Although basic weapon throwing was taught at the Ninja Academy, most fresh graduates didn't have real combat ability with it.
Only rare geniuses like Kakashi Hatake or Itachi Uchiha could use it effectively at such a young age.
Yet earlier—
Kimoto Doichi had thrown kunai and shuriken at full force.
Ordinary genin—甚至很多 chūnin—wouldn't have been able to react in time.
But Orion not only reacted—
He blocked everything.
He even saw the trajectory clearly.
That meant his physical coordination, perception, and eyesight were all far beyond normal.
Even Doichi knew—
At Orion's age, he himself couldn't have done the same.
Orion didn't know what Doichi was thinking.
He was just… annoyed.
Not angry enough to act—but definitely dissatisfied.
Doichi walked up to them and said, "Today, I'll take you to accept your first mission."
The moment they heard this—
Yamata Jumoku and Motoya Tako lit up with excitement.
They instantly forgot the fear from earlier.
"Really?! We can take missions already?"
Doichi nodded. "Of course. But for now, only C-rank or below."
"And during missions, I'll continue training you."
His tone suddenly turned cold.
"My training… is quite harsh."
He glanced at Orion and smirked slightly.
"But I suppose… you're looking forward to it."
Orion frowned.
"Sensei, we just graduated. That kind of test earlier wasn't necessary."
Doichi patted his shoulder.
"You're still thinking about that? For them, it might be tough."
"But for you… it's a good thing, isn't it?"
Orion didn't reply.
He understood what Doichi meant.
He did want to learn stronger jutsu.
But for Jumoku and Tako—
Such harsh training could be overwhelming.
Doichi smiled faintly. "Let's go. To the Hokage Building."
The two teammates were still excited, completely unaware of the deeper conversation.
But not far away—
Standing on a tree branch—
Kakashi watched everything.
The book in his hand was forgotten.
"…Not just chakra," he muttered.
"His reaction speed… far exceeds normal shinobi."
Even many chūnin couldn't react to Doichi's attack.
But Orion had done it effortlessly.
Kakashi narrowed his eye.
"His vision… might already rival my Sharingan."
Then a thought crossed his mind.
"…Could he learn my Chidori?"
Chidori was an A-rank technique—fast, deadly, and extremely dangerous.
Even Kakashi himself had needed intense training to master it.
And he only taught it to Sasuke Uchiha because Sasuke had the Sharingan to compensate for its speed.
Without such perception—
The technique could be fatal to its user.
Kakashi shook his head slightly.
Even if I wanted to teach him… it might not be possible.
Still, as he watched Orion leave—
"…If you truly mean no harm to the village… you could become someone extraordinary."
"Perhaps even… another Minato Namikaze."
His vigilance toward Orion lessened.
Because earlier—
He had seen Orion get angry when his teammates were put in danger.
That emotion was genuine.
Someone who valued comrades…
Was someone Kakashi could trust.
It reminded him of his younger self—
No…
Even better than he had been.
"…Doichi got lucky."
Then he sighed.
Thinking about his own team—
Naruto and Sasuke both had immense potential.
But both were… difficult.
In comparison—
Orion seemed far easier to guide.
More mature.
More stable.
Shaking his head, Kakashi disappeared.
Soon, Orion and his team arrived at the Hokage Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't notice anything unusual about Orion.
None of the others—Asuma, Kakashi, or Doichi—had reported him.
To the Hokage, Orion was still just… ordinary.
After accepting their mission, the group left—
And ran into Team 7.
"Hey, Orion!"
Naruto Uzumaki ran over cheerfully.
"What mission did you get?"
"A D-rank," Orion replied.
Since it was their first mission, anything higher was unlikely.
Naruto grinned.
"D-rank? Hah! We're definitely getting a C-rank!"
Orion just nodded. "Good luck, then."
Nearby—
Kakashi watched quietly.
The more he observed Orion, the more satisfied he felt.
If only he were my student…
Beside him, Sasuke frowned slightly.
He barely remembered Orion.
He didn't even recall they had been in the same class.
Sakura Haruno was the same.
But when she saw Orion—
She was momentarily stunned.
He's… just as handsome as Sasuke…
Who is he? And why is he so close to Naruto?
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