"My name is Ryoma. Now, it's your turn."
After introducing himself, Ryoma flipped open the New Shinobi Instructor's Guide and read aloud exactly as written:
"Talk about what you like, what you hate, your dreams, or your interests."
The three students immediately shot back in unison,
"Sensei, you go first!"
Ryoma's expression froze.
"Oi… I'm the teacher here, not you. It's your turn. From left to right—go."
"I'll start!"
Obito adjusted his orange goggles and puffed up proudly.
"My name is Uchiha Obito! What I like is… hm, well, the thing I hate most is war! My dream is to become Hokage, end this stupid war, and make everyone—my clan, the whole village—acknowledge my existence!"
Kakashi gave a short, mocking laugh.
"You? Hokage? At best, you'll keep helping old ladies cross the street. You wouldn't be Hokage in a hundred years."
Obito's face turned red with anger.
"Kakashi! What's that supposed to mean? You think you're so great? Just wait—once my Sharingan awakens, I'll surpass you!"
Kakashi looked at him with cool disdain.
"The Uchiha clan are supposed to be prodigies. But you? Without a Sharingan, you're nothing special."
"You—!" Obito clenched his fists, furious.
Before the argument could explode further, Rin stepped in quickly.
"Okay, okay, stop fighting already! Sensei is watching."
Ryoma couldn't help but grin. Classic. These two really are destined rivals—quarrels wrapped in hidden care. And Rin's already playing mediator. The triangle begins…
"It's your turn, Rin Nohara, right?"
"Yes, sensei!" Rin said brightly, sitting up straight.
"What I like most is… cake! What I dislike is curry rice. My dream is to become a medical-nin and save lives on the battlefield!"
Ryoma nodded approvingly.
"Not bad."
She really will be the lifeline of Team Seven. Without this girl, both Obito and Kakashi would've been dead long ago.
Rin smiled warmly, already thinking her new teacher wasn't so bad.
Then Ryoma turned to the last one. Kakashi sat with arms crossed, small but already carrying that air of arrogance. His silver hair stuck up like a bird's nest.
Ryoma reached out and ruffled it deliberately.
"Kakashi, your turn."
Kakashi batted his hand away in irritation.
"Sensei, you messed up my hair! You already know my name. I don't need to say anything else."
Ryoma looked at the three brats in front of him and suddenly thought of a question that had plagued the fandom for years.
Who exactly did Rin like?
Both camps had always claimed there was "ironclad evidence," but Kishimoto never made it clear. The debate was eternal.
Now, seeing them in person, Ryoma finally understood the truth.
They're nine years old. What love? They don't even know what that means yet!
"Ahem. Anyway, now that introductions are done, let's move on. You know me—my name is Ryoma, and I'll be your instructor from today."
"That's the end of self-introductions. Starting tomorrow, we begin training."
All three perked up.
"Sensei, what kind of training?"
"Survival drills," Ryoma said.
Obito grinned confidently.
"Oh, that? We did survival drills all the time in school!"
Ryoma's lips curled into a mischievous smile.
"This time it's different. Your opponent… will be me."
The three stared at him blankly.
"Sensei, what do you mean?" Rin asked, confused.
Ryoma chuckled.
"Heh, exactly what I said. This test has a failure rate of over sixty-six percent. Out of thirty graduates, only ten will be accepted as genin. The rest? Sent back to the academy for another year. Understand?"
Obito's jaw dropped. Rin looked nervous. Kakashi stayed quiet, analyzing.
"Tomorrow morning, nine o'clock. Meet at the Third Training Ground by the edge of the forest. Don't be late."
The moment the words left his mouth, Ryoma vanished, leaving the three of them stunned in place.
Rin rubbed her eyes and whispered,
"Sensei Ryoma… he's gone?"
Obito gawked at the empty space in front of them.
"Whoa! He just vanished—like magic!"
Kakashi crossed his arms, unimpressed.
"Idiot. That was the Body Flicker Technique."
"What did you call me, Kakashi?!" Obito snapped, immediately ready to start another argument.
Before things could escalate, Rin stepped in again, hands raised in alarm.
"Stop it, you two! Instead of fighting, we should be thinking about what to do tomorrow."
Obito huffed, folding his arms.
"Hmph. Sensei was just bluffing anyway. No way it's as serious as he made it sound. Eliminating most of us? Yeah right."
A voice cut through the air.
"I didn't lie to you."
"Waaaah!" Obito yelped, nearly jumping out of his sandals.
"Sensei! Don't sneak up on us like some kind of ghost!"
Ryoma chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.
"Obito, you'd better toughen up your nerves. Oh, and I forgot to mention—bring all your ninja tools tomorrow. And don't eat breakfast, unless you want to puke it back out. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Before they could respond, Ryoma's figure gave a soft pop—turning into a chunk of wood that clattered to the floor.
Rin bent down and picked it up with wide eyes.
"A substitution jutsu…"
Kakashi narrowed his gaze.
"Yeah. That wasn't him just now—it was a shadow left behind by his Clone or Substitution Technique."
The three stared at the fallen wood in silence, the weight of tomorrow's trial pressing down on them.
And as for who Rin liked?
That question would haunt arguments for years—Kakashi's supporters swore one way, Obito's claimed another. But Ryoma, watching them with the eyes of someone who knew too much, already had the answer:
They're barely ten. What would they know about love?
...
TN:
Hope you Enjoy~😊
🦊 Support me on P-com/LordMerlin (+10 Chaps for now!)