Naruto: Power in Play

Uchiha Enzo's eyes flickered briefly as he noticed the figure approaching. His lips curled into a smirk as he casually pushed off the wall he'd been leaning against, arms folded across his chest. His dark eyes scanned the boy with faint air of superiority.

He'd been instructed not to underestimate Ando, but while he looked at the orphan, he quickly disregarded the warning.

"Ando, right?" Enzo called out.

Ando slowed his pace, his gaze locking onto Enzo. A quick glance at the information hovering above Enzo gave him all the explanation he needed to reason the other kid's arrogance.

"Uchiha," Ando replied flatly, keeping his distance. There was no hint of admiration in his tone, something that Enzo clearly noticed but chose to ignore. He had more important things to address.

"I've been sent by the Uchiha clan," Enzo began. "There's been… talk. They've taken an interest in you."

Ando watched him without giving much reaction. He started probing. "Interest? In me?"

 "Yes, you. Some people in the clan think you could benefit from Uchiha guidance. You're an orphan, right?" He waved his hand dismissively. "Someone like you could learn a lot from us. If you're willing…"

Ando's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing, waiting for Enzo to elaborate.

"The clan is offering you a chance," Enzo took his silence in stride and kept going. "To train with us, learn things you wouldn't be able to figure out on your own. You could even spend time at the Uchiha compound, pick up some real skills instead of whatever scraps you're getting at the academy." His eyes swept over Ando. He hadn't bothered to learn the specifics of Ando's abilities, even though he'd been briefed before approaching him. To Enzo, this was just another chore.

Ando kept his expression neutral as he listened to the other kid. But inside, he was keeping his lips from quirking up at the kid's absurdly arrogant attitude. He cleared his throat, averting his gaze while covering his mouth to hide his laugh. "And why's the Uchiha clan so interested in me?"

"You've caught the attention of the clan. That's all you need to know." Enzo glanced away, clearly uninterested in elaborating. "We don't usually extend invitations to outsiders, let alone orphans. But the Uchiha see potential where others don't."

He let the words hang in the air, clearly expecting Ando to jump at the opportunity. "The Uchiha don't normally make these kinds of offers. You should be grateful."

The struggle to keep himself from laughing at Enzo was getting harder for Ando, but he refused to let it show. Instead, he took a deep breath and a step forward, meeting Enzo's gaze. He had always been told to play hard to get, especially with people as arrogant as Enzo.

He could not fold that easily.

"I don't jump at opportunities just because someone waves them in front of me," Ando replied confidently. "If the Uchiha really want me to train with them, they can wait for me to make my decision."

Enzo blinked, taken aback by Ando's boldness. It was clear from his expression that he hadn't expected any pushback. "Wait? Are you dumb?" he voiced, incredulous. "You don't just get offers from us twice. Think carefully about what you're turning down."

Ando folded his arms. "I'm not turning it down. I just want time to think about it."

Enzo's jaw tightened, annoyed. "Fine," he snapped, though the word came out clipped. He spun on his heel, the Uchiha crest on his back catching the light as he stalked off.

Ando watched him go with a wry smile.

Among all the clans in the village, the Uchiha was the last one he expected to make a move this soon. Yet, things took quite an interesting turn for him.

The Uchiha clan. One of the founding clans in the village, and in Ando's humble opinion, the strongest clan in the world.

Their pride was well deserved. And having the opportunity to train with them, and perhaps, even join their clan would be a huge boon to Ando's development.

Still, he knew better that to make a decision on the fly. He knew he would have to say goodbye to his freedom if he really were to integrate the clan. Which was why he stopped himself from jumping at the opportunity. That, and another element that was bound to happen in the near future.

The Uchiha massacre.

The near-total wipeout of a clan of sharingan users. Just thinking about it gave him chills. And the idea of getting himself involved in that was crazy. So crazy that it almost stopped him from even considering Enzo's proposal.

Almost.

Some ideas started taking roots in Ando's mind as he considered the situation. But he put them aside.

Shaking his head, Ando resumed his walk, and finally stepped into his classroom. Immediately, he noticed something different. He felt their gaze. If before, the majority of his classmates were looking at him like an unsightly eyesore.

Now, there was a hint of apprehension in them.

A hint of fear in some, anger and jealousy in the others. And in a select few, there was surprise mixed with curiosity, like they were seeing him for the first time.

Ando did not like it. He trudged his way his usual place, took a leaf from his pocket, and placed it on his forehead. He was about to exercise when someone interrupted him.

"I want a rematch." Hamada loudly declared, storming his way to the orphan.

"And why would I grant you one?" Ando retorted with a smirk. "Why would I even want to fight you again? I've already proved that I am stronger than you." Ando dramatically shook his head, which further angered Hamada. "You see, contrary to you, I am not interested in bullying weaklings."

"You fucker!" Hamada erupted, ready to take a swing at Ando. An action which would have had him being penalized by the academy. But alas, it seemed like the other kid still had some scruples. His fist shook angrily at his sides, but he remained logical.

"What do you want?"

"300 AP for a rematch. If you win, I will even make a point to bow down and admit the superiority of the Yutaka clan."

"I don't have that much." Hamada tersely remarked.

"You come from a clan, don't you? Don't tell me that after all that bragging, the prestigious Yutaka clan can't even afford that much?"

At a certain point, Ando was almost sure that Hamada was ready to discard all consequences and throw hands then and there. After spending a month at the academy, Ando had gotten pretty good at provoking others; perhaps, way too good. But surprisingly, Hamada did not rise to the taunt.

"Deal." Hamada practically growled at him before leaving.

Maybe Ando have underestimated the kid, Hamada was quite a level headed person. Ando couldn't help but appraise him much higher.

The rest of the academy day went by in a blur—lectures, theories, and whispers from curious classmates. A few things did change, but most of it was still the same.

And Ando still got his share of beatings.

As soon as he stepped out of the school building, he was jumped by a group of masked academy students.

The kids were smart, choosing to don masks and disguises to help protect themselves from retaliation. It was these kinds of events that reminded one that the academy was not a place for the faint hearted. It was a place for ninja.

Ando was willing to bet that the instructors watching the exchange were nodding to themselves in appreciation from wherever the hell they were.

"Take that, you lowly orphan!" One of his assailants shouted. "You think you're so great that you can now lord over us, huh?"

"Know your place, shithead!"

"Yeah! How does it feel?"

The curses and blows continued to rain over him.

[VIT +1]

A bloodied smile stretched Ando's lips as he endured. Which must have been interpreted as a provocation, because the kids redoubled their vigor in an effort to induce more pain. But it meant more XP for Ando's resistance skills. He even let out some low cackles in between his grunts of pain.

Eventually, the beating stopped. The academy students were not allowed to go too far anyway. They cursed his name some more before finally leaving. The hype of Ando's victory over Hamada has attracted quite the attention. But with the beating, it should have gone down.

Not that it mattered to him.

Ando has already drawn enough attention to himself that his safety inside the academy was guaranteed. Not only the Hokage, but most higher ups were sure to be aware of Ando's existence.

Which meant that, until the village itself decided to make a move on him, he was safe. Some people could still try some stuff beyond the academy walls. But inside the academy, under the watchful eyes of dozens of instructors, all he had to fear was the constant attacks from some random students. It was nothing he couldn't stomach.

Ando dragged himself towards the walls of the main school building and decided to rest there for a while, trying to catch his breath and regain the strength to walk back to his dorm.

"Need some help?" A familiar voice called out to him. Ando looked up to see Chika leaning down with her pale hand extended. "You look pretty beat up."

With a weak chuckle, he took her hand and allowed Chika to pull him forward.

"You're heavy." The girl complained as she lifted him to her back. "And smelly. How many times have I told you to take care of your hygiene properly now?"

"Honestly? I don't know!" Ando shrugged, but the movement brought him so much pain that he stiffened. "Those bastards really didn't go easy on me."

"Yup, you looked pretty pathetic back there. Tsk, after all that bragging, you should have at least taken down one of them."

"Huh? Do I have to remind you that it was an unfair setting? And why didn't you help me!?"

"One, I'm not allowed to touch 1st years. And two, how else am I going to convince you to pay me 100AP per month?"

The banter continued as the pair slowly trudged their way into the 1st year's dormitory.

AN: Hello, and thanks for reading!

Don't forget to check out p4trE0n / RP741 for more chapters!

Quick question, do you fancy the idea of Ando joining the Uchiha clan? XD