Watching Obito blush as he argued, Kakashi countering calmly, Rin quietly trying to stop them, and Genma chewing a toothpick while enjoying the show, Lock was speechless.
This year's Academy students could be called one of the most talented classes in decades. Maybe not as dazzling as the future Konoha Twelve, but if you left aside the "Children of Destiny," their overall ability was only stronger.
But talent aside, they were far from stable. In Lock's eyes, their so-called "elite class" should really be renamed the problem teenager class, because there weren't many normal ones here.
Around the training ground, the strangeness was obvious.
A boy crouched in the dirt kept picking up worms and insects—clearly from the Aburame clan.
Not far away, a little girl hugged a tiny puppy and kissed its head every few moments—an obvious Inuzuka.
To the north, a Uchiha boy stared at himself in a mirror, pausing to drop eyedrops into his eyes again and again. Lock almost laughed—if he hadn't known the truth, he'd think this kid really believed he could awaken the Sharingan with saline. Who knew how many bottles he wasted every semester
Another Hyūga boy stood practicing with his pale eyes, breathing out strange "hya—ha— ey" sounds.
Off in a corner, a boy wearing sunglasses kept peeking at the girls and snickering. That was Ebisu, already showing signs of what he'd grow into.
The loudest of them all was the green-haired boy running laps while shouting about energy and passion—Might Guy, who would one day nearly kick through destiny itself.
And then there was Asuma Sarutobi, son of the Third Hokage, already a rebellious brat with his wild hair and hot temper.
These were the most well-known ones. The rest had some talent too, but compared to them, they seemed weaker.
All in all, seventy to eighty percent of this "elite class" were problem children. No wonder their instructor, Yagy,ū sometimes had headaches teaching them.
If Lock didn't have his own advantage, he knew he couldn't keep up with these classmates. Even with their issues, their natural talent was frightening.
Still, with his edge, Lock believed he had a bright future. It was only a matter of time.
"It's going to be a long road," he muttered.
"Beep! Beep!"
The assembly whistle blew. As Instructor Yagyū entered, the students quickly lined up.
He stood in front of them, scanning the group before speaking.
"Everyone here is determined to become a ninja. I trust that even during the holiday, you continued training. Today is the first day of the new term, so I'll be checking your progress. This class will not just be outdoor practice—it will be real combat. One-on-one sparring."
"Any objections?"
"No problem!"
At those words, excitement rippled through the group. They weren't afraid of combat—if anything, they were eager. Nothing sharpened a ninja-in-training faster than real fights, and with an instructor present to guide them, the chance was invaluable.
For many without clan resources, the Academy was their best training ground.
After a few more words, Yagyū got straight to the point:
"Two students will step forward to spar. You may choose your own opponent. Who wants to go first?"
"Me, me, me!" Obito shot his hand up, jumping excitedly.
"I'll go first," Asuma said with disdain. "Don't embarrass yourself, dead last."
"I can't wait for a bloody fight, sensei! Let me go first!" Guy shouted, his spirit burning.
"I'll go first, I'll go first!" echoed from others.
Despite the noise, Yagyū didn't lose patience. He liked this kind of energy—it pushed growth. But only one could be chosen.
He pointed at Obito. "You seem very confident. Let's start with you, Obito."
"Yes!" Obito ran out proudly, shooting a smirk back at Asuma.
"Tch. Dead last," Asuma muttered, lowering his hand unwillingly.
Yagyū asked, "Obito, who do you want to challenge?"
Lock rolled his eyes in the lineup and whispered, "Do you even need to ask? Of course, it's his rival in love."
Sure enough, Obito shouted, "I want to challenge Kakashi! This time I'll defeat him for sure!"
Yagyū's face stiffened. The very last place challenging the number one? Was this a joke?
"Idiot," Kakashi muttered, not even sparing Obito a glance.
"Are you certain?" Yagyū tried again, even suggesting, "Why not someone else, perhaps Lock?"
But Obito puffed up proudly. "No way! Lock's second to last. Beating him won't prove anything! I'm challenging Kakashi!"
Lock cursed under his breath. "Seriously, Obito? Are you trying to be funny?"