Three days after visiting Hatake Sakumo, it was time for the new term at the Academy.
Technically speaking, Uchiha Feiyu was in the same year as Kakashi's old classmates—Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Sarutobi Asuma and the others. But in his actual class, the only ones who shared a homeroom with him were Obito, Rin, and Guy.
The problem was: Feiyu was five or six years older than the rest, and he didn't want to be a shinobi in the first place. In a class of kids dreaming about missions and glory, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He didn't have many real friends.
The moment he stepped through the Academy gate that morning, he could tell something was off.
"Feiyu, you're here! Hey, did you hear the news?"
Uchiha Obito hurried over, eyes shining, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper.
They were both Uchiha, and both considered "odd ones" in the clan. That alone made Obito closer to Feiyu than most of their classmates. He was one of the few people Feiyu could actually call familiar.
Feiyu frowned slightly.
Being an "oddball" had its costs—one of them being that he was always the last to hear any gossip in class.
Apparently even the currently-brainless Obito had gotten wind of something… and he, somehow, knew nothing.
"What news?"
Feiyu asked while his mind worked, and Obito leaned in closer.
"We're about to graduate early! They say all the fourth, fifth, and sixth years can graduate directly this year!"
"Early graduation…?"
Feiyu's brows tightened.
So things really have gotten that bad already?
It wasn't graduation itself that bothered him. What he cared about was what early graduation meant.
Normally, unless we're talking about some genius who wants to shine early and grab resources and attention, a regular student stayed the full six years at the Academy.
Being a shinobi meant living with danger. Spending a little more time developing at school meant having a bit more of a survival buffer once you started taking missions.
The so-called "Konoha 12" had talent that in no way lost to Kakashi's generation, but none of them graduated early. That fact alone said a lot.
When you saw a large-scale wave of early graduations…
There was only one likely explanation: another Great Ninja War was on the way.
Of course, even with early graduation, they wouldn't throw brand-new genin straight onto the front lines.
Even cannon fodder had to be cost-effective; you didn't spend years of Academy training just to send someone out to waste the enemy a handful of kunai.
But graduating them early meant they could spend more time on real missions, gaining field experience. Then, when the front lines got desperate enough, the village could drag a whole batch of "fresh but seasoned" troops straight to the battlefield.
"Uh… what do you mean 'things have gotten that bad'? Feiyu, what are you talking about? I don't get it at all."
Obito blinked.
He might have heard the rumor before Feiyu, but expecting current-Obito to see the logic behind early graduation was… optimistic.
The thing was, shinobi in this world grew up fast. With parents and relatives passing down hard-earned experience, most kids already had a sense of the bigger picture.
That was why the mood around the Academy grounds was so strange today.
"You really are a bit slow," Feiyu sighed. "You haven't wondered why they want us to graduate early? The last batch of early graduates came right before the Second Great Ninja War."
"Huh!? Then… why do we have to graduate early now?"
Obito's face went blank. Feiyu couldn't help raising a hand to his forehead.
This guy was destined to become a future final boss of the ninja world. Sometimes it made him worry about the collective IQ of shinobi.
"Feiyu means that the ninja world might be heading for another large-scale war."
The soft voice came from behind them. A girl with gentle eyes and simple face paint walked over and joined the conversation.
Nohara Rin.
Obito's white moonlight, the root of his future fall.
At the moment, though, both Obito and Rin were only around eight. Ninjas matured quickly, but not that quickly. Even so, with her gentle nature and way of treating everyone with equal kindness, Rin had become precious to Obito, who didn't have many friends.
Part of why he liked her, if you looked at it from the side, was simple: most girls didn't even bother talking to him. Only Rin showed warmth and goodwill to everyone, no matter who they were.
"So that's what it is! Rin, you're so smart!"
Obito beamed at her… then suddenly seemed to actually process what she'd said.
"Wait—what!? A large-scale war?!"
"What's wrong, you two Uchiha deadlasts? Getting scared already?"
A smug, mocking voice drifted over. Feiyu looked up and saw exactly who he expected: Sarutobi Asuma from the neighboring class.
"Asuma, you that bored you came looking for a beating again?" Feiyu drawled. "Calling Obito a deadlast is one thing… but when did I get lumped in with him?"
"Yeah, that's right, calling me a deadlast is— Wait. What do you mean, 'calling me a deadlast is one thing'!?"
Obito nodded reflexively, then realized something was wrong, whipping his head around to stare at Feiyu—only to get met with a look of pure disdain.
Asuma was one of the main contenders for top student in their year, already wearing the "genius" label around the Academy.
Of course, that "genius" title didn't mean much. Among their current and neighboring years, the ones who would go on to accomplish the most were actually Kakashi, Obito, and Might Guy.
Kakashi had long since graduated, and Obito and Guy were, for now, the class deadlasts. The ones who would later become jonin-level and still look decently impressive were mostly Kurenai and Asuma.
Kurenai's abilities were inherently more subtle, and genjutsu types bloomed later. Her personality also kept her away from the spotlight. That combination left Asuma feeling like a monkey who'd become king in a forest with no tigers.
"Top of the class." "Genius."
Every year, the Academy produced a handful of them. They fought tooth and nail over rankings and titles from childhood onward.
And once they graduated?
A chunk of them ended up in the cemetery.
Most of the rest simply blended into the mass of shinobi, their genius washed away by time and blood.
In Feiyu's eyes, Asuma's future achievements wouldn't be that bad—but they wouldn't be particularly dazzling either. Roughly speaking, he'd be an elite among the jonin, but still far from the level of a Kage.
"Tch. If you weren't five years older than me, there's no way you could beat me!"
Asuma's face twisted the moment Feiyu brought him up.
Because, well… Feiyu had beaten him.
For all his lazy attitude, Feiyu had never once slacked on the actual training.
Even without high-level instruction, the boosts from the Soul Ingestion Method had given him outstanding physical ability and chakra reserves. Aside from Kakashi, every other kid around their age who'd faced him in sparring class had been soundly beaten at least once.
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