Early the next morning, on the streets of Konoha Village.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!"
A black figure rushed out from an alley, startling several cats sunbathing by the road into scattering in all directions. One of them even bristled its fur and leaped onto a nearby utility pole with a "meow."
Uchiha Obito, five years old, the man who would become Hokage in the future, was currently facing the greatest crisis of his life.
He was going to be late for school.
"I'm doomed, I'm doomed," Obito wailed as he sprinted. "I just got scolded by Teacher Ibuki yesterday. If I'm late again today, it's really all over."
Then, Teacher Ibuki's face, as dark as the bottom of a pot, began to surface in his mind.
"And that bastard Asuma—he'll definitely mock me if I'm late today."
Obito gritted his teeth, his short little legs churning rapidly.
Up ahead, an elderly woman with graying hair was bent over, struggling to pick up scattered vegetables and fruits from the ground. It seemed her basket had tipped over, and tomatoes, cucumbers, and apples were rolling everywhere.
Obito's footsteps faltered for a moment. He looked at the old woman, then at the road ahead; the gates of the Ninja Academy were still far away.
The sun was already high in the sky.
"Dammit." Obito gritted his teeth and came to a screeching halt. "Grandma, let me help you."
The old woman looked up and saw a sweaty young boy squatting down, quickly picking up the vegetables and putting them into the basket.
"Oh, thank you, little boy."
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Obito stuffed the last tomato into the basket and stood up to run. "Grandma, I have to go now! I'm going to be late!"
"Wait, take this." The old woman took a red apple from the basket and pressed it into his hand. "Thank you for the help, good child."
Obito looked at the apple in his hand, momentarily stunned.
"Thank you, Grandma!"
Then he turned and ran, his legs churning once more. But time waits for no one, and the sun rose higher and higher.
Obito's heart grew colder and colder.
I'm doomed, I'm doomed, I'm doomed. This time I'm really doomed!
Then, Obito spotted a figure ahead.
Wearing a red shirt and yellow shorts while carrying a small backpack, the figure was strolling along leisurely.
Obito's face instantly fell.
"No way..."
"Nohara Shinnosuke!" Obito let out a wail, picking up his pace even more.
Shin-chan heard the shout, looked back, raised his hand, and flashed his signature bright smile. "Obito, good morning."
That tone, that expression—it was as if they had bumped into each other in a park rather than racing against time on the way to school.
Obito rushed up to him, panting like a bull. "We're going to be late! Run!"
Shin-chan blinked. "Late? But the sun just came out."
"The sun came out a long time ago! You just woke up too late!"
"But I left at the same time yesterday too."
"Then you were late yesterday too!!!"
Shin-chan tilted his head, thought for a moment, and nodded. "I guess you're right."
"Don't think about it, just run!" Obito grabbed Shin-chan and dashed forward.
Finally, the gates of the Ninja Academy appeared in sight.
"Hurry, hurry!" Obito accelerated desperately. "There's still hope."
Being dragged by him, Shin-chan felt like he was about to take flight.
The two of them burst through the school gates, sprinted down the hallway, and reached the classroom door.
Everyone in the classroom turned their heads to look at the two panting figures at the door. Asuma was the first to laugh, his mouth split into a wide grin.
Teacher Ibuki stood on the podium. Having just put down his chalk, he watched the two panting figures at the door, his eye twitching.
"Nohara Shinnosuke, Uchiha Obito."
"Present," the two replied in unison.
"What time is it now?"
Obito lowered his head. "Eight-ten."
"When did the school bell ring?"
"Eight o'clock."
"How late are you?"
Obito's voice grew smaller and smaller, until it was like the buzzing of a mosquito. "Ten minutes."
Teacher Ibuki took a deep breath, then fixed his gaze on Shin-chan.
"Nohara Shinnosuke."
"Present."
"You said yesterday that you would come early today. What happened?"
Shin-chan blinked. "The result is, I'm still late."
"..."
Someone in the classroom couldn't hold back their laughter and quickly covered their mouth.
Teacher Ibuki's eyebrows twitched. He took another deep breath, trying to keep his tone calm. "Where is yesterday's homework? Your reflections on the Will of Fire, three hundred words."
Shin-chan's eyes lit up. "I wrote it, I wrote it."
Then he pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over. Teacher Ibuki took the paper and unfolded it; his expression completely froze.
The paper was covered in writing, but there was only one sentence:
The Will of Fire is simply not eating green peppers.
The Will of Fire is simply not eating green peppers.
The Will of Fire is simply not eating green peppers.
...
There were thirty full lines. Every single line was the same.
Teacher Ibuki's hands were trembling.
"Nohara Shinnosuke."
"Present."
"What is this?"
"My reflections on the Will of Fire." Shin-chan blinked. "I wrote thirty sentences, ten words per sentence, which is exactly three hundred words."
A cross-vein popped on Teacher Ibuki's forehead as he suppressed his anger. "I said three hundred words, not thirty identical sentences! This isn't a reflection at all!"
"But Teacher, you said over three hundred words yesterday; you didn't say I couldn't write the same thing." Shin-chan blinked. "Are thirty sentences not okay?"
Teacher Ibuki's mouth twitched.
"Besides," Shin-chan continued, "I wrote from the heart. The Will of Fire is simply not eating green peppers; to protect myself from eating green peppers, and to protect others who don't eat green peppers..."
"Enough!"
Teacher Ibuki slammed the paper onto the podium, making the whole classroom shake. Everyone shrank their necks. Shin-chan also shrank his neck.
"Nohara Shinnosuke." Teacher Ibuki pointed outside. "Go out and stand as punishment."
Shin-chan blinked. "Stand as punishment?"
"Yes, until the end of the first period."
Shin-chan looked outside, then back at Teacher Ibuki, muttering softly, "But it's so boring out there..."
"Get out!"
Obito stood to the side, watching this scene. He could only shrink his neck and try to minimize his presence, praying silently: Don't look at me, don't look at me, don't look at me...
Shin-chan sighed and walked slowly toward the door. As he reached it, he looked back at Obito.
"Obito, aren't you coming?"
Obito's heart skipped a beat. Teacher Ibuki's gaze fell upon him.
"Uchiha Obito."
"Present."
"You were late too."
Obito lowered his head.
"Out. Go stand with him."
Obito dejectedly walked to the door and stood side by side with Shin-chan. The classroom door closed behind them, and the hallway fell silent.
Teacher Ibuki stood on the podium, his chest heaving. Looking at the paper covered with "The Will of Fire is simply not eating green peppers," he suddenly felt like a complete failure as a teacher.
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