Uchiha Sasuke

Akuma was on his way to the Ninja Academy. At six years old, it was time for him to enroll. Although he had no interest in becoming a ninja, he respected Guy-sensei's wishes. Since Guy-sensei had specifically told him to attend the entry exams, Akuma went without complaint. 

When he arrived, he saw many children his age entering the Academy, accompanied by their parents. Watching them quietly, Akuma walked inside alone. 

After a short walk through the Academy halls, he reached a large room where a ninja instructor stood waiting. 

"All children taking the entry exam, come forward!" the instructor called out. 

As Akuma stepped forward with the others, whispers rippled through the crowd. 

"Hey, look! That kid has red eyes!" 

"Is he an Uchiha?" 

"No, I heard he's different. He's the kid who doesn't have a chakra network." 

"Then what's he doing here? Doesn't he know he doesn't belong?" 

Akuma ignored the stares and murmurs, standing silently as the exam began. 

The tests started with a written exam, followed by physical fitness assessments and mental aptitude tests. Akuma passed all of them with ease, scoring higher than most of the other children. 

However, the final test was the one he dreaded—chakra control. 

When it was his turn, Akuma stood in front of the instructors. The task was simple: demonstrate any form of chakra control—walking on walls, performing a basic ninjutsu, or anything that showed the ability to harness chakra. 

But Akuma just stood there, doing nothing. 

Seeing Akuma remain still, one of the ninja instructors grew annoyed. 

"Come on, kid. Do something. There are others waiting for their turn." 

The other children began whispering again. 

"My mom said that Uchiha-looking boy has no chakra." 

The whispers grew louder as the children exchanged curious and mocking glances. 

Noticing the commotion, the ninja instructor slammed a hand on the table. 

"Silence!" 

The room fell quiet immediately. The instructors exchanged glances, their expressions shifting from irritation to uncertainty as they observed Akuma standing motionless before them. 

Despite excelling in all other areas, Akuma was denied entry. Other children who had failed multiple tests were still accepted, but not him. 

He had expected this outcome. The only reason he'd taken the test was to honor Guy-sensei's wish. Still, a faint feeling of disheartenment crept into his chest. 

Without a word, he turned around and quietly left the classroom, walking alone as the voices and stares faded behind him. 

As Akuma was walking, he heard a loud shout from behind. 

"Young Lord! He's the boy everyone's talking about. Look, I found him!" 

A young boy pointed at Akuma. Moments later, two more boys came running toward him. They both stopped and stared at Akuma. 

One of the boys stepped forward and asked, "So you're Akuma—the boy without a chakra network? My grandfather talked about you." 

Akuma glanced at the boy, noting the blue scarf around his neck and the beanie on his head, which had a frown-face pin attached. The moment he saw him, Akuma instantly recognized who he was—the grandson of the Third Hokage. 

This kid's going to be troublesome, Akuma thought. Not wanting to complicate things, he decided to keep the interaction simple. 

"Yes, I'm Akuma. You must be Konohamaru. Nice to meet you." 

Hearing that, another boy quickly shouted, "Hey! Show some respect! Don't you know he's the Third Hokage-sama's grandson?!" 

Before the situation could escalate, Konohamaru turned and snapped at the boy, "Shut up! Can't you see we're greeting each other?" 

Turning back to Akuma with a wide grin, Konohamaru said, "Nice to meet you too. If you ever find yourself in trouble, don't forget to ask me for help." 

With that, Konohamaru turned and walked away confidently. The two boys, still in shock, quickly followed him. 

Akuma watched them leave, his expression calm. 

Troublesome indeed, he thought. But fortunately, I know he hates being known as the Third Hokage's grandson. That's why I only referred to him by his name—Konohamaru. With any luck, that'll keep him from bothering me. 

As Akuma walked toward the entrance of the Academy, he came face to face with someone he recognized—Uchiha Sasuke. 

Akuma cursed his luck internally. "Fuck, it's an emo kid. What is it with these troublesome kids? Can they just mind their own business? Why am I meeting so many of them in one place? I hope I don't run into that brain-dead girl and the loud-mouthed boy trailing behind the emo kid." 

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock when he saw the boy with red eyes. But just as quickly as the surprise appeared, Sasuke returned to his usual cold demeanor. 

"Get out of the way." 

Sasuke's tone was dismissive, his expression dark—as if he were looking at something beneath him. There was plenty of room for Sasuke to walk around, but he still demanded that Akuma move. 

Akuma stared at him, unamused. 

Without warning, Akuma stepped forward and slapped Sasuke hard across the face. The impact sent Sasuke flying into a wall, where he slumped to the ground, unconscious. 

Akuma looked down at Sasuke's motionless body with a cold glare. 

"Kid, don't you ever tell me what to do. The thing I hate the most is people ordering me around." For a brief second, Akuma activated his Satsui no Hado without even noticing it. 

With that, Akuma turned and continued walking, not sparing even a glance at the unconscious Uchiha. 

After returning from the Ninja Academy, Akuma went straight to his usual training routine. He practiced for several hours, pushing his body to the limit. 

As he was finishing a set of strikes, he heard two familiar voices behind him. 

Turning around, he saw Guy-sensei and Rock Lee approaching. In Rock Lee's hands was a flower bouquet, identical to the one Akuma had given him when he became a Genin. 

Rock Lee rushed up to him, his face beaming with excitement. 

"Here! A flower bouquet for passing the Ninja Academy entry tests!" Lee exclaimed enthusiastically. 

Akuma smiled faintly and shook his head. 

"I didn't pass the entry tests." 

Rock Lee froze, his eyes widening in shock. 

"What?! How did you not pass? You're way stronger than anyone else I know in your age group! They must have made a mistake!" Rock Lee said in disbelief. 

Akuma remained calm. 

"I failed the chakra control test." 

Rock Lee's face twisted with confusion. 

"Even I failed that test! I also failed the physical test, but they still let me join the Academy. This has to be a mistake! Come on, let's go talk to them!" 

With determination, Rock Lee grabbed Akuma's hand, ready to drag him back to the Academy. 

However, Guy-sensei stepped forward and gently placed a hand on Lee's shoulder, stopping him. 

His usual cheerful face had turned serious. 

"Stay here. I'll go and speak with the Third Hokage sama myself." 

Seeing Guy-sensei's expression, Rock Lee hesitated, then slowly released Akuma's hand. 

Without another word, Guy-sensei turned and sprinted toward the Ninja Academy. 

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