The girl sitting next to Lock was his deskmate, and also the very first classmate he met at the Ninja Academy. Honestly, the way they met was pure coincidence.
When the Academy first opened last semester, Kurenai's father had been sent on a mission, so she came to school alone. Being only four years old, she got lost on the way, but she happened to run into Lock, who showed her the way. Since then, the two had been stuck together.
For an adult it might sound ridiculous to get lost like that, but for a child barely out of toddler age, it was completely normal. In fact, most parents personally walked their kids to school for weeks before daring to let them travel on their own.
Because of that small incident, Kurenai grew to trust Lock deeply, and when the two became deskmates she only clung closer. Even though Lock's grades always scraped the bottom of the class, she never looked down on him. Instead, she constantly tried to help him.
"Lock-kun, you're taller than me now."
Her voice was happy and surprised. She tilted her head up slightly, realizing she had to look a little higher to meet his eyes. Lock, who had always hated being the shortest boy in class, grinned.
"I ate well and slept well this break. Guess it paid off."
Lock felt satisfied. His body had finally caught up, and though he still hated his name, the whole "shortest in class" problem was no longer hanging over him.
Before class started, Lock and Kurenai chatted softly. Well, mostly it was Kurenai talking about her holiday while Lock listened with a smile.
But that peaceful scene didn't last long.
"Kurenai, why are you hanging around with these two crane tails? They'll just drag you down. You should stay away from them."
A smug voice cut across their little bubble. A boy strutted over, his hair spiked and wild, his small face twisted in disdain. He didn't even look at Lock or Obito properly—just sneered—before softening his tone when addressing Kurenai.
"Who are you calling crane tails, huh? Afro boy, I'll kill you!"
Obito jumped to his feet, pointing dramatically.
The newcomer smirked. "You, obviously. Uchiha Obito—the bottom of the class."
Obito's face flushed red. "I can't stand this anymore—I'll beat you today!"
Before he could charge, Lock grabbed his arm. "Forget it. He's just a spoiled brat, not worth it."
That only made the boy angrier. He jabbed a finger toward Lock. "What did you just say, shorty?"
Lock twitched. Obito was bad enough, but this guy was on a whole other level. He was ready to teach him a lesson—until someone stepped in front of him.
Kurenai stood firm, one hand on her hip and the other pointing straight at the boy. "Asuma, I won't let you insult Fujiwara-kun!"
Right—Sarutobi Asuma. The Hokage's youngest son. Even as a kid he carried himself with that spoiled confidence.
"No one dares talk to me like that," Asuma snapped. "I'll make them pay!"
"Tch." Obito snorted. "If it wasn't for the Hokage's face, I'd have already knocked you flat."
Lock nearly tripped. Where does he even get this confidence from? Asuma was genuinely one of the top three in class. Obito was literally dead last. The gap between them was obvious, yet Obito still ran his mouth.
As expected, Asuma's temper exploded. "I don't need anyone to hold back because of my old man. Come on then—let's fight! Whoever chickens out is the Hokage's grandson!"
Lock could tell Asuma hated being known only as "the Hokage's kid." That kind of talk only pushed him further over the edge.
Before fists flew, Kurenai shouted, "Asuma! Obito! Stop it or I'll call Teacher Yagyu!"
That was enough to freeze both boys. As cocky as they acted, neither wanted punishment from their instructor. Asuma huffed and stalked away angrily.
"Why do you always have to provoke him?"
Another boy approached, a toothpick lazily dangling from his mouth. His eyes half-closed, he looked like he didn't care about anything.
"Genma," Lock greeted.
Shiranui Genma raised an eyebrow. "That guy's petty. If you keep poking him, he'll come after you sooner or later. And don't forget—his old man is the Hokage. You really want that trouble?"
Obito crossed his arms. "Hokage-sama's son or not, he can't do whatever he wants." His words were tough, but the twitch at the corner of his eye betrayed his nerves.
Lock just shrugged. "The Hokage doesn't waste time with kids' fights. Besides, Asuma's too proud to go whining at home."
Genma smirked, letting it drop.
Right then, another boy stepped forward from behind him. Silver hair, sharp eyes, an expression already too serious for his age. Hatake Kakashi.
"You all waste time arguing instead of training," he said flatly. "If you want to be shinobi, practice harder."
Obito immediately bristled. "What's it to you, huh? Shorty!"
Kakashi frowned. "Don't call me that. I'm not short."
He turned to Lock instead. "And stop giving me nicknames. It's rude."
Lock rolled his eyes. Oh, you'll earn plenty of nicknames in the future…
"It's just a joke," he said lightly.
Kurenai glanced between them, nervous. "Fujiwara-kun, maybe it's better not to call Kakashi names…"
Before she could finish, Obito waved his arms. "No way! That nickname's perfect for him. Way better than 'Stinky Face.'"
Kakashi's eye twitched. "You're the stinky face, crane tail."
"Fifty-fifty! Stinky face! Little brat!"
"Kakashi! Obito! Stop fighting—"
And so began another round of bickering between Konoha's future legends.