Eccentric and Genius

Late March, 42nd year of the Konoha era.

The Ninja Academy was about to open, and the list of successful applicants for the entrance exam was posted that day, drawing crowds of youths and parents who gathered around the bulletin board in excited discussion.

At the very front of the crowd, a father and son dressed in green spandex bodysuits drew the ire and disdain of those around them.

The bushy-browed Might Duy hoisted his son up, ignoring the surrounding mockery as he continued to offer loud encouragement, while Might Guy, who was constantly searching for his own name, twisted his body left and right, eventually unable to help but mutter in a low voice after finding nothing:

"It's not there! It's not there! Still not there..."

Although he had anticipated this since the test ended, seeing the results posted still left Might Guy looking disappointed, and the voices around him only made him feel worse.

"Ah! I found it!"

"I passed!"

"As expected of my son..."

"That's great, congratulations!"

"..."

A group of six-year-olds and their parents erupted in happy laughter; while being a ninja was fraught with danger, it was ultimately a respectable, high-income profession and the primary choice for commoners to climb the social ladder.

"Son, look carefully..."

Might Duy's expression grew increasingly serious as he continued to shout his encouragement, but halfway through his sentence, he felt something cool on his face. He looked up instinctively, only to find his son already weeping in disappointment:

"It's not there, my name isn't on the board, Dad."

"Guy, you have already given your absolute best, and your hard work will surely be rewarded."

Might Duy looked up at his son and gradually raised his volume. Noticing the tears streaming down his son's face, he shouted with such immense vigor that it completely drowned out the surrounding mockery:

"On the path soaked in tears, you will eventually find your own name! Keep looking!"

"Yes!"

Encouraged by his father, Might Guy suppressed his disappointment and responded quickly. The boy stopped crying and continued to sway left and right, searching for a name that wasn't there.

"Might Guy..."

Genma Shiranui, who had been hearing the constant noise from above at the front of the crowd, looked helpless. At six years old, he was already a "big kid" in the village, and he put on a mature facade to mutter under his breath:

"That guy really doesn't know when to quit; it's not like his name is just going to suddenly appear on there."

Beside him, Ebisu pushed up his sunglasses, a look of sympathy appearing on his face as he sighed:

"I can't bear to watch this anymore..."

Hearing his friend's whisper, Shu Furukawa noticed the father and son's spirits beginning to sink and had to raise his voice to offer a reminder:

"Don't forget there's still a supplementary list. Don't worry, he'll definitely be able to enroll."

Might Duy and his son turned around instantly, as if they had just heard something monumental. Both of them widened their eyes, their thick black eyebrows arching upward.

Under their fiery gaze, a slightly embarrassed Shu Furukawa instinctively looked down at his black high-neck short-sleeved T-shirt and black trousers, then rubbed his short, curly black hair.

Just as he was about to add more, he was interrupted by the pair:

"Thank you for your support!!"

With that loud shout, both of them gave a thumbs-up simultaneously. Looking at those exceptionally brilliant smiles, Shu Furukawa had the illusion that their teeth were actually sparkling...

The crowd surrounding them couldn't help but take a step back, and the scene fell suddenly silent until a shout from behind broke the awkward atmosphere:

"Shu, let's go, the orientation is about to start."

Hatake Kakashi, wearing a patterned scarf that covered half his face, stood with his hands in his pockets, calling out to Shu Furukawa with a calm expression.

The crowd instantly returned to its noisy state, and the mocking laughter resumed.

Before he could offer any more "chicken soup for the soul," Genma Shiranui and Ebisu hurriedly pulled Shu Furukawa away from the crowd. At that moment, Might Duy and his son began to encourage themselves once more:

"If I can finish 500 laps around the track, I will definitely be able to get in as a supplementary student!"

"Guy!"

Turning his head to look at the father and son behind him, who were clenching their fists in excitement while shedding tears, Shu Furukawa could only sigh to himself:

"That is truly an 'anime-level' amount of tears!"

The near-kidnapping of a Jinchuriki candidate had caused Konoha to catch the scent of war, and under the instructions of the higher-ups, the Ninja Academy further relaxed its age requirements for enrollment.

Although Konoha would not send Genin directly to the front lines, the village still needed to stockpile Genin early to handle low-level, non-dangerous missions.

In the tiered classroom of Class 1-A, the Chunin teacher Ryosuke Kimura, who had a scar on his left cheek and a plain appearance, patiently answered the questions of various parents without a hint of impatience.

After the orientation concluded, Ryosuke Kimura looked down at the two boys beside Hatake Sakumo, a kind smile on his face as he sighed:

"Teaching geniuses is quite a lot of pressure!"

"At this age, I was still playing ninja games, but Kakashi has already mastered the Three Basic Jutsu. Truly, he is Sakumo's son."

The parents and children remaining in the classroom all looked at the masked Hatake Kakashi, while Hatake Sakumo, dressed in casual clothes, rubbed Shu Furukawa's head and said with a smile:

"Shu's talent for ninjutsu is even better than Kakashi's."

"Please instruct them strictly over the next few years; entering the Ninja Academy is merely the beginning."

Hearing the high praise from the White Fang of the Leaf, Ryosuke Kimura was somewhat surprised, but after recalling the entrance exam, he nodded subconsciously.

Just like Kakashi, Shu Furukawa would only turn five years old in September.

"Lord Sakumo, Teacher Ryosuke, I will redouble my efforts over the coming years."

Responding immediately, Shu Furukawa wore an appropriately excited and sincere expression on his young face, while Kakashi, standing to the side, quickly turned his head and muttered in a low voice:

"Father, I will be able to master C-rank ninjutsu very soon."

Seeing this scene, Ryosuke Kimura laughed out loud, feeling increasingly satisfied that he could teach two such geniuses, and immediately encouraged them:

"Haha, this is the competition between geniuses! Keep working hard, Kakashi, Shu!"

Kakashi and Shu Furukawa bowed slightly, noticing quite a few girls staring at them, while the other boys all clicked their tongues; guys who were both good-looking and talented were the most annoying.

"Shu, Kakashi, want to come play kick-the-can?"

At the doorway, Genma Shiranui, chewing on a bamboo skewer from a three-colored dango, called out loudly, with many classmates gathered behind him. Shu Furukawa felt helpless inside, but on the surface, he responded with high energy:

"You be 'it,' I'm coming right now!"

Kakashi, who wanted to go play along, didn't move his feet; he looked up at his father and then muttered to himself:

"I only want to train as soon as possible..."

Hatake Sakumo patted his reticent son, and seeing Kakashi follow the others out with a reluctant expression, he nodded slightly.

Ninja instructors from the school kept coming to pay their respects, and the White Fang of the Leaf, devoid of any airs, exchanged pleasantries with each of them, thinking of the Furukawa couple who had chosen to sacrifice themselves for a mission not long ago, he whispered to himself:

"Shu will become an outstanding ninja."

At the Ninja Academy playground, after vaulting over the wooden fence, Shu Furukawa stuck his feet to a tree branch and hung upside down, extending his right hand toward the trunk to use his [Harvesting Technique].

Watching the "Essence" notification appear in his field of vision once again, Shu Furukawa couldn't help but ponder secretly:

"If I could [Harvest] the complete God Tree, what would I obtain?"

"..."