Chapter 2 (Please read my authors note at the end!)

Our clan estate was nestled near the southern outskirts of the village, placing us closer to the village center compared to the Uchiha clan, who had established their own mini-village outside of Konoha. While we weren't at the heart of the village, our proximity wasn't as distant as theirs.

Being situated on the outskirts meant that reaching the village center often required a bit of a trek. However, it posed no significant challenge for our clan, as we possessed a robust physique that surpassed most other clans, with only the Akimichi Clan posing a formidable competition.

"Hello there, Young Master," a passerby greeted me.

"I just made some delectable pork buns. Would you care for some, Young Master?" another villager offered.

"Tell your father I said hello, would you?" a familiar face requested.

As I strolled through the streets of our estate, I was met with warm greetings from many residents. Being the son of the Clan Head bestowed upon me a certain level of prestige. Both the Main and Side branches of our clan resided together, with the Side branch's houses positioned on the outer edges closer to the Village center.

Even at this considerable distance, the silhouette of the Great Hokage mountain remained a prominent presence on the horizon. Its towering peak reached upward, while its imposing form cast an unwavering watchfulness over the sprawling Village hidden beneath its watchful gaze. The faces of the five Hokage, carved into the mountainside, stood as a solemn testament to their enduring legacy, their visages exuding an air of silent protection.

And that's right, there were 5 Hokage thus far in this universe. The 5th Hokage here was Hatake Sakumo - The White Fang and the father of the legendary copy-ninja Hatake Kakashi. He took over after the events of the Nine Tails rampage in favour of Danzo

Observing the street lights gradually flicker on, I decided it was time to return home and engage in more training before dinner.

The next day, I awoke and made my way to the kitchen, where I found my mother already up and busy preparing breakfast.

"For someone who emphasizes discipline, Dad sure sleeps in during the weekends," I remarked, taking a seat at the dining table.

"Being a Clan Head keeps him exceedingly busy. Weekends are usually the only time he can catch a few extra hours of rest. You'll understand when you become a Clan Head," my mother replied as we engaged in idle chatter.

Shortly after, my mother finished preparing our breakfast—a delightful assortment of steamed rice, grilled fish, pickled vegetables, simmered tofu, and miso soup.

Coincidentally, my father managed to wake up just in time for breakfast.

"Good morning, Father," I greeted him.

"Good morning, Kenji. I trust you rested well," he responded.

"Not as well as you did," my mother interjected playfully.

Slightly blushing, my father coughed and changed the subject.

"Don't forget to complete your daily training, Kenji. Finish up early because we need to visit the Uchiha estate later."

Breakfast proceeded as usual, with my mother and father discussing village affairs while I quietly observed. Despite being a housewife, my mother always managed to stay informed about the latest gossip.

As soon as I finished eating, I changed into my training attire—a white keiko-gi with the Clan Symbol intricately etched on the back, accompanied by red hakama.

My training regimen consisted of three parts: body conditioning, form practice, and meditation.

For body conditioning, I would briskly run around the training ground for ten minutes, as my young age limited me from extensive exercises.

Form practice involved executing the fundamental movements of our Clan's exclusive kenjutsu—The Swallowing Blade. This style focused on overwhelming opponents with sheer power and sharpness. Many of our techniques involved utilizing wind nature chakra to create razor-sharp wind blades or infusing the sword with intense chakra, resulting in explosive force upon release.

While the style excelled in destructive power and lethality, its defensive capabilities left room for improvement. Defensive techniques often revolved around seizing the opponent's blade and leveraging it to draw them closer for a lethal strike. In essence, our sword style relied heavily on our unwavering strength and vitality.

Although my chakra control limited me from utilizing the technique's namesake moves, I diligently practiced their motions to familiarize myself and develop into a proficient kenjutsu practitioner.

The final part of my training involved what we referred to as meditation, which, in reality, was anything but peaceful. The clan's meditation entailed simulated sparring in one's mind, testing various approaches and tactics against an imaginary opponent.

Focusing my breath I calm down and looked at the empty space in front of me. To onlookers it would seem like I was in a Mexican standoff with an invisible adversary , but to those who were dedicated to the craft of combat, this moment held the weight of anticipation before a tempest - the calm before the storm.

My father's daunting figure stood in front of me lacking any of the emotions he usually displayed, his hands gripped the blade with an unwavering calm, revealing no vigilance towards me.

Launching off the ground, I close the distance between us in a moment, unleashing a torrent of attacks towards him, from thrusts to slashes father calmly evade each strike with the grace of a master. In the midst on my strikes I quickly raised my sword above my head and prepared to unleash an overhead strike laced with all the power I could muster.

A resounding SWISH sliced through the air, even though I wielded a wooden sword; a testament of how much power the swing contained. The force of my strike stirred the dust from the ground. The particles twirled and swirled, caught in the wake of my futile effort. However, my father's elusive sidestep rendered my attack ineffective, paving the way for his retaliation.

'Here it comes!'

Seeing my father raise his bokken my instincts shout at me. Urging me to attempt to simply raise my bokken or move out of the way.

The motion of his bokken barely registered in my mind as it came down in a lighting fast arch that seemed to ignore the laws of physics. The motion blurred and barely registered in my mind as the bokken made contact with me before I could retaliate. And in that instant I lost.

If there was one thing I hated about this whole meditation thing was thing my only kemjutsu opponent thus far has been my father, who strength compared to mine seemed to be infinite. My father was definitely Kage level considering the fact that his reputation was in the same league as the Sakumo Hatake, the current 5th Hokage who's strength surpassed even that of the Three Legendary Sannin

By the time I completed my training, it was already 1 p.m., leaving us with only five hours until we needed to head to the Uchiha estate.

At last, 5:45 p.m. arrived, and we set off toward the esteemed Uchiha estate. Since it was an unofficial gathering, my parents and I dressed in simple yet elegant attire that befitted our status. My mother looked gracefully adorned in a delicate light pink kimono, embellished with vibrant sakura blossoms. Meanwhile, my father and I wore pristine white yukatas, elegantly decorated with black clouds, evoking an air of mystique and harmony.

As we arrived at the Uchiha estate, we strolled through the bustling streets, making our way to Uchiha Fugaku's residence. Idle chatter permeated the air as vendors engaged in conversations, and shopkeepers called out, eager to make a few more sales before closing time.

Although accompanied by the soothing glow of the setting sun, the scene would have been tranquil if not for the unsettling gazes cast our way as we passed. The onlookers' tense postures suggested they anticipated an enemy attack, creating an almost palpable tension in the atmosphere.

I tapped my mother's leg to gain her attention and whispered, "Don't you find their stares a bit creepy?"

"Don't dwell on it too much, Ken-chan," my mother responded softly. "They're simply a bit apprehensive."

"Apprehensive about what? I mean, I know Dad can be intimidating, but he's not that scary, is he?"

My father glanced down at me after my remark and simply said, "It's a complicated matter to explain to someone your age, so don't dwell on it too deeply."

"If you say so, I just don't appreciate the way they're scrutinizing us."

"You can't entirely blame them," my mother interjected. "Sometimes life deals an unlucky hand."

After that, we walked in silence until we reached Fugaku's house. My father knocked on the door, and there was a brief delay. Eventually, the door opened, revealing a woman with long dark hair and captivating, dark eyes.

"Unohana, Isshin, it's delightful to see you all again. And, of course, you too little Ken-chan," she greeted, leaning down to gently pat my head.

"Please, come in. Fugaku and Sasuke are waiting inside," she invited.

We entered, leaving our shoes by the doormat and slipping into the house slippers she had prepared for us. Mikoto led us to the living room, where Sasuke and his father were seated. When my father and Fugaku's eyes met, both of them broke into smiles.

"Fugaku, I hope you've been well. There's much to discuss; after all, it's been quite some time since we last met. Becoming clan heads has certainly cut into our free time," my father remarked, approaching with open arms.

Fugaku reciprocated the gesture, hugging my father back while patting his back affectionately. "Indeed, Isshin, it's been far too long. Come, I have some sake saved up in my office. We can catch up there."

My father and Fugaku had been teammates in their genin team and had managed to maintain their connection throughout the years.

As the two men walked away, my eyes met Sasuke's, who simply nodded in my direction.

"This brat," I thought to myself. "I know we're the top students in our academy class, but does he really have to act like we aren't friends?"

"Sasuke, don't be so distant," Mikoto said, her expression marked with concern as she noticed his behavior.

An idea crossed my mind, and I spoke up. "I always knew you were a bro-con. As soon as Itachi isn't around, you're no longer all smiles."

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not a bro-con? You just happen to see me when I'm not at my happiest," Sasuke countered.

"Sure, bud. How about we head to your room, and you can show me those new shurikens you were telling me about at the academy?"

Seeing that the tension had naturally diffused, Mikoto decided not to intervene any further. Sasuke and I made our way to his room, while the two mothers engaged in conversation in the kitchen.

As we reached his room, I couldn't help but ask, "Where's Itachi, anyway?"

"He's currently on a mission. Hopefully, he'll be back soon, so he can help me with my shurikenjutsu," Sasuke replied.

"Definitely a bro-con," I muttered under my breath.

"What's the point of learning shurikenjutsu anyway? Being able to throw them should be good enough," I remarked.

"Are you sure you're not just saying that because you can barely hit the bullseye?" Sasuke retorted.

"You sure seem proud of your shurikenjutsu. Too bad you're still second to me, if you stay there for too long I might just start thinking your name is Number 2" I fired back.

Sasuke and I engaged in playful banter until his mother called us downstairs for dinner at 7.

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Hey guys! The Author's Thoughts don't allow too many characters so I've just decided to voice my thought after the chapter.

Signs of AU can be seen present with Sakumo being the Hokage with more to come.

To establish some sort of timeline the Uchiha Massacre has been moved up, with a few surprise twists. Remember our MC doesn't know why Itachi commit the massacre and is clueless to everything except the fact that Itachi kills everyone except for Sasuke.

Anyways Sasuke's birthday is on the 23rd of July and he turns 7 in this year. I will establish an auxilarry chapter where I give a more precise timeline of this AU where I give basic info and also try to fix Kishimoto's messed up timeline.

Our MC is older then Sasuke and his birthday is on the 23rd of January. There will be more interaction between Kenji and other characters including a certain movie character and some OCs and canon characters. There's no gender bending. I'll aslo explain the clans dynamics and how the main branch is composed.

Also what did you think of the dialogue? Please comment what you think in this paragraph comment. I'm struggling with establishing a voice for our MC currently but that problem will naturally disappear with more chapters.

Also if you have questions or suggestion put them in this paragraph comments.

Sorry for kinda ranting but please do read my authors note, I'll also put a request before the chapter and in the title as reader interaction helps me understand better what you want and also flaws I may not have been aware of.