"Wha—!"
A chorus of gasps echoed across the training field. The students gawked at the sight before them. Moments ago, Lock had been buried to his neck by Kakashi's jutsu, seemingly defeated. Now, he stood calmly at Kakashi's back, kunai poised, while the "Lock" left in the ground crumbled into soil.
The air hung heavy with disbelief.
Kakashi froze, his eyes wide. The glow of triumph drained from his face, replaced by the sting of realization. The "loser" wasn't Lock—it was him.
He stared at the mud dummy with a hollow expression before letting out a low breath. "I… lost."
Lock lowered his kunai and gave Kakashi's shoulder a friendly pat.
"Don't take it so hard. You're not weaker than me. I just got the better of you with a trick."
He meant every word. Kakashi's strength, skill, and speed weren't inferior. What had decided the match wasn't raw power, but the way Lock had twisted Kakashi's expectations.
Kakashi met his gaze, eyes burning with fierce resolve.
"A loss is still a loss. But next time, I'll be the one who wins."
The determination in his young face sent a chill through Lock. For someone his age, Kakashi's eyes held a weight that felt almost frightening.
The rest of the class erupted into an uproar.
"Impossible… Lock actually beat Kakashi?"
"Unbelievable! Totally unbelievable!"
"Doesn't this mean he went from second-to-last in class… all the way to number one?"
The thought sent shivers through them. The same boy they'd written off as a nobody had just toppled the undisputed genius of the Academy. It was absurd, but none of them could deny what they'd just seen.
Yagyū-sensei cleared his throat awkwardly, face stiff. He had already begun declaring Kakashi the winner earlier and even scolded Lock for protesting. Now he felt as though the universe had smacked him across the face.
"Ahem… Fujiwara Lock is the winner of this match."
The announcement only fueled the frenzy. Obito and Kurenai rushed to Lock's side, cheering with excitement, while others scowled in frustration—especially those who had always measured themselves against Kakashi.
"Tch. Just a fluke."
Kakashi, however, had already composed himself. His gaze turned back toward Lock, curious. "That clone you used… what was it?"
The class leaned in. They all knew that lone Jutsu could only create illusions, not tangible objects. Objects, but Lock's double had been made of real earth.
Before Lock could reply, Yagyū-sensei spoke. His sharp eyes had caught it.
"That technique just now—it was Earth Style. An Earth Clone."
Lock nodded. "Yeah. Earth Style: Earth Clone Jutsu. You shape a body from soil and use it as a decoy."
Murmurs rippled through the group. Real ninjutsu. Not an illusion, not a trick, but an actual elemental technique.
Yagyū's face softened. "To already master Earth Style at your age… you've done very well, Lock. But don't grow complacent. Talent without humility leads only to ruin. Keep working hard."
Lock bowed his head respectfully. "I understand, sensei."
He wasn't really a child inside. He knew better than anyone how slim the line between pride and downfall could be. And besides, he wasn't under any illusion. He hadn't beaten Kakashi through sheer talent alone—Kakashi's genius far outstripped his own. The win had been a product of preparation, opportunity, and tactics.
Yagyū, satisfied, didn't press further. He didn't ask how Lock had learned ninjutsu—every shinobi had their secrets.
"Lock, you really stole the spotlight today," Obito muttered sourly once the crowd had begun to scatter.
His dream had always been to beat Kakashi, yet before he even got the chance, Lock had done it. Worse, Lock had been one of the weakest students just a semester ago. The gulf between them now felt like a canyon.
"It's not about stealing anything," Lock replied calmly.
Obito leaned closer, whispering conspiratorially. "C'mon, we're best friends, right? Teach me that Earth Style jutsu! If I learn it, I can finally beat Kakashi, too!"
Lock shot him a flat look. "You're dreaming. Do you really think one ninjutsu is all it takes to beat him? Even if I taught you, you'd just end up flat on your back."
It wasn't stinginess—ninjutsu was precious. Lock's father, a simple chunin before his death, had left behind only a handful of techniques. Earth Clone was one of the fewLocksk had been able to master. Sharing them lightly, even with a friend, wasn't something he could afford.
And Obito's thinking was far too naive. Today's victory hadn't come from the jutsu alone. If Obito relied on that, Kakashi would crush him without effort.
Obito sighed, shoulders slumping. "Fine. Guess I'll just have to train harder."
As an orphan within the Uchiha clan, he knew well how rare access to jutsu really was. Even in his own family, techniques were hoarded carefully. He understood why Lock couldn't share, though the frustration still burned.
"Fujiwara-kun, you were so cool back there!"
Kurenai's voice chimed in suddenly, her eyes shining. She stared at him with the wide-eyed admiration of a little girl watching her hero.
Lock scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Haha… thanks."
No one could know the effort hidden behind that so-called "coolness." He had learned Earth Clone only because his chakra nature aligned with earth and water, and because it was one of the simplest techniques in his father's notes. Without that luck, even this wouldn't have been possible.
But for now, he simply smiled, letting the others celebrate.