From Obito's perspective, this so-called graduation exam was nothing more than a performance.
Hiruzen Sarutobi needed a headline act to distract from the negative sentiment left behind by Sakumo Hatake's tragic death. Konoha had just lost a top-tier combatant, internal factions were growing restless, and the shadow of war loomed large over the village.
Without crafting a new role model, how could they possibly inspire the young ninja academy students to work harder, graduate early, and eventually be sent to the front lines as cannon fodder?
Heh... what a clever scheme.
Obito couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
He remembered his past life clearly—his struggle to graduate early, the desperate attempt at the Clone Jutsu in front of the examiner, and the crushing disappointment afterward. He had believed his performance was too poor to pass. But barely a moment after leaving, his teacher had come rushing after him, forehead protector in hand.
He had been overjoyed, thinking he'd finally earned recognition through his hard work. He'd nearly jumped with excitement.
But the truth was crueler—it had been due to the worsening Third Great Ninja War. Konoha needed more fresh recruits, and fast. The academy students were to be rushed into the ranks like lambs to the slaughter.
His younger self had been so incredibly naive.
As he was lost in his thoughts, Kakashi emerged from the academy building—small, composed, and with a gleaming forehead protector tied neatly around his head.
"Amazing!"
"He's incredible!"
"I swear, I'm going to graduate early too—so cool!"
All the surrounding students stared at Kakashi in awe, admiration twinkling in their eyes. Even the children from powerful clans, who'd been exposed to various ninja tools since birth, were mesmerized. A forehead protector wasn't just equipment—it was a symbol. And unless one had officially graduated, wearing it in public was forbidden.
Scarcity bred prestige.
Now, anyone who wore one was guaranteed to walk with their head held high among peers.
Even Obito, watching Kakashi's smug little grin, felt a flicker of envy rise within him.
Among them, Rin looked the happiest. She stepped forward with a gentle smile and greeted Kakashi.
"You passed? Congratulations."
Kakashi responded with only a lazy grunt.
That indifferent attitude made Obito clench his fists.
He understood Kakashi's mood to a degree. But even if his father had passed away, was that any reason to treat Rin so coldly? Rin had always been so kind to him—so much so that Obito had often felt a bitter twinge of jealousy.
At that moment, Obito wanted nothing more than to sock Kakashi in the face and make him apologize to Rin.
However, his angry expression seemed to be misinterpreted by Kakashi.
Kakashi's mood visibly improved. The gloom that had clouded his eyes lifted slightly. His lips curled into a smirk, and he couldn't resist teasing:
"What, Obito? Aren't you going to congratulate me?"
Obito snorted coldly.
Kakashi was clearly trying to provoke him. In his previous life, he would have taken the bait, lost his temper, and stormed off in a fit of frustration—followed by Rin rushing after him, trying to comfort him.
A perfect scene for an "ObiRin" shipper like Kakashi.
But not this time.
Now, it was Obito's turn to take the upper hand.
"Kakashi, do you think becoming a genin at five is some great achievement? Honestly, I think you're just an idiot."
Kakashi froze.
In his imagination, Obito should have been flustered, shouting nonsensical threats, and fleeing the scene.
Then Rin would chase him, like always.
But now... Obito had flipped the script. And he had even called him an idiot?
Kakashi couldn't let that stand.
"You idiot, Obito. You don't know anything. Just stay in the academy where you belong."
Obito, however, didn't take the bait. Instead, he calmly switched to a mode he had once mastered—the art of deception.
In his previous life, he had led many geniuses astray with mere words. But he hadn't tried it on Kakashi before. This seemed like the perfect opportunity.
So, he adopted a thoughtful pose—despite his five-year-old frame making it look more comedic than wise—and faced Kakashi head-on.
"Kakashi, do you really think I'm just joking?"
"Let me break it down for you."
He raised one finger.
"First, after graduation, you'll be burdened with endless low-level missions. But right now, you're in a key growth phase. What you should be doing is focused physical training. Wasting time on chores and minor tasks won't give you proper development."
He raised a second finger.
"Second, only after accumulating enough low-level missions will you get access to higher-level ones. But those come with high-intensity combat. And your body's still immature. If you overstrain yourself now, it'll damage your long-term development. By the time you become an adult, you'll be physically weak."
He raised a third finger.
"Chakra is a combination of physical and spiritual energy. Without a strong body, your chakra reserves will be pitiful. If you truly want to become Hokage in the future, insufficient chakra will be a major flaw."
He wasn't entirely bluffing.
In the Fourth Great Ninja War, Obito had fought Kakashi many times. He knew Kakashi's weaknesses like the back of his hand.
And Kakashi's greatest flaw?
An extremely low chakra reserve.
Two Kamui uses, and he'd be spent.
It was a waste, really. For a Kage-level ninja, a single Mangekyo Sharingan shouldn't be that draining.
Compared to Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi's deficiency was even more glaring. Naruto, thanks to being the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, had absurd chakra reserves—enough to support the entire Allied Shinobi Forces. Even when he burned out, a short rest had him back in action like nothing happened.
Meanwhile, Kakashi?
One overuse, and he'd be lying there like a corpse.
If Obito hadn't held back during their previous fights, Kakashi would have died multiple times over.
As fellow graduates from the same generation, it was downright embarrassing.
So now, Obito felt he had to at least try to make Kakashi aware of this issue.
And it worked—at least partly.
A flash of surprise passed through Kakashi's eyes.
Even Rin looked stunned.
"Obito... is all that really true? Then... wouldn't it be better if Kakashi didn't graduate so early?"
She paused and tilted her head slightly, puzzled.
"But Obito, you sounded so much like an adult just now... like the chunin teachers during lectures."
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. His signature dead-fish expression returned.
Since when did this fool Obito have such a logical brain?
And the worst part?
Everything he said actually made sense.
Had he made a mistake by rushing to become a genin?
But still...
"Keh. Obito, I don't care about becoming Hokage. That's your dream, not mine."
"I just want to be a ninja. I want to prove myself. A ninja's duty is to complete missions. That's what we're born for. If someone can't even do that—they're trash. I don't care about anything else."
He delivered the line with practiced indifference.
Obito's jaw tightened.
Even after all of that, Kakashi was still brushing it off. So stubborn. So lacking in ambition.
Obito's chest tightened with frustration.
If it weren't for all their classmates watching, he would have slapped Kakashi right then and there.
He took a deep breath and leaned in close, whispering in Kakashi's ear:
"Kakashi… just because Sakumo-senpai died doesn't mean you have to become like this. Don't make me lose respect for you."