Chapter Seven: Graduation
Note: I hope you don't have many complaints with how I started portraying Itachi. He will start to get better, its just that I really do have extremely mixed feelings about Itachi. On one hand, I like him a lot because he's a person who gave up and sacrificed himself for his little brother, but on the other hand, I find his personality and solution to things unsatisfactory.
So in regards to some of the questions I've got about how Itachi doesn't seem like he is a genius, Itachi IS one. He will be graduating the academy in two years, that's already something quite amazing isn't it? Just compared to Zero and Kaname, Itachi might not seem like that much of a genius yet, because Itachi lacks the intellectual maturity that can ONLY come with age. And Zero and Kaname have got that, because after all, those two have lived before even though they don't remember it.
Warning: AU Universe. Slight OOC and Itachi-bashing.
"Early graduation?" Uchiha Fugaku asks when he comes home from a long day of work. "You're being moved up to the fifth-year class of the academy?"
"Yes. Hisagi-sensei said if my parents allow it." Itachi replies.
"I see." Fugaku says, feeling proud. "As expected of my son."
Itachi nods, but he feels a bit dissatisfied, though he doesn't know why.
Both Zero and Kaname had top grades in their year, and the two of them were both certainly more skilled than him; after all, Itachi had never been able to win even once against Zero and Kaname. It wasn't surprising that they were moved up to the graduating class, while he was only advanced to the fifth-year class. Yet why does he have this discontent feeling…
Itachi doesn't understand what Hisagi-sensei told him either.
"Hisagi-sensei." Itachi approached Hisagi-sensei during lunchtime, on the same day Itachi was informed that the Hokage had given him permission to be moved up the fifth-year class. "Why was I not moved to the graduating class like Zero and Kaname? I do not think the academy has any more left to teach me."
Hisagi-sensei narrowed his eyes at Itachi, wondering whether Itachi noticed how arrogant he sounded. Probably not though, all geniuses tended to be inept socially, and had no clue on how to hold a proper conversation, he thought. "Itachi, describe your classmate – Hiroki, to me."
"Hiroki? He's a civilian orphan who is ranked sixth in our grade." Itachi responded, not knowing why Hisagi-sensei asked such a question.
"That's all?" Hisagi-sensei questioned Itachi. "Nothing more you want to add?"
"No, Hisagi-sensei."
"Next question then. Pretend that you were on a ship and one of the members became sick with a contagious disease. What would –
Itachi cuts off Hisagi-sensei before he could finish the question, "the answer is obvious. The sick member should be eliminated; one person's life is hardly comparable to everyone's safety on the ship."
Hisagi-sensei sighed, just as he expected. "If those are your answers, then you are definitely not ready to graduate. Do you have any more questions, Itachi?" He had wished for a different answer, after all, there was no guarantee that even if the sick person was killed, the other people on the ship wouldn't get sick. Also, how about if the sick person was a noble, someone close to the Daimyo? Eliminating such a high-rank person could have devastating consequences. But Itachi had yet to develop such necessary insight.
"No, Hisagi-sensei. Thank you for your time." Itachi replied, even though it was quite clear to Hisagi-sensei that Itachi was not very satisfied with his response.
Itachi doesn't think he had answered Hisagi-sensei's questions incorrectly. It's evident that the weight of one person is nothing compared to the rest of the people on the ship. Isn't it better and logical to sacrifice that sick person in order to save everyone else?
"Itachi." A voice greets him, and Itachi turns to see his older brother figure, Uchiha Shisui standing behind.
"Shisui-san." Itachi greets Shisui.
"Congratulations, I heard that you are being moved up to the fifth year in the academy right?" Shisui remarks earnestly.
"Yes, I suppose so." Itachi comments, with an odd tone.
"What's wrong? You don't sound very happy." Shisui notes.
"It's not really something to be happy about." Itachi says while looking off to the side. "I'm not the only one who is being moved up. Kiryuu Zero and Nara Kaname have been advanced to the graduating class."
Ah, he's jealous. Shisui registers, and sighs silently. He knows that Itachi is exceptional; that's why Shisui thought that Itachi would understand the fact that there will always be someone better than you, no matter what. But it seems like Itachi reacted like other children his age, and was jealous, even though Itachi probably wasn't aware of that; Itachi was good at deceiving himself, after all. Itachi still has a lot to learn, Shisui thinks.
"I asked Hisagi-sensei why I wasn't moved to the graduating class." Itachi continues, grabbing Shisui's attention again. "Hisagi-sensei asked me two questions, and then told me that unlike Zero and Kaname, my answers were not satisfactory enough for me to graduate from the academy."
"What kind of questions?" Shisui presses Itachi for more details.
"Hisagi-sensei asked me to describe Hiroki, one of my classmates, and what I would do if a group of people were on a ship, and one of them became sick with a contagious disease. I told him that Hiroki was a civilian orphan who is ranked sixth in the year, and that I would kill the sick person so that the rest of the people on the ship could be saved." Itachi tells Shisui.
Oh? For Itachi's sensei to ask such questions; he's quite good, Shisui thinks. This Hisagi-sensei knows very clearly what Itachi is lacking, yet doesn't tell Itachi all the answers because he knows that then, Itachi won't be able to learn. "Itachi, your teacher is correct in not letting you graduate; you aren't ready for it."
"What do you mean?" Itachi asks, confused.
"Did Hisagi-sensei tell you who the sick person was? Did he explicitly say that if the sick person was dead, then the other people on the ship wouldn't get sick either?" Shisui explains to Itachi, trying to get him to understand.
"No…but one person's life cannot compare to the life of numerous people." Itachi attempts to express his thoughts. "Isn't sacrificing that one person the logical and best choice?"
"It's true that eliminating the sick person may sound like a logical choice, but it may not necessarily be the best choice. How about if the sick person was someone connected to the Daimyo? How about if he or she was the Daimyo's son or daughter? The ones to pay the consequences would not just be you, Itachi, but also your family, the Hokage, the village." Shisui clarifies. "Also, about your classmate Hiroki – do you know anything about his likes? His dislikes? His personality? Would you notice if someone used the henge technique to masquerade as him?"
"That's...I didn't think…" Itachi just realizes how many flaws there was in his answer to Hisagi-sensei's questions. He realizes he is still lacking in some parts.
It seems like Itachi is starting to notice his shortcomings, Shisui muses.
"Itachi, you have to think about a situation from various viewpoints, from various perspectives." Shisui points out seriously. "Also, in this shinobi world, there will always be someone who is better than you, someone you will never be able to win against, no matter how hard you try. It is only when you are capable of doing that, that you are ready to become a shinobi. But don't worry if you cannot understand it yet, you are still young."
'Will always be someone better…it is necessary to think from many perspectives…' Itachi contemplates. But if there is always someone better, was it really possible for him to become the strongest shinobi and erase fighting from the world?
XXXXXX
Zero knows that his mother had only reluctantly allowed him to graduate early from the academy because he convinced her to, and that she had in no way, been very happy about it. Zero knows that his mother is simply worried about him, and wants him to enjoy his childhood.
But Zero cannot bring himself to slow down, cannot stop.
Zero wants to protect Konoha and the king, wants to protect the innocence that the next generation has, wants to protect those eyes that has yet to seen war and yet to experience pain, and wants to protect those hands that has yet to spill blood.
And Zero knows that Konoha is still low in manpower and needs every capable hand, so he cannot bring himself to refuse the early graduation.
Kaname will be with him, though, so Zero is not really that bothered. With Kaname also graduating early, there is a high possibility the two of them would be placed on the same team once they become genin. To be honest, Zero would feel a lot better if Kaname was on the same genin team as him, because both of them outclassed children their age. Zero wants to hope that the senior class won't be the same, and that he will be able to make a friend other than Kaname, but Zero knows deep down that it is sort of wishful thinking.
Zero and Kaname's introduction to the senior graduating class goes just as Zero had predicted.
It doesn't go well at all.
The older students are clearly not happy, and Zero is unable to make any new friends. Although both Zero and Kaname are years younger than them, five and six compared to the eleven and twelve years old, the two of them still continue to be at the top of their class.
Zero doesn't find it surprising though, to be honest. Zero had always known, from the very beginning, that he and Kaname were different; were much further ahead of other children, in terms of both shinobi and intellectual skill. Zero knew that his former classmates were jealous of him and Kaname, because if the two of them were this much ahead of the graduating class, they must have completely overshadowed the first years.
But Zero forces himself to not care, even when he defeats the best fighter of the class, even when he surpasses the clever civilian child, who was even better than the clan children, at academics, even when he surpasses the older children's years of work effortlessly.
Zero engages himself in training with Kaname, playing with his cute little brother, Ichiru, and helping out at Rose Blossom Bakery. Before Zero knows it, the months go by, Kaname turns seven, and then suddenly it is August 4th, the day before graduation. Zero feels a mix between excitement, relief, and anxiety. Excitement because Zero is finally going to become a shinobi, and he will be one step closer in fulfilling his dream; relief because Zero will no longer have to be stuck in a classroom full of older children who dislike him because Zero's talent completely eclipses them; anxiety because Zero doesn't know who he will be placed on a team with – he can only hope.
Kaname seems to know that Zero needs to relieve some stress, or maybe Kaname also wants to do the same, as he comes asking for a spar together.
Zero crouches low, brandishing Sode no Shirayuki – a wakizashi that used to belong to his father. True to its name, Sode no Shirayuki was an exquisite sword, with both the hilt and the blade being pure white, like snow. Deflecting the numerous shuriken that Kaname throws at him, Zero charges at Kaname, only to be forced to jump back to avoid the shadows reaching out to capture him. Zero circles around, and lunges forward again, simultaneously conjuring up an illusion to trap Kaname in. Watching Kaname struggle to break the genjutsu, Zero takes the chance and aims his wakizashi towards Kaname's throat, only for it to clash with a kunai Kaname managed to hold up just in time, while panting.
Red-brown eyes sought out emerald ones and demands, "what in the world was that!?"
"One of my higher-level genjutsu, 'Second Circle of Hell – Lust'." Zero replies. Altogether, there were nine high-level genjutsus that Zero had created, starting from the First Circle of Hell to the Ninth Circle of Hell. But using anything beyond the 'Third Circle of Hell – Gluttony' on a fellow Konoha shinobi was too extreme.
"Zero, your genjutsu skills really are too top-notch. I doubt that there's someone on par with you in Konoha, even from the Uchiha or the Kurama clan." Kaname says amusedly.
Before Zero can open his mouth to deny the praise, the two of them are interrupted by an excited voice from the edge of the training ground –
"Nii-san! Will you play with me?" an almost two-year old Ichiru asks eagerly as he runs towards them. "You promised the other day!"
Zero bends down and gently smiles at Ichiru, while patting him on the head, "of course, Ichiru. But first, let's head back home okay?"
An overly enthusiastic Ichiru holds onto Zero's hand, dragging him in the direction of their house, while babbling about what he did today. Zero sends Kaname an apologetic look as he allows himself to be dragged by Ichiru, only for Kaname to shake his head, 'don't worry about it'.
Kaname chuckles when he sees the pouted glare that Ichiru gives him, without Zero knowing. As usual, Ichiru really loves Zero, always wanting to spend time with him; a big difference from Shikamaru who would rather spend his time sleeping.
XXXXXX
Zero and Kaname both passed the graduation exam with flying colours, and were now sitting in their seats, waiting for the team placements to be announced.
"Team 7: Takamiya Kaito, Nara Kaname, and Kiryuu Zero. Your Jonin sensei will be Yamanaka Inoichi", Tomugi-sensei declared.
Zero and Kaname looked at each other, before they glanced at Takamiya Kaito in unison, who had messy, ash-brown hair and hazel eyes. The two recognized Kaito, as they were classmates, even though it was only a couple of months ago that Zero and Kaname were moved up to the graduating class. Zero and Kaname weren't dissatisfied with their placement, because Kaito was one of their classmates who didn't openly display jealously and frustration towards the two of them.
After Tomugi-sensei finished announcing all their placements, he told the students to remain in their seats until their respective Jonin-sensei came and collected them, and then left the room. Zero and Kaname took this opportunity and stood up from their seats, making their way towards Takamiya Kaito.
Kaito turned and looked at them, "you two want something?"
Kaname ignored Kaito's rudeness and introduced himself, "I am Nara Kaname, I hope to get along with you from now on, Takamiya-san."
"Kiryuu Zero. Nice to meet you, Takamiya-san", Zero inclined his head respectfully.
Kaito blinked at the two younger boys, a bit taken aback by their politeness. He had expected them to be arrogant or slightly stuck-up, but the two didn't show any disdain nor did they dismiss him either. "Ah…Takamiya Kaito, it's nice to meet you two, I guess." Kaito replied, ruffling his hair. "Also, just call me Kaito. It's okay for me to just call you guys Zero and Kaname, right?"
"Of course, Kaito", Kaname responded, with Zero nodding his head in agreement.
"Team 7, meet me in front of the memorial stone in 15 minutes." A voice said from the door of the classroom. The three of them looked up to see a man with long ash blond hair and blue-green eye, someone that Zero and Kaname knew to be Yamanaka Inoichi; Inoichi was a close friend of Nara Shikaku and a regular at Rose Blossom Bakery, so Zero and Kaname had both met him a couple of times before.
Seeing that their jonin-sensei had already left, Zero, Kaname, and Kaito hurriedly stood up and followed him. Like many children in their generation, the three of them had been directly affected by the Third Great Shinobi War, thus they knew where the memorial stone was located.
They arrived at the stone to find Inoichi-sensei standing there, waiting for them. He gave them a signal to sit, before introducing himself. "I am your Jonin-sensei – Yamanaka Inoichi. I specialize in my clan techniques, capture, and interrogation. Normally, as fresh genins, I would test the three of you to determine whether you really deserve to be a genin." Kaito's body tensed up at hearing this, but Zero and Kaname showed no reaction. Inoichi continued, "But, as you all might know, Konoha is still recovering from the kyuubi attack and is in need of capable shinobi, hence there will be no genin test. The three of you are proper genin, and members of team seven from now on. So, introduce yourself – your name, age, hobbies, specialization, so on."
Zero, Kaname, and Kaito glanced at each other, before Zero spoke up first. "I am Kiryuu Zero, turning six years old next week. My hobbies are training and spending time with my little brother. I specialize in genjutsu, shurikenjutsu, and sensing. I wish to sharpen my skills in kenjutsu and ninjutsu."
Kaito looked at Kaname, who signalled for him to go first. "Takamiya Kaito, twelve years old. I like learning jutsus and spending time with my brother. I don't really have a specialty, but I'm best at taijutsu. I also want to learn ninjutsu."
"I am Nara Kaname, seven years old. My hobbies are training, reading books, and spending time with my little brother. My specialities are clan jutsus, shurikenjutsu, and strategizing. I would also like to learn kenjutsu and ninjutsu", Kaname introduced himself last.
"Good, good." Inoichi-sensei said. "All three of you have your own similarities and differences. We'll meet here every morning at 9:00 sharp, understood?"
Zero and Kaname both agreed, "hai, Inoichi-sensei", and Kaito nodded to show his acknowledgement.
Thanks for reading! Give me reviews please!