Danzo's footsteps echoed angrily through the halls of the Hokage building.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"
With a harsh sweep of his cloak, Shimura Danzo slammed the door behind him.
The Third Hokage sighed, exhaling a plume of smoke from his long-stemmed pipe. His gaze drifted toward the massive stone visage of himself etched into the Hokage Rock.
"Tobirama-sensei… I wonder what you'd do."
In the silence, Hiruzen summoned an ANBU operative.
"Bring me the updated report on Uchiha Qingsi."
Moments later, a folder arrived—detailing everything about Qingsi's time in the academy so far.
The Next Day — Ninja Academy
"Next match: Hatake Kakashi versus Might Guy!"
The classroom buzzed as the white-haired Kakashi and the boisterous, green-clad Guy stepped into the training ring. They exchanged the customary seal of confrontation before launching into battle.
Obito, warming up nearby, rubbed his fists together.
He'd been training obsessively in recent days—eating clean, sleeping early, even shadowboxing behind the school building.
"Today's the day I prove myself!" he muttered.
From the sidelines, Genma Shiranui leaned in with a grin, a wooden senbon lazily held in his mouth.
"Don't embarrass yourself, Obito. Try to stay conscious this time."
"Hmph! Laugh now, but after today, no more calling me 'dead-last'!"
Obito puffed his chest and gave a confident thumbs-up.
His eyes darted around the crowd, searching.
"Where's Rin…?"
There she was—watching the match with a calm, gentle expression.
"This is my chance…"
"Next match: Uchiha Qingsi versus Uchiha Obito! Step forward."
Obito flinched as the instructor repeated his name.
"Ah! Coming, coming!"
He squeezed his way to the sparring ground, tripping over his own feet in his rush.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Obito smirked."No holding back!"
Qingsi simply nodded, returning the confrontation seal.
The moment it broke, Obito charged in with a wild punch.
Qingsi leaned slightly to the side—just enough to let the punch pass.
A spinning kick came next, but Qingsi blocked it with one arm and countered, grabbing Obito's ankle and slamming him toward the ground.
Obito twisted mid-air and flung a kunai.
Clang!
Qingsi deflected it with one of his own.
Back and forth they went—kunai against kunai, punch for punch. But it was clear: Qingsi was in control.
His movements were a bit stiff—it was his first time in real combat—but there was no panic, no struggle.
"So this is the class loser, huh…" Qingsi thought.
In the ninja handbook, Obito's stats were a measly 36—equal to pre-Chunin Exam Sakura.
He had heart, but his skill… wasn't there yet.
The crowd murmured.
"Two Uchiha going at it!""Who's stronger?""Bet it's Obito. He's been here longer."
"Kakashi," Rin whispered. "Who do you think wins?"
"Qingsi," Kakashi answered flatly, adjusting his scarf."He's more composed. And his physical conditioning has improved fast."
Rin blinked. "You think so too? He looks stronger than last week."
"He is," Kakashi replied."Qingsi compensates for his lack of experience with raw talent—and likely, private training."
Just then, Obito tried to create distance and flung three shuriken.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Qingsi deflected each one without breaking a sweat.
He hadn't even activated his Sharingan.
"Is that… all?" Qingsi asked calmly.
Obito growled. "Tch! I just let you hit me earlier, that's all!"
But his breath was already short. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
Qingsi, meanwhile, looked entirely at ease.
"Is this really a kid from the Land of Lightning…?" Obito thought, frustrated.
Before he could regroup, Qingsi lunged forward—kunai ready.
Obito barely managed to parry before a solid kick landed against his side.
Whump!
Obito hit the dirt with a grunt, wind knocked from his lungs.
Before he could sit up, a cold blade was at his neck.
"You lost," Qingsi said simply.
A beat of silence.
"Winner: Uchiha Qingsi," the instructor finally declared.
Gasps. Murmurs. Even a few stunned stares.
Qingsi calmly tucked his weapons away and stepped back into the crowd.
What most didn't see was the subtle glow in his footwork—he had just unlocked the entry:
[Trait Unlocked: Long-Distance Runner (White)]Effect: +5% leg strength.
Combined with his natural physique from the Yeyue clan, the boost gave him explosive kicking power.
And this was just the beginning.
The students looked at each other in shock.
"He's only been here a short time…""Is he… like Kakashi? A prodigy?"
Even the instructor, Haiya-ro, blinked in disbelief.
"Just how strong is this kid…?"