The ninjutsu instructor hung a chart on the blackboard and began explaining the concept of hand seals.
“There are fundamentally twelve basic hand seals.
I’ll demonstrate first, so watch closely…”
“Rat, Ox…”
Striking while the iron was hot, the instructor wasted no time showing them how to form each one.
“Everyone raise your hands and mirror my movements…”
Even those who struggled caught on after a few repetitions.
“Now, building on this foundation, let’s try an entry-level ninjutsu.”
“We will be practicing the [Clone Technique].”
“The seals are Ram, Snake, Tiger.”
“Watch closely as I demonstrate first.”
The instructor slowly formed the seals, deliberately pacing himself so everyone could follow along.
Aoba had mastered this long ago, but he still had his auxiliary chip record the process.
Just as a single kanji could be written in numerous styles, the execution of ninjutsu varied from person to person.
*Poof!*
Two identical clones materialized on either side of the instructor.
“Alright.
Now, everyone come up one by one to demonstrate.
Keep calm, there’s no need to be nervous.”
Dispelling his clones, the instructor began calling students up in turn.
Though it was only an E-rank technique, all ninjutsu carried an element of risk.
The teacher couldn’t simply leave a bunch of kids to their own devices; he had to supervise every single first attempt.
First up was naturally Kakashi.
Kakashi was the youngest and shortest in class, and sat right in the front row.
There was no better candidate to serve as the benchmark.
After all, he was the son of the White Fang of the Leaf and had entered the Academy at the top of the entrance exams—an undeniable genius.
Who else could they pick?
Kakashi stood up, but instead of walking to the podium, a loud *poof* echoed out—and another Kakashi appeared directly behind the instructor.
Before the teacher could even register his shock—
*Poof!
Poof!
Poof!*
Clones of Kakashi materialized all across the classroom.
Not only was the teacher stunned, but every student in the room stared with their jaws on the floor.
Propping his chin on his hand, Aoba found Kakashi’s showboating quite amusing.
Kakashi usually acted cool and aloof, but deep down, he definitely had an attention-seeking streak.
Still, this wasn’t a student demonstration anymore—it was completely upstaging the teacher.
His skill level already exceeded many genin, entirely defeating the purpose of an introductory drill.
Fortunately, this wasn’t a class full of generic background extras.
Aside from Obito Uchiha and Might Guy, everyone managed to produce at least one halfway-decent clone.
From that day on, Kakashi’s reputation as a prodigy echoed throughout the Academy.
After all, conjuring so many lifelike clones was a feat even seasoned genin struggled to pull off.
“Aoba, why didn’t you beat Kakashi by making more clones?”
Seeing Kakashi garner so much adoration annoyed Kurenai.
In her eyes, Aoba was the undisputed top genius of the Academy.
Thanks to Aoba’s “tutelage,” Kurenai had long become immune to Kakashi’s brooding heartthrob persona, viewing it as nothing more than pretentious posturing.
Besides, she knew what Aoba was truly capable of.
During their private practice sessions, she had seen him produce a swarm of clones on more than one occasion.
“Forgetting what I just taught you already…”
Aoba tapped her lightly on the forehead.
She tried to dodge, but wasn’t fast enough.
“A ninja must never let their intel leak.
Never reveal your trump cards unless absolutely necessary.”
“Is being hailed as a genius really that great?
Look at Kakashi—everyone watches his every move.
Would you want that?”
“The Second Great Ninja War barely ended.
Tensions between the villages are still running high, and the Third Great Ninja War could erupt at any moment.
In times like these, recognized prodigies are prime targets for assassination.”
Under Aoba’s guidance, Kurenai was no longer just a timid, delicate little girl.
“Fine, fine, I get it.
You nag just like my dad.”
With a dismissive huff, Kurenai tossed her hair and went off to find her friends.
Aoba sighed wryly, feeling as though the little sprout he was nurturing had ended up slightly skewed—just like his system.
Watching Kurenai’s growing tendency to act like a bossy big sister, Aoba began questioning his own teaching methods.
Kurenai sat down next to Shizune and shot Aoba a cheeky face, leaving him to smile wryly.
Lately, Kurenai had been plotting to recruit Shizune as her underling.
Mostly because she looked down on the other girls, who turned into swooning fan-girls the second Kakashi walked by.
Naturally, the term “fan-girl” had also been taught to her by Aoba.
Shizune, on the other hand, was gentle and reserved, refusing to swoon like the rest.
As a modern kunoichi aspiring to become the first female Hokage, Kurenai felt obligated to stamp out this frivolous trend, and Shizune was her very first prospective recruit.
Aoba could only shake his head in defeat.
Little girls were truly beyond his comprehension.
At the very least, keeping her away from puppy love and shady punks was the right move—especially keeping her away from Asuma Sarutobi.
The current Asuma possessed none of his future maturity or sense of duty; at the Academy, he was little more than a loafing delinquent.
He claimed to hate being called the “Hokage’s son,” yet did nothing productive, spending his days pulling pranks, bullying classmates, and defying instructors.
In many ways, he was far more obnoxious than Naruto ever was in the original canon.
In truth, if he hadn’t been the youngest son of Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, he probably would have been expelled long ago.
Yes, expulsion was a real thing at the Academy, and every year students either dropped out or were forcibly removed.
With ninjutsu classes underway, the afternoon taijutsu curriculum gradually transitioned toward practical combat.
The wooden practice kunai were finally swapped out for standard regulation kunai.
That afternoon: the projectile throwing evaluation.
*Thwack!
Thwack!
Thwack!*
Three kunai struck their respective targets in succession.
“Aoba Yamashiro, kunai throw: fifteen points!”
“Whoa!”
“That’s amazing!”
Several observing classmates gasped in admiration.
The recording teacher’s mouth twitched, but he duly jotted down the score in his ledger.
Aoba walked over, retrieved his kunai, handed them to the next student in line, and stepped back into the ranks.
“What?
Only fifteen points?!”
“Obito, didn’t you notice?
Aoba-kun scored fifteen points, but all three of his kunai landed in the exact same spot on each target.
I can barely hit the board at all, yet he hits whatever he aims for at will,” Rin Nohara said, her eyes shining with admiration.
“Tch, that’s nothing!
Just watch me, Rin!” Obito declared with supreme confidence.
For an Uchiha, throwing ninja tools was child’s play.
Soon, it was Obito’s turn.
*Whiz, whiz, whiz!*
“Obito Uchiha: two points!”
As the instructor announced the score, the surrounding students burst into raucous laughter, leaving Obito frozen on the spot.
“Idiot,” Kakashi muttered.
Obito staggered back into the queue in a daze, still reeling from the shock as he stared blankly at his own palms.
“No way, there was something wrong with those kunai!” Obito protested indignantly.
He had clearly lined up his shot!
Straying off course was one thing, but how had one hit the board only to bounce right off?
“Hey, you’re only realizing that now?
Those kunai are older than we are.
I bet they haven’t replaced them since the Academy was founded.
They’re so badly worn down that throwing them one by one is hard enough, yet you threw all three at once!
That’s not how you show off…” Ebisu couldn’t help but chime in with a reminder.