Afternoon.Ninja Academy.
Yoshino Taiga stood at the podium, lecturing loudly, but the students had little interest in his lesson. Whispered conversations filled the room.
"Aburame Shiki and Kakashi are so strong. I want to be like them."
"Kakashi's so pitiful today."
"Yeah… he lost. We should go cheer him up later."
Taiga didn't scold them. His own heart was still unsettled.
I didn't expect this… two geniuses in my class. I have to give the Third Hokage a full report.
But now wasn't the time to be emotional—he needed to write that report quickly and submit it as soon as classes were over.
During the break, after the morning's practical sparring, the students were filled with admiration for Kakashi and Aburame Shiki.
The strong were always respected.
A group of girls surrounded Kakashi, trying to console him.
"Kakashi, don't be sad. You're already amazing."
"Kakashi, keep your spirits up."
"Kakashi… I like you."
Something suspiciously unrelated had slipped in.
Kakashi looked irritated. He was trying hard to recall the sensation of using his Slash Wave technique, determined to master it before he faced Aburame Shiki again in their next spar.
But the constant chirping around him shattered his concentration.
He remembered his father, Hatake Sakumo, urging him to get along with his classmates at the academy… and for a moment he considered graduating early just to get some quiet.
But then he thought of Aburame Shiki—he didn't want to lose such a worthy rival.
On the other side, a pack of boys had gathered around Aburame Shiki.
"Damn it… I'm so jealous."
Shiranui Genma stared longingly at the girls fussing over Kakashi.
"Yeah, seriously," a few others agreed immediately.
Especially Uchiha Obito—his eyes were fixed on Nohara Rin, who was gently comforting Kakashi.
"One day… I'll become a genius too."
Obito let out a frustrated grumble.
Aburame Shiki pushed up his dark glasses."If you work hard and get stronger, you'll get attention too."
"It's impossible!" Shiranui Genma blurted the thought they all shared. "Who can compete with monsters like you and Kakashi?"
Today's spar had made the gap painfully clear. They'd always known Shiki and Kakashi were strong—but not that strong.
"How do you know unless you try?" Shiki said calmly. "I only trained secretly for the past few months. That's how I got this strong."
He spoke with conviction—not arrogance. He wanted his friends to take training seriously. The war wasn't far off, after all. Strength meant survival.
"Think about it," Shiki added, "how great would it feel to get stronger and have girls swooning over you?"
Uchiha Obito's imagination immediately betrayed him—Rin, blushing, running up to him, stealing shy glances…
"I—I'm going to work hard!" Obito declared loudly.
Shiranui Genma and Gekkō Hayate exchanged glances, then nodded. They couldn't back down after that.
Shiki felt genuinely relieved. If his friends grew stronger, their chances of surviving the coming Third Ninja War would rise.
"Let's all work hard. We probably won't have much free time left."
Yoshino Taiga dismissed the class. After all the students had left, he grabbed his report and rushed to the Hokage Building.
The Third Hokage took the document and read slowly.
He had already watched the entire fight between Aburame Shiki and Kakashi through his Telescope Technique.
The two ANBU who intervened mid-fight had been placed there by him, just in case something unexpected happened.
A faint smile curved the Third Hokage's lips as he read Taiga's carefully written report.
"Taiga, excellent work. This will help me greatly. Keep observing Aburame Shiki and Kakashi closely. Buds that carry the Will of Fire need mentors like you to cultivate them."
Yoshino Taiga felt his blood boil with excitement.
"I will uphold the Will of Fire with everything I have!"
The Third Hokage nodded. This is the Will of Fire.
But when he thought of Kakashi's Slash Wave, his expression darkened.
Hatake Sakumo was powerful, reliable, and deeply respected—too respected. Many in the village believed Sakumo should become Hokage.
This posed a real threat to the tradition of Hokage succession through master and student.
And now his son, Kakashi, was showing incredible potential. If left unchecked, Sakumo's prestige might grow even further.
Fortunately… Aburame Shiki defeating Kakashi at this moment had softened the impact of Kakashi using such an advanced technique at a young age.
"Promote Aburame Shiki's reputation as a prodigy," the Third ordered calmly. "Minimize the attention on Kakashi's Slash Wave."
The ANBU bowed and vanished instantly.
As academy students returned home, they told their parents about everything that had happened.
Parents cared deeply—out of love, and also because information about the academy often served as valuable intelligence.
When they heard Kakashi could already use his father's Slash Wave, they sighed in admiration. A tiger father truly does not breed a weak son.
In time, Kakashi might become another White Fang.
But when they heard Aburame Shiki had blocked that Slash Wave, their shock was even greater. Even if Kakashi's version wasn't as strong as Hatake Sakumo's, it was still personally taught by him.
For Shiki to block it… his strength was undeniable.
"Konoha truly is the cradle of geniuses. Namikaze Minato has just risen—and now two more prodigies appear: Aburame Shiki and Kakashi."
Shiki's reputation as a genius spread quietly across the village.
One by one, Konoha's clans learned of the Aburame's new prodigy.
In time, Aburame Shiki entered the awareness of the village's upper leadership.
His and Kakashi's performances soon reached the ears of Shimura Danzo.
"A genius… in the Aburame clan."Danzo's single visible eye narrowed.
This was a gift from the heavens. Danzo had always maintained a close relationship with the Aburame clan and often mentored their promising youth.
And from what he'd heard, Aburame Shiki was loyal enough to sacrifice himself for the sake of the younger generation.
To Danzo, that made him perfect for Root.
"Aburame Shiki is well-suited for Root," Danzo ordered. "Ryoma—go and invite him personally."
Aburame Ryoma accepted the mission without hesitation and headed straight to the Aburame compound.