Monday morning came quietly — too quietly.No fanfare, no booming announcements, no ominous drumroll. Just a subtle shift in the air and a fresh list posted on the orphanage's inner bulletin board like it was nothing special.
Kazuki stood in front of it, staring at his name for the third time:
Kazuki Uchiha – Confirmed for Shinobi Prep
The brushstrokes were sharp and dark, like the ink itself had been dipped in the expectations of dead ancestors.He didn't know why, but seeing it written out like that made his stomach twist.
Azula popped up beside him, grinning like she'd just caught him committing a crime."You look like you're about to get drafted to war."
Kazuki kept staring at the paper. "…Aren't I?"
Before she could answer, someone taller stepped into view — Ren, a two-year veteran of the program. His eyes skimmed the list, landed on Kazuki's name, and he gave a faint, pitying smirk."First day, huh?"
Kazuki nodded cautiously.
Ren scratched the back of his head. "Just… remember this: whatever happens, the last part is the worst. Everyone hates it. Most kids quit because of it."
"…And what's the last part?"
Ren's smirk widened. "Oh, you'll know." Then he walked off, which was absolutely the most suspicious way to end a conversation.
By midmorning, Kazuki, Azula, and ten other orphans were marched through the eastern district gate to a training field just outside the forest border of the Uchiha compound.
The place looked like it had chewed up generations of kids and spat them out stronger — or not at all. Scorched patches of earth, kunai-scarred posts, half-broken training logs. The dirt smelled faintly of ash and sweat.
They weren't alone.Fourteen non-orphan Uchiha kids were already there, wearing crisp, fitted training outfits like they were here for a fashion shoot. Some bore faint scars on their hands — "I train with my father" scars. The kind you brag about.
One boy, tall with annoyingly perfect hair, gave Kazuki a lazy once-over."So… this is the orphan batch?"
Kazuki smiled politely. "And you must be the rich batch. Congrats on being born."
Azula snorted, covering her mouth.
A sudden, cheery voice broke his concentration.
"Hey! You're new, right? I'm Obito Uchiha!"
Kazuki turned to see a boy his age slightly shorter, wild black hair sticking out like he'd been in a wrestling match with a futon and lost. He wore a plain shirt, slightly rumpled, and grinned like he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"...Kazuki," he replied cautiously.
Obito stuck out a hand without hesitation. "I live with my grandma. She's the best makes the fluffiest rice balls. If you're ever hungry, just show up at our door. She'll feed you 'til you explode."
Kazuki blinked. In his last life, the name Obito Uchiha meant tragedy, manipulation, masked villainy, and… yeah, the small matter of helping cause a clan massacre. But this Obito? This one was beaming, eyes full of mischief, not an ounce of darkness in sight.
Great, Kazuki thought. I'm standing in front of the world's future mass-murderer… who currently just looks like a hyper puppy with shuriken dreams.
Obito leaned in with a mock-serious whisper. "So… between you and me, the first day of prep? Total killer. But if we stick together, maybe we won't die. Probably."
Kazuki couldn't help it he snorted. Bright. Funny. Kind of dumb. Definitely not ready for what's coming… but maybe that's why people liked him so much before it all went to hell.
Before Kazuki could reply, Azula popped up behind him and elbowed him in the ribs. "Making friends already? Look at you, social butterfly."
Kazuki rolled his eyes. "He started it."
Obito just grinned wider. "Good. We'll need each other. And hey—if we both survive, I'll let you in on Grandma's secret miso soup recipe."
Yup, Kazuki thought. This is going to be… interesting.
Before things could get spicy, the instructors arrived — three Uchiha kunoichi in flak vests, their Sharingan eyes uncovered. They looked like friendly older sisters… if older sisters had the ability to disembowel you mid-hug.
The one in front, hair in a loose braid, smiled warmly."Welcome, little Uchiha. Today begins your path to something greater than most people in this world will ever understand."
Kazuki's brain: Cool, when do I get my fireball jutsu?
Instead, she said, "But before you can sense chakra, we need to awaken it. And the fastest way to do that is to move."
…Ah. Manual labor. My favorite ninja art.
It started simple. Laps around the training field. Then more laps. Then even more laps.
By the fifth round, Kazuki's shirt was plastered to him with sweat, dust sticking to his skin like seasoning. Obito, running beside him, was still cracking jokes between breaths."Hey—Kazuki—think they'll give us snacks after this?"
Kazuki grunted. "If they do… I'm eating yours."
Behind them, Azula called out, "Don't slow down, boys! I'm not losing to you just because your legs are longer!"
Smug Hair Boy from earlier ran past, smirking. "Maybe they'll give you orphans a participation ribbon."
Kazuki: Okay. First fireball I learn is going in his direction.
Next came reflex training. The kunoichi pulled out a pile of padded balls. The rules? Simple: don't get hit.
At first, they tossed them lazily. Then the pace increased until the balls were whistling through the air like angry birds.
Kazuki ducked one, sidestepped another, and smugly thought he was doing great — until one came at him from behind and clipped his shoulder.
Obito caught one full in the face and staggered back.Azula crouched too early, only to get nailed square in the back.
The braid-haired kunoichi just smiled. "Too slow. Kunai won't stop for your bad timing."
Kazuki's brain: She says that like she wouldn't throw them herself.
Push-ups, balance drills, awkward coordination games that made them look like drunk turtles. The dirt was hot, sweat stung their eyes, and more than one kid's arms gave out mid-push-up.
Obito groaned into the ground. "I thought… we'd be learning cool stuff by now."
Azula, still holding a plank position, smirked. "We are. We're learning how to suffer."
Kazuki's abs felt like they were being roasted over a campfire. Great. My chakra better come with a six-pack.
By midday, half the kids were collapsed in the dirt. Even the smug ones looked less shiny now. The kunoichi, on the other hand, weren't even sweating. They just walked among the kids, scanning them with calm, merciless eyes.
Kazuki forced himself upright, chest heaving.
Then the braid-haired instructor clapped once."Stand up. Time for the last part."
A visible shiver passed through the orphans. Kazuki heard Ren's warning echo in his mind.
No one asked what it was. Even the rich kids were suddenly quieter.
"Follow us," she said, turning toward the treeline.
They walked toward the deeper part of the forest. The air grew cooler. Shadows lengthened.
Kazuki's instincts whispered the same thing over and over:
This… is the real test.
To be continued…