"Reiji, you really haven't learned any jutsu? Not even the simplest of the Three Basic Jutsu?"
Reiji shook his head.
"Ōzora-sensei, I really don't know any ninjutsu."
"What about chakra extraction?" Nakaryū Ōzora still didn't give up.
Reiji shook his head again.
Nakaryū Ōzora paused, then let out a sigh.
"It's fine. If you don't know, you'll just learn step by step. Luckily, you only skipped into second grade, not third. You've still got time to catch up, so don't get discouraged."
His expression grew serious.
"Don't worry, Reiji, as your teacher, I'm not going to sit back and let you fall too far behind the others."
Reiji suddenly had a bad feeling.
Nakaryū Ōzora's next words confirmed it.
"Here's what we'll do—starting tomorrow, you'll stay behind two hours after school every day. I'll tutor you one-on-one, and you can use that time to train until you're caught up."
Reiji was stunned.
What the hell? School ends at 3:30 and you want me here until 5:30?
Sensei, don't you have a girlfriend or a wife to go home to?
Even if you don't, I do! I need to go work the forge at Old man Ippongi's place!
I have to support myself and Rie!
Oh, crap!
Just thinking about how much time he wasted every day at the Ninja Academy made Reiji's scalp tingle.
"Uh… Sensei, can I talk to you about something?"
"Go ahead!"
"Uh, Ōzora-sensei, is it okay if I skip the practical training class and use that time for extra lessons instead? I mean, the practical class is just fighting all the time. Honestly, it's kind of boring."
The moment Reiji said he wanted to skip the practical class, Nakaryū Ōzora's brows tightened.
What do you think this is, a school for training office assistants? Even Medical-nin have to take practical classes!
Nakaryū Ōzora was about to refuse outright when a smug voice cut in.
"New kid?"
"Heh~ The way you act all arrogant, you're like some clown desperate for attention."
Reiji acted like he hadn't heard the taunt at all. He kept his head tilted, still looking at Nakaryū Ōzora with hopeful eyes.
Nakaryū Ōzora heard it too, his brow twitching as he instinctively looked toward the voice.
When he saw who it was, his frown deepened.
Ryōta Uchiha. One of the top students in the class. Great grades, sure, but with that typical Uchiha arrogance that made him incredibly unpopular.
Ryota saw Reiji ignoring him completely and felt a wave of humiliation rise up inside.
At that age, nothing mattered more than proving yourself.
It was also the peak of self-centeredness.
Even with Nakaryū Ōzora standing right there, Ryota showed no hesitation.
After all, his uncle was none other than Kagami Uchiha, the Hokage's personal disciple!
Reiji had no idea this unlucky kid was related to Kagami Uchiha—but even if he did, he wouldn't have cared.
He might just be an undercover agent, but the only one in Konoha he considered a match in strategy was the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.
It wasn't that Reiji looked down on Konoha's top brass—just that people who relied too much on brute strength often let their brains rot.
Take Black Zetsu, for example. He wasn't all that powerful, but how did he pull off so many elaborate schemes? Simple—he used his brain.
That's why Reiji didn't respect any of those so-called bloodline prodigies from the original story.
The ones he did admire were Tobirama Senju, the tragic Uchiha Itachi, and the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi.
Ryota was fuming. His young face twisted with rage.
"Ōzora-sensei, let me fight him! Let's see what he's really made of!"
Ryota pointed at Reiji, sneering.
Nakaryū Ōzora felt a headache coming on.
It wasn't that he was upset over a kid's cocky remark—what bothered him was how the Uchiha all seemed to share this inflated ego.
Some walked around with permanent scowls, looking twice their age.
Others, like Ryota, were just obnoxious, unable to tolerate even a bit of indifference.
...
On the training field, the small commotion quickly drew attention.
Students began stopping what they were doing, gathering in twos and threes. Among them were plenty of Ryota's fangirls.
It wasn't about being shallow or superficial. The Uchiha name alone drew crowds wherever they went.
Still, with teachers present, the girls didn't dare squeal out loud.
Even so, they glared at Reiji like he owed them a blood debt.
With his fan club backing him up, Ryota grew even more smug, looking at Reiji with self-satisfaction written all over his face.
"New guy, I'll let you use both hands—I'll only use one."
As he said that, he casually put one hand behind his back, earning cheers from the circle of fangirls.
Reiji remained unfazed.
He didn't want to engage. Getting involved with people like this felt like letting his brain rot by association.
After all, people like Naruto were masters at dragging their opponents down to their level and beating them with pure experience.
Seeing that Reiji stood stiff as a board, not even sparing him a glance, Ryōta Uchiha immediately grew furious.
"You asked for this!"
With that, he shoved Reiji hard from behind.
Reiji was caught off guard and stumbled forward.
As Reiji looked like he was about to fall, Ryōta's eyes lit up with delight.
Hah! Keep pretending! Let's see you eat dirt and keep up that act!
Nakaryū Ōzora hadn't expected Ryōta to be so brazen—he dared to bully a classmate right in front of a teacher.
Still, maybe a little scare would do Reiji some good. Might make him stop whining about skipping combat training.
In the crowd, the white-haired boy who had been knocked over earlier was already up, covered in dust and silently preparing to help Reiji.
But just as Reiji was about to fall, he suddenly stepped forward with his right foot.
Boom!
A deafening crash echoed out as Reiji's foot slammed into the ground.
In the next instant, a three-meter-wide concave crater spiderwebbed with cracks formed beneath him. The air pressure burst out from his right foot, kicking up a cloud of dust in all directions.
Everything went still, like someone had hit pause.
Ryōta, still standing smugly behind Reiji with his arms crossed, froze. His grin vanished. Sweat poured down his face, mixing with the dust in the wind, making him look utterly ridiculous.
"M-Monster...!"
A chubby little boy in the circle suddenly pointed at Reiji and screamed at the top of his lungs.
All around, the sound of dry gulps echoed one after another.
In the crowd, a pretty girl with a high golden ponytail stared wide-eyed at the cracked ground beneath Reiji's feet, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead in disbelief.
A monster... this guy's strength is insane!
Even among the Senju Clan, famous for their physical prowess, no one at Reiji's age had this kind of raw power.
And he hadn't even charged up—no windup, no sprint. He'd just instinctively stepped forward!
Nakaryū Ōzora, standing right beside him, was even more stunned.
This wasn't just some dirt lot—the academy grounds were reinforced earth, packed and hardened for real combat use.
Even sixth-years, already proficient in ninjutsu and taijutsu, couldn't cause this kind of damage.
He stared at the ground, his heart pounding.
To be blunt, even his best jutsu wouldn't leave this kind of mark.
Nearby, the white-haired boy dropped back onto his butt, eyes wide as saucers. "So awesome!" he muttered in awe.
Reiji slowly straightened up.
Nakaryū Ōzora immediately appeared in front of the now-terrified Ryōta.
Shoving might count as roughhousing, but that stomp? That was beyond broken bones.
If something like that landed on someone, there'd be only one outcome—death.
The two other shinobi nearby reacted just as fast. One flashed between Reiji and Ryōta, while the other grabbed Ryōta, who had already gone stiff with fear, and pulled him back, eyes alert.
Reiji stood silent, staring down at the cracked ground, face blank. Then he abruptly turned and looked at Nakaryū Ōzora.
Nakaryū Ōzora felt like a wild beast had locked eyes on him. Cold sweat broke down his spine as he instinctively stepped into a defensive stance.
But then Reiji's blank expression twisted—and turned into an awkward, stiff smile.
"Ōzora-sensei, uh... I'm a blacksmith, so it's totally normal for me to have a bit of strength.
That said... I don't have to pay for this, right?"
The whole crowd broke into a cold sweat and toppled backward like dominoes.
Are you seriously talking about compensation right now!?
What the hell is wrong with this guy!?
Monster! What is going on in his brain!?
This is too much! Mom, I wanna go home!
Everyone was reeling.
Only the white-haired kid stood up cheerfully and patted Reiji on the shoulder.
Everyone flinched again.
"New guy, of course you don't have to pay! I saw it all—Ryōta Uchiha pushed you. If anyone's paying, it's him."
Reiji's eyes lit up, and he threw an arm around the dusty white-haired kid.
"Brother, that's exactly right! Out of everyone here, you're the only one with a sense of justice!"
The white-haired kid burst out laughing, pounding his chest proudly.
"Obviously!"
Reiji couldn't help but grin too.
This kid had gotten roughed up earlier and didn't even get mad. He'd been the first to try and help when Reiji fell. Warm-hearted guy, through and through.
"Hey, what's your name, good buddy?" Reiji asked.
"Haha! Watch closely!"
The white-haired brat let go, bounced back a couple steps, then struck a cocky pose—standing on one leg, right hand outstretched.
"Yo! I'm Jiraiya-sama!"