The Beginning

It was hard to understand just how much respect Kakashi commanded among the villagers unless you lived in Konoha. He hadn't yet acquired the Sharingan or earned titles like Copy Ninja and Konoha's Number One Technician. Right now, people knew him simply as a genius.

After the Second Shinobi World War, Konoha High Command began deliberately promoting certain ninja to dispel the village's gloom. Jiraiya and the others, who had earned the title of Sannin, were held up as role models for every ninja in the village. The Sannin's fame had spread by design: their reputation intimidated Konoha's enemies, while their name inspired its people. But the Sannin were powerful shinobi nearing Kage Level. Aside from the elite ninja, everyone else was far removed from them. The village therefore needed a prodigy from the lower ranks to set an example, and that prodigy was undoubtedly Kakashi, who had stood out from an early age.

Kakashi was the son of the White Fang of Konoha. Though White Fang had taken his own life over a mission, only Konoha High Command knew the truth. Ordinary villagers didn't even know he was dead; to this day, they still spoke among themselves of his fame.

Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo, was dead, but the Hatake Clan behind him remained powerful. In terms of background, Kakashi was undoubtedly the most suitable choice. Promoting him showed the village's goodwill toward the clan while making it clear that his family wouldn't be implicated for personal reasons.

Though Konoha had deliberately made Kakashi an idol, he also had the talent to back it up.

He graduated from the Ninja Academy at five, setting a record as its youngest graduate, and advanced to Chunin with ease just a year later. It had been four or five years since Kakashi became a Chunin. Apart from his team leader and Kakashi himself, almost no one knew how strong he was now, but many suspected that he would reach Jonin level within a few years.

Yuehua Ai couldn't help but acknowledge Kakashi's talent. Recognizing someone else's strength was also a way of affirming his own training. Kakashi became a Chunin at six. What had six-year-old Yuehua Ai been doing then? He'd been chasing after the Sannin with Yahiko and the others!

In a little over three years, Yuehua Ai had gone from an ordinary kid to an elite Chunin. In terms of talent alone, he was every bit Kakashi's equal. Kakashi might already be close to Jonin level, but Yuehua Ai had reached the peak of Chunin level himself. In Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and swordsmanship, Yuehua Ai didn't think he was inferior to Kakashi in the slightest. If Kakashi hadn't developed Chidori yet, Yuehua Ai considered himself the stronger of the two.

Though Yuehua Ai respected Kakashi's talent and hard work, he didn't like the guy at all. During his six months in Konoha, he'd met plenty of ninja he recognized from his previous life, and Kakashi was one of them. They'd seen each other a few times, so they were somewhat familiar, but they weren't even on nodding terms. Kakashi was still a cold little kid with dead fish eyes who never went out of his way to greet Yuehua Ai. And Yuehua Ai wasn't the sort to make the first move. He wouldn't go out of his way to be friendly to someone who gave him the cold shoulder. Sure, Kakashi was a second-tier character in the Naruto World, just behind the protagonist—but so what? There were only a few people here he cared about. What did it matter if it was Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, or Uchiha Sasuke? If they had nothing to offer him, he couldn't care less what happened to them!

"Don't bring up Kakashi. Those dead fish eyes and I don't get along. Just tell me what's so urgent. If you're only here to pass on an order, you didn't need to come find me in person!"

To Yuehua Ai, Kakashi was ultimately just some random guy. He didn't want to talk about him any more than necessary, so after making an excuse, he asked why Shizune had come in person.

What do you mean, dead fish eyes? He's just calm and composed! And you don't get along? You're obviously jealous, Ai-chan!

Shizune silently grumbled at Yuehua Ai's words, but she didn't dare say any of it aloud. She might be naive, but she wasn't stupid. If she really provoked him, who knew what he'd do to her?

Pushing those little thoughts aside, Shizune suddenly remembered Yuehua Ai's last question. Right—why had she come to find him? She'd been so worried about his condition that she'd completely forgotten.

"Lady Tsunade asked us to gather at the Medical Corps before this afternoon. She wants to ask whether the ten of us are willing to join the reassignment plan. If no one objects, we'll probably sign the agreement there."

Shizune twisted a finger, looking a little embarrassed.

"You should've told me sooner!"

Yuehua Ai glanced at the sun overhead, then at his disheveled appearance. They were cutting it close!

"You're the one who wandered off to a place like this! It took me forever to find you, and now you're blaming me!"

Shizune glared at him. Yuehua Ai's sharp hearing even picked up the faint sound of her grinding her teeth.

"Uh, it's my fault. All my fault. Sorry to trouble my lovely Lady Shizune over something so trivial..."

Yuehua Ai rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly.

"Hmph!"

What do you mean, your Shizune? Shizune felt flustered and embarrassed, but she did her best to keep her irritation under control. In the end, all she could manage was an indignant little huff.

"All right, I'd better head back and get ready. Just look at me—I'll need quite a while to clean up!"

Even the shyest, most reserved girls can't help being tsundere. Yuehua Ai noticed the faint embarrassment in Shizune's eyes and thought it to himself as he spoke.

"Mm. You'd better hurry back and change. I'll see you at the Medical Corps!"

Shizune nodded, looking at the streaks of dirt on Yuehua Ai's gray training clothes. He really couldn't go see Lady Tsunade looking like that.

"Let's go!"

Yuehua Ai called to Shizune and set off first. After such a long recovery, his chakra and mental energy had barely returned, but he'd recovered much of his physical strength. At least he could manage the walk back.

It was a good thing Shizune had come a little later. If she'd arrived right after his training, when he was exhausted from pushing himself and his clone, he wouldn't have wanted to move at all—not even if Shizune had carried him back...

Yuehua Ai didn't walk very fast on the way back to the village. Of course, he couldn't have gone any faster. Thinking about the upcoming team assignments, he asked Shizune about the different squads. To be honest, over the past six months, Yuehua Ai had spent most of his time in the library and practicing Medical Ninjutsu. He'd paid little attention to anything else going on in the village, so he knew far less about the ninja squads than Shizune did.

Knowing that Yuehua Ai hadn't paid much attention to such things before, Shizune gave him a detailed explanation when he asked.

She filled him in on the basic information about all twelve Genin squads, including their Jonin leaders.

Yuehua Ai barely spoke as they walked, quietly listening to Shizune. Alongside her main role as a medical ninja, Shizune was also an intelligence ninja. Though she lacked exceptional sensory talent, she'd become a battlefield medic largely thanks to her talent for gathering and analyzing intelligence. Later, after Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage, Shizune's own outstanding abilities—more than her connection to Dan Katō—were what made her Tsunade's assistant.

As Shizune mentioned familiar names like Yuhi Kurenai, Asuma, Aburame Shibi, and Yamanaka Inoichi, Yuehua Ai's usually unruffled heart began to stir. These names weren't just names. They marked the beginning of an era!

Being assigned to a team and sent on missions meant that he was finally about to become part of the currents shaping this era. Thinking about who would rule the future, Yuehua Ai couldn't help feeling his blood race!

This feeling is unlike anything I've ever felt. What I've been waiting for is finally here!

Yuehua Ai clenched his fist. Once he started taking missions, he'd be financially independent, and finally free to do whatever he wanted! A man reborn into this world should make his mark—and do whatever he damn well pleased!

While Yuehua Ai and Shizune were walking back together, Jiraiya, who had returned from a mission not long before, was having a private talk with the Third in the Hokage Office.

"He's done very well over the past six months, and he's lived up to his reputation as your student. From the way he interacts with people, I can tell he feels a strong sense of belonging in Konoha. So I'll grant your request."

After answering his student seriously, Sarutobi Hiruzen loosely folded his hands beneath his chin and took a deep pull on his pipe.

"Thank you, Sensei. I'm sure Ai won't let us down!"

Jiraiya thanked him, then picked up an item from the Hokage's desk. After nodding to Sarutobi Hiruzen once more, he turned to leave. As he did, the midday sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window behind the Hokage and fell across his hand. A flash of reflected light from the metal surface flickered through the room.