"Ha ha, you want to fight me?" The Uchiha boy was incredibly arrogant. Another Uchiha around his age teased, "Shuichi, if he wants to play, why not humor him? Ha ha!"
"Ha ha! Whatever you say, Your Highness." The boy named Shuichi grinned and took a step toward Obito.
"You wanna fight me? If you want to play, I'll play with you all you want!" Shuichi Uchiha was a big boy. He grabbed Obito and lifted him into the air.
The instant Obito was grabbed, two figures appeared beside Shuichi almost simultaneously, as if they had teleported there.
A flash of silver drew the White Fang Blade and pointed it at the Uchiha, while a streak of white had already pressed a kunai against Shuichi's back.
"Ah!" Rin was startled, too.
The silver flash was Kakashi, while the white one was Shiyu.
"My teammate doesn't need you to save him." Kakashi still wore his usual haughty expression.
Although Kakashi knew the person before him was his grand-uncle, he showed little courtesy in his words.
But why would Shiyu pay any attention to a child like Kakashi? Instead, he said to Shuichi, "If you dare make any unnecessary move, I'll kill you. I mean it. You can try me." Shiyu was as cold as a spear, and the chill passed through the kunai in his hand and into Shuichi.
Shuichi hadn't been frightened by Kakashi. The younger Shiyu was the one who scared him.
"Hmph! Half-breed!" The Uchiha whom Shuichi had called "Your Highness" cursed. Then he suddenly charged at Shiyu from behind, joining another Uchiha teammate in a pincer attack.
"I don't need your help!" Kakashi wanted to take down the other two Uchiha before Shiyu could.
But Shiyu naturally paid no attention to Kakashi. Before Kakashi could make a move, Shiyu vanished again.
Bang!
Bang!
Two loud crashes drew everyone's attention. The Uchiha called "Your Highness" and the other Uchiha were now sprawled on the ground.
"What... what just happened?" Most people had no idea. Even Kakashi was astonished.
"Your Highness..." Shuichi Uchiha stood frozen, whether from shock or fear.
"Obito, watch yourself. Some powerful clans are full of spoiled brats. Don't let them bully you," Shiyu advised him. Then he turned to the equally stunned Nao and asked, "Where's Kurenai? Hasn't she arrived yet?"
"She has. This way." Nao was about to lead Shiyu away when a voice came from behind them.
"Stop!"
"You're nothing but an Uchiha castoff! I'm Naomasa Uchiha, son of the Uchiha Clan's elder!"
"Sharingan!" Naomasa Uchiha activated his Sharingan, though it had only one tomoe.
Naomasa charged toward Shiyu at full speed. The kunai in his hand was about to stab Shiyu when—
Shiyu remained completely calm, looking at Naomasa as if he were an idiot and letting him attack.
Whoosh! Two figures appeared and flung Naomasa aside. Then they shouted angrily,
"Fighting is forbidden in and around the examination waiting room! If it happens again, your entire team will permanently lose the right to be promoted to Chunin!"
Everyone from Konoha knew the two men who had spoken: one was Shikaku Nara, a Jonin of Konoha's Nara Clan; the other was Inoichi Yamanaka, currently Konoha's most outstanding intelligence ninja.
"You're Konoha Genin! Have some dignity!" Inoichi was a little angry, too. The exam hadn't even started, and the candidates were already fighting.
"The rest of you are just as spoiling for a fight, aren't you? Put your competitive impulses away! You can settle everything after you pass the written exam! Now, all of you, get into the waiting room!" Shikaku regretted taking on this assignment.
More and more Chunin tasked with keeping order gathered around. With Inoichi and Shikaku in charge, no one dared to provoke anyone else.
But before entering the waiting room, Naomasa Uchiha still glared viciously at Shiyu. Shiyu simply activated his White Rinnegan. The three-tomoe eyes, white and still as dead water, scared Naomasa badly.
Shiyu and Nao happened to meet up with Hinata Kurenai before entering the waiting room. The three of them went inside together and waited for the exam to begin.
Even inside the waiting room, hostile gazes were everywhere. Shiyu soon noticed that the room was filled with all kinds of people: old hands and newcomers, even ninja who had been through wars. He felt a strange pressure himself.
The crowd is a mixed bag. There might be Uchiha here who want to kill me, as well as Genin from other countries disguised as Konoha ninja to gather intelligence.
Shiyu wasn't the only target. Kakashi was only ten and had already become a Chunin. As Konoha's genius, he was bound to attract hostility.
Not long after he entered, Kakashi was suddenly attacked.
"Kakashi!" A thick-browed boy in a green bodysuit suddenly kicked at him from behind, but Kakashi dodged with ease.
"Wow! That guy's eyebrows are so thick! Who is he?" Kurenai asked.
"Kakashi! You dodged my attack again! As expected of my lifelong rival! This is youth! This is passion! Challenging Kakashi is my life's goal! My name is Might Guy! Hello, everyone!"
Might Guy stood in the middle of the waiting room, almost entirely ignoring everyone's hostile stares. He gave them a thumbs-up and flashed his gleaming white teeth.
Most people thought the man before them had to be crazy.
"That weirdo again. Sigh." Obito Uchiha patted his head.
But Shiyu's attention was drawn to Guy.
So this is the guy who nearly kicked the story to its finale! The Eight Inner Gates! I should learn them if I get the chance. Shiyu nodded slowly at Guy, walked over, and greeted him first. "Hello, Guy!"
"Wow! It's an honor! I knew the youth radiating from my body would attract people!" Guy answered Shiyu very politely.
"You're here, too." A pleasant female voice rang out. Everyone turned around, and Shiyu saw a kunoichi staring at him. It was an old acquaintance: the purple-haired kunoichi with wavy hair, Violet Katori.
"Also, Katsuhira Yoshida and Shuichi Matsuyama," Kakashi Nao reminded him.
Shuichi Matsuyama gave Kakashi Nao a challenging look, while Katsuhira Yoshida simply smiled warmly at Shiyu.
After all, the strong deserved respect—especially Shiyu, who had defeated both of them despite being only five years old.
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