In a corner of one of Konoha’s training grounds, Haruto, a transmigrator, was currently sitting cross-legged at the edge of the field with a lazy expression.
His gaze was fixed on the several ninja figures sparring intensely in the center.
Without fail, he came here every single day, always on time, like the most devoted spectator imaginable.
After a long while, the noisy training ground finally quieted down as the ninja finished their practice and gradually departed.
By then, the last rays of the setting sun had been swallowed by the night, and a dim twilight blanketed the land.
Haruto slowly brushed the dust off his pants and stood up, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“Not bad. I managed to master a new jutsu today.”
“Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. It may not be some world-shaking forbidden technique, but for me right now, it’s the perfect means of self-defense.”
While it couldn’t compare to the Uchiha Clan’s signature Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique in power, for a six-year-old child, its practicality was outstanding.
“This body’s potential is practically a cheat.”
“No matter how obscure a technique is, as long as I see it once, it’s like my body develops muscle memory and learns it instantly.”
“Good thing I read every basic ninjutsu theory book in the library beforehand. Otherwise, just watching wouldn’t have been enough to understand how chakra flows through the body and transforms into fire.”
Haruto silently marveled to himself before glancing up at the increasingly dark sky.
It was time to go home.
As he walked along the road back, Haruto lightly clenched his fist and felt the power flowing through his body.
“This feeling of getting stronger is incredible.”
“I’ve only walked this far, and I can already clearly sense my physical abilities improving.”
“Maybe it’s because this body is still growing. Once I reach adulthood and my body matures, leveling up just by sitting around probably won’t be this obvious anymore.”
After only a few hundred meters, Haruto could feel every cell in his body cheering with excitement as his physical condition transformed at an astonishing rate.
That was the most terrifying aspect of this body.
Even ordinary activities like breathing and walking continuously strengthened all of his attributes.
Passing through the bustling streets, Haruto’s eyes casually swept over Ichiraku Ramen ahead.
His footsteps abruptly stopped, and his pupils contracted slightly.
Through the swaying noren curtain, he spotted a highly recognizable figure with silver hair.
Kakashi Hatake.
The man was sitting inside, happily devouring a bowl of ramen.
Beside the perpetually dead-eyed ninja sat another familiar figure—a man with a glossy bowl haircut wearing a green jumpsuit.
After thinking for a moment, Haruto adjusted his breathing and lifted the curtain before walking inside.
“Welcome!”
Seeing the six-year-old boy enter, Teuchi immediately greeted him with his trademark warm smile.
“Uncle Teuchi, one bowl of tonkotsu chashu ramen, please. Make the broth extra rich.”
Haruto calmly sat down right beside those two highly conspicuous men.
Seemingly sensing movement nearby, Kakashi’s exposed eye lazily glanced toward him with a hint of curiosity.
For some reason, the child who had just entered gave him an indescribably strange feeling.
From the moment the boy stepped into the shop, that vague sense of wrongness had lingered in Kakashi’s mind.
Yet he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was unusual.
Following Kakashi’s gaze, Might Guy also turned to look at Haruto, who was quietly waiting for his ramen.
“Kakashi, that’s rare. You’re actually interested in a little kid?”
Haruto frowned slightly.
Even without looking over, he knew Guy’s booming voice was talking about him.
So he deliberately turned his head and looked at the two men with innocent, puzzled eyes.
Kakashi paused for a moment before realizing his behavior might have been rude.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
Haruto obediently nodded, withdrew his gaze, and focused intently on the noodles dancing through Teuchi’s hands.
He looked exactly like an ordinary food-loving child.
Almost too ordinary.
Kakashi sighed helplessly and lowered his voice toward Guy.
“I mean, Guy, could you stop making such a fuss all the time?”
Guy grinned broadly, flashing a dazzling set of white teeth.
The two didn’t remain in the shop for long.
They seemed to be carrying out some urgent mission and quickly finished their ramen.
“Boss, the money’s on the table.”
Kakashi pulled out some bills from his ninja pouch and slapped them onto the counter.
The moment he finished speaking, both men blurred and vanished from Haruto’s sight.
With their departure, the atmosphere inside the shop seemed noticeably lighter.
Haruto calmly slurped his ramen.
But deep inside, he was practically bursting with joy.
“Body Flicker Technique acquired.”
“I just picked up another highly practical jutsu for free. This trip was definitely worth it.”
In truth, Haruto had entered the shop with exactly that intention.
He wanted to see whether he could “borrow” a jutsu or perhaps overhear some valuable intelligence from two elite Konoha ninja.
Both ninjutsu and information were vital resources for his growth.
On the surface, however, he continued eating at the same leisurely pace.
Even his rhythm of drinking the soup never changed.
After finishing his meal, Haruto silently placed the money neatly on the counter and left.
Not long after he departed from Ichiraku Ramen—
High in the canopy of a towering tree nearby, Guy and Kakashi stood concealed among the branches.
Guy looked confused.
“What is it? Are you suspicious of that kid?”
Kakashi gently shook his head.
“Not exactly suspicious.”
“It’s just that my instincts keep telling me something is off about him.”
“But the feeling is so vague that I can’t explain it myself.”
“Maybe I’ve been overloaded with missions lately and become overly sensitive.”
Guy didn’t agree.
He knew how sharp Kakashi’s instincts were as an elite ANBU operative.
This wasn’t something that could be dismissed as simple paranoia.
Yet no matter how he looked at the child, there was nothing remarkable about him.
Aside from being a little more handsome than average, he appeared completely ordinary.
Judging by his clothing, he didn’t seem to come from a prominent clan either.
Just an ordinary civilian ninja student.
What could possibly be suspicious about him?
Only after walking several hundred meters away from Ichiraku did Haruto finally relax when he confirmed the feeling of being watched had disappeared.
“That was intense.”
“Dealing with ANBU personnel is like walking a tightrope.”
“I didn’t do anything unnecessary, and yet that guy’s instincts almost locked onto me.”
“I’ll have to avoid him in the future.”
Thanks to his extraordinary perception, Haruto had already noticed something unusual when Kakashi and Guy were hiding in the tree outside.
That was why he had forced himself to finish the entire act and quietly eat his ramen before leaving.
Today’s incident had ended without real danger, but it was still the most nerve-wracking experience he’d had since arriving in this world.
Returning to his somewhat lonely home, Haruto took a quick wash and climbed straight into bed.
There was no intense training.
No studying late into the night.
For someone with this body, such things were unnecessary.
Over the years, aside from basic physical activities at the academy, he had never engaged in any serious private training.
As Haruto’s steady breathing echoed through the room, the chakra within his body continued to increase at a constant rate, both in purity and quantity.
At only six years old, the amount of chakra he possessed was already comparable to that of an average Chūnin.
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, Haruto headed to the Ninja Academy as usual, carrying a backpack emblazoned with Konoha’s symbol.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, familiar noise greeted him.
Naruto was provoking Sasuke with his usual obnoxious taunts.
Ino and Sakura were both staring at Sasuke with hearts practically shining in their eyes.
In a corner, Hinata occasionally peeked at Naruto with a blushing face.
Shikamaru lay sprawled over his desk as though life itself had drained from him, while Choji continuously stuffed potato chips into his mouth.
Haruto really was in the same class as all these future legends.
Compared to these colorful personalities, however, he was basically background scenery.
An unnoticed extra.
His grades were neither good nor bad.
His strength was neither high nor low.
Every skill he possessed was perfectly average.
The kind of student people forgot immediately after seeing.
Not long after he took his seat, the class bell rang.
Iruka Umino walked in carrying his teaching materials and smiled at the students.
“I have an announcement.”
“Today, we’ll be holding our first midterm examination.”
Before he even finished speaking, Naruto shot to his feet.
“Iruka-sensei, what’s a midterm examination?”
The smile on Iruka’s face instantly froze.
A vein bulged on his forehead.
“Naruto! Sit down!”
Naruto shrank his neck.
Although unhappy, he could only grumble as he sat back down.
Suppressing his irritation, Iruka patiently explained.
“A midterm examination is an evaluation of what you’ve learned during the first half of the semester.”
Even after scolding Naruto, he still dutifully clarified the concept.
“Since we haven’t begun teaching advanced ninjutsu yet, this examination will focus on taijutsu fundamentals and shuriken and kunai throwing.”
“There will also be a combat assessment.”
The moment Iruka mentioned a combat assessment, the classroom exploded.
“A combat test? Seriously?”
“Do we actually have to fight each other?”
“If someone gets matched against Sasuke, they’re doomed!”
At this stage, Sasuke was unquestionably the strongest student in the class.
Nobody wanted to be unlucky enough to face him.
Not only would they lose, they’d embarrass themselves in front of everyone.
Only Naruto clenched his fists tightly, his eyes burning as he stared at Sasuke.
Anyone who didn’t know better might think the two shared some complicated emotional history.
Naruto’s face turned red with excitement.
“It’s finally here!”
“This time I’m definitely going to beat you in front of the entire class!”
“Once I defeat you, Sakura will never leave my side!”
“Hehehe… hahaha!”
The match hadn’t even begun, yet Naruto was already immersed in his fantasy victory.
Iruka’s face darkened.
“Naruto! What are you laughing about? Get to the training field!”
While Naruto remained lost in his delusions, most of the students had already followed Iruka out of the classroom.
When Naruto finally noticed he was alone, his laughter stopped instantly.
He hurriedly stuffed his ninja tools into his bag and rushed after everyone.
Watching his reckless back disappear, Iruka sighed helplessly.
“Honestly…”
“I still don’t know why Lord Hokage insisted on putting him in this class.”
This class had been assembled specifically to cultivate Konoha’s next generation of elite ninja.
With Naruto’s usual performance, he wouldn’t even have qualified.
What frustrated Iruka most was that Naruto had entered through special arrangements.
He hadn’t even participated in the entrance examination.
The group arrived at the spacious training ground.
More than thirty students stood in a loose line.
After Iruka reviewed the rules once again, the drawing for combat pairings began.
“Listen carefully.”
“Each person may draw only one slip.”
“Students who draw matching numbers will be opponents.”
Haruto appeared completely uninterested.
His expression remained as calm as ever.
To him, this wasn’t an examination.
It was just another boring game.
He casually drew a slip from the box and stepped back into line.
The number on it was twelve.
As for who his opponent would be, he couldn’t care less.
Soon, Iruka organized the results and announced the matchups.
Naruto stared at Kiba, who stood opposite him.
“Why is it you, dog boy? Where’s my real opponent?”
Kiba enthusiastically slapped Naruto’s shoulder.
“Don’t be discouraged, Naruto! I’ll go easy on you. I promise not to make your defeat look too embarrassing.”
Naruto smacked his hand away.
“Hmph! Don’t get too confident, Kiba!”
“I’m worried you’re too weak to be my opponent!”
“My goal is Sasuke!”
Kiba merely laughed.
“You’re still all talk.”
“But honestly, I’d like to fight Sasuke too.”
At that moment, Haruto, who was quietly blending into the crowd, frowned slightly.
His sharp senses had picked up a familiar chakra signature.
Kakashi.
The man had suddenly appeared in a tree outside the training ground wall.
“What’s he doing here?”
Meanwhile, standing on a branch beyond the wall, Kakashi observed every student through the gaps in the leaves.
Eventually, his gaze settled on Haruto.
His eyes narrowed.
“That expression just now…”
“Did the kid notice me?”
Ever since their encounter yesterday, Kakashi’s suspicions regarding Haruto had only continued to grow.
He had spent the entire night pulling the boy’s records from the ANBU archives.
The result?
Spotless.
Too spotless.
A completely ordinary file with no suspicious details whatsoever.
But that perfect normality had only deepened his doubts.
Which was why he had somehow ended up here, secretly observing the Ninja Academy.
After noticing Kakashi’s presence, Haruto quickly calmed himself.
“Looks like I’ll have to stay low-profile all day.”
“Is this because of yesterday’s Body Flicker Technique?”
“I’ve hidden myself perfectly all these years, so how did he lock onto me?”
“Getting targeted by someone like Kakashi over a Body Flicker Technique is definitely not a good trade.”
He had assumed Kakashi’s curiosity yesterday was merely temporary.
Who would have thought the man would actually come stake out the academy?
Standing at the front of the students, Iruka raised the score sheet and announced loudly:
“Alright!”
“Enough talk.”
“We’ll begin with the first examination: shuriken and kunai throwing.”
“You may choose whichever ninja tool you’re most comfortable with.”
Among the crowd, Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets.
“Hmph.”
“A test this basic?”
“Do they think so little of the Uchiha Clan?”
“My brother personally trained me.”
“I’m taking first place.”
At this point, the Uchiha Clan had not yet suffered its destruction.
Though Sasuke was cold and proud, he was still just a competitive child.
Opportunities to prove himself mattered immensely to him.
And according to the roster, he would be first.
Iruka looked at the famous surname on his list and smiled.
“First up—Uchiha Sasuke!”
His impression of Sasuke was excellent.
Outstanding grades.
Outstanding behavior.
Born into a prestigious clan yet never arrogant.
Aside from being somewhat aloof, he was practically the perfect student.
Completely different from the headache known as Naruto.
Sasuke stepped forward calmly and stood before the throwing line.
He withdrew five shuriken from his pouch at once.
Ignoring Naruto’s nonstop muttering nearby, he flicked his wrist.
The five shuriken shot forward as flashes of cold light.
Thunk!
Thunk!
Thunk!
Thunk!
Thunk!
Five impacts rang out almost simultaneously.
All five shuriken struck dead center in the bullseye.
The students gasped.
“That’s amazing!”
Even Naruto clenched his fists tightly.
“Damn it!”
“He loves showing off!”
“I hate it, but he’s actually good…”
“Could I do that?”
Sakura and Ino instantly transformed into cheering squads.
“Sasuke-kun is amazing!”
“Sasuke-kun is so cool!”
The girls practically had hearts in their eyes.
Naruto nearly cried from jealousy.
“Why is this jerk more popular than me?!”
Even Kiba frowned.
“As expected of an Uchiha genius.”
“That was impressive.”
Shikamaru actually opened his sleepy eyes.
“Yeah.”
“He’s got some skill.”
Choji stuffed another handful of chips into his mouth.
“Well, he is the top student.”
“That’s normal.”
If there was anyone in the entire class who remained completely calm, it was Haruto.
Sasuke’s display looked childish to him.
He could do better.
Even blindfolded.
Still, he joined the applause with everyone else and wore an appropriately impressed expression.
Not because he was genuinely amazed.
But because standing out would be troublesome.
Meanwhile, he was inwardly complaining nonstop.
“Being watched like a criminal is really annoying.”
“Is Kakashi that bored?”
“Why is he staring at a kid?”
From the tree, Kakashi observed Haruto’s somewhat exaggerated performance.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
“He definitely noticed me.”
“Otherwise, his clapping wouldn’t be that stiff.”
“Interesting.”
“Is he intentionally acting awkward because he knows he’s being watched?”
As a veteran who had spent years in ANBU, Kakashi found Haruto’s immature disguise riddled with flaws.
“Let’s see what kind of show you put on next.”
Haruto had no idea his acting had already been seen through.
He genuinely believed that appearing average would allow him to slip by unnoticed.
Little did he know that in front of a master investigator, excessive normality was suspicious in itself.
After Sasuke, no student managed a perfect score.
Soon, more than a dozen students completed their tests.
Finally, it was Haruto’s turn.
He walked onto the throwing platform.
The reaction from his classmates was lukewarm.
To them, he was about as noteworthy as a roadside stone.
Slowly, he took out five kunai.
“Four hits should be enough.”
“Not too high, not too low.”
Unlike Sasuke, he didn’t throw them all at once.
Instead, he threw them one by one.
Thunk!
The first kunai struck the bullseye perfectly.
Thunk!
The second hit dead center.
Thunk!
The third landed precisely.
Thunk!
The fourth was no different.
The string of perfect throws left many students stunned.
Even Sasuke raised his head in surprise and truly looked at Haruto for the first time.
A slight frown appeared on his face.
He sensed a threat.
Then came the final kunai.
Haruto subtly flicked his wrist.
Whoosh!
The kunai skimmed past the edge of the target and missed entirely.
A collective sigh echoed across the field.
Iruka looked especially disappointed.
“Eighty points.”
“What a shame.”
“Haruto, your fundamentals are actually very solid.”
“If you’d stayed calm on the final throw, you definitely could have scored full marks.”
“You need to work on your mental composure.”
Haruto obediently nodded and returned to the crowd without a word.
Sasuke’s frown vanished.
“Hmph.”
“I thought he might be hiding something.”
“Turns out he’s only mediocre.”
Eighty points was respectable.
But merely above average.
Not enough to threaten him.
Back in line, Haruto remained expressionless.
Meanwhile, Kakashi smiled knowingly from the tree.
“What a sly little brat.”
“That last throw was obviously intentional.”
After the throwing examination concluded, Sasuke unsurprisingly claimed first place.
Though he tried to maintain his cool image, a trace of pride still appeared on his face as he enjoyed the praise of his classmates.
Iruka cleared his throat and waved the roster.
“Ahem!”
“Quiet down!”
“Next is the combat assessment.”
“This is a good opportunity to evaluate your taijutsu.”
“Let me repeat: stop when instructed.”
“Absolutely no ninjutsu allowed.”
All the students responded in unison.
Iruka nodded in satisfaction.
Since Haruto was number twelve, several rounds remained before his turn.
He simply sat cross-legged at the edge of the field and watched the rookie-level fights with boredom.
Standing atop a branch, Kakashi chuckled.
“These childish scuffles must be unbearably dull to him.”
For once, Kakashi was exactly right.
To Haruto, these soft and clumsy fights were a complete waste of time.
The combat assessment progressed quickly.
Less than half an hour later, it was finally his turn.
Iruka looked at the roster and called out loudly:
“Next match!”
“Haruto versus Hyūga Hinata!”
“Both students, step forward!”
Haruto, who had been daydreaming on the sidelines, froze briefly.
“Hinata?”
“Now that’s troublesome.”
“How am I supposed to lose naturally against such a shy little girl?”
After drawing lots, he hadn’t even bothered checking who his opponent was.
Apparently, he’d hit the jackpot.
Hinata shuffled into the arena with her head lowered and cheeks bright red, looking as though she might faint at any moment.
Haruto frowned and sighed.
“Whatever.”
“I’ll deal with it when it happens.”
“If it were any normal day, I could just muddle through.”
“But with that peeping tom watching from above, things are complicated.”
Keeping a calm expression, Haruto stepped into the ring.
Standing between them, Iruka raised his hand.
“Both participants, form the Seal of Confrontation!”
Hinata’s face was red as a ripe tomato.
She couldn’t even bring herself to look Haruto in the eyes.