Enrollment
> "As expected of my younger brother—youth must be courageous and ever-forward-looking!"
> "In that case, pursue your youth to the fullest!"
When Bai Ye declared his intention to enroll in the Ninja Academy this year, both Guy and Duy agreed without hesitation, flashing their trademark thumbs-up and dazzling smiles.
"You're already strong enough," Guy said confidently. "Don't worry—you'll pass the entrance exam for sure!"
Noticing the troubled look on Bai Ye's face, Guy assumed he was anxious about passing. He strode over and gave Bai Ye a firm pat on the shoulder.
"Guy's right," Duy added, approaching with his usual calm warmth. "Your current strength already surpasses Guy's when he first enrolled. Even though your chakra growth has slowed recently, you still have more than enough to qualify."
He bent down and pulled both of them into a fatherly hug, radiating the kind of warmth that defined Might Duy.
"Actually," Bai Ye said softly, "I'm not worried about the exam. I'm just wondering… what if I still can't solve this chakra growth issue after enrollment?"
His voice trembled slightly, though he buried the anxiety behind a smile as he reached out to return the hug. The warmth of home was real, but so was the weight he carried inside.
"You're a genius," Guy said enthusiastically. "Not like me or Father—we could only grit our teeth and train in taijutsu. But you—just last year, you developed two jutsu that don't even require hand seals! The Sandaime praised you when he heard about it!"
Bai Ye smiled bitterly. He wasn't a genius—not really. All those so-called techniques had come from his Zanpakutō. Without it, he wouldn't have achieved any of that.
And now that the Zanpakutō's experience gauge had maxed out, it offered no further guidance. Perhaps this was his real self—the version without any external help.
"Guy is right," Duy continued. "I've been a Genin my whole life, and I can't perform ninjutsu or genjutsu either—but that hasn't stopped me from protecting this village with everything I have."
He gently rested his hands on their heads, ruffling their hair with a calm, paternal affection.
"You're still young, Bai Ye. Your body hasn't reached its peak yet. One day, I'll teach you a technique that makes up for everything else. Even with just taijutsu… you can still become an amazing shinobi."
Bai Ye's eyes lit up. Guy, naturally, started shouting about wanting to begin another round of training.
"You're right," Bai Ye said, fists tightening. "Even if my chakra is growing slowly, my body is still improving. If I can open the Seventh Gate before the Third Shinobi War… I might actually be able to change something."
The idea reignited his fighting spirit. With lower chakra reserves, the physical damage from opening the gates would also be reduced—giving him longer endurance in battle. If mastered, the Eight Gates could still make him a fearsome warrior.
---
The next morning, Guy excitedly dragged Bai Ye to the Ninja Academy for the entrance exam. Duy had taken a temporary mission and couldn't accompany them, but he left with firm instructions: Take good care of your brother.
For Bai Ye, this was his first time venturing into the heart of the Hidden Leaf. To make training easier, Duy had deliberately chosen a remote hut for their home—isolated from the bustling village life. Over the past two years, Bai Ye had trained relentlessly, with virtually no interaction beyond Duy and Guy.
He walked like a country boy seeing the city for the first time—eyes wide, heart cautiously open.
Along the way, whispers filled the air:
"Hey, did you hear? The Uchiha clan has a little prodigy—they say she's not even four, and she's already enrolling!"
"That's nothing. I heard the Hyūga branch has a genius child, and he hasn't even been marked with the Caged Bird Seal yet."
"What? That can't be right. Isn't that against protocol?"
"Well, Lord Hizashi has no children yet. With war looming, the clan elders are considering preserving a backup branch heir early…"
"Sounds crazy. But apparently other clans are producing geniuses too. This year's class is going to be brutal."
Bai Ye listened quietly, absorbing every bit of information. That Hyūga child—was it the one whose Byakugan would later be taken by Ao of Kirigakure? He also heard several names he didn't recognize, likely children who would perish in the upcoming war or during the Nine-Tails' rampage.
---
Bai Ye did well in the entrance exam. At an age when most children had barely begun chakra control, his taijutsu stood out—earning him fifth place.
"Tch… these kids are monsters," he muttered, eyeing the rankings. "They've already started learning ninjutsu. If I hadn't been grinding taijutsu this past year, I'd be dead last."
The top student had already mastered C-rank ninjutsu, which underscored the difference between true prodigies and the rest.
"As expected! Bai Ye, you're doing better than I did!" Guy beamed. "Although… last year we had someone even scarier—Hatake Kakashi. He pulled off multiple C-rank jutsu during the exam. I've made him my eternal rival!"
As usual, Guy was burning with youth and challenge.
Time passed, and Bai Ye was nearing five. Kakashi had already graduated by then. Over the year, Bai Ye's school ranking declined steadily.
In the beginning, he'd been confident in his ability to adapt. After all, he'd used Kidō techniques like Hadō and Bakudō with ease in his past life. But now, even low-level jutsu seemed out of reach.
Reality hit hard.
Maybe he really was Duy's biological child—zero ninjutsu aptitude, zero genjutsu talent.
At first, he tried to study harder. But with minimal chakra reserves, even the simplest techniques were too weak to matter. Just like Kidō—without powerful spiritual pressure or advanced mastery, it lacked any real power. And chanting-less casting took years of practice.
Eventually, Bai Ye gave up on ninjutsu altogether. He decided to devote himself fully to taijutsu. The Eight Gates were plenty powerful.
He trained intensely every day and often slept through classes. As his rank dropped into the bottom ten, he became an invisible figure—mocked by some, ignored by most.
One boy, Aburame Shiichi, regularly harassed him. A year older, he'd ranked sixth in the entrance exam and constantly mocked Bai Ye's performance.
"You're a waste—why are you still here?"
But Bai Ye never responded. His time was too precious. He couldn't be bothered with childish taunts.
One key reason for his low rank: he never removed his training weights, not even during strength tests. He was constantly pushing himself to the brink.
A teacher once noticed this and offered to test his strength properly, but Bai Ye declined.
"Even without the weights," he said, "I wouldn't reach the top ten. So what's the point?"
Because of his early achievements and now declining performance, he gained a reputation as someone with talent but no discipline. A wasted prodigy.
Aside from Shiichi's provocations, no one really interacted with him.
Time crawled on. Two months ago, Guy graduated and became a Genin. Bai Ye, now dead last in his class, began training alone.
But whenever Guy returned from missions, they would test each other again—seeing how much they had grown apart and together.
---
Like today.
"Yo! Bai Ye—I'm back!" Guy's voice echoed as Bai Ye returned home from school. "Let's spar! Let's make it youthful and intense!"
Bai Ye sighed, setting down his bag. "Alright, Brother Guy. The usual place—you go ahead, I'll catch up."
His lips curled into a rare smile. No matter how the world looked at him, Guy and Duy never changed.
And in their eyes, he was already strong.