After class, Yue wandered through the Academy hallway out of boredom, wanting to familiarize himself with the place. Someone walked past him, and the surrounding students whispered excitedly.
"That's the top student of the Academy!"
"He's insanely strong!"
"Tell me about it."
"I heard even the Uchiha Clan calls him a super genius."
"Uchiha Shisui—number one in the world!"
Hearing this, Yue was stunned. The person who just walked by… was Shisui Uchiha. He thought he'd be able to slack off in the Academy, but apparently not.
No. I have to connect with him—fast.
Shisui was a thick golden thigh to cling to. Being associated with him could only be beneficial.
But he'd just enrolled. How was he supposed to talk to him?
After pondering briefly, Yue made up his mind and ran toward the direction Shisui was leaving.
"Shisui Uchiha, wait!"
Shisui stopped and turned, confused why this kid was calling him.
"I want to challenge you!"
Yue knew this was the best way to get Shisui's attention. Sure, it made him look like a hot-blooded idiot, but if you want to stand out on day one, you challenge the current number one. Beat him, and you become the boss. Lose, and—well—congrats, you're a clown.
Otherwise, why would Shisui bother with him? He couldn't just run up and say, "I'm the protagonist, follow me, join my party," as if Shisui were a Pikachu he could collect.
Yes, it was cringe. Yes, it was chūnibyō. But hey—this world actually allowed that sort of thing.
When the students around heard Yue's bold declaration, their shock quickly turned into laughter.
"This brat is a new first-year?"
"Yep."
"First day of school and he wants to challenge the Academy's strongest. Kid doesn't understand the size of the sky, huh?"
"Basically suicide."
"All right. After school."
Shisui responded calmly, then walked away.
Yue, however, suffered for it. Every student—upperclassmen and newbies alike—gossiped about the crazy kid who challenged the school's top genius on day one. Being whispered about nonstop was uncomfortable enough—but the crushing pressure of "overestimating himself" made it worse.
---
Training Grounds
Yue and Shisui stood facing each other, ready to begin.
A huge crowd gathered, excited murmurs buzzing in the background.
"I bet that brat goes down in one move."
"One move? I bet one second. One second after Shisui starts."
"He picked the wrong person to challenge. Shisui is way stronger than last year's top student."
"No kidding."
"I don't know why you challenged me," Shisui said, "but you can make the first move."
Many had challenged Shisui before. This newcomer was nothing special.
Yue didn't waste words. He lunged forward with a punch aimed straight at Shisui's face. He wanted Shisui to take him seriously. Although he avoided using Wood Release, he intended to go all out.
Shisui dodged effortlessly and counterattacked, though Yue managed to block it.
Yue's military-style combo surprised Shisui. He immediately dropped his initial underestimation. The kid was young, but his chakra-enhanced strength was no joke—one solid punch from him would hurt.
"Sharingan—open."
Shisui's two-tomoe Sharingan appeared.
Bang!
His kick came swift and sharp. Yue blocked it with his right arm but was knocked down. He supported himself with his left hand and spun into a quick retaliatory move.
Yue used his self-named techniques as they exchanged blows. But with Shisui's Sharingan active, everything changed.
Shisui dominated. Yue couldn't even graze his clothes. Meanwhile he was hit several times, and Shisui eventually grabbed his leg mid-kick and threw him aside.
"Earth Release: Mud Shot!"
Thrown away and losing in taijutsu, Yue quickly formed seals and launched a jutsu.
Shisui flickered, leaving behind an afterimage. He countered instantly.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball!"
A blazing fireball roared toward Yue, heat washing over him.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Yue calmly countered, forming a wall of water that blocked the flames. Steam exploded upward.
These were low-level ninjutsu he learned when not training Wood Release. More techniques meant more survival—he couldn't rely solely on Wood Release.
If he exposed Wood Release too early, that pervert Orochimaru would be drooling over him. No thanks.
The watching students were stunned. Shisui having this level of strength was expected—but the fact that this new kid on day one could fight like this shocked everyone.
Shisui himself was surprised. This kid was troublesome despite his age.
He grabbed a few shuriken from his pouch and threw them.
They hit Yue instantly—only for his body to explode into smoke and leave behind a wooden log.
"Substitution Technique."
Shisui's expression grew more serious. Suddenly a hand grabbed his ankle from below.
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"
Yue's voice came from underground, dragging Shisui down—but he too burst into smoke.
Another substitution.
Yue looked around, searching for Shisui. Suddenly, a massive boulder appeared above him, about to crush him—but his body couldn't move at all.
"Damn—genjutsu."
Yue knew Shisui's greatest weapon was illusion. Despite training for nearly a year, genjutsu was still his weakest area. He understood the basics, but had no real countermeasures yet.
"You lost."
A hand tapped his shoulder. Shisui released the genjutsu, bringing Yue back to reality.
"Shisui-senpai… can we be friends?"
Yue had lost, but felt no shame. Losing to a genius like Shisui wasn't embarrassing. He swallowed his pride and stated his request boldly.
"What's your name?" Shisui asked, looking at this strange boy with mixed feelings.
"Yue."
"I came today to apply for early graduation. It's already been approved. I'll be joining the Police Force after I graduate. Come find me then."
Yue was a little surprised—but relieved. He had successfully built at least a thread of connection with Shisui.
"Thank you, Shisui-senpai."
Yue returned home deep in thought. Compared to top-tier geniuses, he was still too weak. Especially against genjutsu. The best ways to resist illusion were either a Sharingan or a tailed beast.
Both of which were impossible for him right now.
"Yue, you're back. How was your first day of school?"
Rina asked, noticing his mood.
Ueda also stepped out from inside the house. Since protecting Yue was his mission, he had moved in—there were plenty of empty rooms anyway.
"It was okay."
"Did you… not make any friends?"
Rina knew Yue wasn't sociable. In the half-year he lived in their village, he hadn't made a single friend his age. She didn't realize that it wasn't aloofness—he simply had no interest talking about childish things with people mentally far younger than him.
"No, actually… I think I made a pretty strong friend."
Yue smirked slightly, thinking back on his cringy-but-effective way of getting Shisui's attention.
"Is dinner ready? After eating I need to train again."
"You! All you ever think about is training. Kids should go play and make friends!"
Ignoring her nagging, Yue shrugged and walked inside.
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