Today appeared ordinary on the surface.
In truth, it was anything but.
It was a day that would quietly shape the future of Konoha. The day the would-be Jinchūriki entered the Ninja Academy. A child who needed bonds before isolation could claim her. A child who needed to be observed, tested, and guided long before power learned to answer loneliness.
High above the village, in the Hokage's office, the air was heavy with watchful intent.
Seated within were Hiruzen Sarutobi, his former students Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade. Beside them sat Mito Uzumaki, the ever-watchful advisor Danzo Shimura, elders Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, and finally the ANBU Commander, Sakumo Hatake.
The viewing crystal shimmered to life as Kushina Uzumaki was introduced to her new class.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly, not at Kushina herself, but at the room.
Reactions mattered.
Laughter followed Kushina's loud declaration of wanting to become Hokage. Mockery, predictable and sharp. Then movement. She took a seat beside an Uchiha girl.
And then she looked back.
Again.
And again.
At a boy seated near the back.
Hiruzen exhaled softly. "Sakumo," he said without taking his eyes off the image. "Who is that boy?"
Sakumo answered immediately. "Akira Uchiha, Hokage-sama. Second-ranked in the class, just behind Minato Namikaze. Nephew of Kagami Uchiha. His mother is Kagami's younger sister. She works at Konoha Hospital."
"Kagami's nephew," Hiruzen murmured. "Anything else I should know?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama. Last month, he was defeated by Minato. After that, his behavior changed. He abandoned arrogance typical of the clan. Began practicing only basic jutsu daily. No shortcuts. No flashy techniques."
Sakumo paused, then added, "And in the past week, he has begun playing a flute… and a stringed instrument of his own design. ANBU analysis suggests he is experimenting with sound-based Genjutsu."
"Sound-based Genjutsu?" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed, interest sharpening like a blade. "How novel."
"He's cute," Tsunade added casually.
Hiruzen ignored her. "Has he awakened the Sharingan?"
"I do not believe so, Hokage-sama," Sakumo replied. "If he had, sound-based Genjutsu would be inefficient."
"Monitor him," Hiruzen said.
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Time passed.
During the break, Kushina was harassed. Loudly. Poorly chosen targets. She responded with violence, decisive and explosive, then withdrew to an empty seat, alone.
Tsunade frowned. "Where is the Uchiha? He isn't on the field, and he's not in the classroom."
Hiruzen shifted the crystal's focus.
The image resolved onto the Academy rooftop.
Akira Uchiha sat alone, a wooden instrument resting against his knee.
"That," Sakumo said quietly, "is the instrument I mentioned."
Jiraiya tilted his head. "Too bulky for a battlefield."
Before anyone could respond, the boy began to play.
The first note silenced the room.
It was unfamiliar. Not shinobi music. Not courtly. Not ceremonial. Something… other. When Akira began to sing, the village itself seemed to pause.
A song about a girl by a window. About clouds. About dreams waiting patiently to be caught.
Simple.
And devastating.
The chakra woven through sound was subtle, almost polite. No coercion. No intrusion. Just… invitation.
Hiruzen glanced around the room.
Orochimaru had gone still, eyes unfocused, thinking deeply.
Jiraiya hummed along without realizing it.
Homura frowned in contemplation.
Danzo looked alarmed.
But the women—
Tsunade smiled faintly. Koharu's eyes softened. Mito Uzumaki gazed out the window, nostalgia heavy in her expression.
The crystal shifted to Kushina.
She was humming.
Tears streamed down her face.
That set off alarms.
Danzo stiffened. "Hiruzen. The boy is dangerous ...—"
Before he could finish, Koharu slapped his arm sharply. "Quiet. Listen. We will discuss this later."
Mito nodded once.
Minutes later...the song ended.
The silence lingered.
"How far did it propagate?" Hiruzen asked.
Sakumo answered immediately. "Approximately two hundred meters from the Academy. We could hear it clearly here."
"…Bring the boy to me after the school ends."
"Should we inform the Uchiha clan?"
"Not necessary," Hiruzen replied calmly. "He is Kagami's nephew. I have sufficient reason to check on his well-being."
Danzo leaned forward. "Hiruzen, the boy created a new jutsu at ten. He resembles Madara."
Hiruzen's gaze hardened. "No, Danzo. He does not."
Mito Uzumaki interjected as well, "I knew Madara. Better than any of you here. And if we are being honest… you resemble him far more than that boy ever will."
Danzo said nothing.
"Madara would never sing," Mito Sama continued. "He would call it un-shinobi-like."
Koharu spoke softly. "His voice carries a calming effect. It nudges memory. Encourages warmth. Smiles."
Orochimaru nodded. "Chakra conducted through resonance and emotion. Ingenious."
Hiruzen looked once more at the rooftop.
A boy alone, holding an instrument, unaware that half the village had just listened to his soul.
Or was it unaware?
The thought lingered in Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind longer than he liked. Coincidences existed. Patterns did too. And this boy sat uncomfortably at the intersection of both.
If it was deliberate, then the question was not how.
It was why.
He leaned back slightly, pipe forgotten between his fingers. "Sakumo," he said at last, voice even. "I want a full report on the boy. Academics, training habits, family history, social circle. Anyone he interacts with regularly. Everything."
Sakumo Hatake inclined his head. "It will be on your desk by morning, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen nodded, eyes still on the fading image of the rooftop in the crystal.
I need to speak with him, he thought. Not interrogate. Gauge.
---
Akira POV
Once the break ended, I sealed my guitar back into its storage tag and headed toward the classroom. Judging by the way students were whispering and staring, my little rooftop experiment had carried farther than I intended.
As I stepped inside, conversations died mid-sentence. Eyes followed me until I reached my seat.
Mikoto turned, brows drawn together. "What was that?"
"What was what?"
"You know exactly what," she said. "The song. I knew you went to the rooftop, but I didn't know you went there to sing."
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kushina straighten in her seat. Interested. Along with most of the girls. And, unexpectedly, a few of the boys too.
"Oh, that," I said lightly. "I didn't know you could hear me. That's why I went to the rooftop. If it bothered everyone, I'm sorry. I won't sing there again."
Mikoto stared at me as if I'd said something deeply stupid. "Who told you to stop? I didn't even know you could sing like that."
A few murmurs of agreement followed.
I considered it for half a second.
"Well," I said, standing, "if you want, I can sing properly this time. For the class. You've already heard me anyway. Why not join in?"
That did it.
Interest sparked across the room, boys and girls alike. Curiosity overrode suspicion, as it often does.
I summoned my guitar again, settled it against my knee, and began. This time, I translated as I sang.
---
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high,
In the land that I heard of once, once in a lullaby…
---
Between verses, I added a soft whistle, threading chakra carefully through breath alone. Controlled. Focused. Testing.
It worked.
I could feel it from their reactions. Shoulders relaxing. Eyes softening. A quiet, shared warmth filling the room. The lyrics, the melody, the setup, even the whistling blended together into something cohesive.
When I finished, I smiled. "Thank you for listening. It seems our teacher has arrived."
The teacher entered, smiling faintly, as if he, too, had forgotten something important for a moment.
Then an ANBU appeared beside him and whispered something into his ear.
"Akira," the teacher said, tone respectful. "The Hokage would like to see you."
"Now, or after school?"
"Now."
"…Alright."
Minutes later, I was walking through familiar corridors toward the Hokage's office. My mind was calm, but alert. When I entered, I found ANBU stationed inside, along with several… important figures.
This was not a casual visit.
---
Hokage Office, fifteen minutes earlier
"Look," Tsunade said, leaning forward. "He's singing again."
The crystal displayed the classroom this time.
The room fell silent as the song filled the office once more. This time, the feeling was different. Lighter. Hopeful. A quiet joy that felt like sunlight after rain.
Everyone present understood it then.
This was wide-range Genjutsu.
Not coercive. Not invasive. Emotional resonance, carried on sound.
Dangerous, if weaponized.
Remarkable, if guided.
When the song ended, curiosity peaked.
"Sakumo," Hiruzen said, decisive now. "Bring the boy. If he performs openly, he is not trying to hide it. And judging by his expression… he may not even know how far it reaches."
"As you wish, Hokage-sama."
Hiruzen turned slightly. "Mito-sama, I will need your help."
Mito Uzumaki smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Monkey. I will gauge him properly."
Minutes later, the boy entered.
His attire stood out immediately. Not traditional Uchiha. Not standard village wear. Different. Intentional.
"Good evening, Hokage-sama," the boy said calmly. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. How may I be of service?"
Danzo's voice cut in, sharp as ever. "We heard you sing. From here."
The boy blinked. Genuine surprise. "Sir, I was unaware my voice could travel that far. If it caused inconvenience, I apologize."
"Several villagers reported being affected by Genjutsu," Danzo continued. "They were caught unaware."
"If you tell me who complained," the boy replied earnestly, "I will apologize personally. And to avoid such situations, I can practice in the forest instead."
Danzo's eyes narrowed. "So you admit you were casting Genjutsu. Deliberately. On villagers and comrades alike."
"Hokage-friend-sama," the boy said, respectful but unafraid, "I did not know it would work. Last time it failed completely. Even animals were unaffected. Could you tell me what the effect was? I've been trying for a week without success. Flutes were difficult to manage."
"…Why sound-based Genjutsu?" Danzo asked. "You are an Uchiha."
"Yes," the boy answered. "But I have not awakened the Sharingan yet. Fugaku-senpai said Genjutsu without it is inefficient. Still, I wanted to learn, so I tried sound instead."
Orochimaru leaned forward. "Why?"
Akira exhaled, then spoke plainly.
"After losing to Minato, I realized I was arrogant. If someone with fewer resources could defeat me, then my pride was hollow. I worked on basics, but still couldn't win. Uchiha are expected to excel at Genjutsu, yet without Sharingan I was locked out. So I tried creating one that didn't rely on sight."
He continued, unembellished, honest.
"Flutes restricted movement. Earrings and armbands had low range. My voice required musical tone. So I designed an instrument I could move with and sing through. It didn't work until yesterday. Today… it did."
He paused, then added thoughtfully, "Animals didn't react much. I think emotion is the key. Animals don't have the same emotional complexity. When I started singing in the class, I realized I could effect the class, before, I thought, I could only sing louder by transmitting chakra. It's still trial and error now, unfortunately I cannot practise at home now, if other clansmen hear, they might get offended or beat me up, for being girly".
Silence followed. Not disbelief.
Assessment.
Hiruzen watched the boy closely.
Not a prodigy chasing power.A child correcting himself.
And that, Hiruzen realized, might be far more dangerous… or far more precious.
The silence did not last long.
Danzo leaned forward, fingers steepled, voice carrying the weight of policy rather than curiosity."Would you be willing to share this jutsu with the village?"
The boy did not answer immediately. He frowned, not in defiance, but in thought.
"I… don't really know how to share it," Akira said at last, carefully. "It doesn't have hand seals. I don't form a standard pattern. I channel chakra into the strings, and this time into my throat as well. It's trial and error. If I were to share it now, it would just be incomplete theory."
He paused, then continued, earnest rather than defensive.
"I don't even fully understand the effect of what I did today. But for any inconvenience I caused, I'm willing to provide the village with my notes, my theories, and whatever future version of this technique becomes stable. In return…" He hesitated, then bowed slightly. "I'd hope the village could help me refine it. If others can improve it, then mistakes can be avoided."
Danzo's eyes narrowed.
Before he could respond, Orochimaru spoke.
"Brat," he said suddenly, lips curving in a way that made even the ANBU tense. "Do you want to be my disciple?"
The room froze.
Even Akira blinked.
"Sir," the boy replied after a heartbeat, polite but cautious, "I don't know who you are. But if the Hokage allows it, I wouldn't be opposed. The Hokage is supposed to assign a guiding jōnin eventually anyway."
Orochimaru's smile widened, pleased not by submission, but by the absence of fear.
Tsunade scoffed softly. Jiraiya scratched the back of his head, uneasy.
Hiruzen remained silent.
Danzo pressed again, sharp and probing. "Aren't you planning to join the Konoha Police Force? You are an Uchiha."
Akira answered too quickly for it to be rehearsed.
"No," he said simply. "The Police Force is thankless and troublesome. Lots of responsibility, little freedom."
Koharu's eyebrow lifted.
Akira continued, almost cheerfully, "If possible, I'd rather make a lot of money, open a shop, create interesting jutsu and tools, marry a girl, and enjoy life."
The words landed oddly in the Hokage's office.
Only Danzo looked more suspicious.
The boy went on, voice still calm. "I've realized ninja life is… troublesome. Sometimes I envy civilians. Being a ninja is optional for them. For me, as an Uchiha, it's not. If I said I didn't want to be a ninja, I'd be harassed endlessly. Even my mother and cousin wouldn't be spared."
His lips curved faintly. "After my defeat to Minato, some Uchiha boys came to harass me. Said I tarnished the clan's name. Too troublesome."
Jiraiya leaned toward Orochimaru and whispered, "Was his father a Nara?"
Several people in the room seemed to be thinking the same thing.
Koharu asked, "What did you tell them?"
"Oh," Akira replied casually, "I apologized for trampling Uchiha dignity. Then I said, if they were so bothered, they should defeat Minato and earn it back themselves. I was defeated by a commoner with fewer resources than me. I have nothing but respect for him."
He smiled. "They challenged Minato afterward. They lost."
Hiruzen finally spoke. "What do you think of the village?"
Akira answered without hesitation. "The village is my home. It's where I was born. I like it."
Danzo interjected immediately. "Would you die for the village?"