Chapter 179: The Evil That Lurks within Shadows.

The next day graced Homura with a newfound sense of optimism as he stirred from his slumber. The anticipation of leaving the structured halls of the academy behind and venturing into the realm of a four-man squad instilled a buoyant energy within him. Finally, the time had come to bid farewell to Iruka-sensei's instructional sovereignty, and the prospect of this freedom painted a bright smile on Homura's face.

Dressing for the occasion, he opted for his customary attire, but today held a special touch. Instead of casually hanging a necklace around his neck, a trademark style of his, he decided to affix it to the left side of his pants with the band. Around his neck, he proudly wore the shinobi head protector, emulating the distinct fashion sense of Hidan, a character whose style of doing things he somewhat admired; though he was repulsed by the murdering part of innocent people but his drive to be free did resonate with him. 

Exiting his apartment, Homura embarked on the short journey to the academy. The atmosphere within the classroom was charged with excitement, as students engaged in animated conversations, speculating about the squads they might be assigned to. To his surprise, even Naruto, who often tended to be fashionably late, was already present.

Homura's hand trembled as he pushed open the classroom door. The unexpected scene that greeted him left him in utter disbelief—Naruto and Sasuke, locked in what seemed like an intimate kiss. In a knee-jerk reaction, he shut the door, his mind grappling with the surrealness of the situation. Was it a hallucination born of insufficient sleep or a consequence of a night spent preparing weapons? He couldn't be sure.

Rubbing his eyes, Homura pondered the absurdity of the situation. "I think I am losing my mind. Is it because I used genjutsu to scare that kid? It was just too much of a good opportunity to let it go. Maybe I shouldn't have used it, took a lot out of me and saved myself from these weird morning illusions," he mumbled to himself. Nonetheless, curiosity got the better of him, and he cautiously reopened the door.

Relief washed over him as he found Naruto on the ground, besieged by Sakura, Ino, and an irate group of girls. Their fury was palpable, and Naruto's attempts to explain himself fell on deaf ears.

Making his way to Toshio, seated nearby, Homura inquired, "What the h*ll is happening here?"

With a gleam of mischief, Toshio divulged, " You wanna know, right? It was pretty ballsy of Naruto to pull this prank, but how do I explain that? Well, this time it seems Naruto in a fit of pure passion decided to take our lord and savior Uchiha-san over there for his first kiss. Now the girls are giving him a piece of their minds."

Homura showed a face of confusion for a moment, he knew that Naruto was somewhat obsessed with Sasuke but not like that, as he tried to convince himself that it would be strange for Naruto to go that far to one up Sasuke he was suddenly reminded of something. A memory from the original timeline stirred in the back of his mind, a reminder that some events were eerily predestined.

Amidst the chaos, Saya intervened, her no-nonsense attitude apparent as she rebuked Toshio. "Stop spreading rumors without any basis. It's unnecessary drama. It was clearly an accident."

Toshio being hit protested. "Weren't gushing at the scene too?" he rebuked. 

Homura, grateful for the distraction left his two closest friends in their drama, and took a seat near the front rows.

The atmosphere within the classroom was soon once again charged with excitement, as students engaged in animated conversations, speculating about the future. There were so many speculations of what was going to happen next being spread around, that Homura was shocked at how little students were actually informed of what happened after they graduated from the academy; it was almost as if they were purposely being misled. 

As the class began and Iruka walked in, he couldn't help but ponder the uncanny nature of fate, chuckling softly to himself.

He had seen Iruka at the hospital a week after the incident with Mizuki, though it had been quite a while, an injury suffered so close to one's spine would at least take someone out of commission for a long time, or at least make them take some time off, but in this world it seemed like either Iruka had been lucky or the treatment he received was just out of this world, by that he meant that ninja medical treatment was just superb. 

"Some things just never change, no matter how much you try to alter the course of events."

That small comment of his also applied to Naruto and Sasuke's kiss from earlier, it was strange how many times within their time at the academy, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were placed in the same row or seated next to each other. Almost as if something was subconsciously drawing them together.

The term fate seemed to apply to this strange phenomenon or series of circumstances that were seemingly drawing them to each other, though at first, it wasn't much but a series of smaller, and practically insignificant events transformed them into the people he knew them as. Even the clothes they wore were now the same as portrayed in the original manga.

Though that did seem to apply to everyone Homura knew of.

However, that little introspection of his had to wait, as Iruka was done settling in; Homura's attention was now drawn to his soon-to-be former teacher. 

Iruka-sensei: "Good morning, everyone! I hope you're all ready for this momentous day."

The students, watched intensively Iruka, seemingly excited about what their teacher would be saying next, Iruka, watching his students felt both a sense of pride and sadness. This class was special to him, they were the first class he had taught and they had been with him for years.

From the exceptional students to the troublemakers, all his students had a place in his heart.

Nonetheless, as a trained shinobi, he was able to remain composed and not let out his feelings get the better of him. 

Iruka: "*cough* Alright I guess I should start by saying this then... Congratulations, everyone!"

The room although silent, if one paid close attention most students sported faces that reflected the pride in their newfound status; though one could not say that they were particularly content since they'd already had ample time to contemplate their newfound situation. 

Some used that time to train further or even to change their approach to combat while others only saw the time they had to reflect on their future. Not every student who was at the academy hoped to truly become a ninja for the sake of fighting. 

Being a ninja was simply an opportunity given to them.

A ninja village was a complicated institution that both acted as a normal village and as a military force. Just as the people within the Leaf Village were both citizens of the land of fire and residents of the Leaf Village, it was closer to being part of 2 separate but ultimately linked institutional systems. 

Though this was simply a microcosm of their world, countries were not based on exactly the same concepts everywhere. Villages or even large cities had a certain autonomy up to a certain point. Though the leaf village was entirely different from most villages.

Due to them having their own military force that was partially independent of the army controlled by the daimyo.

However, from the perspective of the freshly graduated genins none of that mattered, their motivations were as different as they were foreign. 

Family, reputation, finance, patriotism, and several other reasons other reasons were often at the root of their decision to try to become ninjas.

In truth, being a shinobi was more of a career path that opened towards different possible avenues and also a way to get a proper education for those not unable to due to financial reasons.

It was after all one of the reasons why the academy went as far as teaching students many other skills that were not necessarily needed to form what basically amounted to forming child soldiers.

Not everyone was expected to graduate and not everyone was expected to become a shinobi even if they did graduate, though once one had become a shinobi there was no possible apart from retiring or death.

However, even prior to reaching that state not every child was able to come as far as the ones present within the classroom at this very instant, a fact that could be seen by the number of genins currently present within their classroom, not only did the number of students change throughout their time at the academy, but not all their classmates were the same either. 

Graduating to the next level each year was not an easy feat.

Becoming a ninja was hard work, but far more than that one needed talent. Though talent can be seen as a variety of things, ultimately, having above-the-normal chakra reserves is what differentiates regular people from those with the aptitude to become shinobi.

As young children, the difference can be minimal since the younger one is the less chakra they naturally possess. Those who can already tap and utilize their chakra reserves more efficiently than others are seen as geniuses since they can perform feats that most adults are unable to. 

Though as one ages and if they cannot perform feats similar to or on par with their peers, they are often deemed unable to become shinobi even if they possess chakra reserves above those of average people.

Nonetheless, those who have an above-average chakra pool are often the only ones able to endure the demanding physical and mental requirements to properly endure ninja training, which is a reason as to why ninjas are often found out by those with sensory-type abilities by their chakra reserves. 

This was the reason as to why most of the final exams at the academy were usually feats of strength and ninjutsu. A few trained ninjas can either destroy an entire small village or what amounts to an entire country. 

It is not something that any country or village takes lightly even if examples like those are rare or theoretical. 

Still, this was not what most students had in mind by listening to Iruka's words, which basically amounted to information they were privy to or did not fully care to understand. 

Iruka continued: " As of today, you are all ninjas. to get here you've faced difficult trials, and hardships. But that is nothing. What comes next is far more difficult.

Homura (internally): tell me about it. 

Homura was the only one currently present within that room who knew that in a couple of months, their entire village would be invaded by 2 countries at once.

Just imagining it, especially the number of casualties and the possibility some of his peers may be counted within that statistic was enough to make any grown man anxious, however, as a shinobi, Homura could control himself and feign calmness. Though after fearing those events for so long Homura had ultimately grown somewhat numb to the idea. 

He could not fully understand the danger that a tail beast or Orochimaru posed, but the words of his former sensei did resonate with him more than other students due to it. 

Though one genin, Naruto, could not resonate from anything as he just endured a beating most would not recover any time soon.

Naruto (internally): Those girls are crazy...he took my first kiss too...urgh...

Just remembering that terrible event made Naruto even dizzier and almost fall asleep. Fortunately, the voice of Umino Iruka was anchoring him to the happenings outside his mind.

Iruka: "Now, you are only genins, first-year ninjas. all the genins will be grouped in a 3-man squad, each squad will be led by a jonin, an elite ninja."

Most students didn't particularly react to the words of Iruka, however, some of the students exchanged eager glances, their enthusiasm palpable.

For some, this was the realization of an opportunity to get assigned and work together with their crushes.

Naruto (monologuing): A 3 man squad that means...

Naruto imagined himself on a mission with the girl of his dreams, which happened to be the girl sitting right next to him, Haruno Sakura. 

Homura, amidst the excitement, observed his peers getting excited for the future; eyeing for potential teammates. But to Homura, the prospect of forming a team brought a mix of mixed emotions.

He wasn't really particularly excited to be a genin or going on missions, but now he could at least leave the village, which opened up what he could do much further, there were so many things he wanted to explore.

Key locations that could change his fate forever, however, as genin, leaving the village without authorization was outright impossible, thus, he planned to learn the shadow clone technique from Naruto as soon as possible, but since they were not going to be teammates it was harder than it seemed. The chances of them meeting or even training together would be much lower; so he had to act fast while Naruto was still green.

But for that to become a reality, he needed dependable teammates and Homura already had an idea of which teammates would be needing. He imagined the synergy of working alongside fellow genin, facing challenges as a united force.

However, all of the excitement waned as he realized someone was still missing even though the class had already started– Uryuu.

He was not one to be late, in fact, he was a proud individual who did not tolerate. A sense of concern gnawed at him, prompting him to voice his worry.

Homura: "Wait, Iruka-sensei!"

Homura arose from his seat as he called his sensei. 

Iruka: "What is it Homura?"

Homura: "Isn't it too early to talk about teams? I mean, Uryuu is still not here!"

Saya and Toshio, sharing Homura's concern, chimed in almost simultaneously.

Saya: "Yeah, you can't just leave someone out!"

Toshio: "Sensei, Uryuu should be part of this too!"

Iruka, with a solemn expression, replied: "I understand your concern, but Uryuu won't be joining a regular team.

SAYA: "Why not, sensei?"

Homur:"Yeah why not? (If Uryuu isn't on my team, my plans will go from impossible to utterly impossible.)"

To Homura, Uryuu was among the few students whose skills and overall behavior he acknowledged. He wasn't a softy like most of his classmates were but he was far more pragmatic and embodied the idea of being shinobi much better than someone like Naruto, Saya, Sakura, or even Toshio. Who seem to have several degrees of warp biases and ideas on what being a shinobi is truly about. 

Although he could not realistically say that he was going to be on a team with Uryuu, teams of genins were often composed of 2 genins with good grades and one with bad grades to allow for balance. 

It was not exactly true for all teams, but if Uryuu was not around then that would mean that the possibility would go from plausible to impossible outright, and Homura could not allow for that to happen. 

He didn't care who his other teammate would be as long as he had someone like Uryuu on his team, the only other person he wanted on his team was Shino Aburame though that was unlikely to happen as well. 

Thus, Homura's desperation. 

Iruka: "...*sigh* He's been personally recruited by a special party a few days prior and left a few minutes ago. Thus, he will not be a part of any the current teams."

Homura's eyes widened at the revelation. Uryuu, whom he had counted on as a potential teammate, was now on a different path. The news hit him harder than expected.

Homura: "Recruited by a special teacher? Who would do that?"

Said Homura fearing the worst. He had an uneasy feeling building up inside, but could not fully accept it, especially at the mention of a special party. 

Saya: "No way...he didn't tell us anything."

Toshio: "This doesn't seem right."

Iruka, with a hint of regret, explained: "It's an unusual circumstance. Uryuu has unique skills, and a particular sensei requested his direct involvement. Sometimes, exceptions are made for special cases."

Homura, his mind racing, couldn't shake the feeling that this special party was but all of it reminded him of the actions of a singular entity, the shadowy figure who had once also tried to "help" him graduate from the academy early.

Shimura Danzo.

He could not forget that event, especially how easily he was manipulated by one of his former teachers into walking that path.

But more than that, Danzo, was one of the key figures behind the Uchiha clan massacre. 

Homura hated Danzo but the difference in their strength scared him more than he hated the man. 

Especially since although he was responsible for the massacre he was only truly responsible for the death of one person Homura had cared about, Uchiha Shisui. 

But even then Shisui did not die by his hands. 

This confused Homura, he hated Danzo and all that he represented but at the same time, he feared the man, this torrent of emotions inside him made him unable to think clearly.

A spiral of thoughts and feelings was rapidly submerging him in what was close to a panic attack, thinking that someone that he admittedly cared about was about to step into hell, and that it may have been his fault made him panic. 

Without waiting for an explanation, Homura abruptly left the classroom, his steps hastened by a mixture of concern for Uryuu and a growing suspicion that danger loomed.

As he navigated the corridors, Homura's thoughts spiraled into a monologue.

Homura (to himself): "T-this all my fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault! My fault!"

To Homura who wanted to protect his friends, this was the worst possible outcome, as he left the room in a panicked state, the room buzzed with concern, and the air was filled with whispers and chatter as to what exactly had happened. 

 Though Iruka tried to call his student back, he was astounded at how fast his student was as he was nowhere to be seen.