"Qianming, I…" Even thick-skinned as he was, Might Guy could not lift his head after being mocked and bullied. All the more so in front of a classmate from the same year; his face flushed red and he stood there at a loss.
"Don't get discouraged…" Zhao Yi Qianming looked at the dejected Guy and had no idea how to comfort him. After a pause, he could only repeat the words Might Guy would one day say to Rock Lee, verbatim back to Guy: "There are two kinds of genius in this world. One is the genius you're born with. The other is the genius of hard work."
Maybe Guy really was the super-easygoing type. The moment he heard Zhao Yi Qianming, he sprang back to full health, bared his teeth, and shouted, "I get it, Qianming! Let's work hard and surpass those 'born geniuses' together!"
"..."
"I'm heading back," Zhao Yi Qianming said.
This was the best time to befriend Might Guy, but staring at the walking embodiment of chūni energy before him, Zhao Yi Qianming found he simply couldn't communicate.
"Going back so early? I'm going to keep training!" Guy blinked, confused.
"Yeah. I'm getting ready for tomorrow's exam," Zhao Yi Qianming said. "For the practical in the afternoon, I'm going to challenge Kakashi."
The next day, Zhao Yi Qianming got up early on purpose. After his morning run he did some simple conditioning, tuning his body to peak state.
For most of their cohort, today's exam was just another Academy assessment. Score high and you were happy. Score low and it wasn't the end of the world.
For Zhao Yi Qianming, it meant something different.
If Kakashi would apply to graduate next year, then this term's finals would be Zhao Yi Qianming's last duel with him at the Academy.
He knew the higher-ups had their eyes on Kakashi as the gifted son of Konoha's White Fang. If Zhao Yi Qianming could defeat Kakashi in front of everyone, he would inevitably enter those same higher-ups' line of sight.
That would help his future a great deal. At minimum, he wouldn't be assigned to some background-chunin-led squad after graduation.
Early graduation drew attention, but that road did not suit Zhao Yi Qianming.
Kakashi had Sakumo Hatake's guidance and who knew how much he had learned already. Zhao Yi Qianming had only Academy instructors.
If he graduated early too, he would be swallowed by endless missions. That would cripple his long-term development.
His Academy years were critical. Whether he learned real substance depended on these few years of work. Missions would inevitably eat training time, which for him was fatal.
Kakashi's eventual ceiling might well have been limited in part by entering the mission grind too early, cutting deeply into his training hours.
Ninja Academy training field.
"Wow~ so cool!"
"Kakashi is amazing!"
"..."
Kakashi stood a few meters from the target post. He stretched out both hands, a Kunai in one and a Shuriken in the other, and flicked them casually. "Thud! Thud! Thud!" Kunai and Shuriken all hit dead center. Not a single stray.
Cheers rose on all sides. First in the year. Son of the White Fang. A natural prodigy. Every move Kakashi made drew eyes.
By comparison, Zhao Yi Qianming's scores were solid but drew little attention.
To be fair, Zhao Yi Qianming was not bad-looking—fair skin, fine features, cool and handsome. A textbook pretty boy. Under Kakashi's glow, it all felt negligible.
Number one always dazzles. Number two and number ten look the same in that light. They vanish under the shine of first place.
"So today…" Zhao Yi Qianming looked at Kakashi. A spark of battle intent flashed in his eyes.
Half a year of hard training would be tested today.
"Watch me!"
A goggle-wearing kid shouldered his way forward, bumping Kakashi aside. He whipped out a handful of Shuriken and hurled them at the target post.
Bang! Bang!
Only two of six hit the mark. The other four flew who-knew-where.
"Stupid Kakashi! I couldn't focus because you were standing there!" the goggled kid flushed, then jabbed a finger at Kakashi and shouted.
Obito Uchiha.
Zhao Yi Qianming stared at the chūni goggle-boy, unable to connect this child to the masked man who would one day plunge the shinobi world into chaos and trigger the Fourth Shinobi World War.
'The power of the Uchiha… is something else,' he thought.
Obito had enough talent to make the elite class, but within it he was the caboose for real.
Yet once he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and merged First Hokage cells, Obito would toy with the entire shinobi world in the palm of his hand. The Sharingan was indeed overwhelming. It could rewrite a person's odds.
"Good thing you didn't hit anyone this time," Kakashi deadpanned.
"Shut up, stupid Kakashi!"
"..."
"Next, Zhao Yi Qianming!" the chunin instructor called.
Soon it was his turn.
At this level, Shuriken throwing was child's play for Zhao Yi Qianming. He stepped up, pulled out six Shuriken, and let them fly. All six hit dead center.
"Very good. Full marks," the chunin instructor said with a satisfied smile.
As a civilian student, Zhao Yi Qianming mattered a lot to this instructor. Every time Zhao Yi Qianming asked questions, the man answered freely and often gave him extra pointers.
This chunin instructor was named Yamamoto Hideyoshi. He was Zhao Yi Qianming's first true mentor.
The progress Zhao Yi Qianming had made in half a year owed much to Yamamoto Hideyoshi's teaching.
Shuriken and Transformation Technique assessments ended quickly. Yamamoto Hideyoshi produced a new chart and addressed the class: "Next is the practical assessment. I'll assign opponents based on your last practical results. I'll call names. Step forward when you hear yours."
The practical was not about ranking one, two, three. It was to observe adaptability and shortcomings in live exchange. The teachers watched for weaknesses in each student's fighting and then guided them.
To avoid one-sided blowouts, pairings were mostly between students of similar strength. That made it easier to read a person's potential.
"First match… Raido Namiashi versus Genma Shiranui. Step forward when called," Yamamoto Hideyoshi said.
Raido Namiashi and Genma Shiranui stepped out together and faced off.
"First, the Seal of Confrontation," Yamamoto Hideyoshi said.
The two formed the seal in unison, then each drew a wooden Kunai and set themselves for battle.
—