Hiroshi raised a hand, his voice cutting through the noise. "Hold on. I need four students to stay behind—Kazuki, Haruto, Noboru, and Aiko. Wait until everyone else leaves." He crossed his arms, his expression unreadable as the other students filed out, casting curious glances over their shoulders.
Once everyone else had departed, the four students stood in front of Hiroshi, the classroom now silent except for the faint creak of the wooden floor. Kazuki stood with a straight posture, his hands clasped behind his back, his face composed but his mind alert, analyzing the situation with a mature intensity.
Hiroshi spoke in a firm voice, his tone carrying the weight of responsibility, "If I am correct, then all four of you are orphans and cannot support yourselves now that you will have to live independently. The academy will provide you with the basic resources you'll need."
He handed each of them a small bag, his movements deliberate as he said, "There are 1,000 Ryo and some nutrition bars in this bag, enough for one month. You will receive these at the start of every month from now on, so use them wisely. If you have any questions, you may ask me now."
Kazuki accepted the bag with a polite nod, his expression calm as he weighed it in his hands. He thought, 'This is good. I was wondering why the clan didn't send me money today—looks like they won't be sending any from now on and with these nutrition bars, I don't have to worry about food. They're far healthier than what I usually eat.' His eyes lit up briefly as a more childish excitement. 'Now I can even eat Ichiraku Ramen again. Yay… I suppose I deserve a small celebration,' he thought, a quiet chuckle echoing in his mind.
Hiroshi stood up, brushing his hands together as he said, "Well then, you may leave now if you don't have any questions."
Kazuki inclined his head formally, his voice steady and respectful. "Thank you, Sensei. I have no questions." He turned to leave, maintaining his composed demeanor as he exited the classroom, the small bag tucked under his arm. On his way home, he stopped by Ichiraku Ramen, his steps deliberate but his expression softening slightly as he savored a bowl of steaming ramen, the first treat he'd allowed himself in a while. After eating, he returned to his usual routine.
The next evening, Kazuki stood in his cramped room, his brow furrowed in concentration as he performed the first step of the Rasengan. He held a water balloon between his hands, his fingers steady as he began flowing chakra into it. After a moment, the balloon started to shake wildly, the water inside swirling chaotically, but it didn't burst. Kazuki's eyes narrowed, his expression serious as he analyzed his progress, his mature mind dissecting the challenge with precision.
'The first step of the Rasengan is more difficult than I initially thought,' he reflected, his tone in his mind calm but laced with a hint of frustration. 'It's like I'm stuck. Maybe I should start learning tree climbing to further increase my chakra control.' He paused, his gaze shifting to the small apartment around him, his lips pressing into a thin line. 'But the problem is, where should I do it? This apartment is so shitty it doesn't even have a small garden.' His thoughts darkened as he considered his situation. 'And I know Danzo isn't stupid enough to leave someone like me—who carries both Uchiha and Uzumaki blood—without any surveillance. He must have deployed some Root ninja to spy on me, to see if I have any talent. There's also a possibility he only sends Root ninja occasionally to check my growth, but I can't take such a big risk.'
Kazuki sighed softly, his shoulders slumping slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck, a rare moment of visible frustration. He thought 'Maybe I should use the walls of this apartment instead of trees, I can't think of any difference between the two, other than their sizes—guess the wall will have to do.
He placed the mattress of his bed on the ground beside a wall, his movements methodical. Standing before the wall, he focused his chakra, his expression hardening with concentration as he took a step forward. He managed three steps up the wall before his foot slipped, and he fell back onto the mattress with a soft thud, his brow furrowing in annoyance. Undeterred, he kept practicing for an hour, his progress slow but steady. He didn't get discouraged because he knew that even Naruto and Sasuke trained for days to master this technique.
A few days later, the taijutsu class arrived again at Training Ground 8. Hiroshi stood at the center of the field, his arms crossed as he addressed the class, his voice carrying over the rustling leaves. "Let's see how you've improved. We'll start with spars again. Any volunteers?" His sharp eyes scanned the students, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
Hayato raised his hand immediately, his grin wide and mocking as he said, "Sensei, I want to challenge Kazuki to a spar." He shot Kazuki a taunting look, his posture oozing arrogance as he crossed his arms.
Hiroshi's eyes narrowed at Hayato, his expression darkening with suspicion. "Again? Don't you have anyone else to challenge?" he asked, his tone laced with disapproval as he frowned.
He then sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly, and looked at Kazuki, his gaze softer but still firm. "Well, Kazuki, will you accept his challenge?"
Kazuki looked at Hiroshi and said, 'Sensei I refuse his challenge'
Hayato smirked, his eyes glinting with malice as he tilted his head mockingly. "Aww, scared of me already, you loser?" he teased, his voice dripping with condescension as he chuckled, earning a few snickers from the other students.
Hiroshi opened his mouth to reprimand Hayato, his brow furrowing, but a voice cut through the tension. "Sensei, I want to challenge Hayato to a spar."
Everyone turned to the source of the voice, their eyes landing on a girl with silver hair that reached her neck, her big, bright eyes sparkling with determination, and a pretty face with a bold expression.
Kazuki's thought 'Yuki Senju… She's one of the most popular girls in the class, admired by everyone,' he thought, his tone serious and calculating. 'She's like a typical class representative—always stepping up. But why is she defending me?'
Hayato frowned, his smirk faltering as he crossed his arms, his tone laced with irritation. "Great, now a princess wants to fight me," he muttered, his eyes narrowing at Yuki.
Kazuki's brow furrowed slightly at the term, his thoughts 'Princess?' he wondered.
Yuki's gaze turned icy as she looked at Hayato, her voice cold and sharp. She said "What, are you scared?"
Hayato scoffed loudly, He said. "Scared of a Senju? Hell no. Bring it on—I'll defeat you right now," he declared, cracking his knuckles with a cocky grin.
[A/N- Hello everyone, i need your help, I used AI to correct the grammar and spelling as well as to make this chapter more fancy which also increased the word count too much as you can see, can you tell me if i should continue doing this or just correct the grammar and spelling, i will paste the chapter with just grammar and spelling improved in paragraph comment as well as chapter comment, please tell me what will be better.]