Konoha's Academy.
Outside the teaching block, at the training field.
A handsome black-haired boy flicked his wrist with effortless grace.
Shuriken gleamed coldly, slicing the air before thudding into the target's center.
He turned, and the Uchiha fan on his back caught the sunlight like a polished mirror.
"So cool, Sasuke!"
Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino led a gaggle of girls in full cheer squad mode, crowding around Sasuke with squeals of admiration.
"Tch, what's so great about that…"
Not far away, Naruto Uzumaki mimicked Shikamaru Nara's lazy posture, chewing on a leaf with bitterness thick in his chest.
He didn't notice a blue-haired Hyūga girl sneaking glances his way, her shy eyes drifting toward him.
"Woof! Woof!"
"Easy, Akamaru," Kiba Inuzuka said, feeding his white puppy kibble before rubbing his head.
Choji Akimichi stuffed chips into his mouth by the handful, cheeks puffed. For his clan, burning fat into chakra was training in itself.
"Hey, Teacher Kazama's fighting someone!"
A snot-nosed boy came running, instantly drawing attention.
Kazama-sensei? Fighting?
Kazama Etsu was one of the few jōnin-level instructors at the Academy.
He was rumored to have fought in the Third Great Ninja War before retiring with injuries.
Strong, experienced, and carrying both the role of admissions officer and year director. Cold, aloof, absurdly handsome, adored by the girls
And despised by the boys.
The undisputed number one on their "Teachers Who Deserve a Beating" list.
"Who's he fighting? Where?"
"With this really pretty girl, about my height. She's… blind, I think? It's happening in the training field. Lots of teachers are already watching!"
He gestured wildly over his head.
"Blind?"
Smack!
A taller boy cuffed him on the back of the head. "Blind? That's not a fight, that's Teacher Kazama bullying a disabled girl!"
The messenger rubbed his head and muttered, "But it's true… and Kazama-sensei's kind of losing."
Huh?
Gasps spread through the group.
"No way! Let's go see!"
Naruto felt a jolt of recognition.
Could it be… Konome?
Konome fighting Kazama-sensei?
Would she get hurt?
Thinking of the friend he'd made at Ichiraku Ramen, he scrambled to his feet and dashed after the crowd.
Even Sasuke and lazy Shikamaru found their curiosity sparked. Jōnin battles weren't something you saw every day, least of all from Kazama Etsu, who was always cold and untouchable. They rushed to join the stampede.
In no time, the training ground was swarming.
…
A moment later, Iruka Umino returned from the restroom, still rubbing his stomach.
The practice field was empty. The students were gone, only a scatter of kunai lying abandoned on the ground.
He scratched his head. "Huh? Did I walk into the wrong place? Where did everybody go?"
From directly ahead, Shino Aburame adjusted his sunglasses. Beneath his high collar, his hidden face was even more puzzled than Iruka's.
"…Am I not a person?"
…
A few minutes earlier.
At the center of the training field, the Academy teachers had already formed a semicircle, whispering to each other.
"What's going on?"
"I heard the blind girl wanted to enroll. Kazama-sensei said no, so now they're fighting."
"Really? I heard she's actually Kazama's illegitimate daughter, here to confront him."
"…?"
Might Guy stood right at the front, tense as he watched Konome and Kazama face off.
He'd already learned from the crowd that Kazama was a wind-style jōnin, a veteran of the Third War, powerful and seasoned.
And Konome?
Only six years old, frail, blind. By all logic, she'd lose even to one of the Academy students.
The gap between them was heaven and earth.
He didn't believe she could win. But he wouldn't stop her either.
No one had the right to stop another from chasing their dream. As family, all he could give was support, encouragement, and comfort if she failed.
As long as Konome endured, showed her willpower, she could earn admission just like he had.
"Eh? Guy? What are you doing here?"
An old teacher who had once taught him recognized the familiar haircut.
"Teacher Mitsuda, I… I'm bringing my daughter to school."
"You've got a daughter already? Time flies! Which class? What's her name?"
"Uh… her name's Konome… and she's, well, the one fighting Kazama-sensei right now…"
He pointed at the tiny figure in the arena.
Seeing the strange look on the teacher's face, he scratched awkwardly at his bowl-cut, unsure how to explain.
Kazama ignored the noise, his green eyes fixed on the blind girl before him.
"If you can touch me even once, I'll give you a chance to take the entrance exam."
The disdain in his voice didn't faze Konome.
Beneath her blindfold, veins bulged around her eyes.
Chakra level: high jōnin.
Muscles and bones: average.
No special tools, only thirteen kunai and shuriken. Old fractures in the shinbone, scars in the hand's meridians inflicted by… wind release?
Conclusion: unknown wind-style ninjutsu requires caution. Everything else no threat.
"Ready?"
She asked the question calmly, turning the tables.
Kazama gave no reply. The faint smile vanished, his face sinking back into still waters.
Ninja Code, Rule Seven:
No matter the opponent, discard emotion and distraction. Focus only on battle.
He lowered his stance and lunged.
Fast. His feet made no sound, like a drifting breeze.
I'll show you why the blind cannot be shinobi.
He reached for her neck, fingers closing in, close enough to feel the heat of her skin.
Thud.
Her cane struck the ground. With a deep crack, water erupted from beneath the tiles, surging like a wave and crashing toward him.
So fast Water Release?
She can see?
When did she form the seals?
Kazama had no time for doubt. His fingers hooked, tearing through the surge of water.
Splash!
The flood broke into spray.
Konome's eyes narrowed.
Droplets in midair froze under the Byakugan's control, shaping into a cloud of shimmering water needles, hanging in deadly suspension.
Her slender fingers curled into a claw. She pointed her index finger straight at Kazama's brow.
Buzz.
The needles quivered, vibrating as if some unseen force rippled through them.
Half a heartbeat later, they fired.
The sky vanished behind a storm of needles. Kazama's green eyes went wide.
This blind girl
She wasn't forming hand seals at all!
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