Tanya rested the book on her lap and quietly observed the scene unfolding before her.
Hatake Kakashi.
A prodigy who would one day leave a profound mark on the shinobi world.
To Tanya, anyone capable of influencing the course of history was worthy of careful study.
Since arriving in this world, she had made it a habit to observe such individuals whenever possible.
Not far away, Kakashi stepped into the center of the training ground with his usual indifferent expression.
The moment Uchiha Obito noticed him, his competitive instincts flared.
Lifting his chin proudly, he struck what he believed was a cool and imposing pose before beginning his slow walk toward the center of the field.
He was determined to make a grand entrance.
The surrounding boys immediately began cheering.
“Obito!
Show him the strength of the Uchiha Clan!”
“Teach that guy a lesson!”
Although the Uchiha Clan was respected for its power, many villagers viewed them as arrogant and difficult to approach.
More importantly, ever since Kakashi had entered the Academy, his talent and appearance had already attracted considerable attention from the girls.
As a result, many boys naturally found themselves supporting Obito.
After all, nobody liked seeing one person monopolize all the attention.
A boy nearby whispered,
“Why isn’t Obito using the Body Flicker Technique?
Wouldn’t it be faster to rush over there?”
His friend snorted.
“Why else?
He’s trying to look cool.”
“After getting mocked by Kakashi, he’s probably trying to recover some dignity.”
Unfortunately for Obito, shinobi trainees possessed sharp hearing.
Every word reached his ears.
‘Damn it!’
‘I shouldn’t have raised my head so high!’
Because he was deliberately maintaining his proud pose, he could barely see the ground in front of him.
Now he could only rely on instinct and memory while carefully moving forward.
The last thing he wanted was to trip and embarrass himself.
Step by step.
Slowly but surely.
After what felt like an eternity, Obito finally approached Kakashi.
A sigh of relief escaped him.
At last.
Now he could show this arrogant broom-haired genius what he was capable of.
Then disaster struck.
His foot suddenly caught on something.
His balance vanished instantly.
“Ah—!”
Thud!
Obito dropped to both knees directly in front of Kakashi.
The entire training ground fell silent.
The boys instinctively covered their faces.
The girls could no longer hold back.
“Hahaha!”
“Is Obito apologizing to Kakashi?”
“Did he just kneel down the moment he got there?”
Even Kakashi was momentarily stunned.
Looking down at Obito kneeling before him, he calmly delivered his verdict.
“Idiot.”
Then he turned around and started walking away.
In Kakashi’s eyes, fighting someone who couldn’t even walk properly was a complete waste of time.
“You bastard!”
Obito’s face instantly turned bright red.
Humiliation and anger boiled inside him.
Jumping to his feet, he clenched his fists and rushed forward.
Taking advantage of Kakashi’s turned back, he threw a punch toward him.
The boys immediately became excited.
“That’s it!”
“Get him, Obito!”
“Teach him a lesson!”
Perhaps the fall had been part of a plan.
Maybe Obito had been pretending to be weak all along.
Everyone watched nervously.
But reality was cruel.
Without even looking back, Kakashi slightly shifted his body.
Obito’s punch missed completely.
At the same time, Kakashi casually extended a foot behind him.
The movement was simple.
Precise.
Efficient.
Exactly what one would expect from a prodigy who had already graduated early in canon.
Obito’s momentum carried him forward.
His foot caught Kakashi’s.
Thud!
He crashed face-first into the ground.
For the second time.
Meanwhile, Kakashi never even turned around.
Maintaining his cold and detached demeanor, he simply continued walking toward Tanya.
The entire training ground froze.
Then the girls exploded with excitement.
“Wow!”
“Kakashi is amazing!”
“He defeated Obito without even looking!”
“So cool!”
The boys could only sigh.
“I thought the Uchiha were supposed to be incredible.”
“He lost in one move.”
“He even fell while walking.”
“Obito completely embarrassed himself.”
Lying on the ground, Obito’s face was redder than a tomato.
His fists clenched tightly.
Yet he couldn’t bring himself to stand up.
At that moment, he wished the earth would swallow him whole.
Just as despair threatened to consume him, a gentle voice reached his ears.
“Obito-kun, are you alright?”
Slowly raising his head, he saw a girl kneeling before him.
She had short brown hair and the distinctive purple markings on her cheeks.
Nohara Rin.
A gentle smile adorned her face as she offered him a clean white handkerchief.
For a moment, Obito forgot how to breathe.
Of course he recognized her.
During the earlier self-introductions, her dream had stood out to him immediately.
Now, bathed in sunlight and smiling at him, she looked almost unreal.
“Th-Thank you, Rin.”
He accepted the handkerchief with trembling hands.
Rin’s smile remained as gentle as ever.
“You’re welcome, Obito-kun.”
“Kakashi-kun didn’t mean any harm.
He’s just not very good at expressing himself.”
Immediately, Obito frowned.
“Rin, you don’t need to defend that bastard!”
Although he sounded angry, his voice unconsciously softened while speaking to her.
“This time I was just careless.”
“I didn’t even use the Body Flicker Technique.”
“Next time I’ll definitely beat him and show him what I can do!”
Carefully wiping the dirt from his face, Obito noticed how filthy the handkerchief had become.
Embarrassment immediately returned.
“R-Rin, I’m sorry.”
“I got your handkerchief dirty.”
“I’ll wash it and return it tomorrow.”
Rin simply shook her head.
“It’s alright, Obito-kun.”
“I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”
Looking at her warm smile, Obito felt his heartbeat accelerate.
At that moment, he became completely convinced.
Rin was an angel sent from heaven.
From now on, he would protect her no matter what.
The humiliation from earlier rapidly faded away, replaced by youthful determination and a slightly foolish smile.
Unfortunately, the atmosphere didn’t last long.
A sudden commotion erupted nearby.
“Look!”
“Kakashi went to find that demon!”
“What?!”
“Is Kakashi challenging Tanya?”
“Is this what the Ninja Academy is like?”
“This is incredible!”
“So much excitement on the very first day!”
“It’s way more interesting than I imagined!”
The surrounding students were thrilled.
They had never expected their first day at the Academy to be this entertaining.
This kind of school life was far more exciting than anything they had imagined.
Tanya closed her book and looked at Kakashi standing before her.
Then she asked calmly,
“Is there something you need?”