Ninja Academy.
It wasn't time for morning classes yet, and the schoolyard buzzed with noisy energy. Dozens of young students, varying in age and height, gathered around the center of the field where a chaotic scuffle was breaking out.
"Fire Style! Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"
A boy shouted as he formed hand seals and exhaled toward his opponents. A faint puff of flame sputtered out, causing a flicker of surprise before the onlookers erupted into laughter.
"That's supposed to be a jutsu?!"
"Get him!"
"You're dead meat!"
Around seven or eight boys were clashing, most clearly lower-grade students who hadn't learned proper ninjutsu yet. They threw punches and grappled in an uncoordinated mess, though two older ones showed signs of more advanced training, tossing in a basic Clone Jutsu or a flashy move here and there.
Some of the students cheered, others shouted, adding to the bedlam. It was still early, so no chuunin teacher had arrived to break it up.
"What are you looking at?"
Hatake Kaede Yoru appeared nearby, glancing once at the fight before walking over to tap someone on the shoulder at the edge of the crowd.
Yuhi Kurenai turned in surprise. "Good morning, Kaede Yoru."
"Morning," he replied with a cheerful smile. "Let's head to class."
He had no interest in watching little kids brawl.
Kurenai hesitated, glancing at the skirmish. "Uh..."
"Hmm?" Kaede Yoru raised a brow.
She sighed. "My cousin Yang is in there. He's the one getting beaten up."
"Yang?"
She pointed into the fight. "Right there. Yuhiyang. My uncle's cousin's kid..."
Kaede Yoru blinked. "Never heard of him."
He shrugged. "Boys fight. It builds character. The chuunin teachers are probably watching anyway. No need to worry."
"But..."
Kurenai fidgeted with uncertainty. She didn't have a good reason to step in, but felt odd ignoring it.
Kaede Yoru sighed, stepped forward, and casually formed a hand seal. He knelt, pressed one palm to the ground.
"Earth Style: Tremor Jutsu."
"Wait, what?!"
Kurenai barely managed to keep her footing as the ground trembled. The crowd in the schoolyard staggered, and the group at the center tumbled apart as the earth briefly shook beneath them.
"Kaede Yoru, you—"
He raised a finger to his lips with a smirk. "Shhh. Problem solved. Let's go."
The students were confused, many assuming it was a minor earthquake. The fight was effectively over.
Not everyone was fooled.
A boy in the crowd frowned in Kaede Yoru's direction. He wore the Uchiha crest on his back and had a serious look.
Uchiha Shisui.
Unlike Obito, Shisui was a true prodigy—as skilled and precise as Uchiha Itachi would later become. He was destined to become famous on the battlefield of Kirigakure, and after awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, he would be hailed as the strongest genjutsu user in the clan's history.
Elsewhere on the field, Nohara Rin had already noticed Kaede Yoru's presence.
"Kaede Yoru, that was reckless," she said as she approached.
"A little trick I stole from Kakashi," he said with a small shrug and grin.
Shisui turned and started walking away, deciding not to get involved.
But then another figure stepped into view—a boy with goggles and a determined expression.
"Hey, Kaede Yoru! Let's have a match!"
Uchiha Obito.
He had arrived early for once and caught Kaede Yoru chatting with Rin. That alone was enough to spark his frustration. Seeing the schoolyard in a chaotic fight had only fueled him more.
Kaede Yoru sighed. "Pass."
Obito frowned. "Coward!"
He charged. His technique was wild and unrefined.
Kaede Yoru casually sidestepped, placed a hand on Obito's shoulder, and spun him around. Obito lost his footing and landed on the ground with a thud.
Rin pinched her forehead.
Kurenai stared. "Is Obito really an Uchiha? Doesn't feel like it..."
The Uchiha name usually carried weight. Their students were top of every class. Obito, though...
Then, a voice cut in from the side.
"I can't pretend I didn't hear that."
Shisui stepped forward, his expression calm but serious.
"You're... Uchiha Shisui?!" Kurenai blinked.
He was the top student in all grades, recently having defeated a genin. His skills were nearly on par with Kakashi's, making him one of the only students in school with that level of recognition.