The moment he stepped into the classroom, Obito instinctively sensed that something was wrong.
The room was silent.
Too silent.
Dozens of students sat rigidly in their seats.
Nobody was talking.
Nobody was laughing.
Several children didn’t even dare raise their heads.
The atmosphere felt strangely oppressive.
Obito subconsciously shivered.
Only now did he realize that he had rushed in too quickly to properly observe his surroundings.
His heart immediately tightened.
Did I accidentally anger the teacher by being late?
The thought flashed through his mind.
Just as he was preparing to apologize, he glanced toward the podium.
Then froze.
The teacher wasn’t there.
The teacher’s desk was empty.
“…”
A second later, Obito let out a long breath.
“Phew!”
He patted his chest dramatically.
“Thank goodness!”
His voice echoed throughout the silent classroom.
For a brief moment, several students looked at him as though they were looking at a dead man.
Completely oblivious, Obito continued speaking.
“You guys scared me to death!”
“I thought I was about to get yelled at for being late!”
As he spoke, he looked around curiously.
Why was everyone acting so strangely?
Why did some of them seem terrified?
And why were several students secretly looking toward the first row?
Before he could investigate further—
A voice suddenly sounded behind him.
“No.”
The tone was calm.
“You are indeed late.”
Obito froze.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
He turned around.
Standing directly behind him was a middle-aged chunin wearing a standard Konoha flak jacket.
The man wore a pleasant smile.
Unfortunately, at this moment, that smile looked terrifying.
Obito’s mind went completely blank.
Then he blurted out the first thing that entered his head.
“T-Teacher?!”
“What are you doing here?!”
The smile on the man’s face deepened.
Several students immediately lowered their heads.
Their shoulders shook slightly.
The teacher folded his arms.
“What am I doing here?”
His tone became mildly amused.
“This is a classroom.”
“I’m a teacher.”
“So naturally, I’m here.”
Obito immediately wished the ground would swallow him whole.
Meanwhile, Asano inwardly sighed.
He had arrived outside the classroom several minutes earlier.
Then he heard shouting.
Arguments.
Threats.
Something involving the Hokage’s son.
And something involving Orochimaru’s disciple.
At that moment, years of survival instinct had activated.
Asano had immediately withdrawn his hand from the classroom door.
Then quietly stepped into the neighboring room.
After all—
A mere chunin interfering in a conflict involving the Hokage’s son and Orochimaru’s disciple sounded like a terrible idea.
So he waited.
And listened.
Carefully.
Ready to intervene only if somebody actually died.
Fortunately, things eventually became quiet.
Only then did he finally enter.
Now, looking around the room, he noticed several things.
Blood stains.
Bruised students.
Asuma Sarutobi sitting unusually quietly.
Guy smiling brightly.
Asano immediately made a decision.
I saw nothing.
I know nothing.
Nothing happened.
His survival instincts had never failed him before.
They weren’t going to fail him today.
“Alright.”
He waved toward Obito.
“Find an empty seat.”
“And don’t be late again.”
“Yes, Sensei!”
Obito nodded frantically.
Then he began searching for a seat.
A few moments later, his expression became increasingly miserable.
There were almost no empty seats left.
Only two.
Both were located in the front row.
Right beside a blonde girl.
The very front row.
The place closest to the teacher.
The most dangerous location in any classroom.
No sleeping.
No daydreaming.
No sneaking snacks.
Pure torture.
Unfortunately, he had no choice.
Dragging his feet, Obito slowly walked toward the seat.
Then dropped into the chair beside Tanya.
Turning toward her, he whispered conspiratorially:
“Hey.”
No response.
Obito leaned closer.
“Were you late too?”
Still nothing.
He glanced toward the back rows.
“Didn’t get a seat back there either?”
Tanya silently turned a page.
She didn’t even look at him.
Obito scratched his head.
Had she not heard him?
Just as he prepared to ask again—
“Cough!”
A violent cough erupted from the back row.
Obito turned.
One of the students was coughing desperately while repeatedly giving him meaningful looks.
The boy’s expression practically screamed:
Stop talking!
Run while you still can!
Unfortunately, Obito understood absolutely nothing.
Why is he staring at me like that?
Before he could ask, Asano stepped onto the podium.
“Alright.”
He clapped his hands.
“Settle down.”
The classroom instantly became silent again.
Asano secretly relaxed.
At least nobody was fighting anymore.
“My name is Asano.”
He wrote his name on the board.
“You may call me Asano-sensei.”
Turning around, he gave the class a professional smile.
“This is your first day.”
“So let’s begin with introductions.”
Several students immediately perked up.
Asano continued:
“Come to the front.”
“State your name.”
“And tell everyone your dream.”
Then he asked:
“Who would like to go first?”
“ME!”
“ME!”
Two voices exploded simultaneously.
The entire class flinched.
Obito immediately turned around.
Who dared challenge him for first place?
His gaze landed on a boy wearing a bright green jumpsuit.
Guy.
The future taijutsu master instantly flashed a brilliant smile.
His teeth practically sparkled.
“Classmate!”
He gave Obito a thumbs-up.
“Let’s burn our youth together!” This story is hosted at g.com.
Obito’s entire body shivered.
This guy was terrifying.
The strange outfit.
The strange smile.
The strange enthusiasm.
Everything about him felt dangerous.
Asano immediately developed a headache.
This year’s class was a disaster.
Asuma Sarutobi.
Tanya.
Kakashi.
Guy.
And now this loud Uchiha boy.
Allowing volunteers was clearly a mistake.
Quickly checking the class roster, he pointed decisively.
“Obito.”
“Get up here.”
“No need to volunteer.”
Obito instantly brightened.
A victorious grin spread across his face.
He looked triumphantly toward Guy.
Then marched confidently toward the podium.
Standing proudly before the class, he planted his hands on his hips.
“My name is Uchiha Obito!”
His voice rang throughout the classroom.
“I’m from the Uchiha Clan!”
Several girls looked over.
Encouraged, Obito raised his voice even further.
“And in the future—”
He pointed dramatically at himself.
“I will become the strongest ninja in Konoha!”
Then he pointed toward the Hokage Monument visible through the classroom window.
“And I’ll become Hokage!”
The declaration was bold.
Passionate.
And completely sincere.
Several students laughed.
Others rolled their eyes.
Obito ignored them.
Instead, his gaze locked onto a particular student.
Hatake Kakashi.
For some reason, Obito had disliked him the moment he entered the room.
Especially after noticing that most of the girls seemed interested in Kakashi.
That made things worse.
Much worse.
Obito pointed directly at him.
“Hey!”
The entire classroom turned.
“You!”
Kakashi slowly looked up from his seat.
His expression remained completely indifferent.
“The white-haired masked guy!”
Obito’s finger remained pointed.
“If you’ve got a problem with me, say it!”
Kakashi blinked.
He wasn’t sure what was happening.
Obito continued loudly:
“If you’re so strong—”
“Come fight me!”
“Let’s see who’s actually better!”
The classroom instantly fell silent.
Every student held their breath.
This was escalating quickly.
Several students immediately looked toward Kakashi.
Others looked toward Asano.
Some simply prepared themselves for chaos.
Meanwhile, Guy’s eyes lit up.
He practically jumped from his seat.
Giving Obito another enthusiastic thumbs-up, he shouted:
“Well said, Obito!”
“That’s youth!”
“True youth is challenging strong opponents!”
“I support you!”
The classroom fell silent once again.
Several students looked at Obito.
Then at Guy.
Then back at Obito.
Finally—
A quiet voice drifted across the room.
“Two idiots.”