Over the past few days, I had started noticing something strange in the streets of Konoha—unfamiliar faces, clothing that didn't belong to any of the village's clans, and eyes scanning everything around them with excessive attention.
At first, I thought we might be dealing with a spy infiltration, but then I realized I was being stupid. No self-respecting spy would walk into the village flaunting a headband with their village's insignia. Soon enough, it became obvious—the Chuunin Exams were approaching.
The Chuunin Exams were a major event, not just for Konoha but for all the ninja villages that sent their genin to compete. For a few weeks, the village became a grand stage, and that meant all eyes were on us.
It also explained why Dekai had scheduled our meeting at the training grounds instead of the administration building. Maybe he had something important to tell us.
Considering everything, I was starting to suspect that the reason we had been stuck with D-rank missions for the past month was that Dekai intended to enter us in the exams. Our only C-rank mission had been delivering supplies to the Craftsmen's Village, and to be honest, I hadn't minded much. I was focused on getting stronger, and simpler missions gave me more time to train.
Besides, the atmosphere within our team had been weird ever since Natsu and Jimei found out about my closeness to Naruto. I mean, Jimei handled it well. He even started joining me and Naruto at Ichiraku some nights.
Jimei was the kind of person who didn't like being tied down by idiotic prejudices. If Naruto was my friend, then he could be friends with Naruto too. Simple as that.
Natsu, though... that was a different story.
The kind and helpful girl I knew seemed to transform whenever the topic was Naruto. Over the past month, she had insisted multiple times that I should stay away from him, that he was dangerous.
She spoke with such conviction, as if she were absolutely certain that Naruto was a monster just waiting to attack. As if he were merely a problem to be avoided. As if he weren't a boy, a child only a few years younger than us.
The way she talked about him, with so little consideration, irritated me deeply. There were times I had to hold myself back from kicking her in the head to see if that would fix her way of thinking.
"Kenshin! You're late!" Jimei called out, crossing his arms. "I was starting to think I'd have to drag you here myself."
"Relax, I knew you'd take the heat for me if Dekai got mad." I replied with a half-smile.
Of course, it was a joke. We had an unspoken agreement that neither of us would try to get on Dekai-sensei's nerves. So far, it had worked. The man had that kind of presence that made it clear he wasn't someone you wanted to irritate.
"Oh, sure, because I'm the sensei's favorite, right? He loves me!" Jimei laughed, playing along.
"Exactly!" I shot back. "And from the way you're acting, I'd say you're excited. Something tells me today's going to be different."
Before Jimei could reply, Natsu finally spoke to me.
"Good morning, Kenshin." Her voice was neutral, but there was tension in it. A tone different from usual.
"Good morning." I answered briefly.
An uncomfortable silence settled between us. Something was there, something unsaid. A distance that hadn't existed before. I wanted to confront her about it, but I figured that would only make things worse. Some things just didn't have easy solutions.
Luckily, Dekai didn't give us time to dwell on the discomfort.
"Now that all three of you are here, we can begin!" he said, his voice firm and direct. "The reason I called you has to do with the Chuunin Exams. You must have noticed the presence of ninjas from other villages in Konoha."
My heart raced. So I was right! We were entering the exams. Less than four months after leaving the academy, I could have the chance to become a Chuunin! I could prove how much I had grown since then!
I was already imagining how a Chuunin vest would look over my clothes, but then Dekai continued.
"The son of the Uchiha clan leader will be participating in the exams alone," he explained, making me frown. "And the clan leader has requested a C-rank mission to have a team help Itachi Uchiha get used to one-against-three battles."
My excitement died instantly.
Itachi Uchiha. The name wasn't unfamiliar to me. He had graduated early from the academy—a true prodigy. I knew that in the future, he would become one of the most feared ninjas in the world. But for now? He was still just a genin. A year older than me, without the Mangekyou Sharingan, without the reputation of a legendary assassin. I found it hard to believe he could take on all three of us at once.
Yet, as his name echoed in my mind, I felt a chill down my spine. It wasn't exactly fear, but a strange sense of unease. I knew what he would be capable of in the future. I knew that, even without the Mangekyou, he wasn't an ordinary ninja.
I was never a big fan of Itachi in my past life. The fact that he wiped out his entire family for the village always rubbed me the wrong way. I wouldn't have minded if he had only taken out the coup instigators, but he went ahead and killed even the babies and the elderly—people who weren't even combatants. Sure, I get that it wasn't an easy decision for him, but I never saw him as a hero. There's no way I'd ever slaughter my own family for the sake of the village.
Now, take Naruto, for example. I admired him so much in my past life because he had a heart big enough to forgive the villagers. But after being reborn in Konoha and seeing firsthand how they treated him? Yeah, if I were in his shoes, I'd have turned into Gaara 2.0. "Will of Fire"? That can go straight to hell.
So, sorry, Itachi, but if I had to choose between my clan, my almost-girlfriend, and the village, I'd always pick my clan. Family is family.
Of course, Itachi was stupidly strong and had that signature sauce. But if I were ranking Sharingan users based on both power and sheer drip, he wouldn't even crack my top three—not with Indra, Madara, and Shisui in the mix.
"Itachi?" Jimei asked, skeptical. "I know he graduated early, but fighting all three of us at the same time? He's taking the exams alone? No one's that good."
"I remember him from the academy…" Natsu said. "He was scarily strong."
"You guys think he's that good? Or is the Uchiha clan just trying to show off?" Jimei turned to me.
"This is a mission!" I answered pragmatically. "We shouldn't question it. Just complete it. We'll fight with everything we have and show the strength of our team."
In the end, maybe this was a good opportunity. I could test how much I had improved. It couldn't be that hard. After all, he was still just a genin.
"Kenshin is right!" Dekai said. "You must fight with everything you have. And don't underestimate Itachi just because you have the numbers advantage."
Natsu nodded, Jimei cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Hah! I'm gonna take this so-called Uchiha genius down by myself! You guys won't even need to lift a finger."
I looked at him, unsure whether to laugh or feel sorry. At least someone here had an excess of confidence. I just hoped that confidence wouldn't turn into pure despair once the fight started.
Honestly, I didn't believe Itachi was strong enough to defeat all three of us alone, but I also didn't think Jimei stood a chance against him in a direct fight. If I had to guess, I'd say he was probably about as strong as me.
"The sparring will take place near the Naka River. Follow me," Dekai-sensei instructed, beginning to walk.
As we followed, Jimei leaned in with his usual cheerful expression. "Hey, Kenshin. Do you think this Itachi guy is really all that? Or is the Uchiha clan just hyping him up?"
He said it casually, but I caught a hint of insecurity. Crossing my arms, I considered my answer. "He graduated from the academy in a single year. I don't think we should underestimate him."
"Aw, come on, man. He's only a year older than us," Jimei scoffed. "Maybe he's just good at written exams. Bet he folds in a real fight."
Natsu, walking slightly behind us, finally spoke. "You guys don't like to admit it, but he's strong. I heard people in my clan compare him to Hatake Kakashi, who also graduated early."
That made me freeze for a second. Kakashi? That Kakashi?
The guy who made Jounin before some shinobi even became Chuunin? The same man who would one day wield a Sharingan and develop one of the most formidable combat styles in the village?
"Tch…" I clicked my tongue, not bothering to hide my displeasure. The atmosphere turned awkward again.
In the distance, the sound of the Naka River began to reach my ears. Its waters flowed calmly, reflecting the sky above. This peaceful scene would soon become a battlefield.
When I finally turned my attention to the boy standing there, my first impression of Itachi was… he was smaller than I expected. I was a year younger, yet I still stood a few centimeters taller.
Beside him stood a tall, imposing man. I recognized him instantly—Uchiha Fugaku, the clan leader. Comparing the two, I realized Itachi resembled him more than Sasuke did. It seemed Sasuke had taken after their mother.
"Tatsumaki Dekai, good to see you again! So, this is your team?" Fugaku asked, his dark eyes studying us.
"Yes! This is Hoshino Kenshin, Hyūga Natsu, and Kuroda Jimei—Team Four!" Dekai introduced us briefly. "I believe they'll be the perfect team for Itachi to train with before his upcoming exams."
"I hope so… I chose them because, despite having just graduated, they already have real combat experience. And according to the Hokage, their abilities make them ideal for this." Fugaku's explanation made me pause, his words sinking in.
So the Hokage was the one who recommended our team for this mission? Interesting. That meant he not only remembered us but also believed we were the best choice to challenge Itachi.
"I'm sure they won't disappoint you, Fugaku-san."
"This is my son, Uchiha Itachi!" Fugaku finally introduced the boy next to him.
And despite the man being about as expressive as a wooden plank, I caught a hint of pride in his eyes as he spoke his son's name. It made me wonder—would he still feel that same pride if he knew this boy would one day massacre nearly the entire clan, himself included?
"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Itachi gave a short bow. "I hope this match is beneficial for all of us."
Natsu simply nodded, while Jimei grinned mischievously. This guy was seriously confident.
"Oh, don't worry. We'll give you a training session you won't forget."
"Much appreciated." Itachi replied calmly, unfazed by Jimei's words.
Fugaku and Dekai stepped back, giving us plenty of space for our fight.
"You may begin!" Fugaku announced.
Jimei dropped into his fighting stance as our team positioned itself in a triangular formation, with him at the center.
"Get ready, Itachi!"
Itachi simply gave a faint smile, adjusting his stance into a taijutsu posture that felt strangely familiar. It took me a moment to recognize it—it was the same stance Sasuke had taken before his match against Rock Lee.
"All right." Itachi's voice was steady, emotionless. "Let's begin."