Although Lock hated his name, it wasn't without benefits. At the very least, it came with something special.
The Invisible Assassin Template.
That's right. Somehow, he had inherited the skills of the assassin from the game Dota 2. That template was his biggest cheat in this world. During the winter break, he had finally met the conditions and unlocked it.
Through this strange ability, he could level up, learn the assassin's skills and talents, and even acquire equipment that enhanced his strength.
Of course, it wasn't exactly like the game. Here in the Naruto world, the rules were different. Equipment and numbers were adjusted to fit reality, and things like experience and money worked in a much more complicated way.
Leveling required him to gain experience. Buying equipment required money. And experience could only be earned through defeating enemies. What exactly counted as an enemy, however, was something Lock hadn't yet figured out.
Money came even slower. Unlike the game where gold piled up by the second, here he only received a single coin each day. Aside from that, he could also earn coins by defeating opponents.
Right now, he was still stuck at Level 1. Over the holiday, he'd tried killing chickens, ducks, geese, even a stray dog—none of them gave him any experience. As for killing a person? He wasn't insane enough to try that, not while living in the middle of Konoha.
So while his template had endless potential, it wasn't something that would make him powerful overnight. Unless he found a reliable way to earn experience, he might be stuck at the bottom forever. And with only one coin earned per day, that was just three hundred sixty-five a year—barely enough for low-level gear. High-level equipment would take him ten, maybe twenty years to afford.
Still, Lock wasn't discouraged. He was only five years old. The Second Shinobi War had just ended, and there were still years before the Third would erupt. He had time to prepare.
Because the winter break lasted more than a month, the first class of the new term was mostly review from last semester.
The Ninja Academy's curriculum was simple—basic knowledge and fundamentals. After all, half of the students would never even become shinobi.
In theory, Lock was top of the class. His mind, sharpened by living two lives, was far beyond his peers, even beyond prodigies like Kakashi. But theory wasn't everything. He still struggled badly in practical training.
One class lasted about an hour, and there were four per day—two in the morning, two in the afternoon—leaving plenty of time for free activity.
The first hour passed quickly. Lock and Obito had been forced to stand at the back for being late, but Lock had no trouble enduring it. To his embarrassment, Obito had actually fallen asleep while standing.
"Next, everyone gather at the training ground. The next class will be outdoor combat practice. Don't forget your gear."
At those words from their instructor, Yagyu-sensei, the classroom erupted in cheers. They were still children, and nothing beat escaping the walls for the training field.
The cheers startled Obito awake, and he let out a panicked cry that echoed over everyone else's voices.
"Obito!"
A wave of groans and angry shouts followed, the class clearly fed up with his antics.
Ninja Academy – Training Ground #1
Lock couldn't help but smirk at Obito, who was still rubbing his sore hands. Yagyu-sensei had smacked him ten times as punishment, and now Obito grumbled bitterly beside him.
"Why is it only me? We were both late. Why didn't he punish you too?" Obito muttered, sulking.
Lock only shook his head. Sometimes, he really couldn't believe this was the same Obito who would one day grow into the man called Madara's successor. Love must truly change a person completely.
"Fujiwara-kun, why do you still hang around with Obito? He always drags you down."
A soft, hesitant voice spoke up beside him. Lock turned and saw a girl with striking red eyes watching him with a faint blush on her cheeks.
Before he could answer, Obito jumped in, flustered. "Hey! Kurenai, what are you talking about? I don't drag him down. If anything, I'm the one holding him up!"
Kurenai Yuhi, daughter of a well-known genjutsu family, puffed her cheeks and shot back, louder this time, "That's not true! You're the one who drags him down, Obito. Don't forget—you're the very last in class!"
Obito instantly deflated, like a punctured balloon. He muttered weakly, "So what? Lock isn't much better than me…"
"I don't care—he's still stronger than you!" Kurenai snapped back firmly.
Lock chuckled, stepping between them before Obito embarrassed himself further. He reached out and gently ruffled Kurenai's hair.
"Don't worry about him, Kurenai. And… looks like your hair's grown a little since last time."
"R-Really? Are you sure?" Her cheeks flushed even deeper. Forgetting her anger, she eagerly tugged at her own strands, comparing their length.
"Yeah," Lock said with a faint smile. "Definitely longer."