You're Still Far From It!

"That's so cool!" This exclamation, brimming with passion and admiration, burst spontaneously from the lips of the young, spirited children.

They were deeply shaken by Hayato's declaration, which was filled with power and resolve. Although they did not yet fully grasp the profound meaning behind his words, the sheer force of his presence was enough to fill them with awe.

In short, at that moment, Hayato was undoubtedly the most dazzling figure in the room, so striking that it was difficult to look away.

After finishing his declaration, Hayato did not linger. He walked down from the podium with a composed, unhurried gait, each step so steady that it felt as if he were keeping time with the rhythm of the world.

"Alright, now that everyone has introduced themselves, let's all get along well in the future." Shuichi clapped his hands on the podium, his tone warm and expectant, bringing this unique self-introduction session to a perfect close.

Today was the first day at the Ninja Academy, and once the introductions were complete, Shuichi set about arranging the next order of business.

He intended to select a few students to accompany him to collect the teaching materials for distribution. In the end, Asuma and Obito were the lucky ones chosen to go with him.

Before long, the three returned laden with supplies, distributing the materials to each student one by one.

Hayato took his copy and flipped through it casually. It contained detailed explanations of basic ninja knowledge, starting with a section on chakra.

Hayato had already gained a preliminary understanding of these basics at home, given his background in a ninja clan.

Soon, Hayato lost interest in the textbook.

Perhaps it was because the knowledge was too superficial for him, or perhaps because the time for more advanced lessons had not yet arrived.

Thus, a thought sprouted in his mind—to graduate as soon as possible and explore the vast, wider world of the ninja.

The lesson officially began. Shuichi stood at the podium and started explaining the concept of chakra to the students.

"The human body consists of one hundred and thirty trillion cells. The mixture of physical energy and spiritual energy formed by these cells is called stamina, which is the foundation for performing taijutsu. Through specific extraction, stamina can be converted into chakra within the body..."

His words were clear and powerful, each syllable seemingly imbued with infinite strength, leading the students into the mysterious world of the ninja.

However, not everyone was interested. Some were distracted, while others were fast asleep. Most of these were students whose elders had already tutored them in such knowledge, while the more mischievous ones simply didn't care.

Class time always flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the break.

Kurenai nudged Hayato's shoulder, waking him from his slumber. "Hayato-kun, class is over."

Hayato rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked around, only to find that the other students had already left the classroom, leaving only him and Kurenai.

"Oh, I overslept. Thanks, Kurenai!"

Hayato tidied up briefly, left his seat, and prepared to head out.

At the classroom door, a shadow blocked his path. He looked up to see that it was Asuma.

"Something you need?" Hayato asked calmly, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible authority.

Asuma glared at Hayato viciously. "Stay away from Kurenai from now on, you hear me?"

Hayato shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Boring." He had no time to entertain the other boy's provocation and continued to walk forward.

Seeing this, Asuma was consumed by rage. "Damn it, how dare you ignore me! I'll definitely teach you a painful lesson."

With that, he clenched his right fist, pushed off the ground, and lunged toward Hayato's face.

At the same time, Kurenai, who had seen the conflict erupt between Asuma and Hayato, shouted in alarm, "Asuma, stop!"

Asuma, however, turned a deaf ear. He was desperate to save face and did not stop his momentum.

Hayato sidestepped, easily dodging the attack. He then followed up with a sweeping kick that threw Asuma off balance, immediately delivering a whip kick to his abdomen that sent him reeling back.

Asuma landed hard on his backside. Feeling a burning pain in his stomach, he instinctively rubbed the spot with his right hand, gritting his teeth as he glared at Hayato.

If looks could kill, the Hayato in his eyes would have already been torn to shreds.

Hayato, however, simply stood with his hands in his pockets, looking down at Asuma with indifference. "You're still far too weak, Second Generation." Hayato deliberately drew out the "Second Generation" at the end, as if mocking Asuma's overestimation of his own abilities.

After saying this, Hayato did not linger. He exchanged a nod with Kurenai and left the classroom.

Watching Hayato's retreating figure, Asuma looked fierce. "Damn it! That bastard!" He hated nothing more than being linked to the Third Hokage, and Hayato's attitude only fueled his anger further.

"Asuma, you've gone too far!" Kurenai's voice rang out, causing Asuma to freeze. He turned to see her standing above him with her hands on her hips, looking at him with fury.

Asuma felt deeply aggrieved. I'm the one who's hurt, why are you blaming me?

"Asuma, who I choose to associate with is my own business. From now on, stay out of my affairs." With that, Kurenai walked away, ignoring Asuma as he lay on the floor.

Seeing this, Asuma grew to resent Hayato even more. "It's all that guy's fault!"

On the other side, Hayato, having resolved the farce, reached the school gate. His sharp eyes spotted Misaki waiting for him.

"Sorry, Mom, I kept you waiting."

Misaki smiled and shook her head, patting Hayato on the head. "So, how was the Ninja Academy? Was it interesting?"

Hayato thought for a moment and replied, "Not bad!"

Just then, Kurenai's voice called out. "Hayato-kun!"

Hayato turned back to see Kurenai jogging toward him. After catching her breath, she said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Hayato-kun. I caused you trouble because of Asuma."

She looked like a child who had done something wrong—well, she was a child.

"It's fine, it wasn't any trouble for me!" Hayato replied simply, then reached out to ruffle Kurenai's hair. "Besides, this wasn't your fault."

Feeling his hand on her head, Kurenai's face flushed a deep red, and she lowered her head in shyness.

"By the way, Hayato, aren't you going to introduce me? This is..." Misaki's voice interrupted the exchange between the two children.

Kurenai Yuhi finally looked up at Misaki and immediately greeted her, "Hello, Miss. I'm Kurenai Yuhi, Hayato's classmate."

Hearing the girl call her "Miss," Misaki couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, her gaze softening even further as she looked at Kurenai. "Hello there, though I should correct you—I'm actually Hayato's mother."

"Ah? His mother? I'm so sorry, I couldn't tell at all because you look so incredibly young," Kurenai said, looking surprised.

As expected, all women were surprisingly sensitive when it came to the topic of age. Watching the unconcealable smile on his mother's face, Hayato laughed and added, "Just to clarify, Kurenai is my desk mate."

Upon hearing this, Misaki's eyes narrowed into crescents. She crouched down slightly and said in a gentle voice, "Is that so? Kurenai, please take care of my Hayato from now on."

Hearing this, Kurenai hurriedly waved her hands. "It's not like that at all. Hayato is very capable. If anything, it's Hayato who takes care of me."

"Then, would you mind telling your Auntie about the trouble you two were just talking about?"

"Alright, Mom, we really should be going." Not wanting to delve any deeper into that subject, Hayato quickly cut in.

"See you tomorrow, Kurenai!" Hayato pulled Misaki away, turning back to wave goodbye to Kurenai.

"Yes, see you tomorrow."