Naruto : Konoha Light

Konoha Academy

"Haha, thanks a lot for yesterday, Rin," said a boy wearing goggles, smiling awkwardly as he thanked the girl beside him.

"Hehe, don't mention it," Rin replied cheerfully, clasping her hands behind her back. Her face radiated youthful energy. "But next time, Obito, try to wake up earlier, okay? If you keep running late like yesterday, you might miss roll call entirely!"

Obito nodded rapidly, like a pecking chicken, then scratched his head, searching for a new topic. "Uh, hey, Rin, could you tell me about the other students again? I kinda forgot what you said yesterday..."

"Sure!" Rin stepped closer to Obito, lowering her voice slightly as she introduced their classmates. "That over there is Suzuki, and next to him is Iwai..."

However, Rin failed to notice that Obito wasn't listening at all. Instead, he was gazing dreamily at her profile, completely mesmerized.

"Hehe, Rin looks so cute when she blushes..." he thought to himself before suddenly freezing. "Wait—hold on! She's blushing at someone else?!"

Panic surged through Obito as he quickly snapped back to attention. "Uh, Rin! Who were you just talking about? I didn't catch that last part—who?"

"Oh, I was talking about Kakashi," Rin said with a soft giggle, glancing toward a white-haired boy standing nearby. Her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Wait, really?!" Obito's face fell instantly. "She's blushing because of that white-haired jerk?!" He sulked, grumbling under his breath. "Other than looking a little cooler than me, what's so special about him anyway?"

Rin playfully wagged her finger. "It's not just that! Yesterday, the teachers said Kakashi's talent is on par with that of Shimizu-senpai!"

"Shimizu-senpai? Where have I heard that name before..." Obito muttered, trying to recall. But before he could ask, a commotion erupted nearby.

"You little brat! You dare bump into me?!"

"I-I didn't mean to!"

"Ha! So you're saying I hit you on purpose, huh?"

"No, that's not what I meant—"

"Oh, so now you're saying I'M at fault?!"

A group of older students had surrounded a first-year student wearing a bright green jumpsuit, scolding him loudly.

"That's Might Guy!" Rin gasped. "Oh no, those fourth-year bullies love picking on the younger students."

Obito's blood boiled. "What?! Guy is in trouble?!" Without a second thought, he charged forward.

"Obito, wait!" Rin called after him, but he was already rushing into the scene.

The fourth-year bullies, seeing a new arrival, exchanged glances before smirking.

"Looks like this year's first-years are getting bold," one sneered. "First, this watermelon-head, and now another one? You wanna be a hero, kid?"

"That idiot Zhihui tried to be a hero last year too," another bully laughed.

"Zhihui...? Wait, these guys have been doing this for a while!" Obito clenched his fists.

Might Guy, still teary-eyed, gave Obito a thumbs-up. "Wow! You came to help me! This is the power of youth!"

Obito shuddered at Guy's overly enthusiastic reaction. "Why does this guy seem... off?"

Trying to ignore it, he turned to the bullies. "You guys better stop picking on him!"

The bullies whispered among themselves.

"Wait... isn't there a prodigy among the first-years this time?"

"Yeah, Hatake Kakashi or something. Could this be him?"

"Doesn't look like much..."

"Let's test him."

One of the bullies stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, Kakashi, you wanna play hero?"

"Wait—Kakashi?!" Obito shouted. "I'm NOT Kakashi! My name is Uchiha Obito!"

The bullies blinked at each other.

"Uchiha... Obito?"

"...Never heard of him."

Without hesitation, they lunged at Obito.

A few seconds later, Obito was lying face-down on the ground.

"Haha! What a weakling!" The bullies laughed.

Might Guy, still lying next to him, wiped away tears. "So touching... even though you had no chance, you still tried!"

Obito nearly coughed up blood. "This guy is seriously pissing me off!"

The other students watching felt angry but were too afraid to step in. Their only hope was the strongest first-year student—Hatake Kakashi.

But Kakashi, standing nearby, merely yawned and looked disinterested.

Just as things seemed hopeless, a firm voice rang out.

"That's enough!"

A tall boy with brown hair stepped onto the scene.

The bullies' expressions darkened. "Zhihui! Why do you keep interfering?!"

"Because I've decided to be a good person," Zhihui said calmly.

The bullies growled. "We'll deal with you first!"

Moments later, all the bullies were lying on the ground, defeated.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "He's strong."

Obito, now sitting up, cheered. "That's Zhihui! He's really tough!"

Might Guy nodded enthusiastically. "That was amazing!" Then he hesitated. "Wait, Obito... if you're an Uchiha, why are you so weak?"

Obito twitched violently, glaring at Guy. "...I'M STILL YOUNG, OKAY?!"

Zhihui turned to Kakashi, studying him. "I heard that there was a first-year student with talent equal to Shimizu-senpai. But after seeing you in person... you're not even close to him."

Kakashi frowned slightly. "You haven't even fought me yet."

Zhihui shook his head. "I don't need to. The difference in caliber is obvious."

Obito, curious, leaned in. "Caliber?"

Zhihui closed his eyes and spoke seriously. "If it were Shimizu-senpai, he wouldn't just stand there. He would act. Because he doesn't just see himself—he sees the whole world."

Kakashi remained silent, unwilling to argue.

Obito beamed. "Then what about me? Do I have high caliber?"

Zhihui hesitated before answering. "...You might just have a simple mind."

Obito's face darkened in despair.

Rin quickly stepped forward to change the subject. "Zhihui-senpai, thank you for helping us!"

Zhihui nodded. "Think nothing of it. Doing good deeds before my upcoming challenge only strengthens my resolve."

Might Guy perked up. "Challenge? Who are you going to fight, Senpai?!"

Zhihui took a deep breath. "The one who once guided me onto the right path... Shimizu!"