"I know boys are all stubborn and competitive," Kushina said softly, her eyes flickering,
"but I don't want to see you get hurt. If it really doesn't work out… even becoming an ordinary person wouldn't be so bad."
Yuya froze for a moment.
An ordinary person?
That thought had never crossed his mind.
Even before awakening Vibration Release, when he couldn't properly use ninjutsu and was labeled a dead last, he had never once given up.
In his previous life, he had lived an unremarkable existence, only to die meaninglessly in an accident.
Now, reborn into a world he knew all too well—the world of Naruto—he refused to be ordinary again.
And after gaining this Vibration Release Kekkei Genkai, that resolve only grew stronger.
"I won't get hurt," Yuya said calmly, taking a deep breath.
His tone was steady and sincere.
Hearing this, Kushina felt a flicker of regret.
Had she gone too far?
Still… with no talent for ninjutsu, maybe Yuya really wasn't suited to be a ninja.
Thinking this, guilt crept into her heart. She silently resolved that if Yuya ever chose to stop being a ninja, she would protect him no matter what.
Not long after, the chūnin instructor entered the classroom. After a brief announcement, he led all the students outside to the training field.
Then he unfolded a prepared list and began calling out names.
Pairs of students stepped forward one after another to spar.
The shuriken and kunai provided were unsharpened training weapons. While this reduced the risk of fatal injuries, bleeding was still unavoidable.
After all, this was the Ninja Academy.
The ninja world was cruel.
Even though Konoha's system was far gentler than places like Kirigakure's "Bloody Mist" era, it would never raise fragile greenhouse flowers.
Yuya saw many familiar faces among the students.
Kushina was one of them.
So was Minato Namikaze, the undisputed prodigy—and Uchiha Mikoto, who in the future would become the mother of Itachi and Sasuke.
Of course, they were all only seven or eight years old.
Even so, Minato already stood out dazzlingly.
He was unquestionably the strongest in Yuya's class—and across the entire grade, no one could challenge him.
When Minato stepped onto the field, cheers erupted from the girls without restraint. His popularity was absurdly high.
Handsome looks, overwhelming talent, and natural strength—
Minato's treatment mirrored that of future legends like Uchiha Itachi or Uchiha Sasuke.
Yuya, in fact, resembled Itachi somewhat—aside from his pale silver hair.
When he had first enrolled, Yuya's popularity had rivaled Minato's.
But as his lack of ninjutsu talent became apparent and his classmates surpassed him one by one, his presence steadily faded.
When Minato defeated his opponent in just a few moves, the crowd erupted in cheers once more.
Kushina glanced at Yuya, feeling a little indignant on his behalf.
In effort and determination, Yuya wasn't inferior to Minato.
The gap between them existed for only one reason—
Talent.
Just as Kushina let out a quiet sigh, the chūnin instructor called out the next match.
"Next—Yuya, and Uchiha Izumiya. Step forward."
Kushina froze.
"What?! Why an Uchiha—and why Izumiya?!"
If Minato was the undisputed number one, then second place belonged to Uchiha Izumiya.
Even against Minato, Izumiya could last several exchanges. Aside from Minato, he was the strongest student in the class.
Pairing Yuya against him—
This was deliberate.
"There's definitely something wrong with this! Yuya, don't go—just surrender! That Uchiha guy will definitely—"
"No need."
Yuya gently patted Kushina's shoulder, interrupting her. He gave her a reassuring look.
"Don't worry. I won't get hurt."
There was a strange weight behind those words.
Kushina was momentarily stunned.
Yuya turned and walked calmly onto the field.
He knew very well this was intentional.
That chūnin instructor had never treated him kindly.
To many in Konoha, outsiders were potential enemies—resentment like that didn't fade easily.
Yuya's treatment in the village wasn't much better than Naruto's would be years later.
Not every teacher was like Iruka.
Especially after Yuya's ninjutsu performance dropped to the bottom of the class, the instructor began trying every possible way to force him out.
But school rules were strict.
Unless Yuya withdrew voluntarily, even a chūnin couldn't expel him outright.
"Yuya, are you sure you don't want to surrender?"
The instructor spoke deliberately. "If you get hurt, that wouldn't be good."
In his mind, the more pressure he applied, the less likely Yuya would surrender in front of everyone.
Once Izumiya beat him badly enough, Yuya would surely quit.
Yuya said nothing.
He simply looked at the instructor.
That calm gaze—
It made the chūnin's heart skip.
Such composure…
Such indifference…
This wasn't something a seven-year-old should possess.
"No need," Yuya said evenly. "You can start."
He turned to face Uchiha Izumiya.
From the sidelines, Kushina was shocked.
He really wasn't backing down.
"These people… every one of them treats Yuya worse than the last."
She clenched her fists, wanting to rush forward—but could only watch anxiously.
On the field, Izumiya stared down at Yuya with arrogance.
Seeing that Yuya hadn't surrendered, a trace of disdain crossed his face.
A dead last who can't even use ninjutsu thinks he can beat me?
If Yuya dared fight him, then Izumiya would make sure he remembered this lesson—
So that next time he heard the name Uchiha, he'd surrender immediately.
"Very well. Begin!"
The instructor announced.
The instant his voice fell—
Izumiya flicked his wrists.
Two stacks of shuriken appeared in his hands and were hurled forward.
Whoosh—!!
Eight shuriken turned into black afterimages.
Four targeted Yuya's vital points.
The remaining four sealed off every possible escape route.