That Idiot

Might Guy and his father were still clinging to each other and bawling, shouting things like "youth" and "passion."

Uchiha Makoto silently took two steps back.

This is just too embarrassing.

He was afraid that if he kept watching, he would catch it too.

Fortunately, Teacher Nakamura interrupted the father and son's heartfelt exchange in time.

"All right, next match!"

The matches continued.

The next few were finally worth watching.

All the participants were children from shinobi clans.

The Hyuga Clan, the Inuzuka Clan, and the Aburame Clan.

They traded blows back and forth.

It was still children fighting, but at least there was some technique to it.

Uchiha Makoto watched with interest.

"Next match, Aoki Uchiha versus Kenichi Hyuga!"

Uchiha Makoto perked up. Uchiha versus Hyuga-old rivals.

On the field, Aoki Uchiha looked confident.

Kenichi Hyuga looked calm.

"Begin!"

Aoki Uchiha charged forward.

He formed hand seals.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

He spat out a small fireball.

Kenichi Hyuga immediately dodged it.

Aoki Uchiha froze. The attack he had spent so much chakra on had been dodged with ease.

Uchiha Makoto nodded. That was the Byakugan for you.

A full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree field of vision, plus the ability to see through things and perceive chakra flow.

Besides, Aoki took far too long to prepare his Great Fireball Technique.

Against members of the Hyuga Clan with the Byakugan, using a move like that did little besides waste his own energy.

Before awakening the Sharingan, the Uchiha really couldn't beat the Hyuga.

The Sharingan needed an emotional trigger to awaken, while the Byakugan was active from birth.

How are you supposed to fight that?

But the shinobi world had never been fair.

In close combat, Aoki had barely approached before his opponent's Gentle Fist struck his chakra points.

Three minutes later.

Aoki Uchiha lay on the ground, unable to move.

Kenichi Hyuga withdrew his hands and bowed.

"Thank you for the match."

Aoki Uchiha was carried off.

Before leaving, he gave Uchiha Makoto a look full of mixed emotions.

The matches went on, one after another.

After watching for quite a while, Uchiha Makoto realized Obito still hadn't arrived.

"That guy..." He frowned. "Late again?"

Sure enough.

"Next match, Obito Uchiha versus Yamanaka Fū!"

No one stepped forward.

"Obito Uchiha?" Teacher Nakamura called again.

Still no one.

"Obito Uchiha is absent and loses by default!"

The crowd erupted.

"That Obito kid's late again?"

"How many times has this happened now?"

Uchiha Makoto sighed. He had known it.

Obito was never reliable.

Still, that was fine. If he had shown up and performed too well, it would have caused trouble instead.

This was just fine.

A pretty creative way to lose.

At least no one would suspect him of hiding his abilities, since no one had seen him fight at all.

Ten minutes later, Obito rushed onto the training grounds, panting.

"I... I'm here!" he shouted.

Teacher Nakamura glanced at him.

"You're late."

"I... I overslept!" Obito explained.

"Overslept?" Teacher Nakamura raised an eyebrow. "Your match is already over."

"Over?" Obito froze.

"Your opponent won."

"..."

Obito's face went pale.

Then red.

Then ashen.

"I... I lost?" His voice trembled.

"Yes." Teacher Nakamura nodded.

Obito plopped onto the ground. The sky had fallen, the earth had collapsed, and the world had ended.

He had trained so hard for half a year, all for today, all to show Rin what he could do.

All to show everyone that he, Obito Uchiha, wasn't the dead last.

And now...

He had lost.

He hadn't even gotten the chance to step onto the field.

"Aah!!! No!!!"

Obito threw back his head and howled.

"My youth!"

Uchiha Makoto: "..."

The matches continued. It was the final round.

Uchiha Makoto versus Asuma Sarutobi.

Uchiha Makoto walked onto the field. Asuma was already waiting there, a toothpick in his mouth as he tried to look cool.

When he saw Uchiha Makoto approach, he spat out the toothpick.

"I've finally got you," he said.

"Yeah." Uchiha Makoto nodded.

"I'm going to beat you," Asuma said. "And show Kurenai who the right choice is."

Uchiha Makoto: "..."

Dude, you're only six. Kurenai's only six too.

Isn't this a little too early to start dating?

In the stands, Kurenai was watching him, her cheeks slightly flushed and her eyes filled with anticipation.

Beside her, Shinku Yuhi's expression had darkened.

"Lord Hokage," Shinku Yuhi said to Hiruzen Sarutobi, "my daughter doesn't know any better. I'll have a proper talk with her when we get home."

"No harm done," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a genial smile. "Let the children handle their own affairs."

Shinku Yuhi: "..."

He glanced at Uchiha Makoto, his eyes full of mixed emotions.

Uchiha Makoto glanced back at him, his eyes even more conflicted.

What even is this?

Two six-year-old boys fighting over a six-year-old girl.

With their parents watching from the sidelines.

Isn't this plot a little too melodramatic?

"Begin!" Teacher Nakamura shouted.

Asuma moved. He charged forward, fast, his taijutsu fundamentals looking very solid.

As expected of the Hokage's son.

Uchiha Makoto didn't move. He waited until Asuma reached him.

Then he turned sideways and dodged.

Seeing Makoto dodge, Asuma turned with him and swiftly threw a punch.

Uchiha Makoto raised a hand and blocked it with ease.

Thud!

Fist met palm. Asuma retreated a step, but Uchiha Makoto didn't budge.

"You..." Asuma frowned. "You're pretty strong."

"Not bad," Uchiha Makoto said.

Asuma charged again. This time, he used ninjutsu.

"Wind Release: Palm Wind Wave!"

A gust of wind blasted toward Uchiha Makoto, but he still didn't move.

Asuma's expression changed.

Asuma stared at Uchiha Makoto, his gaze serious.

"I admit it," he said. "You're strong."

"Thank you," Uchiha Makoto said.

"But I'm going to win," Asuma said.

"Give it a try," Uchiha Makoto said.

Asuma charged again. This time, instead of ninjutsu, he used taijutsu.

Fists, feet, elbows, knees.

Every strike aimed at a vital point.

But Uchiha Makoto blocked every one.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of fists meeting palms rang out again and again.

The stands fell silent. Everyone watched.

They watched two six-year-olds trading blows.

"That kid from the Uchiha Clan..." someone murmured. "He's something else."

"Asuma is the Hokage's son. He's had elite training since he was little."

"But this Uchiha Makoto... he can actually fight Asuma to a draw?"

"No, it's not a draw," someone sharp-eyed said. "He's dominating him."

"Dominating him?"

"Look. Asuma's attacking, but Uchiha Makoto's defending. And he's doing it effortlessly."

"..."

It was true.

On the field, Asuma attacked while Uchiha Makoto defended, but Uchiha Makoto easily blocked every move Asuma made.

It was like... an adult playing with a child.

"That's enough," Uchiha Makoto suddenly said.

Asuma froze.

"What?"

"I said, that's enough," Uchiha Makoto said. "There's no point in dragging this out."

"What do you mean?" Asuma frowned.

"I mean," Uchiha Makoto said, "you can't beat me."

"..."

Asuma gritted his teeth.

"The fight's not over yet!"

"Then let's finish it," Uchiha Makoto said.

He moved, taking the offensive for the first time.

He stepped right up to Asuma and threw a punch.

It was a slow punch, so slow that Asuma could clearly follow its path.

Yet he simply couldn't dodge it.

Bam!

The fist stopped in front of Asuma's nose.

Uchiha Makoto stopped an inch short of his nose without following through.

But Asuma knew he had lost. If that punch had landed, it would have knocked him out.

Asuma looked at Uchiha Makoto, and Uchiha Makoto looked back at him.

"I lost," Asuma said.

His voice was quiet, but everyone heard him.

"Uchiha Makoto won?"

"He beat the Hokage's son?"

"Isn't he only a first-year?"

"That kind of strength... is a little terrifying."

Uchiha Makoto ignored the chatter and withdrew his fist.

"Thanks for the match."

Asuma said nothing. He turned and walked away.

Before leaving, he glanced at Kurenai.

Kurenai wasn't looking at him. Right now, she had eyes only for Uchiha Makoto.

Uchiha Makoto wondered if he had been raising her affection a little too much lately.

I'm screwed.

I'm really screwed now. He immediately looked toward the spectator stands.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was watching him, his gaze even more complicated.

Shinku Yuhi was watching him too, his gaze also even more complicated.

Uchiha Makoto's heart sank.

Now, he thought, I'm really in trouble.