Once upon a time in the bustling village of Konoha, there was a special event: the Annual Ninja Academy Chemistry Competition. It was meant for older kids, but exceptions were made for prodigies. Enter our trio: the brilliant 4-year-old Kakashi Hatake, with his silver hair already poking out like a mini genius; the energetic 8-year-old Obito Uchiha, always ready for mischief; and the kind-hearted 8-year-old Rin Nohara, who was there to keep things balanced.
The competition was held in a makeshift lab under the watchful eyes of the academy instructors. Teams had to demonstrate basic chemistry principles, like mixing safe solutions to create colorful reactions. Kakashi, despite being the youngest, was the star of their group. He stood on a stool to reach the table, his tiny hands gesturing confidently as he explained to the judges.
"See here," Kakashi said in his calm, prodigy voice, pointing to a beaker of clear liquid. "This is a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid, which reacts with sodium bicarbonate to produce carbon dioxide gas, water, and salt. It's a classic acid-base reaction, demonstrating the principles of neutralization. Observe the effervescence..."
The judges nodded, impressed by the toddler's eloquence. Obito, fidgeting beside him, whispered to Rin, "Kakashi's making this sound like a jutsu scroll. Boring!" Rin shushed him, smiling. "He's doing great! Just don't touch anything."
But Obito, being Obito, couldn't resist. His eyes landed on a beaker labeled "ACID – DO NOT TOUCH." In a flash of impulsive curiosity, he grabbed it and took a big gulp. "Hey, this tastes tangy! Kakashi, you gotta try this—it's like super sour ramen!"
Before anyone could react, Obito shoved the beaker toward Kakashi, who accidentally swallowed a sip while trying to push it away. Chaos erupted! The judges screamed, instructors rushed in, and Rin yelled, "Obito! Kakashi! That's not safe!"
The two boys were whisked away to the Konoha Hospital, where medics treated their sore throats and burned mouths. The acid wasn't lethal—thankfully, it was a mild lab version—but it left their vocal cords inflamed. For a whole week, Kakashi and Obito couldn't speak a word. They communicated with exaggerated gestures, drawing funny pictures of exploding beakers and giving each other thumbs-ups. Rin visited daily, bringing get-well cards and scolding them silently with her eyes.
Finally, after seven days of silence and healing jutsu, their voices returned. Rin, determined to teach them a lesson, dragged their sensei, Minato Namikaze, to the hospital room. Minato, with his sunny blond hair and stern teacher face, crossed his arms. "Boys, what were you thinking? Drinking acid? That's dangerous! You could have seriously hurt yourselves. Chemistry is for learning, not for... tasting!"
Kakashi and Obito exchanged a mischievous glance, their voices raspy but synced perfectly. In unison, they chimed, "We tested chemistry practically~!"
Minato's eyes widened in horror, imagining future disasters. Without another word, he pulled out some ninja wire and tied them both gently but firmly to their beds. "For your own safety—and mine. No more 'practical tests' until you're older... much older!"
Rin giggled, and even the boys laughed (once they stopped pretending to be annoyed). From that day on, the trio's chemistry adventures stuck to books and safe demos, but the legend of the "Acid Duo" lived on in academy lore. And Kakashi? He remained the prodigy, just with a new rule: no sharing drinks with Obito. Ever.