Shigure Uchiha slowly stepped into the training ground.
"So handsome!"
"Tch, just a bottom-feeder. There's no way he'll pass the test."
"No way..."
"Of course no way! If the Uchiha clan hadn't forced him into the academy, he wouldn't even qualify to be a ninja. Hmph!"
...
As the "infamous" figure he was, Shigure was immediately recognized.
Looks like he was the grand finale!
Clearly, the higher-ups were dead set on making the Uchiha look bad.
Shigure ignored all the voices around him.
"Tch, what do you people know? I have to look like a failure if I want to lie flat in peace!"
If he performed too well, the Hokage would probably show up with a big smile and a full brainwashing pitch, and Root would come knocking to test his abilities.
Who could handle that?
He certainly couldn't.
The world of Naruto was simply too unforgiving.
He didn't get a single cheat!
No pay-to-win system, no sign-in bonuses, not even a basic stat-boosting system like Deep Blue.
Under these circumstances, how could he not choose to lie flat?
Honestly, he was an embarrassment to all transmigrators.
Other transmigrators became clan leaders in a year, village leaders in two, and dominated the ninja world in three—it was the standard move.
If this were some neighboring webnovel, the protagonist would have swept the world in a few dozen chapters and launched a counterattack on the Otsutsuki clan by chapter 100.
But him? After two and a half years of practicing ninjutsu, he hadn't even made it to genin status. It was humiliating.
Still, if he could just survive today, he'd be free.
The plan was simple: as soon as the examiner came at him, he'd drop like a sack of rice. Let them witness the power of a professional deadbeat!
Better to lose face now than lose your life on the battlefield later.
Wait a second…
"What's going on?"
Shigure looked in confusion at the departing chunin examiner.
Swish!
A masked figure with short, spiky white hair and a short sword strapped to his back appeared in the training ground, replacing the examiner.
The moment Shigure saw who it was, his expression changed.
The examiner was Kakashi. What now? Urgent help needed!
He hadn't seen that coming.
"Why is it Kakashi?!"
"Can't you tell? He's applying for early graduation."
"The son of the White Fang is finally stepping into the spotlight. Today we get to witness Konoha's greatest prodigy!"
"Graduation test after only a year in the academy—he really is the child of that man!"
...
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
If it were anyone else, this would not have drawn such attention.
But Kakashi was different.
Not just because he was a prodigy, but because of his father—the White Fang.
A short sword that made every ninja village tremble, a man who stood taller than even the Sannin, a man once dubbed the next Hokage.
But not long ago, he had committed suicide after a failed mission.
Now, his son applying for early graduation just one year into the academy naturally attracted a crowd. Under normal circumstances, no one would've shown up.
What the crowd didn't know was that today's test was already off-script.
But one man definitely knew.
"Danzo!" Hiruzen Sarutobi barked from the edge of the training field. "What exactly are you planning?"
Only Danzo could've changed the exam without Hiruzen knowing.
"Danzo, now's not the time for nonsense!" Shimura Homura, glasses gleaming, also raised his voice.
The village was already on edge from the White Fang's suicide.
If something happened to his only son, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"I know," Danzo replied coldly. "Kakashi applied for an early graduation exam. I just paired him with a bottom-feeder from the Uchiha. What, don't you believe in him?"
Of course, the test was secondary. Danzo's real aim was to use Shigure's death to smear the Uchiha's name.
If it were a true Uchiha, there'd be trouble.
But someone like Shigure, who only had the name and was hated by the clan, wouldn't stir up much backlash.
Once Shigure was dead, Kakashi would fall deeper into the darkness, and the Uchiha's image would take another hit.
It was a win-win.
Danzo felt a trace of smugness, thinking to himself—Sensei, don't worry. I'll deal with the evil Uchiha.
"It better be just that," Hiruzen warned, but continued observing the test.
If he knew what Danzo had actually told Kakashi, he wouldn't be so calm.
But since the Hokage hadn't intervened, no one dared question the process.
The exam resumed.
Suddenly, four Root ninja arrived around the training ground and began weaving hand signs.
"Four-Corner Sealing Formation!"
With a low shout, a translucent dome formed over the field, filled with glowing seal patterns.
This sparked confusion among the spectators.
If this were two jōnin fighting, it would make sense. But two academy students? Even if one was a prodigy, this was overkill.
"Danzo!"
Even Hiruzen sensed something was wrong now.
"Just a precaution to prevent Uchiha interference. Besides, it's too late to change anything now, isn't it?" Danzo responded calmly, hiding his satisfaction.
This move ensured Shigure couldn't surrender or escape, and prevented the Uchiha from stepping in.
With everything in place, Kakashi—so gifted he was said to rival his father—could easily deal with a bottom-feeder like Shigure.
Once he fell into darkness, Root would gain a powerful new weapon.
"..."
Hiruzen was clearly unhappy, but the Uchiha had indeed been acting up lately. Maybe it was time to put them in their place.
On the field—
Shigure felt the growing tension.
There were no barriers in the usual exam, much less a replacement examiner like Kakashi.
If it had been any other rookie, he wouldn't have worried. Even as the worst in class, he could at least manage a few moves.
But this was Kakashi.
His father had just died. He was in his cold, ruthless phase. If he accidentally cut Shigure down, who would speak up?
Even with the Uchiha name, Shigure knew his place.
Only certain reasons had kept his name so far. Otherwise, he'd have been stripped of it and kicked out already.
If he died, no one in the clan would risk clashing with the village over it. If anything, they'd just accept compensation and move on.
Only by being in this real world could he understand how much of a fantasy the anime was.
Yes, the Uchiha were victims later, but they weren't innocent little angels either. There were plenty of shady things behind the scenes. Far from the perfect image portrayed in the anime.
Right now, he needed to survive.
"Is it too late to surrender now?" he asked, looking at the white-haired kid radiating a chilling killing intent, standing a head shorter than him.
Swish!
Kakashi drew his short blade.
The cold, gleaming metal made his answer clear.
Damn!
Shigure cursed in his heart. He understood now—he'd been dragged into someone else's scheme.
This was all Danzo's doing. The Third Hokage might be a hypocrite, but his methods were never this crude.
If Kakashi killed him, there was no turning back. He'd be forced to walk Danzo's path.
Killing enemies made you a hero. Killing your own villagers—even just one—would forever taint you.
Especially with this many witnesses.
And Shigure's death would conveniently damage the Uchiha's reputation.
As for him?
Sorry, but in this era, lives were cheaper than grass. If he died, the Third Hokage might give Danzo a light scolding and a symbolic punishment—maybe a warning toast or two.
The Hokage in this real world? Not nearly as kind as in the anime.
Think about it—he led the strongest Hidden Village, constantly dealing with killing, spying, sabotage… You don't get that job by being a soft-hearted old man.
Anime is just anime.
If you judge this world by its plotlines, you'll be six feet under before you know it.