7 Miyuki's Letter

The air crackled with anticipation as the teacher's question hung heavy in the air. Hands shot up like ninja throwing stars, each student eager to proclaim their Hokage hero.

"Lord Hashirama!" boomed a voice, "The strongest shinobi alive! No one could touch him!"

"Lord Tobirama!" countered another, "His jutsu arsenal was legendary!"

A chorus of agreement followed, each student touting a different Hokage's strength or technique. Shun, however, remained silent, a thoughtful crease forming between his brows. Finally, the teacher's eyes landed on him.

"Shun Uchiha," he called, "Care to share your thoughts?"

Shun stood up, his voice calm and measured. "While there's no doubt Lord Hashirama was a powerhouse," he began, "I wouldn't call him the greatest Hokage. Strength is important, but leadership demands more."

A hush fell over the class. Shun wasn't afraid to challenge the popular opinion.

"For me," he continued, his eyes flashing with conviction, "Lord Tobirama stands out. It wasn't his water mastery or lightning blade, nor even his teleportation technique that made him great." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"It was his sacrifice. During the First Shinobi War, he chose to be a decoy, knowing full well it could be a suicide mission. But before he did, he appointed a worthy successor, putting the village before his own life. He died on his own terms, protecting Konoha. That, to me, is the mark of a true leader, and why I believe Lord Tobirama deserves the title of greatest Hokage."

Silence reigned once more, broken only by the soft scratching of a student's pencil.

Even the teacher was speechless. Shun's answer had gone beyond mere facts; it spoke of strategy, foresight, and unwavering loyalty – qualities that resonated deeply within him.

Finally, the teacher found his voice. He could only manage a slow clap, a gesture that quickly morphed into a full-blown ovation.

"Well said, Shun Uchiha!" he boomed, a hint of awe in his voice. "Well said indeed."

The rest of the class followed suit, their whispers filled with a newfound respect for the quiet Uchiha boy.

The teacher, still reeling from Shun's insightful answer, made a mental note to inform the Hokage about this exceptional student.

A true ninja, it seemed, was blossoming in their midst.

With the history lesson over, it was time for practical training – kunai and shuriken practice. The teachers distributed the weapons and assigned everyone to training grounds. Shun and Mikoto, being classmates and fellow Uchiha, were paired up.

A watchful Chuunin instructor kept an eye on them from the shadows, ready to intervene only if needed.

"Mikoto," Shun said, a glint of determination in his eyes, "before we try anything fancy, let's focus on accuracy. We need to hit those targets dead on."

Mikoto readily agreed. They set up targets around the training ground and backed away, weapons in hand. With a coordinated toss, kunai flew through the air, embedding themselves… well, not quite in the bullseye, but closer than before.

Undeterred, they adjusted their stances, their throws becoming faster and more precise with each attempt. Hours melted away as they practiced relentlessly, the setting sun casting long shadows across the training ground.

By the end of the day, Shun's aim was noticeably sharper. He could hit near the target consistently, but he knew there was still room for improvement.

He wasn't satisfied with 'almost' – he craved perfection. This was just the beginning, and Shun, fuelled by a quiet determination, was ready to push himself further.

~~

The afternoon sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery hues of orange and red. Shun and Mikoto trudged back from the Academy, their usual chatter replaced by a heavy silence. Reaching their house, they pushed open the familiar door, a sliver of unease creeping into their hearts.

The house was empty. No warm greeting from Miyuki, no comforting aroma of dinner wafting from the kitchen. The silence was deafening, pressing down on them like a physical weight. This wasn't normal. Miyuki never stayed out this late.

Worry gnawed at Shun. He activated his Sharingan, its power pulsing behind his eyelids. Enhanced perception flooded his vision, the world sharpening into a hyper-focused image. He scanned the room, searching for any anomaly, any clue as to where his aunt might be.

A faint shimmer on the floor caught his eye – faint traces of blue chakra clinging to the wooden planks. It looked like footprints, leading towards his aunt's room. A cold dread settled in his stomach.

He found Mikoto hovering by the doorway, her brow furrowed in concern. "Mikoto," he said, his voice low and urgent, "follow me."

They entered Miyuki's room, the air thick with a sense of unease. Shun's Sharingan scoured every corner, finally landing on a small object wedged between the window frame and the wall – a letter.

He carefully retrieved it, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. As he unfolded the worn paper, a wave of dread washed over him. Mikoto, sensing his sudden shift, looked at him with a question in her eyes. But before she could ask, Shun began to read.

His breath hitched as he devoured the contents. The words blurred before his eyes, a whirlwind of emotions swirling within him. When he finished, a hollow silence filled the room, broken only by Mikoto's shaky breaths.

"Shun," she whispered, her voice trembling, "what does it say?"

His eyes widened out as soon as he started reading the letter, his expression became blank as he read ahead. After reading the whole letter, he looked towards Mikoto and remained speechless for quite some time.

In the letter, Miyuki had written "I believe it will be very late once you find out this letter. Perhaps hours after I have left… I know you both must want to know the reason, but I can't tell you, superior orders. But let me tell you, there isn't a chance that I will return, I am just going to my death."

"There are many things you cannot find in the village. Shun, take care of Mikoto, I know that you have the Sharingan, I saw its awakening. Use it to bring the Uchiha to the peak of its power, let the world tremble with the name of our Clan. And remember to burn this letter after reading it."

Just what could Shun say to Mikoto at this point, he was just asked to take care of her but, what could he do. He was just a kid of the same age as Mikoto, shouldn't Miyuki have thought more and appointed a more responsible person.

But the problem was, just who to appoint, whom could she trust enough to look after Shun and Mikoto. If he found out about Shun's Sharingan and informed the Clan Head, then Shun would have been trained as a Machine to become useful to the Uchiha Clan.

She knew because she had heard that happen to another child who actually killed himself, but there were many young children who didn't kill themselves and one of them was her husband, before meeting her, she knew the condition in which he was in.

She helped him as much as she could, but she didn't like the Uchiha Clan's method, but she knew that she also couldn't say anything as this was War time, the Clan was looking for people who volunteered to become the Clan's slaves and protect it for as long as they lived, it also meant that they were the ones who did the dirty work of the Clan.

All of the people who were selected for such a training were volunteers, the Clan didn't force an individual as they knew that it could backfire after that suicide incident. It had made the Clan understand their error and reformed their ways from before.

And Mikoto's father was the one of the people who had volunteered to support the Uchiha Clan for as long as he lived, this was also one of the reasons why he couldn't spend much time with Shun and Mikoto.

Shun looked towards Mikoto as the tomoe in his Sharingan started to revolve at a faster pace, she was surprised as she didn't know that he had Sharingan, she didn't know when it was awakened and was happy for him.

She suddenly felt his arms wrapping around her and pulling her into a tight hug, Mikoto didn't know why he was hugging her, but she could deduce that it was something related to what was written in the letter.

She inquired him with a serious expression, "Tell me Shun, what happened to mother? Did she write when she would return? Tell me?" Hearing her words caused him to look down, just what could he say.