“Hey!
Stuck-up Kakashi!
You see me, don’t you?
Stop acting cool over there!” Just as Aomizu’s eyes landed on Kakashi, Obito Uchiha suddenly jumped up and shouted, drawing everyone’s attention as he pointed right at Kakashi.
“The great Obito is going to prove to you today that I’m the real genius!” “Boring…” Kakashi merely glanced at Obito before turning his eyes back to the book in his hand.
Aomizu watched the exchange and gave a subtle nod.
Just as he expected, Kakashi really had little interest in Obito at this point.
Kakashi had entered the Academy at five and graduated to become a Chunin at six.
An arrogant prodigy, even if lonely, wasn’t going to be won over by a hot-headed idiot in less than a year.
*Only after Sakumo Hatake dies and the young genius loses his way will he actively seek companions out of loneliness…* Aomizu seemed to pinpoint the exact origin node of their bond.
“Obito, stop bothering Kakashi…
It looks like he’s our final exam proctor…” Rin Nohara gently tugged at the awkward Obito, who was being completely ignored, and pulled him to the side while whispering softly.
“Kakashi!
My destined rival!” Following Obito, Might Guy made his grand entrance, shouting at Kakashi with an even louder voice, an exaggerated posture, and boundless enthusiasm: “I’m applying to graduate this year, Kakashi!
Let’s settle this once and for all!” Kakashi looked up once more, narrowing his eyes to assess Might Guy’s developing musculature, before giving a slight nod.
“Hey, hey!
Kakashi!
Why did you only nod at that Taijutsu freak?
What’s that supposed to mean!” Seeing this, Obito began yelling again.
Rin Nohara stood behind Obito with a helpless expression, letting out a sigh.
For a moment, chaos broke out on the grounds, filled with endless chatter.
“Hey, isn’t that Kakashi Hatake?
Why is he here…” “No idea, but he’s wearing examiner clothes.
Did he come back to be an instructor?” “Sigh, as expected of a genius who graduated at six.
While we’re still worrying about final exams, he’s already an impressive Chunin.” Seeing this, Asuma Sarutobi—standing next to Kurenai Yuhi—sighed first before commenting in a disdainful yet seemingly insightful tone: “Kakashi coming back here has got to be the old man’s doing.
He just wants to use Kakashi’s achievements to motivate the rest of us.
What a boring, cheap trick…” After speaking, Asuma cast a subtle glance at Kurenai Yuhi, hoping to hear his crush respond to his sharp analysis.
*Such mature and perceptive words will definitely make Kurenai see me in a new light, right?* Asuma thought to himself, holding a serious face and putting on a profoundly wise posture.
Contrary to his expectations, Kurenai Yuhi’s eyes brightened as she looked at Asuma with pleasant surprise.
“So it was Lord Sandaime’s arrangement?
As expected of the Hokage, making the whole place so lively all at once…” “Whenever Kakashi-kun didn’t show up before, everyone seemed so lacking in drive…” Asuma’s face froze.
His eyes drifted away involuntarily, and he let out a deeply annoyed click of his tongue.
Aomizu took all of this in and smiled, speaking to the white-haired Hokage inside him: “How about it, Tobirama…
This is the Academy you founded.
Everyone here is Konoha’s future.” “See that?
That’s the Third Hokage’s son.
Quite the rebellious youth, isn’t he…” “Don’t call me Tobirama, kid!
I’m older than your great-grandfather!” Tobirama Senju grumpily rejected Aomizu’s overly familiar address, though the curious expression on his face remained perfectly honest.
He eagerly gazed upon the scenes of the Academy.
As the Second Hokage and the founding principal of the Academy, Tobirama Senju harbored a special affection for Konoha’s children.
During the early days of Konoha, the sentence that resonated most deeply was what Hashirama Senju said back then: “We built this village so that our children could be born in peace and grow up freely until they reach the age where they can taste fine sake.” Scanning the vibrant Academy students, Tobirama Senju’s eyes grew gentle yet firm as he thought, *It seems Monkey and Danzo have done well…* *The children are largely happy and relaxed.
Hearing Monkey’s name fills them with genuine reverence.
With everyone’s hearts united like this, it seems that even if a little monster like Aomizu Uchiha appeared, the Uchiha Clan won’t be able to take Konoha!* *Wonderful.
Truly wonderful!* Aomizu smiled as he watched the shift in Tobirama Senju’s expression.
In present-day Konoha—before Sakumo Hatake was persecuted, Orochimaru defected, or Madara Uchiha laid a finger on Obito—the village was indeed solid as iron, unshakeable.
Yet beneath this seemingly powerful Konoha, internal strife in the future was already destined to occur.
Orochimaru was very likely conspiring with Danzo Shimura, catching the Third Hokage’s attention.
Sakumo Hatake’s prestige had already posed a substantive threat to the succession of the Hokage master-disciple tradition, drawing fear and caution from Konoha’s upper echelon.
Perhaps at this very moment, Madara Uchiha was closely watching the scene through White Zetsu, targeting Obito.
The gears of fate had long begun to turn; they simply hadn’t clicked into the sound of collapse just yet.
“Silence, you noisy brats!
I hope your performance later is as attention-grabbing as your voices!!” Ikaku Umino, a veteran Konoha Chunin and head of this final examination, clapped his hands forcefully to signal the students to quiet down.
“I declare this term’s final exam officially underway!” “The first subject is practical combat!
This time, we will use a full lottery system, starting with the first student drawn in a king-of-the-hill format.
Anyone who wins three matches in a row will receive a perfect score immediately!” Ikaku Umino paused, coughed lightly with a mysterious air, and said in a low voice, “Furthermore, any student who receives a perfect score may apply on the spot to Chunin Hatake—the proctor sent by Lord Sandaime—for a practical graduation exam.” “If you perform well, Chunin Hatake will write a report on your behalf, giving you a chance to draw Lord Sandaime’s attention!” The moment Ikaku Umino finished speaking, the entire Academy erupted into a boiling ocean of excitement.
The atmosphere reached a fever pitch, and many students stared at Kakashi with eyes burning with battle intent.
That was Lord Sandaime!
If they earned his attention, wouldn’t that mean they might become the Hokage in the future!
Aomizu’s expression remained unchanged, but the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
This felt way too much like a sense of déjà vu—like a star player holding a fan meeting where top performers got to play one-on-one with him…
And even upgraded: if you performed well in the one-on-one, you got a tryout for Team Konoha and drew the personal attention of Manager Hiruzen.
“Alright then!
Tell me, are you ready?” Ikaku Umino pressed his hands onto the lottery box and shouted, his gaze sweeping slowly over every Academy student present.
“Ready!” A unified shout echoed across the training ground.
Yet no one noticed that during the brief instant when Ikaku Umino’s gaze met Aomizu’s, behind Aomizu’s black contact lenses, his Two-Tomoe Sharingan silently began to spin…