Ninja Academy.
"My name is Gin. As you can see, I am an Uchiha, although they don't really want to admit it."
Gin spread his hands with an indifferent attitude, causing the Uchiha students in the class to glare at him angrily. If not for the presence of their teacher, Inoue, they would have taught him a lesson.
An Uchiha with such poor talent was unheard of.
Wearing a green ninja vest, with a Leaf headband around his neck, Inoue Satoru, who was young but already had a head full of white hair, coughed twice, feeling a headache coming on. He didn't need to think to know this was a problematic student.
There was already one in the class; adding another would be a big issue.
"That's enough, Gin. You may sit down now."
Gin folded his arms and sat down, hearing whispers around him. His ears twitched slightly.
The enhancement from his internal energy technique was comprehensive, including his hearing.
"Isn't he the Uchiha who hasn't passed the ninja exam in two years?"
"Why is he in our class?"
"Yeah, aren't those who fail the exams supposed to go to Class C?"
The Ninja Academy was divided into three classes: A, B, and C. Although officially there was no difference, in reality, Class A consisted mostly of clan children or outstanding civilian students.
Class B had a few less talented clan children and mostly civilians. For example, an Uchiha who couldn't perform ninjutsu stayed in Class B for a long time but was now sent to Class A.
No one knew what was going on.
As for Class C, it was considered the strongest class since those who returned from the ranks of ninja to the academy were placed there.
Ruling as kings during student days, they often ended up as failures in their ninja careers.
Commonly known as the "garbage dump."
Technically, as an acknowledged failure, Gin should have been sent to Class C. After failing the first exam, he stayed in Class B due to his Uchiha status. This time, his Uchiha name shouldn't have saved him either.
How did he end up in Class A?
Whatever the reason, Gin didn't care and was quite happy about it.
Because.
Gin turned to the blond boy next to him, smiling.
"Hey, you're Namikaze Minato, right? I've heard you're always top of the class."
Minato, looking at Gin's insincere smile, responded with a flawless sunny smile.
It was truly a clash of good and evil.
(Gin: I'm not the evil one!!)
"It's just the result of hard work. Please take care of me this year, Gin-senpai."
"Sure, sure."
Gin patted Minato's shoulder, indicating he had his back for the year.
At that moment, a wave of killing intent came from behind.
Gin turned to see a red-haired girl glaring at him. Her lips moved silently, but Gin read them.
"What are you trying to do to my little brother!"
Gin flashed a bright smile and gave a thumbs-up.
"Bang!" Uzumaki Kushina angrily pounded the desk, drawing everyone's attention.
Kushina's nickname "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero" wasn't for nothing.
She directly confronted him.
"What are you looking at!"
Everyone quickly turned away, terrified of this girl who had beaten up a Genin before even graduating.
"Kushina, we're in class," Inoue reminded. This little troublemaker was not to be trifled with either.
Without any response from Kushina, the class continued.
Ignoring the intense glare from behind, Gin listened to the lesson, feeling sleepy.
Apart from these two, he wasn't familiar with anyone else in the class.
Minato, Kushina's self-proclaimed little brother, gave Gin an apologetic smile.
Gin could feel the murderous intent from behind almost overflowing.
But he didn't care; he was so tired.
Amidst the killing intent and Inoue's lecture, Gin fell asleep.
There wasn't much need to listen; the final year's curriculum was intense but focused on three main topics.
The first and most prevalent was the Will of Fire indoctrination.
Lessons on how the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, glorified the village, with a small part about the First Hokage's creation of the village and the Second Hokage's heroic sacrifice.
Other achievements weren't in the textbooks; students had to seek them out themselves.
After all, the "strongest" Hokage, Hiruzen, couldn't be compared to his predecessors.
Other courses included ninjutsu training and combat practice.
When the dismissal bell rang.
Some Uchiha members wanted to give Gin trouble. As an Uchiha with no ninjutsu talent, he was an embarrassment, better off dropping out.
But dropping out was never an option for an Uchiha.
That was a civilian student's privilege.
...
On a twilight path.
Boys and girls walked home.
The twilight illuminated Kushina's profile with a sacred glow.
Minato's face turned slightly red.
Kushina, unaware of anything amiss, was fuming.
"Minato, you're my little brother. Don't be nice to that jerk."
He was her only little brother and couldn't be taken by anyone else. Seeing Minato's blushing face, she found his slightly feminine demeanor annoying.
As they passed a tree, a body suddenly fell from it, making Kushina scream and hide behind Minato.
Seeing who it was, she charged forward, hair flying in anger.
"You Uchiha jerk!!"
Gin was hanging upside down from a branch.
"You badmouthed me first, so scaring you is fair payback."
"I wasn't scared!!" Kushina retorted stubbornly.
"That's not the point."
Gin looked at Kushina. He preferred the blond girl for her tsundere nature.
He smiled at Minato, "Minato, how about a friendly match between classmates?"
After all, Minato was one of the few geniuses in the Naruto world, and Gin had his eye on him.
Minato scratched his head, wanting to refuse. He didn't like sudden challenges.
Kushina wouldn't have it, standing protectively in front of Minato.
"If you want to bully my little brother, you have to go through me!"
"No," Gin shook his head. "I'm afraid I'll make you cry and get into trouble."
He was more worried about her Nine-Tails getting agitated and coming out.
"I'll make you cry first!! Jerk!!"
Kushina charged, her right hook swift and heavy, even whistling through the air.
But no matter how strong, if the punch missed, it was useless.
Gin stepped back, dodging the right hook, and easily evaded her follow-up left hook.
No matter how ferocious Kushina's attacks, Gin weaved through her punches, his hair barely disturbed by the wind.
Until Kushina stopped, panting.
Gin, not even breaking a sweat, smiled mockingly.
"Is that all you've got?"
"You jerk!!"
Kushina, enraged, swung a right roundhouse kick. Gin stepped back, dodging, and kicked her left leg, causing her to lose balance and fall.
Gin, hands behind his back, struck a masterful pose.
"This is called the Falling Goose Style."
"I'm going to kill you!!"
Kushina lunged, but Minato grabbed her.
"You're not his match; I'll avenge you."
Kushina eyed Minato skeptically, but his sunny smile gave her confidence.
"Minato, beat him up!!"
Minato smiled confidently and approached Gin.
The two faced off.
A breeze blew by.
Without a word, they moved.
Turning into two shadows, they clashed, their exchange creating a gust that lifted Kushina's hair and clothes.
She watched, stunned.
"Amazing, are they really academy students?"
One always top-ranked Minato, and the so-called failure Gin, their taijutsu surpassed most Genin.
Although she could fight them, it was due to her physical strength.
These two relied on speed and skill.
In the fight, Minato felt heavy-hearted.
He had underestimated Gin.
Every clash with Gin was heavy. If not for Gin's short sleeves, Minato would think he had hidden weights.
And Gin's reflexes were unnaturally fast.
Gin was like a machine designed for combat, switching between offense and defense swiftly, and dodging every attack.
Yes, dodging. Minato hadn't landed a single hit; he was the one taking hits.
Gin's punch landed on Minato's face.
"Bang."
Minato turned into smoke, replaced by a log, appearing behind Gin with a kick.
In a flash.
Gin pressed down on the log, lifting himself, spinning, and kicking Minato in the chest, sending him flying.
"Bang."
Minato slid on the ground, quickly adjusting, kneeling.
A sharp kunai touched his forehead.
Minato looked up at Gin's bright smile, his lips moving.
"You lost."
Minato scratched his head, not feeling discouraged but smiling.
"I lost."
He turned to the stunned Kushina and said awkwardly, "I think I can't beat Gin-senpai."
"He bullied you. It's nothing special," Kushina scoffed at Gin's bullying of a younger student.
They were two years apart.
Minato, however, seriously said, "Losing is losing."
Seeing Minato's serious face, Kushina turned away.
"Don't be so absolute. I have a secret to my strength."
"Do you want to learn?"
Gin showed his true intentions.
"I can teach you!"
(End of Chapter)