Just as Aoba was fretting over how to keep a low profile and grow in peace now that Kakashi was graduating early, Kakashi came looking for him again.
This time, though, he didn’t tail him; he simply waited along Aoba’s usual route home.
“Hey.”
Kakashi Hatake leaned back against a lamppost with his arms crossed over his chest.
He was clearly just a kid, yet he acted like a little adult—and didn’t look out of place doing it, either.
*What a bizarre brat.*
“What is it this time?”
Aoba spat out the toothpick in his mouth.
“Seriously, Kakashi, don’t you ever go home to eat?
You’re in a growth spurt.
If you don’t eat on time, you’ll end up short.”
“I want to fight you.
I want to see your true strength!”
If there was anyone at the Academy Kakashi couldn’t see through, it was Aoba Yamashiro without a doubt.
Especially after being so effortlessly caught in a genjutsu last time, Kakashi was more certain than ever that Aoba possessed formidable power.
He felt he had nothing left to learn at the Academy.
If he had any regrets at all, it was leaving without having a serious match against Aoba.
“Hey!
Where are your manners?!”
Seeing Kakashi arrogantly pick a fight right off the bat, Kurenai immediately bristled.
Beating up a few boys in class recently had inflated her confidence, and she looked ready to charge in and teach Kakashi a lesson herself.
Aoba hastily held back the little firecracker.
Kakashi had no concept of holding back.
He then swept his gaze over Kakashi—ninja pouch, a tanto strapped to his back…
He had come fully geared up.
Scratching his head with a sigh, Aoba realized he wasn’t going to get out of this easily today.
If he refused, Kakashi would probably just force the duel anyway.
His mind raced, and a playful smirk curved the corner of Aoba’s lips.
“I don’t mind a fight, but I have a condition.”
“What condition?”
“Wait until you get your forehead protector.” Aoba tapped his own bare forehead.
“Right now, you’re still an Academy student, and so am I.
Two students fighting is just a brawl.
Once you’re an actual shinobi, it counts as a sparring match.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
Aoba wiped the smile from his face and adopted a solemn expression.
“Pass your graduation exam, get your forehead protector, and then come find me.
When that time comes, I promise I won’t hold anything back.”
Kakashi’s brow furrowed slightly.
He couldn’t grasp the logic behind it at all, yet Aoba’s expression didn’t look like he was merely brushing him off.
After a moment, he let out a cold huff.
“It’s only a few days.
I just hope you won’t come up with another excuse then.”
With a lingering look at Aoba, Kakashi turned and vanished into the shadows of the alley.
“Why wait until he passes the graduation exam?”
Kurenai kicked a pebble aside and tilted her head, looking up at Aoba with curiosity.
“It might be different for others, but for Kakashi…
the exam won’t be hard at all.
It’s just a matter of days.
What difference does it make?”
“A huge difference.”
Aoba tapped her forehead.
“Just because he challenges me doesn’t mean I have to dance to his tune.
I embarrassed him with genjutsu last time, so he’s holding a grudge and wants to win his pride back before he graduates.
Since I can’t avoid it, I might as well deny him the initiative and push it until after his exam.
“Even if the exam is easy for him, it’ll still consume some of his energy and focus.
His condition definitely won’t be at its peak like it is right now.
That’s a tactic in itself.”
“*Sugoi…*”
Kurenai’s eyes went wide with admiration.
“Aoba, you’re the best!”
…
As it turned out, geniuses were called geniuses precisely because they never disappointed—and never made anyone wait long.
Just two days later, explosive news rippled through the Academy.
At merely five years old, Kakashi Hatake had passed the Academy graduation exam with straight A’s, shattering Konoha’s historical record to become the village’s youngest genin.
In an instant, his name was on everyone’s lips across the entire school.
In the hallways, the classrooms, and even the restrooms, whispers and chatter about Kakashi were everywhere.
“Did you hear?
Kakashi actually graduated!”
“Five years old?
Aren’t kids supposed to just be enrolling at five?”
“No, he enrolled at four with top marks!”
“That’s incredible!”
“Tch, what’s the big deal?
He just has a famous dad…”
Naturally, bitter remarks surfaced, but they were drowned out by overwhelming shock and admiration.
After school, a crowd gathered by the front gates to congratulate Kakashi, who was wearing his brand-new forehead protector.
Obito stood on the fringes of the crowd, watching Rin Nohara gaze at Kakashi with starry-eyed worship.
He was practically green with envy.
“Congratulations, Kakashi,” Aoba offered as he walked up, his dark sunglasses hiding the complex emotions in his eyes.
Kurenai seemed to sense something off and gave Aoba a puzzled glance.
Kakashi pointed to the pristine Konoha forehead protector on his brow.
“You remember our agreement, right?”
“Of course.
Follow me—I know a quiet place.”
The Forest of Death.
This spot had originally been dense undergrowth, but thanks to that guy Kota Akimichi practicing his Multi-Size Technique here, the entire area had been literally plowed flat, leaving the ground a furrowed, scarred mess.
Kakashi scanned their surroundings, his eyes lingering on the snapped tree trunks.
“Someone has been doing specialized taijutsu training here,” he observed flatly.
“Something like that.”
Aoba didn’t bother to elaborate.
The two took their positions in the center of the clearing, ten meters apart.
A gentle breeze blew past, stirring a few withered leaves.
Aoba fished a coin from his pocket.
“When the coin hits the ground, we start.”
“Fine,” Kakashi nodded.
Aoba flicked his thumb.
*Ping—!*
The silver coin tumbled through the air, catching the amber glow of the setting sun as it traced a graceful arc.
Neither of them looked at the coin.
Their eyes remained locked onto each other.
*Clatter.*
The instant the coin struck the earth, both moved simultaneously!
Aoba formed a one-handed seal, his chakra surging like a tide.
[Genjutsu・Paralysis Technique]
Yet Kakashi’s body suffered only an imperceptible pause before regaining full mobility.
*As expected, the same trick doesn’t work twice on a genius.*
This was precisely why Aoba hated showing his hand.
Once your trump cards were exhausted, how the hell were you supposed to fight?
A thought flashed through Aoba’s mind, and a faint blue glow flickered in his eyes behind his sunglasses.
[Motion capture initiated…
Trajectory prediction active…]
In the very next fraction of a second, Kakashi closed the distance, a vicious roundhouse kick cutting through the air straight toward Aoba.
*So fast!*
Aoba raised his arm to block.
*Thud!*
A dull impact resounded, and Aoba felt his arm go slightly numb.
*Holy crap, this kid’s explosive power increased again!*
It became a pure taijutsu exchange.
Fists blurred and kicks whipped through the air as the two clashed in close quarters.
*Thud!
Thud!
Thud!*
Dull collisions rang out in rapid succession before both leaped back a step simultaneously.
*What incredible taijutsu!*
*Has this guy never gone all out at the Academy?*
Both boys mentally re-evaluated their opponent’s strength.
Even though Aoba held the advantage in height and physical power, supplemented by the chip predicting movements, Kakashi’s taijutsu was extraordinarily nimble.
Driven by superhuman combat instincts, he managed to dodge vital strikes in the nick of time and counterattack instantly each time, refusing to yield an inch in close-quarters combat.
Aoba couldn’t help but marvel in disbelief.
*Is this the true calibre of a genius?*
…