academy keep a close eye on this boy. Encourage his development. The village needs talents like him."
"Yes, Lord Third," the ANBU ninja respectfully answered before disappearing with the Body Flicker Technique.
As the ANBU vanished, the Third Hokage lit his pipe once again, exhaling a cloud of smoke and sighing, "Peace..."
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone