A week had passed. Training. Missions. Lessons. Adjustment.
Shinji stood at the training ground, hands in his pockets as his three genin gathered in front of him.
Kenta stretched lazily, Raik sitting beside him.
"Alright, what's the torture today?"
Aiko crossed her arms. "You say that every time."
Daiki stood straight, already focused.
"What's the objective, sensei?"
Shinji looked at them.
Then
"No training today."
Silence.
Kenta blinked.
"You're joking."
"No."
Aiko tilted her head slightly.
"Then what are we doing?"
Shinji turned. "We're watching the Chūnin Exams."
Kenta's eyes lit up. "Oh, finally something fun."
Daiki nodded slowly. "Observation is still training."
Aiko said nothing but she was already thinking.
Shinji glanced back at them.
"Move."
The stadium was alive. Crowds filled the stands.
Shinji led them not to the general seating
They stepped into a section marked clearly by presence alone. The Uchiha clan. Eyes turned.
Shinji didn't react. His team followed.
Kenta's energy dipped slightly. "Damn," he muttered. "they're all staring."
They reached their seats. And they weren't alone. Mikoto Uchiha sat calmly, a baby in her arms.
And leaning casually nearby Shisui Uchiha.
"Took you long enough," Shisui said with a faint grin.
Shinji sat down without ceremony. "You're early."
Shisui shrugged. "Had to see the future prodigy."
His eyes flicked toward Itachi.
Kenta leaned toward Daiki. "That's sensei's family?"
"Yes," Daiki said quietly.
Shinji gestured lightly. "This is my team."
His gaze shifted. "This is my family."
Mikoto smiled softly. "It's nice to meet you."
Kenta scratched the back of his head. "…Uh—yeah. You too."
Aiko bowed her head slightly.
Daiki did the same.
Shisui chuckled under his breath. Shinji ignored that. But his team didn't miss what came next. The looks.
Some Uchiha nodded at Shinji. Others whispered.
Kenta leaned slightly toward Shinji.
"Sensei," he muttered. "Why are we here?"
Aiko listened closely.
Daiki didn't move but he was waiting for the answer too.
Shinji didn't look at them right away.
His eyes stayed on the arena.
Then
"When Lord Third took me in as his disciple," he said quietly, "he brought me around his clan."
"Let me see where he came from."
His gaze shifted slightly toward them. "You aren't just my students."
"You're my responsibility."
"Your lives are in my hands."
He leaned back slightly. "I need your trust."
"So this is me giving you mine."
Kenta exhaled softly.
Aiko's expression softened just slightly.
Daiki nodded once.
Shinji smirked faintly. "So don't act like fools." His eyes flicked directly to Kenta.
Kenta scoffed. "I'm always composed." Raik barked like he disagreed. Shisui laughed outright.
The matches continued.
Genin from different villages clashed.
Shinji's team watched closely now. Not as spectators but as students.
Then the final match. And Itachi stepped forward.
Across from him is another genin. From the Hidden Cloud.
The fight began. Itachi didn't waste movement. Didn't overextend. He dismantled his opponent piece by piece.
Aiko leaned forward slightly. "He's reading everything."
Daiki nodded. "And controlling distance."
Kenta frowned. "He's not even trying."
The match ended.
Decisive.
The opponent dropped to a knee. Breathing heavy.
"I yield."
The proctor stepped forward.
"Winner Itachi Uchiha."
Applause.
Then
It happened.
The Kumo genin moved.
A hidden blade flashed toward Itachi. And before anyone else could react Shinji was there.
A blur.
The genin's arm was caught mid-strike. The blade fell.
Kenta's eyes widened. "…What the—" Daiki didn't even blink. Aiko's breath caught.
Shinji stood there, holding the genin in place. His grip firm. For just a second his eyes shifted. The Mangekyō flashed.
And his gaze moved toward the Kumo section. Where A sat.
A jonin dropped into the arena. Kumo. "Release him," the man said.
Shinji didn't move. Didn't even look at him at first. "Your student attacked after yielding."
The jonin's eyes narrowed. "He made a mistake."
Shinji's grip tightened slightly.
The genin winced.
"No," Shinji said calmly.
"He made a choice."
The jonin stepped forward.
"I said release him."
"Now"
Shinji looked at him. "You don't get to issue demands here," Shinji said quietly.
The arena had gone silent.
Everyone watching now.
"You're in our village," Shinji continued.
"At our exams."
"And your student just violated both."
The jonin didn't respond.
Didn't step forward again.
Shinji held the moment.
Then
He released the genin.
The boy collapsed to the ground.
Shinji stepped back. "Take him."
"And teach him better."
The jonin didn't argue this time.
He grabbed his student and disappeared.
The crowd exhaled. The exam continued.
Kenta shook his head slightly. "That was insane."
Shinji sat back down like nothing happened.
The three genin stood in front of him at the usual training ground, still carrying the weight of the previous day.
Kenta cracked his neck. "So are we training or what?"
Aiko crossed her arms. "You never assume with him."
Daiki stood ready, as always. "Orders, sensei."
Shinji looked at them for a moment. "You're ready for a C-rank mission."
Kenta blinked. "Wait, seriously?"
Shinji continued. "But you won't get one yet."
Kenta groaned immediately. "There it is."
Aiko sighed softly.
Daiki nodded once. "Because of protocol."
"Yes," Shinji said. "You need ten D-rank missions first."
Kenta dragged a hand down his face. "We're babysitting cats, aren't we?"
Shinji didn't deny it. "Among other things."
Aiko tilted her head. "How long do we have?"
Shinji's answer came clean. "Three days."
"What?" Kenta said.
"Ten missions," Shinji repeated. "Three days."
Daiki's mind was already working. "That's aggressive."
Shinji nodded slightly. "You want a C-rank?" "You earn it."
Aiko spoke next. "You want us to be efficient."
"I want you thinking," Shinji corrected.
His gaze shifted to Daiki. "You're in charge."
Daiki blinked. "Of what?"
"The plan." "Mission selection. Distribution. Pacing."
Kenta looked between them. "Ohhh, he's putting the pressure on you."
Daiki straightened slightly. "You're testing leadership."
Shinji didn't deny it. "Yes." "Pick wrong, and you burn out." "Pick right, and you're ready."
Daiki exhaled slowly. "Understood."
Shinji nodded. "You start now.
The mission board stood in the Hokage building. Full of paper slips that most shinobi ignored. D-rank missions. The bottom of the ladder.
Kenta stared at it like it insulted him. "Yeah, I hate this already."
Aiko stepped closer, scanning. "They vary more than I expected."
Daiki moved to the center reading everything.
Shinji stood back. Watching.
"We prioritize proximity," Daiki continued. "Stack missions in the same area."
Aiko nodded. "Minimize travel time."
"And avoid high-effort tasks early," Daiki added.
Kenta smirked. "So no carrying lumber at sunrise?"
"Correct."
Aiko pointed to one slip. "Lost pets in the same district." Another. "Errand deliveries nearby."
Daiki nodded. "We chain them."
He pulled several slips down. Organizing them in his hands. "Day one light workload, high completion count."
Kenta leaned in. "So we speedrun this?"
Daiki glanced at him. "We execute efficiently."
"Same thing," Kenta muttered.
Shinji's voice came from behind them. "Not the same."
They turned slightly. "Speed without thought burns you out," Shinji said. "Efficiency sustains you."
Daiki nodded. "We'll sustain."
Shinji said nothing more.
The first mission, a lost cat. Kenta groaned. "Of course it is."
Aiko crouched slightly, scanning the area. "It's recent."
Daiki nodded. "Tracks are still fresh."
Raik sniffed the ground, tail flicking. He took off.
Kenta grinned. "Finally something useful."
They followed.
The cat didn't last long. Captured within minutes. Kenta held it up. "First mission down."
Aiko checked the list. "Nine to go."
Kenta sighed. "Never mind."
The next few missions flowed, deliveries, errands, simple tasks. Daiki called directions. Aiko adjusted routes. Kenta handled execution.
"We're ahead of pace," Aiko noted.
Daiki nodded. "We keep it that way."
Kenta stretched. "I'm not even tired."
Shinji, walking behind them, spoke quietly. "That's the point."
The final mission of the day: a farmer pointing toward a broken fence. "Fix it."
Kenta blinked. "That's it?"
"That's it," Daiki said.
Kenta groaned. "Man."
Aiko stepped forward, examining the damage.
"It's not complicated."
Daiki nodded. "But it takes time."
Kenta rolled his shoulders. "So we just brute force it?"
Shinji's voice came again. "Or you think."
Aiko looked at the fence. Then at the surrounding area. "Materials are already here."
Daiki followed her gaze. "We don't need to rebuild everything."
Kenta blinked. "We don't?"
"We reinforce the weak points," Daiki said.
"And stabilize the rest," Aiko added.
Kenta smirked. "Less work. I like it."
They moved.
As the sun began to set they stood together again tired
Kenta stretched. "Alright, that wasn't terrible."
Aiko checked the list. "Four missions done."
Daiki nodded. "Six left."
Shinji stepped forward. "And tomorrow?"
Daiki answered immediately. "We increase output slightly."
Aiko added, "But not enough to affect recovery."
Kenta grinned. "Look at us being smart."
Shinji's gaze moved between them. "Good." "You're learning."