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"Ah, to be young again!"
Watching the three figures disappearing into the distance, Ryusei Futaki, who had just finished his shift, couldn't help but laugh with a touch of nostalgia.
"We're not that old, you know!"
A voice sounded beside him.
Futaki turned his head to see his coworker and smiled. "Come on, Noyome. Compared to them, we're definitely the old guys now."
Hands tucked in his pockets, Noyome shrugged. "Those brats? Sure. But me? I'm only twenty-two, thank you very much!"
"By the way," he added after a pause, "I heard there's some kind of genius in your class?"
Futaki raised an eyebrow. "You mean Evan?"
Noyome nodded. "Yeah, probably. Definitely not one of those born into the big ninja clans, right?"
A genius from a noble bloodline wasn't exactly news.
Take Kakashi, for example—he was already famous before he even set foot in the Academy. The son of the White Fang of the Leaf—his reputation spoke for itself. And during the entrance exams, he'd impressed even the Third Hokage.
Futaki smiled. "Yeah, Evan's something else. He picks up anything in no time. I really think that kid's going places. Maybe one day he'll be as great as…"
"Lord Jiraiya?!" Noyome blurted out, eyes wide. "Whoa, isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"
Jiraiya—one of the Legendary Sannin.One of the strongest shinobi under the Third Hokage himself.A top contender for the next Hokage seat.
Futaki just chuckled, offering no further explanation. "Let's just wait and see, shall we?"
If Evan thought about what Futaki had just said, he would've felt pretty satisfied. That meant his "genius prodigy" image was working out nicely.
But right now, he was too busy leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
Kakashi and Might Guy were right behind him, determined not to fall behind.
From the Academy to Konoha's village gate lay a maze of buildings and bustling streets. What looked like a simple race was actually a full test of speed, reflexes, and route planning—and maybe even combat awareness.
After all, Evan hadn't said anything about whether attacking each other was off-limits.
Just like when Pain destroyed Konoha and the village was later rebuilt—there was that time Kakashi and Guy "raced" each other and ended up throwing pots and pans mid-fight.
So when Evan spotted a discarded soda can on a nearby rooftop, an idea flashed across his mind.
He spun in midair and kicked the can.
It whizzed backward like a bullet straight toward Kakashi.
Caught off guard, Kakashi barely ducked in time—the can flew past, close enough to graze his ear.
That tiny moment of distraction was all it took. Guy caught up fast, while Evan widened the gap again, veering off the dense cluster of buildings and heading toward open ground.
Kakashi and Guy gave chase.
They burst through a grove of trees, and a shimmering river came into view.
Evan sprinted right across the surface like it was solid earth.
But as soon as he reached the far bank, he stopped, turned sharply, and saw Kakashi landing on the water behind him.
His hands blurred through a string of seals—Tiger, Snake, Ox, Ram, Rooster, Rat!
Kakashi's eye twitched. "Wait—this is… Water Style?!"
A moment later, the calm river surged upward into a spiraling torrent that shot toward him like a raging serpent.
Water Release: Water Shockwave!
It wasn't particularly strong—Evan had intentionally held back. It'd be enough to knock Kakashi off balance, not hurt him.
Kakashi reacted instantly, dodging aside.
But the water kept surging, headed straight for the oncoming Guy.
Evan's eyes flashed. He formed another hand sign—hands together, thumbs and index fingers touching, palms slightly raised.
The "Zai" seal—one of the nine mystical hand signs.
Then he swept his arms outward in a crossing motion.
The water stream abruptly twisted—turning around midair and rushing backward.
"Whoa!"
Caught completely off guard, Kakashi was swept up and slammed straight into the river.
Guy, meanwhile, stared in awe… while still swimming, since he hadn't quite mastered walking on water yet.
On the riverbank, Evan grinned.
His experiments with the Nine-Syllable Seals were finally showing results. Even if he'd only grasped a bit of the "Zai" seal's meaning, it had already helped him control the Water Shockwave—a C-rank jutsu—with much greater precision.
He couldn't help but wonder what he'd be capable of in ten years.
Smiling at the thought, he turned and continued on.
In the river, Kakashi resurfaced, drenched and stunned. But his shock quickly shifted into determination. With a powerful leap, he shot out of the water and chased after Evan again.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office—
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, puffed on his pipe as he watched the scene unfold in his crystal ball.
The images showed Evan, Kakashi, and Guy's little "race."
He'd decided to check in after receiving Futaki's report, and remembering Evan's impressive attitude during his last "Will of Fire" lecture.
He hadn't expected this.
Watching Evan use the Water Shockwave to send Kakashi flying, Hiruzen suddenly thought of another man—
Tobirama Senju.
The resemblance was uncanny.
Of course, Evan's technique was still rough, far from perfect—but it already had a distinct, individual flair.
Just like his teacher, the Second Hokage himself.
Dispelling the viewing jutsu, Hiruzen silently made a note in his mind.
He wouldn't be forgetting the name Evan anytime soon.
At Konoha's village gate—
Evan sat cross-legged, resting.
After a while, Kakashi arrived, breathing hard, hands on his knees.
"When did you learn Water Release?" he asked between breaths.
Evan smiled. "Not long ago. It's a technique my grandfather left behind."
Kakashi nodded slowly. "And that last hand sign—you used one of the Nine Seals, didn't you?"
"No need to hide it," Evan said casually. "Yeah, it was the 'Zai' seal. Pretty interesting set of nine, huh? I've been studying them a bit—didn't think they'd actually work."
"Anyway," he added, his grin widening, "how about we spar with swords sometime?"
"Swordsmanship?" Kakashi blinked. "You practice kenjutsu too?"
"Yeah. Self-taught," Evan replied. "My grandfather didn't leave any sword techniques, so I've just been working on the basics—mainly quick-draw slashes, like iaido."
Kakashi hesitated, worried about hurting his pride. But after a second, he nodded. "Sure. Why not?"
After chatting a bit more, Guy finally arrived—walking on his hands, of course.
The three of them started heading back together, laughing and talking as they went.
That day marked the real beginning of their friendship.
From then on, the three would often challenge each other in fiery, youthful contests—growing closer, louder, and more competitive with every match.
Time flew by.
Summer vacation ended before they knew it.
A new semester began—and with it, the start of practical combat lessons.
At the training field, a bunch of kids crowded around the iron fence, leaving the center clear for the matches.
Ryusei Futaki stood in the middle. "Let's go over the rules one more time. Stop when I say stop—no deliberate injuries."
He gave them a look. "But don't hold back too much, either. I'll be watching and will step in if needed."
"Now then, when I call your names—step forward and face off."
"The first match: Evan versus Asuma Sarutobi!"
From one side, Evan stepped out from beside Shizune.
From the other, Asuma moved out from beside Kurenai.
The two boys faced each other in the center.
"Form the seal of opposition!" Futaki called out.
They did as instructed.
Futaki took two steps back, raised his hand—and brought it down sharply.
"Begin!"
"..."
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