Yami was leaving the academy after successfully passing the early graduation exam—the only student that year to do so. The difficulty level was exceptionally high; it required not only the ability to perform the three standard academy *jutsus* but also the demonstration of other important traits and capabilities.
Miyu, the current Hokage, had ensured that early graduation wasn't something just anyone could achieve. It was almost as if she didn't want *anyone* to succeed—which was indeed the intention—but unfortunately for her, she had taught her son too well in several of these areas. Fortunately for him, however, she didn't have the time to personally evaluate him; otherwise, there was a chance she might have failed him simply for the sake of it.
The exam consisted of three sections. The first was purely a test of maturity, assessing whether the student was mature enough to become a ninja. In her reforms, Miyu emphasized maturity and decision-making; curiously, she used Kakashi—rather than herself—as an example of the consequences of such choices.
Kakashi had graduated at age five, and now he was a broken man suffering from severe depression and a pornography addiction—a clear example of what parents would never want their children to become.
As for how Yami managed to discover *Icha Icha* while serving in the ANBU—where such things were forbidden—that is a story for another time.
Next came the theoretical knowledge test, covering topics such as proper kunai positioning, food inspection, resource allocation, and the geographical layout of the village and other nations.
Finally, there was the *ninjutsu* evaluation, where candidates had to demonstrate the standard academy *jutsus* or derivatives—such as the Shadow Clone instead of the basic clone technique.
Yami used only the three basic *jutsus*, but he executed them with a level of mastery equal to, or perhaps even surpassing, that of a typical *genin*, earning high praise from the judges.
By the time everything concluded, the results for the other two sections were already available—partly because so few students had even qualified to attempt early graduation. As he walked along the streets, the black-haired boy fastened his headband around his arm rather than his forehead. This was largely because, back when he and his siblings played ninja in their own unique way—seeking to stand out and be different—each of them would wear the headband somewhere other than the forehead.
Naruto wore his like a belt, Hikari around her neck, and Yami around his arm.
Recalling those moments, he decided to keep up the custom and tied it around his left arm.
With that done, he walked a few more steps before coming to an abrupt halt.
While deep in thought, he realized something: he didn't know what to do next.
He had already graduated, received his headband, and technically become a ninja, yet he had no idea what to do next; all he had been told was to go to the Hokage Tower for official registration—and nothing else.
What was he supposed to do? Who would be on his team? How would he handle missions? What were the limits of a genin's duties? He hadn't received a single instruction regarding any of this—not even from his own mother, the Hokage.
As Yami paced back and forth with his hands on his head, a young man with black hair watched him from a distance.
Preoccupied as he was, the half-Senju hadn't noticed he was being watched; meanwhile, his observer—Shisui—was inwardly chuckling at Yami's behavior.
Knowing her son was set to graduate, the Hokage had asked Shisui to meet and train him for a while—offering the pay of a jonin-sensei, even without the official title.
Clan matters had delayed him, so he hadn't been able to greet the boy when he left the academy; now, he simply decided to observe how his temporary student handled the situation. In a few minutes, he would step forward to introduce himself and explain the current state of affairs.
...
While everything in the village appeared fine on the surface, deep within—in the darkest recesses of his being—things were far from calm, and one of the people feeling that pressure most acutely was Fugaku Uchiha, leader of one of Konoha's largest clans.
He felt that his every action was scrutinized and criticized by everyone—even his own fellow police officers—and he knew exactly why: his clan's deep-seated dissatisfaction with the village.
That was precisely why he was going to visit the Hokage to discuss the matter yet again, hoping they might finally reach some sort of middle ground.
As a Uchiha, there were certain things he had once felt strongly about, but those days of youthful rebellion and the need to assert superiority—traits common to a *genin* or *chūnin*—were long gone.
As far as Fugaku was concerned, the village was a collective of diverse communities—comprising various clans, ninja, and civilians—all striving for mutual harmony. It was not merely a territory for the Uchiha to do with as they pleased; that distinction was the root of his reservations regarding certain matters.
No matter how logical some of those arguments seemed in his own mind, he knew how to separate fantasy from reality. After all, there was a reason he was the clan leader; he hadn't earned the position through nepotism or anything of the sort.
He arrived at the Hokage's door and knocked four times: two quick raps, a pause of a few seconds, and then two more.
"Come in, Fugaku," a voice called out from within.
He entered, standing tall and composed, and looked at the woman he had helped install as the village's military leader. She was practically sprawled in her chair—seemingly unconcerned about the future back problems she was inviting—with a pencil between her teeth as she worked on a crossword puzzle.
"By any chance, do you know the word for a poor man? It starts with a B and ends with an N," she asked, never once looking up from the paper in her hands. "Shouldn't you be working?" Fugaku asked, walking over to sit in the chair facing the Hokage's desk. "I didn't vote for you just so you could sit around doing nothing."
"You voted for me because there wasn't another candidate," I clarified, starting to fill in the crossword puzzle. "The old monkey no longer had the will to stay in the position, and everyone knew Danzo was a bad choice; one way or another, I was the only one left."
Upon hearing this, Fugaku could only sigh.
"Sorry, I've been really stressed lately," he finally admitted, looking defeated.
"Yes," Miyu said, finally looking up at him. "It's written all over your face." At that, she finally set the crossword puzzle aside and settled back in her chair. "How is your family?"
"Sasuke's been doing well; he's more cheerful now that he's playing with his friends. Mikoto does her best to put up with me—she's quite understanding about the situation, so I manage—but as for Itachi..." He fell silent for a moment. "He's been a bit distant lately," he finally admitted.
"He seems fine from where I stand; according to reports, he's been spending a lot of time with Shisui. Maybe he's just going through a rebellious phase," Miyu teased slightly.
For some reason, Fugaku couldn't picture his son being rebellious, so he simply shook his head.
"Well, I didn't come here to talk about my family troubles but rather to reach an agreement that satisfies both the clan and the village," he explained.
Hearing this, Miyu merely grimaced in disapproval.
"Your clan asks for a lot—acting as if the village owes you a great deal—but in hindsight, you haven't actually done all that much. If we gave in to your demands, other clans like the Hyuga might start asking for nonsense just like you do," the Hokage pointed out.
Fugaku could only sigh.
"Is there no way to work something out?" the Uchiha clan leader suggested.
"There are things I can't accept based on common sense, but there are others I might consider agreeing to in the future," Miyu suggested, lifting Fugaku's spirits a little.
"What do you mean?" the Uchiha asked. "Well, there's the matter of the next Hokage; I haven't considered handing my position over to anyone, since there's no one capable of replacing me in the future. However, the new generation has produced some decent candidates—and among them, I have two Uchihas," the blue-haired woman explained.
"By 'two,' you mean...?" Fugaku asked.
"Shisui and Itachi; both have a normal mindset." She made air quotes with her hands as she said the word "normal." "They have strength and solid ninja skills, and their way of thinking isn't as erratic as that of others in your clan."
Upon hearing those words, the Uchiha clan leader didn't quite know what to think, yet he felt that if he held out long enough, there might be a chance—however slim. That alone was enough to keep him going.
"Fugaku, like you, I am the leader of my own clan; even I cannot—and will not—grant my people such excessive benefits. Anyone can request to see the records—the documents detailing how the funds are used are not kept private. That was one of the measures I implemented to prevent internal fraud or theft," Miyu stated. "I know what you're going through and I understand it, but the fact remains that there is little I can do—especially knowing that your clan is the one that needs to take a step back first."
The weary-eyed man simply remained still, pondering it all.
"I understand, Hokage-sama. I won't take up any more of your time," he said, rising to leave.
"It's no trouble; feel free to come by whenever you like. Give my regards to Mikoto and little Sasuke," Miyu said, waving a hand in farewell.
Fugaku simply nodded and left.
As he stepped out of the Hokage Tower, he felt that perhaps he simply needed to be more insistent—to make the clan understand that their current course of action might not end well. Unlike them, Fugaku could not bear the thought of his family getting hurt.
As he walked back to the clan compound, he failed to notice a pair of red eyes—marked with three *magatama*—watching him from the shadows the entire time, eventually narrowing in a frown.
...
Several days had passed since the meeting between the Uchiha clan leader and the Hokage. Fugaku was currently at the Uchiha Police headquarters, watching the assembled team members with a growing sense of unease.
"Where are the others?" he asked the group.
"Ray was injured in a skirmish three days ago, Hitomi fell ill, and I have no idea about the rest," one of them replied.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Reika, Zen, Genji, Kuroto, or Yoruji in days," another added, sounding somewhat worried.
Hearing those names stirred something deep within Fugaku; these were Uchiha who supported him in the brewing internal conflict between the pacifists and the extremists—and, curiously, the police members belonging to the opposing faction were also missing.
"Chief, we have a problem," a voice called out as someone burst into the room, snapping Fugaku out of his thoughts.
"What is it?" the clan leader asked.
"A possible spy has been reported inside the village," the newcomer said, causing the few people present to tense up.
"What else do you know? Anything about their strength, or if they're listed in the Bingo Book?" Fugaku asked, but the man simply shook his head. "Understood. Roku and Aiden, go report the situation to the Hokage; we'll head ahead to assess the scene."
"Understood," they replied before setting off.
It was known that the infiltrator was unaware of the raid, giving the police the upper hand; this presented an opportunity to make the arrest themselves and further elevate the clan's status.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the residence, located in the lawless district of the village.
"Alright, let's move in fast and take him down quickly," Fugaku told those beside him, and they nodded in agreement.
Some held back, staying on the sidelines to intercept the target should the ambush fail and he attempt to escape.
They had barely stepped into the residence when they saw the alleged spy sitting there, facing the entrance.
"Just like that old man said—you actually came," he said, offering a smile—though it was a sad one.
"Old man?" asked one of the Uchiha accompanying Fugaku.
The clan leader didn't answer; moving with great speed, he reached the man and pinned him down, forcing his head against the ground and holding a kunai right beside it.
"Don't resist; you are being arrested by the Uchiha Police Force—I hope you remember that," Fugaku said, invoking his clan's name.
The alleged spy looked him in the face and smiled even more openly.
"It's you—the one from the photo," he said, catching Fugaku off guard. "If I'm already under arrest, I suppose I have no other choice, do I?"
As he said this, he snapped his fingers, and a distinct whistling sound began to rise.
"That sound...?" one of the Uchiha at the residence asked.
But Fugaku, listening closely, realized what it was and his eyes widened in horror.
"Quick, get out of—" He couldn't finish the sentence; as he released the alleged spy, the floor of the residence began to glow. The blinding light was followed by a massive explosion that engulfed the area, indiscriminately destroying everything in its path.
The tremendous blast sent debris flying in all directions, tossing the waiting Uchiha backward like ragdolls and instantly drawing the attention of the entire village.
Amidst the smoke and charred wood, Fugaku lay on the ground; parts of his body were mangled, and he had lost one of his eyes.
He hadn't been fast enough to activate his Susanoo and save himself; he had only himself to blame for having grown so rusty.
Unable to move his body and with his life force rapidly fading, only one thought crossed his mind before he departed to meet the Shinigami.
"This was planned."
With that, the last spark of light in Fugaku's eyes vanished.