In Konoha Forest, at the entrance to Training Ground Three, three kids sat on a log, staring toward the direction of the village.
They had already been waiting for an hour.
"Rin, we've been here forever! That jerk still hasn't shown up!" Obito complained.
Rin puffed out her cheeks.
"Yeah… that's not very responsible."
Kakashi glanced sideways at Obito.
"Still more responsible than someone who's late every single day."
Obito instantly bristled.
"Kakashi! What was that supposed to mean?!"
"Oh? You three seem pretty energetic."
Kazuki's voice cut in smoothly.
He walked out from the trees, smiling.
For some reason—
That smile made all three of them nervous.
"S-Sensei!"
"Good. Looks like you've got plenty of energy."
"Let's head in."
All three silently judged him in their heads.
This teacher feels kind of unreliable…
Deep in the forest, Kazuki explained the rules.
"So all we have to do is take the bells from you, sensei? That's it?" Obito asked.
Kazuki nodded.
"Correct."
"Whoever performs the worst doesn't get lunch."
"Huh?!" Obito froze.
"You have two hours."
"Begin."
Before he finished speaking—
A kunai sliced through the air.
Kakashi.
Kazuki caught it casually between his fingers.
"Not bad."
Kakashi had already vanished.
He reappeared behind Kazuki, thrusting another kunai forward.
Obito's body tensed.
Rin covered her mouth.
In the next instant—
Kazuki appeared behind Kakashi.
"Body Flicker?!" Kakashi's eyes widened.
Before he could react, Kazuki grabbed his ankle and hoisted him upside down.
Kakashi still reached for the bells at Kazuki's waist, stabbing forward with his other hand.
"Nice instincts."
Kazuki tilted his head, dodging the strike, then casually tossed Kakashi away.
"Whoa!"
Kakashi crashed into Obito and the two rolled across the ground.
Kazuki folded his arms.
"What is a ninja?"
"You two just standing there—are you cheerleaders or shinobi?"
Rin blinked, then quickly understood.
"Kakashi! Obito! We can't fight alone. We have to work together!"
Kazuki nodded approvingly.
"See? The girl's thinking clearly."
Rin smiled shyly at the praise.
Kakashi stood up, dusting himself off, silent.
Obito scratched his head.
"But there are only two bells. How do we all win?"
"If we fight together, someone still doesn't eat!"
Rin answered immediately.
"We can share!"
Kazuki looked at her with quiet approval.
The glue of Team Seven.
Kakashi was talented but arrogant.
Obito was insecure and impulsive.
Rin held them together.
"Alright," Kazuki said. "Round two."
"I won't use ninjutsu. Just try to take the bells."
Two hours later—
Obito was bent over, hands on his knees.
"S-Sensei… you're clearly a taijutsu specialist!"
In two full hours—
They hadn't even touched a bell.
Kakashi got kicked away again, rolled, and stood back up.
"Idiot," he muttered.
Obito snapped.
"What did I say wrong?!"
"He's Kazuki Senju!" Kakashi shot back. "Successor of the First Hokage's bloodline! You think the First Hokage specialized in taijutsu? Are you serious?!"
Obito froze.
"Wait—what?"
"Our sensei is that Kazuki?"
Rin's eyes filled with admiration.
The First Hokage was practically a god in Konoha's history.
And their sensei carried that bloodline.
Kazuki laughed awkwardly.
"Hold on. My name is Kazuki. Not 'Senju Kazuki.'"
Kakashi blinked.
"Sensei… aren't you from the Senju clan?"
Kazuki waved it off.
"Why are kids so obsessed with last names? Just call me Sensei Kazuki."
As he spoke—
Another Kakashi appeared behind him.
Shadow Clone!
Rin and Obito's faces lit up.
Kakashi lunged for the bells—
—and vanished.
The Kakashi speaking earlier was the clone.
The real Kakashi was already pinned face-down on the ground by Kazuki.
"Nice. A Shadow Clone at your age."
Kazuki let him up.
"Well done."
"You're a team first. Then you're ninja."
"Only teamwork reduces casualties on real missions."
"Strength matters."
"But teamwork turns one plus one into something greater than two."
"Cover each other's weaknesses."
"Because weaknesses are what enemies exploit."
"For example—"
Small roots sprouted from beneath their feet.
Kakashi reacted instantly and jumped back.
"Careful!"
Rin retreated too.
Obito blinked.
"Huh?"
Before he could react, a root wrapped around his ankle and dragged him forward.
"Ahhh!"
Kazuki crouched down, flicked Obito's forehead lightly.
"There."
"That's the team's weakness."
"Weaknesses get people killed."
"Imagine this."
"You're on a mission. Obito gets captured."
"You have critical intel."
"Kakashi. Rin."
"Give up the intel, or Obito dies."
The two stiffened.
Kazuki's voice grew calm.
"Do you abandon your comrade for the mission?"
"Or abandon the mission and risk the village?"
Obito's face flushed red.
"That's not fair! You caught me off guard!"
"And you said no ninjutsu!"
Kakashi muttered, "Idiot…"
Kazuki's smile faded.
"Fair?"
"On a battlefield?"
"There's no fair."
"There are survivors."
"And there are dead heroes."
"You've seen the memorial stone at the village gate?"
"Those names don't get to complain."
"No one writes: 'I died because it wasn't fair.'"
"No one writes: 'The intel was wrong.'"
"No one writes: 'The enemy was stronger than expected.'"
"They just die."
Silence fell.
Kazuki looked directly at Obito.
"If you don't want to be a burden, train."
"Don't sit around dreaming about awakening your Sharingan."
"If others train five hours, you train ten."
"If they train ten, you train twenty."
"If you lack talent, effort is your only weapon."
"War is uglier than you think."
"And it's coming."
"If you don't want to die."
"If you don't want to drag your teammates down."
"If you don't want to disgrace your family."
"Then work harder."
Obito's shoulders trembled.
And then—
Tears spilled down his face.
Kazuki blinked.
Wait.
Did he just make the future final boss cry?