Faint traces of fire still clung to Leo's body, and the skin of his forearm bore light scorch marks.
He stood motionless like an ancient statue—one punch breaking through a C-rank ninjutsu. It was simply unbelievable.
The surroundings were dead silent, but Leo paid no attention to the others. A series of system notifications echoed in his mind.
Ding! EXP +10!
Ding! EXP +25!
Ding! EXP +40!
Ding! EXP +30!
Throughout his battle with Uchiha Tsuki, his experience points had been rising rapidly—adding up to more than 190 in total.
Especially that last punch which knocked Tsuki out cold—it alone had rewarded him with over 60 EXP.
Current EXP: 195 / 1000
One thousand was the amount needed to reach Level 3 from Level 2.
Right now, only his Observation Haki had reached Lv2; both his Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki could still be upgraded.
But this was not the time for that.
"Leo!" Kushina ran toward him, her small lips pressed tightly together.
Tears shimmered in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks—but they were tears of relief, not sorrow.
"Idiot!" she cried.
Leo blinked in mild surprise at her reaction, but simply replied,
"I'm fine."
"Idiot, your arm is burned!" Kushina said angrily, tears welling again.
Their teacher finally recovered from the shock, giving Leo a long, serious look before speaking.
"Minato, Kage, take some of the boys and carry Uchiha Tsuki to the infirmary. Everyone else, you're dismissed."
Kage—full name Hyūga Kage—was a branch member of the Hyūga clan.
Together with Namikaze Minato, he led several classmates to move the unconscious Uchiha Tsuki.
Tsuki's eyes had rolled back white, his mouth gaping wide—Leo's punch had quite literally knocked the air out of him.
The rest of the students dispersed slowly, but their gazes lingered on Leo.
After today, his name would spread through the entire Ninja Academy.
No one would ever again think of him as an average student—he was a genius.
A genius who could shatter a C-rank ninjutsu with a single punch.
"Kushina, why are you still here?" the teacher asked sternly.
"Teacher, I…" she began, hesitating.
"Go back to class first," Leo said quietly. His mature mind could tell the teacher wanted a private word.
"Oh." Kushina nodded obediently and slowly left.
The training field fell silent again, now occupied only by Leo and the instructor. The air grew heavy, filled with unspoken tension.
The teacher finally broke the silence.
"Leo, I didn't expect you to defeat Uchiha Tsuki. It's my failure as your teacher not to have recognized your potential earlier."
Leo said nothing.
The teacher continued,
"Don't blame me for seeming indifferent to you before. You're from another village, and you know how much Konoha shinobi resent outsiders.
It's not that I wanted to treat you differently… but my parents were killed by a ninja from another village.
Do you understand? I simply can't look at everyone equally."
"I understand," Leo replied quietly, his tone heavy.
This era was not one of peace. When shinobi from the Five Great Villages met, words were useless—battle was immediate.
And the smaller hidden villages that survived between them used every ruthless method imaginable to grow stronger.
His teacher wasn't wrong. The fault lay with the world itself.
"Your fight with Uchiha Tsuki was an unfair one," the teacher went on. "I'm just a low-ranking shinobi—I can't afford to offend a clan like the Uchiha. So… I owe you an apology."
"But now that you've not only defeated Tsuki but seriously injured him, you must be careful. The Uchiha never forgive slights easily—they will come after you."
Leo frowned. "This is Konoha. The Uchiha wouldn't dare act recklessly, would they?"
"You underestimate them," the teacher sighed. "Since the death of the Second Hokage, the Uchiha have become increasingly arrogant.
They control the Konoha Military Police. You're an outsider—if they find even the flimsiest excuse to detain you, not even the Hokage himself could easily protect you."
Leo's joy from victory faded instantly. Taking a deep breath, he said solemnly,
"Thank you for the warning, sensei."
"Leo," the teacher said earnestly, "I can tell that one day, you'll surpass me. I only hope you won't forget the teachings and kindness of Konoha.
Our village isn't perfect right now, but I believe its future will be beautiful. Give it time."
Leo nodded slowly. As long as Konoha doesn't betray me, I will fight for it.
After all, if not for Konoha, he would've been long dead in another village.
"One more thing," the teacher added. "With your talent, don't hide your strength. Make yourself known.
Only then will the Hokage take notice of you—and under his protection, even the Uchiha will hesitate to touch you."
With that, the teacher bowed slightly—a gesture of equality and respect—before turning to leave.
Leo stood silently for a long time. He realized he didn't even know his teacher's full name.
He'd only ever heard others call him Okamoto-sensei.
Okamoto was an ordinary chūnin—unremarkable among Konoha's countless shinobi. But after today, Leo had come to see him as a respectable mentor, one worthy of gratitude.
Still, Okamoto's influence was limited. In the end, there were things he simply couldn't change.
"The Uchiha clan, huh? If they want to come for me, let them."
Leo's eyes gleamed with determination. He feared no challenge; every hardship was fuel for his growth.
Afterward, he went to the infirmary for a simple bandage treatment. Though his arm was burned from breaking through the fire jutsu, it was nothing serious.
Such injuries were hardly worth mentioning.
The day passed quickly. When school ended, Kushina waited at the gate for Leo.
But even after the academy doors closed, he never appeared. Disheartened, she finally left alone, her small figure stretching into the long shadows of sunset.
On her way home, she glanced back at the empty street behind her—no one was there.
Sighing softly, she continued on, her heart heavy.
What she didn't know was that, not long after she left, a shadow quietly emerged from a street corner.
Leo watched the direction she had gone, ensuring she reached her house safely before turning away.
He wasn't heartless. After all, he'd eaten the bento she made for him that morning. Escorting her home unseen was the least he could do.
Perhaps due to a quiet warning from Konoha's higher-ups, no one dared to bother Kushina along the way.
That suited Leo just fine.
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