The air in the Academy training grounds had that electric buzz of competition. Students lined up in a loose circle, chattering and whispering, waiting for their turn. Some stretched, some tried to look cool, and a few already wore smug expressions like they'd already won.
"Kazuki Uchiha versus Kakashi Hatake," the instructor announced, voice carrying over the murmurs.
Perfect. Just my luck. Out of all the matchups, it has to be him.
Kakashi stood across from Kazuki with his usual calm, unreadable look. His short silver hair caught the sunlight, and for once, both of his sharp, intelligent eyes were visible—he didn't have a hitai-ate yet. His posture was loose, but there was a sharpness in his stance—like a wolf pretending to nap before pouncing.
Kazuki, meanwhile, made a deliberate decision. No Sharingan. Not worth drawing unwanted attention in a schoolyard spar.
"Ready?" the instructor called.
Kazuki and Kakashi both gave a short nod.
"Begin!"
Kazuki shot forward instantly, deciding to start with raw speed. Kakashi barely had time to bring up his guard before Kazuki's fist blurred toward him. The impact smacked against Kakashi's forearm, pushing him back a step.
Kakashi countered with a short jab toward Kazuki's ribs, but Kazuki twisted, catching his arm and shoving it aside. The next moment was a rapid back-and-forth: kicks aimed low, elbows aimed high, each dodged or blocked with sharp precision. Dust kicked up under their sandals.
Alright, I've got the rhythm… and I'm pushing him back.
A sharp feint sent Kakashi stepping to the side, and Kazuki swept a leg toward his ankle. Kakashi jumped to avoid it, but Kazuki's follow-up punch grazed his shoulder. The crowd murmured—Uchiha Kazuki had the upper hand in pure hand-to-hand.
Kakashi slid back, putting a few meters between them. His right hand flashed to form a seal.
Wait—hand signs? This is bad.
Kazuki's mind split in two directions.
Rush him now and stop the jutsu——Or pull back before I eat whatever he's cooking?
That fraction of hesitation was all Kakashi needed. His fingers blurred through the last seals.
"Suiton: Water Bullet Jutsu!"
Water swelled in his mouth, then a compressed sphere of liquid shot forward with surprising speed.
Kazuki's eyes widened. Oh, hell. He threw himself to the side just as the water bomb slammed into the spot he'd been standing, splashing with enough force to soak the edge of the sparring ring.
Rolling to his feet, Kazuki skidded to a stop—outside the chalk boundary.
"Point to Kakashi Hatake. Match over."
Kakashi lowered his hands and gave a small wave. "Guess I win this round."
Kazuki sighed, brushing dust off his sleeves. "Yeah, yeah, enjoy your water tricks."
Inside, though, the irritation was sharp.
That was my first time dealing with ninjutsu in a fight. I froze like an idiot. Could've closed the distance, could've done something—anything—other than just watch him work through his seals.
Across the field, the girls' side of the sparring had been reduced to chaos.
Azula stood calmly, arms folded, while her last opponent, Yugao, sat on the ground rubbing her shoulder. Kurenai was still trying to shake off a throw from earlier, and Rin looked like she'd been through a light hurricane.
Asuma, sporting two large panda-shaped bruises under his eyes from losing to Might Guy earlier, muttered, "You could've been gentler. They're girls, you know."
Azula turned her head toward him slowly. "I'm a girl too."
That shut him up instantly. Guy laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
Later that evening, Kazuki and Azula walked home together.
"You looked like you had fun with Kakashi," Azula teased.
"Fun? Sure, if you call standing still while someone throws a water ball at your face 'fun.'"
Azula smirked. "I guess I'll have to be careful if you ever challenge me. Wouldn't want to win too quickly."
Kazuki ignored her jab, already replaying the fight in his head. Three things stood out like neon signs:
Indecisiveness. That single moment of hesitation was all Kakashi needed to pull off his jutsu.
No genjutsu. If he'd known how to disrupt his opponent's concentration, Kakashi's hand signs could've been ruined before completion.
No decisive finisher. Without ninjutsu, he needed a move that could end a fight quickly.
Alright… so what can I do about that?
Genjutsu was obvious—he'd start learning it immediately. But the finishing move… He needed something powerful yet achievable without elemental ninjutsu.
Then it clicked.
The Rasengan. Yeah, it's technically ninjutsu, but it's really just advanced chakra control. No elemental transformation needed. If I can make it now… I'd beat Minato to it by years.
He grinned slightly. Imagine the look on his face.
The grin faded as his mind circled back to the bigger threats:
Madara — The "I-was-supposed-to-be-dead-a-century-ago" ghost with too much free time.
Black Zetsu — The manipulative shadow goo that wants to free his alien goddess mom.
White Zetsu — Discount clone army in plant cosplay.
Danzo — Professional Sharingan hoarder and self-appointed 'protector' of the village.
Hiruzen — Grandpa Hokage with a paranoia problem when it comes to the Uchiha.
Orochimaru — Human rights violation in snake form.
Yeah… I've got plenty of reasons to get stronger already.
The next few days, Kazuki found a quiet clearing and began his Rasengan experiment. He even bought a small pack of water balloons from a shop—earning an odd look from the shopkeeper—just like he remembered from the "canon."
Step one: rotation. Simple, just spin the chakra.
Step two: power. Less simple—even though I have excellent control over my chakra my chakra wants to wobble.
Step three: containment. Yeah, okay, this is the real nightmare.
After nearly popping three balloons in his face and soaking himself, Kazuki decided to balance Rasengan training with genjutsu basics. At least he could practice disrupting an opponent's concentration immediately.
Meanwhile, Azula's chakra affinity test had been completed.
"Fire nature," Kuroha, the orphanage director, told her with a faint smile. "Not surprising for an Uchiha."
Kazuki, watching from the side, muttered, Yeah, because the Uchiha are so known for their subtlety.
Under Kuroha's guidance, Azula dove into learning the Katon: fireball Jutsu—the classic Uchiha fireball technique. Her progress was quick; the first few attempts fizzled, but soon she was hurling respectable bursts of flame down the training field.
Kazuki crossed his arms. She gets to shoot fire, I get to spin my chakra in a balloon until it explodes in my face. Totally fair.
Still, Azula didn't stop at fire release. Even without her Sharingan awakened, she began studying genjutsu theory and practicing low-rank illusions that didn't require dojutsu. She was methodical—Kuroha had drilled into her that precision and patience would win more battles than raw power.
Azula's latest Katon: fireball Jutsu roared down the training field, exploding in a satisfying plume of flame. Even Kuroha, the usually reserved orphanage director, gave an approving nod.
Azula smirked at Kazuki. "Not bad, right? You sure you don't want me to teach you? I can go slow so you don't—"
Before she could finish, something wet and cold smacked her right in the side of the head with a loud splat.
She froze, water dripping down her hair. "…Did you just throw a water balloon at me?"
Kazuki stood there with another balloon in hand, the perfect picture of mock innocence. "Me? Nooo. Must've been a wild aquatic bird. They're aggressive this time of year."
Azula's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You know water makes smoke when it hits fire, right? Want to test that theory… on your face?"
Kazuki smirked. "Only if you think you can hit me before I soak you again."
Kuroha pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you two burn down the training field, you'll be scrubbing the floors of the orphanage for a month."
That night, as they walked back from training, Kazuki glanced at her. "You're enjoying the fireball thing way too much."
Azula tilted her head. "It's practical. You know… for when someone tries to throw a water ball at me."
Kazuki groaned. "I'm never living that down, am I?"
"Nope."
The academy had started the day with friendly competition, but by nightfall, the weight of reality sat heavier on Kazuki's shoulders. Every spar, every jutsu learned, every sarcastic exchange was just another step toward surviving the storms on the horizon.