The next day was the weekend, which meant there were no classes at the Ninja Academy.
So Gen Uchiha decided to go for a walk.
He followed the Naka River all the way toward the mountains behind Konoha. Fallen leaves lay scattered across the trail as Gen strolled over the stones beside the stream beneath the afternoon sun.
Along the way, he picked up several smooth pebbles, casually wrapped each one in a thin layer of flame, and tossed them into the water. The sparks vanished the instant they touched the stream.
The roar of water grew louder ahead.
A white waterfall plunged into a deep pool, filling half the stone platform below with drifting mist.
This was Gen's destination.
In the original story, this was where Shisui Uchiha would one day die.
There was no deeper reason for coming here. Gen had simply been bored and wanted to see the place for himself.
Except...
Someone was already here.
Within the curtain of mist, Kakashi leaned against a weathered rock beneath the waterfall. His mask covered half his face, while his left hand loosely held a specially made short sword.
Again and again, he swung it into the falling water.
Blade wind sliced through the curtain, scattering droplets in every direction until his clothes were soaked.
Gen stopped beneath the shade of a nearby tree without interrupting him.
The next moment, Kakashi lowered his stance and tightened his grip.
His wrist snapped sideways.
The slash tore through the entire waterfall.
For one impossible instant, the rushing water was severed in midair. The upper half stalled at the cliff's edge while the lower half crashed into the pool below, sending a vast cloud of white mist into the air.
"Hatake Style: Severing Current!"
Kakashi's cool voice rang out through the roar of the divided waterfall.
Only after enough water gathered above did the flow finally resume, pouring down the cliff once more.
Kakashi lowered his sword.
Droplets ran down the blade and fell from its tip onto the wet stone, forming tiny circles among the puddles.
Mm. Cutting a waterfall in half with one swing.
Normal.
After lowering his weapon, Kakashi turned his head and noticed Gen beneath the tree.
The two boys stared at each other across the drifting mist, with the thunder of the waterfall filling the silence between them.
"Why didn't you graduate early?"
After a moment, Kakashi was the first to speak.
"?"
Gen raised an eyebrow.
He and Kakashi... were not exactly close, were they?
So what was with the faint resentment in that question?
"With your strength, you shouldn't need to stay at the Academy playing children's games."
When Gen did not answer, Kakashi continued.
Looking at him, Kakashi remembered something his father had said shortly after he entered the Academy.
"Is that your classmate, Kakashi? His hands... are well suited for swordsmanship. No, that child has probably already begun training with a blade.
"And those muscle patterns... that's the result of the Uchiha's Fire Style swordsmanship, isn't it? Kakashi, you'll have to work hard. That boy should already be considerably stronger than you."
An Uchiha...
Whom his father believed to be far stronger than him.
Kakashi trusted his father's judgment completely.
Sakumo Hatake was known throughout Konoha for possessing an exceptionally discerning eye.
Because of that, Kakashi had always believed there was a very real chance that he could not defeat Gen as he was now.
That was why he had trained so desperately—to surpass him.
What Kakashi could not understand was why someone with Gen's strength would remain in the Ninja Academy and continue playing at being a student with those boring classmates.
"Why would I graduate early? I get a few peaceful years to train without being bothered. Why would I rush out just so I can spend every day running tedious missions like a wage slave? I'd rather stay in the starter village and grind until I'm absurdly overleveled."
Gen shrugged as he answered.
He had never considered graduating early.
With the Check-In System, he could spend the next few years safely developing while still an Academy student.
This shinobi world was clearly abnormal.
There was nothing wrong with playing it safe.
"I don't understand half of what you're saying, but I can tell you have no ambition. You know swordsmanship too, don't you? Fight me."
Kakashi frowned.
He had not understood several of Gen's strange terms, but the overall meaning was obvious enough.
Once he realized Gen had no intention of graduating early, Kakashi raised his short sword and pointed it toward him.
He had wanted to fight Gen ever since Sakumo made that remark.
He simply had never acted on that desire.
But now that they had happened to meet here...
He was not about to waste the opportunity.
"Sorry. Not interested. Since someone's already here, I'll go find somewhere else to wander around."
Gen's lips curled slightly as he looked at Kakashi standing there with his sword raised.
Then he simply turned and walked away, leaving Kakashi behind in silence, fingers tightening around the hilt of his blade.
Gen had no obligation to become someone else's sparring partner.
After leaving what he had personally decided to call the Waterfall of Shisui's Death, Gen followed the river back toward the Uchiha compound.
As he walked, two unidentified green creatures flashed past him so quickly that they almost seemed to vanish.
A gust of wind swept over Gen.
His expression remained perfectly calm.
"..."
Nothing unusual.
They were simply running a little fast at full speed.
Morning Peacock, Daytime Tiger, Evening Elephant, Night Guy.
Gen could not help wondering what kind of sight the Eighth Gate of Death would produce in a shinobi world like this.
Surely it could not kick a normal Ten-Tails to death in one blow...
Well.
Maybe it actually could.
Still, a world like this was interesting, wasn't it?
Especially when he had cheats of his own.
Walking along the river with the breeze against his face, Gen looked up at the sky.
He was looking forward to seeing just how many extraordinary sights this bizarre shinobi world had to offer.
"Ohohoho! Lap two hundred and thirty-eight! Come on, Guy! Can you feel the beauty of youth burning inside you?! Faster! Faster! Faster!"
"OSU! Dad! I can feel it! Youth! Burn brighter! Faster! Faster! Faster! Hahahahaha!"
"...Forget it. I'm going home."
Listening to the wind howling in the wake of the two figures—and their passionate screams about youth—Gen silently changed direction and headed home.