As Tanya listened to the conversation between Hiruzen and Asano from afar, she felt an overwhelming sense of despair.
Who could possibly understand her suffering?
On the very first day of school, she had been caught red-handed by Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Hokage, principal of the Ninja Academy, and her teacher—using a shadow clone to attend class while her real body skipped lessons.
After completing her morning training, she had merely wanted to find a quiet place to relax.
Perhaps catch a few fish.
For once, she didn’t need to return home and cook for Tsunade.
Unfortunately, before a single fish could bite her line, Hiruzen had appeared silently behind her.
No footsteps.
No warning.
No chakra fluctuations she could detect.
One moment she was fishing.
The next, the Professor was standing there looking at her.
Even now, Tanya couldn’t understand how she had been exposed.
Back on the training ground, her shadow clone remained surrounded by students.
Several children had already begun coordinating attacks.
One girl rapidly formed hand seals.
Beside her, another student’s shadow quietly stretched across the ground.
Nearby, Kurenai Yuhi concentrated intensely, attempting to cast a genjutsu.
The plan was simple.
The illusion would create an opening.
The Nara clan’s Shadow Possession Technique would immobilize Tanya.
Then everyone else would attack together.
At least, that was the theory.
Unfortunately, reality proved less cooperative.
The moment Kurenai’s immature genjutsu made contact—
Her face turned pale.
The technique shattered instantly.
The backlash struck her mind.
Kurenai’s eyes rolled upward and she collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
At her current age, her genjutsu talent was exceptional.
But talent was not the same as mastery.
The gap between her mental strength and Tanya’s was simply too large.
Without hesitation, Tanya flicked three pebbles from her fingers.
The stones shot forward like bullets.
Shikaku Nara’s son, who had been attempting to extend his shadow, immediately abandoned the technique and dodged.
The girl who had been forming seals also reacted.
However, a third student was slower.
A chubby boy stepped forward and shouted bravely.
“Watch my Expansion Technique!”
The Akimichi heir’s face turned red.
Chakra surged through his body.
Nothing happened.
The Partial Expansion Technique failed midway.
The next second—
Thwack!
Thwack!
Thwack!
The pebbles struck their targets with frightening precision.
Several children cried out and stumbled backward.
One collapsed outright.
Others clutched their foreheads in pain.
They quickly tried to continue fighting.
Before they could move, however, Kakashi and Guy stepped forward.
“Enough.”
Kakashi folded his arms.
His voice remained cold and rational.
“If those had been kunai instead of pebbles, several of you would already be dead.”
The statement immediately silenced everyone.
Guy hurried over to Kurenai.
Carefully lifting her onto his back, he carried her beneath a nearby tree.
Under the shade already sat Genma Shiranui and Ebisu.
Both still bore the unmistakable signs of Tanya’s earlier attacks.
Just then—
Whoosh!
A sudden attack came from behind Tanya’s clone. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Her body reacted instantly.
The baton in her hand spun.
Clang!
The incoming strike was deflected.
Yet no attacker appeared.
Before she could investigate further, more attacks arrived from different directions.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The attacks were fast.
Accurate.
And most importantly—
Invisible.
Tanya narrowed her eyes.
Interesting.
Orochimaru had once provided her with extensive information regarding Konoha’s clans, secret techniques, and bloodline limits.
Yet she had never encountered this particular ability.
For a brief moment, she considered whether it might be an undocumented clan technique.
Not far away—
“Cough!
Cough!
Cough!”
Moonlight Hayate struggled to breathe.
His body emerged briefly from concealment.
At his current age, his chakra reserves were still limited.
Maintaining the invisibility technique for too long had already exhausted him.
Combined with his naturally frail constitution, the strain was proving excessive.
The instant Hayate’s position was exposed, Tanya moved.
Like a bullet leaving a rifle.
Her figure blurred.
Boom!
Her kick struck directly into Hayate’s abdomen.
The boy was launched backward and crashed heavily into the ground.
His concealment technique immediately dispersed.
“Tanya!”
“That’s enough!”
Anko rushed forward angrily.
The clone didn’t even look at her.
A single swing of the baton.
Thud.
The strike landed against Anko’s shoulder and neck.
Her body froze.
Then she collapsed unconscious.
The entire exchange lasted only seconds.
One by one, the students fell.
The training ground gradually grew silent.
Soon only two people remained standing.
Obito.
And Rin.
Obito looked around at his fallen classmates.
Then he looked at Tanya.
The pressure radiating from her felt overwhelming.
His heartbeat accelerated.
Every instinct screamed at him to retreat.
As he stepped backward, he accidentally bumped into Rin.
The contact startled him.
His expression immediately hardened.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to step forward.
“I-I’m not afraid of you!”
His voice trembled badly.
“You can’t hurt Rin!”
“Aaaaaah!”
He charged forward.
His legs shook.
His hands shook.
His entire body screamed fear.
Yet he still advanced. This story is hosted at g.com.
Partly because of his pride as an Uchiha.
Partly because he refused to abandon his friends.
And mostly because Rin was standing behind him.
Tanya calmly stepped forward.
A single kick.
Obito was sent flying.
He rolled across the ground before finally stopping.
Then Tanya approached Rin.
The girl stood frozen.
Her face was pale.
Yet she did not run.
Looking down at her, Tanya spoke slowly.
“So?”
“Do you possess the resolve necessary to become a shinobi?”
“Or are you merely someone who hides behind others and runs away whenever comrades are injured?”
The words struck like knives.
Rin’s fists tightened.
The fear.
The frustration.
The helplessness she had been suppressing all day.
Everything exploded at once.
“No!”
She raised her head.
“I’m not that kind of person!”
“I have the resolve to become a shinobi!”
“I’ll protect my comrades!”
“I’ll protect Konoha!”
“And even if danger comes, I won’t run away!”
Despite her gentle nature, Rin had never been a coward.
The Will of Fire had been instilled into her since childhood.
Protecting comrades was a belief she genuinely held.
With a cry, she threw a punch.
Tanya casually sidestepped.
The attack missed completely.
A kunai instantly appeared in her hand.
The blade stopped against Rin’s neck.
A tiny line of blood appeared.
Nothing more.
Yet the sight was enough.
Obito’s eyes widened.
His breathing became ragged.
Rin.
Rin was bleeding.
Rin was in danger.
An unfamiliar power surged within him.
His heart pounded violently.
Fear.
Anger.
Desperation.
The emotions merged together, growing stronger and stronger.
In the nearby forest, Tanya herself stood beside Hiruzen Sarutobi.
A slight frown appeared on her face.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen’s expression became unusually serious.
His eyes remained fixed on Obito.
More specifically—
On Obito’s eyes.
A single tomoe slowly emerged within the boy’s dark pupils.
The Sharingan.
The legendary dōjutsu of the Uchiha Clan.
Awakening at such a young age was almost unheard of.
Even among the Uchiha, this level of talent was extraordinary.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt both astonishment and concern.
Obito’s talent was undeniable.
But the Uchiha clan…