Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou-Chapter 291: Naruto: I am Uchiha Shirou []

Konoha, Ninja Academy.

"Now, I officially announce that you have become ninjas. From now on, your squad leaders will guide you to becoming true ninjas."

Due to Shirou's influence, all the teachers at the Ninja Academy were retired veterans with injuries, but their strength was at least that of a Special Jonin.

The homeroom teacher of this class was a middle-aged Senju Jonin. At this moment, his eyes reflected both seriousness and reluctance.

As the homeroom teacher made the announcement, one by one, the squad leaders walked in. This time, there was no sign of Kakashi's infamous tardiness.

The Ninja Academy's class divisions were also very clear. Each year, the elite class would be assigned Jonin as their squad leaders after graduation.

The classes were divided based on grades, potential, and talent. Their treatment differed, but even the worst class would still be led by an elite Chunin.

"Team 3, follow me."

"Team 5..."

One by one, the students left the classroom. In the end, only an empty classroom remained. The Senju Jonin teacher's gaze turned determined.

"Konoha will only grow stronger!"

...

On the rooftop.

In Team 7, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Hozuki Suigetsu stared at their lazy-looking squad leader with speechless expressions.

"Alright, alright, introduce yourselves first," said Hatake Kakashi, yawning lazily, exuding a lack of enthusiasm.

Beside them stood two other squads.

Team 8, led by Mei Terumi: Hyuga Hinata, Karin Uzumaki, and Yamanaka Ino.

Team 10, led by Uchiha Itachi: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Inuzuka Kiba.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, do we need to introduce ourselves?"

Suigetsu blurted out impatiently. They were all too familiar with each other.

Even Naruto and Sasuke nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, in the other two squads, Itachi smiled warmly at his students.

"Itachi-sensei!"

Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Inuzuka Kiba stood respectfully.

The trio understood the situation. Their families had supported the Third Hokage's regime in the past and were sidelined in recent years. Itachi's mentorship was a clear signal of change.

The three clans were eager to seize this opportunity. As for the traditional Ino-Shika-Cho formation? Ninjas lived by no such absolutes.

As Shikamaru glanced at Ino in Mei Terumi's squad, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

The Yamanaka Clan had supported the Senju in the past, so their treatment was different.

This was Itachi's first time as a squad leader, and he took it very seriously. Although he wasn't Sasuke's mentor, he felt reassured knowing Kakashi would guide his younger brother.

"Hey, little shark tooth, can't you see everyone else is taking this seriously?"

Kakashi sighed helplessly, gesturing toward Itachi and Mei Terumi's well-behaved squads.

"Let me go first. My name is Hatake Kakashi. What I like and dislike... I don't want to tell you. My dreams for the future? My hobbies? I have lots of those."

As Kakashi finished his introduction, Suigetsu rolled his eyes and complained loudly:

"I'm Hozuki Suigetsu. I like cheese jelly, especially the drinkable kind. I hate dried squid. My dream is to revive the Hozuki Clan..."

After Suigetsu's turn, Sasuke raised his head arrogantly and said:

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. What I like... what I dislike... doesn't matter. My dream is to become as strong as the fourth Hokage and help him achieve his dream of reforming the ninja world..."

Hearing Sasuke's dream, Uzumaki Naruto, for once, became serious. Grinning, he looked at the Hokage Rock and declared:

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. What I like... dislike... not important. My dream is not only to help the fourth hokage with his reforms but also to achieve something even greater!"

Under the curious gazes of Kakashi, Sasuke, and the others, Naruto grinned widely.

"That's to become the next Hokage of Konoha—and make Sasuke my advisor!"

"Idiot Naruto! I'm going to be the next Hokage—and you'll be my advisor!"

"Stupid Sasuke!"

"What did you say, you blond idiot?!"

In a flash, the two were at each other's throats. Watching this, Suigetsu didn't seem surprised. Instead, he cheered excitedly:

"Fight it out! The winner gets to be our team captain!"

Good grief!

Looking at Suigetsu stirring things up, Kakashi could only shake his head helplessly. It seemed he had his hands full with this squad.

Meanwhile, in Mei Terumi's squad, it was Karin's turn to introduce herself.

"My name is Uzumaki Karin. I specialize in medical ninjutsu and analysis. I hope to become a ninja like Lady Tsunade..."

This version of Karin, with a stable family, had a cheerful and sunny disposition.

"My name is Yamanaka Ino. I specialize in the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques. My dream is to..."

Ino, with her golden ponytail, exuded a spirited and confident aura, carrying a hint of pride.

Finally, it was Hyuga Hinata's turn. Though she appeared nervous at first, she looked at Mei Terumi and declared boldly:

"I am Hyuga Hinata. I specialize in Gentle Fist, and my dream is to become part of the fourth Hokage's family!"

Good grief!

Hinata's bold declaration stunned not only her squad but also Kakashi's and Itachi's teams. Everyone was left speechless.

Mei Terumi, however, smiled dangerously and teased:

"Ara~, to become part of our family? Hinata-chan, you've got quite the ambition."

For someone so young, Hinata certainly had guts.

Even Sasuke and Naruto couldn't help but look at her with admiration.

"She really is the big boss of the academy," Naruto muttered. "Just her courage alone puts her above us."

To ease the awkward atmosphere, Itachi smiled and suggested:

"How about we all gather tonight? Next year's Chunin Exams won't just be one-on-one battles. Working together will be essential."

Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"Good idea. Next year's Chunin Exams are going to be exciting."

Everyone understood. The upcoming exams were no longer just internal competitions but would involve external challenges. Building alliances early was crucial.

"Great. Let's take them to the Hokage Building for graduation photos and invite Shisui later."

"Alright, I'll invite Guy."

After finalizing their plans, Itachi and Kakashi turned to Mei Terumi.

"How about treating everyone to dinner tonight?"

Mei smiled and was about to agree when Kakashi, breaking his usual lazy demeanor, respectfully added:

"Of course, only if it's alright with you, Sensei no Okusan."

Good grief!

That single line from Kakashi made Mei blush furiously. Caught off guard, she instinctively nodded.

"Fine, my treat..."

"Yay! Barbecue tonight!"

Suigetsu excitedly shouted, and the other boys quickly joined in, laughing and creating a lively scene.

Amid the cheerful crowd, only Mei Terumi suddenly realized, in a bit of a daze, that she had somehow become the one treating everyone.

As she noticed Kakashi's respectful demeanor and Itachi's modest smile, Mei finally pieced things together. Narrowing her eyes, she revealed a look of realization. No way! She had invited Pakura's squad out tonight, but she couldn't be the one to foot the entire bill.

Meanwhile, Uzumaki Kushina, who loved lively gatherings, came to her mind as Mei schemed silently. Behind her, Itachi glanced calmly at Kakashi.

Kakashi's gaze seemed to say: Look, someone's offering to treat us.

However, although Itachi understood everything perfectly, he lowered his head and pretended not to notice. Instead, he turned to his students and said:

"Come on, thank Mei Terumi-sensei."

"Thank you, Mei-sama!"

Amid the students' excited laughter, only Kakashi secretly felt a headache. Itachi is tough to deal with—he's making me take the fall here!

...

At the Hokage Building

As a reward for the top thirty graduates, they were allowed to take graduation photos at the Hokage Building. Under the setting sun, excitement filled the air as the students gathered in the building.

The current Hokage of Konoha was widely recognized as the strongest ninja in the world—not only in terms of power but also in how they developed the village.

"It's my turn now."

While the students excitedly took photos, in the underground base of the Hokage Building...

"Why aren't you pregnant yet?"

Wearing a white lab coat, Senju Tsunade frowned as she looked at the data report. Mei Terumi, who was lying on the examination table, could only let out a helpless sigh.

"Tsunade-sama..."

But upon seeing Tsunade raise an eyebrow in warning, Mei quickly corrected herself.

"Tsunade-nee, I've been trying my best..."

Hearing Mei's explanation, Tsunade looked disappointed and shook her head.

"I knew it. After discovering that Shirou's body was devouring and assimilating bloodlines, causing his own to revert to an ancestral state, it's clear that he's entered a stage of life evolution. The legends say that advanced lifeforms are extremely difficult to reproduce, but I didn't think it would be this hard..."

Tsunade sighed helplessly. This was a critical matter—she needed to investigate whether the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths faced a similar issue of inheriting only one bloodline.

At the same time, Tsunade frowned in thought. Logically, given how many descendants the Sage of Six Paths had, this shouldn't have been a problem. So where was the issue?

Could it be...

A bold hypothesis formed in Tsunade's mind: Shirou's ancestral bloodline regression wasn't linked to the Sage of Six Paths but to something even higher!

"Could there be a lifeform of a higher level than the Sage of Six Paths?"

This thought startled Tsunade. If it were true, the secrets of this world were far greater than she had ever imagined.

Mei Terumi got up from the bed, preparing to leave. Just as she was about to step out, Tsunade called out to her.

"Hey, Husband truly cares about you. While part of your relationship may be driven by mutual interests, I hope you understand this."

Mei froze for a moment upon hearing this. When she turned back and saw Tsunade's serious expression, a smile spread across her face.

"Of course. A man with such ambition is quite the challenge to conquer."

Hearing Mei's teasing remark, Tsunade's stern expression relaxed into a faint smile.

"Oh, by the way, Sister Tsunade, where's Sister Kushina? I think she'd love to join us tonight."

At the mention of Kushina, Tsunade raised an eyebrow and replied with a somewhat forced smile:

"Join you? No need to make it so complicated. Just gather at my house. The backyard is perfect for a barbecue. Let Kushina know and tell her I won't be home tonight."

"Got it!"

Mei left with a smile on her face, but before leaving, she made sure to dig a little pit for Kushina.

Mei had managed to rope Pakura into her plans about having Shirou's child, claiming it was all for the grand fusion of the Land of Wind and the Land of Water.

The logic was sound: if the people of Konoha saw that the Hokage family included members from both the Land of Water and the Land of Wind, it would symbolize fairness and equality.

This approach had indeed worked. Ever since Mei and Pakura moved in, ninjas from the Land of Water and the Land of Wind visiting Konoha had visibly relaxed, as if they had found a pillar of support.

"Sister Kushina, let's see how you explain this to Sister Tsunade tonight."

With a sly smile, Mei leisurely walked down the corridor of the Hokage Building.

Meanwhile, in the underground base, Tsunade also smiled faintly. After Mei left, a red-haired figure peeked out from the doorway.

"Sister Tsunade? Has SIster Mei left?"

Seeing Kushina, Tsunade smirked and replied, "She's gone."

Hearing this, Kushina let out a long sigh of relief and patted her chest.

"Phew, that was close. All I did last time was take a few photos her first time as a keepsake. Did she have to hold a grudge?"

"Photos? Keepsakes?"

Tsunade shot her a glare. Kushina, trying to smooth things over, clung to Tsunade's arm and said sweetly:

"Sister Tsunade, it was all for Shirou's sake. Besides, haven't you noticed how his body has become increasingly... abnormal over the years? It's like he's regressing to the Sage of Six Paths' ancestral state..."

"Enough. There's a legend that the Rabbit Goddess ate a divine fruit from the heavens before giving birth to the Sage of Six Paths. Maybe such a divine lineage truly exists in this world."

Tsunade frowned, pondering the possibility. Could Shirou's bloodline regression after assimilation be linked to the mythical Rabbit Goddess?

This wasn't baseless speculation. After all, if the Sage of Six Paths existed, then perhaps the mythical stories about gods had some truth to them.

...

Hokage's Office.

"Sasuke, the young Sasuke is about to graduate. I want you to work in the shadows alongside Kakashi, who will serve as the overt protector."

A figure slowly removed their mask, revealing an older, more mature Sasuke. He hesitated for a moment before asking:

"Shirou-sensei, is this because of the Nine-Tails sealed inside young Sasuke?"

Shirou nodded slightly, his face grave.

"The fact that young Sasuke is a Jinchuriki hosting the Nine-Tails has been well-concealed, but the truth will come out eventually. No one can predict what might happen when it does. With you and Kakashi working together, I'll feel more at ease."

"I understand."

Sasuke nodded respectfully. For the sake of protecting his younger self and this world, he harbored no resistance to such assignments.

Shirou nodded as well, satisfied. Over the years, Sasuke's strength had grown significantly, and with Kakashi by his side, they made a formidable team.

Now that Obito's mysterious space-time ninjutsu was understood, the combined efforts of Kakashi and Sasuke could easily counter him.

"Also, be prepared. Based on the energy readings, the Dragon Vein is likely to reactivate after the Chunin Exams next year."

Hearing this, Sasuke's pupils dilated slightly, and his expression grew solemn.

"Thank you, Shirou-sensei."

The mention of the Dragon Vein stirred a mix of emotions within him—attachment to this world and resentment toward the other one.

Even knowing he could return, he couldn't help but feel reluctant.

This world had given him a second chance. A family, a clan, and a village that truly cared for him.

It was nothing like the other world, filled with darkness and conspiracy.