Hatake Sakumo's Sigh

Kakashi had barely finished listening to Qingyu before he agreed without hesitation.

"Mr. Umino, I want to go too."

He spoke with his hands in his pockets.

Qingyu wasn't surprised.

Kakashi had a competitive streak, just like any other boy his age.

"I'm going too! I'm going too!"

Obito waved his raised hand frantically, afraid Umino Shika wouldn't see him.

Umino Shika glanced at Obito, then lowered his head and continued flipping through the class roster.

"You're staying."

"Why?!"

Obito's face flushed bright red.

"I can fight older students too! I trained extra over the break, and I even learned a new Fire Release technique..."

"It's precisely because it's you that you can't go."

Umino Shika raised his eyes.

Obito froze in place. His mouth opened and closed, but for a long time, he couldn't say a word.

Beside him, Sarutobi Asuma turned his head away, struggling to hold back a laugh.

Umino Shika paid Obito no further attention and put away the class roster.

He didn't want Obito to embarrass himself.

Winning or losing was beside the point. The real issue was Obito's loud, boisterous nature. If he made a fool of himself in front of the older students, they might think that Umino Shika, as their instructor, was deliberately targeting the Uchiha Clan.

After school, Umino Shika walked down the corridor and knocked on the door of another office.

Inside sat Koji Moku, an instructor for the older students.

"A challenge between different grades?"

Koji Moku put down the lesson plans in his hand and took a sip of tea.

Life was for enjoying.

Most Chunin instructors spent their time teaching at the school. They didn't have to go to the battlefield or carry out dangerous missions.

"Your student Qingyu really is a remarkable young talent."

"It's not just Qingyu. Kakashi wants to take part too."

Umino Shika sat across from him and briefly explained what had happened in class that day.

"I see. So his presence has inspired the others to improve?"

Koji Moku said.

"Good timing. I've got a few unruly troublemakers on my end who think they're the best in the world. Let them face some talented kids from a lower grade. It'll do them good to have their arrogance knocked down a peg."

"Then shall we set it for after school tomorrow?"

"Sounds good. We'll use the training ground."

Koji Moku stood up and patted Umino Shika on the shoulder.

"But you'd better be prepared. The students under my guidance won't be easy to deal with."

The Hatake Clan.

When Kakashi pushed open the gate, Hatake Sakumo was sitting on the veranda, wiping down a short sword.

The blade had been forged from special Chakra Metal, which conducted chakra extremely well.

As the saying went, caring for a blade was like caring for a lover.

Hatake Sakumo cherished the short sword that had accompanied him through a lifetime of battles.

He planned to pass it down to Kakashi when his son grew up.

He believed his son would take good care of it and make a name for himself, ensuring the blade would never be forgotten.

"Father."

Kakashi took off his shoes on the veranda and sat down cross-legged.

"After school tomorrow, Qingyu and I are going to spar with students from the upper grades."

Hatake Sakumo stopped wiping the blade.

He turned to look at his son, who was never much of a talker.

"Was it Qingyu's idea?"

Hatake Sakumo had a hard time imagining Kakashi doing something like that.

"Yeah. He said there wasn't much pressure from students in our grade anymore, and he wanted to challenge stronger opponents."

Sure enough, Kakashi's answer was just what Hatake Sakumo had expected.

"That boy..."

Hatake Sakumo shook his head.

"Qingyu's talent has emerged even earlier than I expected."

The first time he'd seen Qingyu practicing swordsmanship in his yard, he'd already felt that the boy was special.

But he hadn't expected that after just one break, Qingyu would already be dissatisfied with opponents in his own grade.

That kind of drive couldn't be explained by talent alone.

"I'll come watch tomorrow too."

Hatake Sakumo stood up, rested a hand on Kakashi's head, and gently ruffled his hair.

"Make sure you're prepared."

Kakashi looked up and met his father's gaze, then gave a firm nod.

If his father was coming, then he definitely couldn't afford to lose.

After school the next day, at the Ninja Academy training ground.

Quite a crowd had gathered around the training ground.

Besides Qingyu and Kakashi's classmates, some older students had also come after hearing the news, whispering among themselves about the two audacious little kids from the lower grades.

Hatake Sakumo stood beneath a tree a short distance away, arms folded across his chest.

"Tekka, is that Qingyu you told me about?"

Uchiha Domon narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the figure across the way holding a katana.

He was older than Uchiha Tekka and ranked among the strongest students in his class.

"That's him."

Uchiha Tekka stood beside him and nodded.

"But Qingyu's a good guy."

He added that as an afterthought.

Uchiha Domon glanced at him.

After losing to Qingyu last time, Uchiha Tekka seemed to have changed his attitude quite a bit.

He used to grit his teeth whenever Qingyu came up. Now he was even standing up for him.

"I know what I'm doing."

Uchiha Domon turned his attention back to the field.

He looked away from Qingyu and glanced at the other older students nearby.

Teacher Moku hadn't called only him over.

Inuzuka Saori of the Inuzuka Clan was there too. She was a girl with a ponytail, and a gray-and-white female dog sat at her feet. It was a full size bigger than an ordinary dog.

Word was, she could already merge with her Ninja Dog. She was quite famous among students her age.

There was also a young boy from the Main Family of the Hyuga Clan: Hyuga Osamu.

He wore the traditional white clothes of the Hyuga Clan. With his hands behind his back, he held his chin slightly raised, his pale eyes full of arrogance.

Hyuga Osamu probably thought Kakashi would be his opponent.

After all, the son of the White Fang and a genius of the Hatake Clan was worthy of his attention.

As for Qingyu...

A half-blood without a clan name, with only half Uchiha blood, wasn't worth a second look.

He'd heard Qingyu had defeated Kakashi, but Hyuga Osamu figured Kakashi had simply been careless and failed to dodge.

After all, in this world, dragons begot dragons, phoenixes begot phoenixes, and the sons of rats knew how to dig holes.

Qingyu's lineage might be distinguished, but he had no particularly famous ancestors.

Even if they'd died on the battlefield and become heroes, at best they'd only been Jonin.

"Rin, do you think Kakashi can win?"

Obito crouched beside Rin Nohara and asked.

Though Umino Shika had rejected his request to take part in the challenge, he'd still come along to watch.

As long as he was with Rin, Obito was happy to go anywhere.

"Kakashi's really strong."

Rin Nohara clasped her hands in front of her chest, her gaze fixed on the field.

"But I'm more excited to see Qingyu in action."

"Right, Obito?"

Rin Nohara's words made Obito's face fall at once.

Three sentences, and Obito had been riding high all day!

Now his face was burning red!

That brat Qingyu again!

Koji Moku and Umino Shika stood together at the edge of the training ground. After a brief discussion, they settled on the order of the matches.

Kakashi would be the first to take the field.

His opponent was an older student named Shiya Oyama.

Kakashi stepped out from the crowd and drew the short sword from his back.