Orochimaru had already walked over.
Wakaho didn't rush to check his rewards. He took the forehead protector handed to him and tied it around his head.
From today onwards, he was officially a proud ninja of Konoha.
"Congratulations, Wakaho-kun."
Fugaku approached as well, a warm smile on his face.
"Since the establishment of the Ninja Academy, you might be the fastest student to become a ninja."
"To become Orochimaru-sensei's disciple... to be honest, I'm a bit envious of you."
"..." Wakaho sighed, not looking particularly happy.
Fugaku...
Even if it's just for show, you don't need to lower yourself like this, do you?
Fugaku wasn't much older than Minato.
In terms of age and seniority, Orochimaru could indeed be considered Fugaku's teacher.
But you're the head of a clan, shouldn't you have more pride? How can you lead the Uchiha without it?
Wakaho could somewhat understand Fugaku's current attitude.
Right now, Orochimaru was extremely popular in Konoha.
With Minato not yet known as the Yellow Flash, the Cold and Ambitious Orochimaru was the most likely candidate for the Fourth Hokage.
Fugaku was likely placing a lot of importance on this connection.
Think about it—if Orochimaru were to become Hokage, with Wakaho as a bridge, wouldn't the Uchiha become closely tied to the Hokage lineage?
But since when did the Uchiha need to become an auxiliary family to the Hokage's lineage?
The Hokage position is right there—why not find a way to claim it for ourselves?
Well, considering the current situation and overall strength of the Uchiha, Fugaku's cautious approach was somewhat understandable.
But to be honest...
"Brother Fugaku."
Wakaho spoke seriously, "Thank you for teaching me those ninjutsu. Without your guidance, I might not have passed the test today."
"Thank you."
"...Huh?" Fugaku was slightly taken aback. "What did you just... call me?"
"Brother Fugaku," Wakaho shrugged. "Orochimaru-sama is my teacher, and you're the junior of my teacher, so that makes us peers, right?"
"If you want to become Orochimaru-sensei's disciple, you'll have to call me senior brother from now on."
"That doesn't sound quite right..."
Wakaho pretended to ponder.
Fugaku's face darkened. You know it's not quite right, huh?
I'm your clan leader! Just yesterday, when you asked for my autograph, you still called me the head of the family!
"How about this: We each stick to our titles. I'll call you brother, and you call me senior brother."
"From now on, when I'm out on missions, I'll leave my grandmother and two younger brothers in your care, Brother Fugaku..."
"..." Fugaku fell silent.
Why hadn't he noticed before that this kid... could be so infuriating?
Orochimaru, standing to the side, smiled without saying a word.
"You should call me clan leader, Wakaho-kun," Fugaku said, shaking his head.
"...Alright." Wakaho nodded.
Give it a few more years, and then it'll be your turn to call me clan leader.
"Alright, Wakaho-kun. After passing the test, there are still many formalities to complete. Since we have time, let's get them done today."
Orochimaru finally spoke up.
"Sure, sensei." Wakaho quickly adjusted his tone.
Fugaku's expression was still a bit sullen, but he patted Wakaho on the shoulder with a fatherly tone and said,
"Make sure to learn well under Orochimaru-sensei, and try not to cause any more trouble, alright?"
"Got it, Brother Fugaku."
"...Call me clan leader!"
"Got it, Clan Leader Brother."
"..."
...
Wakaho followed Orochimaru as they continued on their way.