Ebisu, You Poor Fool

In the Sarutobi Clan compound, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat on a cushion, holding a pipe in his left hand and leafing through a scroll with his right.

An ANBU operative appeared with a Body Flicker Technique.

"Father!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up in surprise. It had been a long time since he'd heard his eldest son call him that. As an ANBU squad captain, his son usually addressed him as Hokage.

"Father, Asuma Sarutobi has been training hard every night lately. I thought Kakashi becoming a Genin at five had spurred him on, but after looking into it, I found out he'd clashed with a student named Uchiha Ling at school and come off worse."

"Oh? Hmph. Every shinobi must face his own harsh fate. What does a squabble between children at the Ninja Academy matter? Black Chimp, leave him be."

"Yes, sir!"

They were at home, yet his father had called him by his ANBU code name.

"Squabbles between classmates aren't worth interfering in, but perhaps we should arrange a tutor for Asuma Sarutobi. He seems motivated."

"As you wish. Arrange one if you want."

After Black Chimp left, he thought about how his father, despite being Hokage, took a completely hands-off approach to raising his children. Luckily, he himself had always been driven. If he'd relied on his father to teach him, he would have amounted to nothing.

If he ever had a son, he would teach him himself. He would never let his father interfere.

He sought out Huìdài, a Ninja Academy teacher whose fundamentals were exceptionally solid and who headed the Basic Education Research Group, to give Asuma Sarutobi extra lessons.

When they reached the back courtyard of the compound, Black Chimp said:

"Asuma Sarutobi, I'm glad to see you so motivated.

"But don't train blindly or assume you know what you're doing.

"At five, what matters most is building a foundation: honing your taijutsu, learning how to apply force properly, and developing the right muscle memory.

"Teacher Huìdài will draw up a training plan for you."

Huìdài said, "Young Master Asuma Sarutobi, as long as you train with me, I guarantee your taijutsu will make a major leap within three months."

Asuma Sarutobi was thrilled. The moment he showed some ambition, his family began putting its resources behind him.

Teacher Huìdài headed the Basic Education Research Group. There was no doubting her ability.

Uchiha Ling is only one boy. I might not be able to beat Kakashi, but surely I can beat you.

Black Chimp had just finished arranging his younger brother's training when he saw an ANBU operative appear in the compound with a Body Flicker Technique.

The operative spoke in a low voice. "Captain Black Chimp, our spies in Sunagakure report that the Third Kazekage has disappeared!"

Black Chimp's heart tightened. The Shinobi World was already like a pressure cooker, with every major village preparing for war. A change this drastic was bound to upset the balance among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

He hurried to find the Hokage. The Third Shinobi World War was imminent!

Huìdài spent a long time with Asuma Sarutobi, learning about his current situation and his wager with Uchiha Ling.

When she got home, Huìdài called for her son, Ebisu.

"Son, Young Master Asuma Sarutobi doesn't get along with a classmate named Uchiha Ling?"

"That's right. Asuma Sarutobi can't beat Uchiha Ling, and Ling has a vicious mouth. He'll take a shot at anyone. It's not just Asuma Sarutobi—I don't get along with him either."

Huìdài thought for a moment. "Ebisu, your task this term is to keep Uchiha Ling occupied. Don't let him disrupt Young Master Asuma Sarutobi's training."

"Keep him occupied? You mean wear him out so he stops bothering Asuma Sarutobi?"

"No matter where you are, call him Young Master Asuma Sarutobi."

"Fine, fine. I get it. I'll find a way to help your Young Master Asuma Sarutobi."

News of the Third Shinobi World War reached the school.

No one had expected the Shinobi World War to begin on an ordinary, sunny afternoon.

The border clashes grew ever bloodier, and soon the Ninja Academy had more orphans. To the students who were already orphans, though, nothing had changed.

That afternoon's sparring class began.

"Teacher! I want to challenge Uchiha Ling!"

Yamano saw that it was Ebisu again.

For the past two weeks, Ebisu had been the first to challenge Uchiha Ling in every sparring class.

The two students had never had any particular grudge. Uchiha Ling tormented everyone he sparred with equally, so why had Ebisu become fixated on him?

There were more than thirty students in the class, and unless someone issued a special challenge, each student fought only once.

Ebisu challenged Uchiha Ling every time, leaving Ling unable to spar with anyone else.

Obito Uchiha shouted from the sidelines, "That's the spirit, Ebisu! Don't let us down!"

Uchiha Ling had a headache.

Most of the students in class were as innocent as Obito. Apart from the guarded Kakashi and Asuma Sarutobi, it was hard to break anyone's composure.

Or rather, these little kids were so carefree that pressure rolled right off them.

Ebisu had challenged him for two weeks straight, and Ling was thoroughly sick of it.

The trouble was, Ebisu kept everything bottled up. Beneath that quiet exterior, he was surprisingly tough and could endure any amount of ridicule.

Unable to draw rewards from the Defense-Breaking System, Uchiha Ling decided to show Ebisu just how cruel the Shinobi World could be.

So what if he's a teacher's son? Does that mean he's immune to pressure?

I'm a distinguished Uchiha, and after all the bullying I've taken, have I complained once?

The two stepped into the sparring area.

A smile tugged at Asuma Sarutobi's lips.

Teacher Huìdài thought of everything. She even had her son Ebisu challenge Uchiha Ling first. Now I won't have to face that obnoxious Uchiha Ling in class.

With my family's vast resources behind me, I'll beat Uchiha Ling sooner or later.

Asuma Sarutobi turned to Kurenai Yuhi. "Kurenai, don't worry about Uchiha Ling bothering you. I'll put him in his place at the end of term."

Kurenai Yuhi nodded, but her eyes stayed on Uchiha Ling. She wondered how he would beat Ebisu this time.

Uchiha Ling might be obnoxious, but he was undeniably strong.

Uchiha Ling glanced at Ebisu's small dark glasses. Unable to see his eyes, he began to taunt him:

"Well, if it isn't Ebisu, the master of fundamentals.

"Every teacher praises your fundamentals. But did your mother ever tell you that fundamentals alone are worth jack shit?

"Don't tell me fundamentals are all you know.

"Is that all your mother knows, too?

"You don't have any ninjutsu talent, do you? Is that why you keep talking up your fundamentals?

"Ebisu, you poor fool. You're lying to yourself. You use all that effort you put into your fundamentals to hide the fact that you're worthless at everything else.

"Ebisu, you can't even beat my shadow clone!"

Uchiha Ling formed a hand seal and created a shadow clone.

Yamano's relaxed posture went rigid.

The Shadow Clone Technique?

A five-year-old could master the Shadow Clone Technique?

The Ninja Academy's Graduation Ninjutsu Examination tested the Three-Body Technique. One of those techniques was the Clone Technique, which produced clones without physical substance.

Kurenai Yuhi stared at Uchiha Ling in shock. Was he going to be another Kakashi?