Chapter 18 - Visit To The Ninja Academy
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“Surprise! It’s me, Mi Blade! Your favorite classmate!” he declared, throwing his hands up like he was announcing the winner of a reality show.
Asuma blinked in disbelief, processing the sudden reveal like it was the plot twist of a bad horror movie.
“Miblade?!” His anger exploded like a firecracker on New Year’s Eve, and he lunged at Mi Blade, ready to unleash some classic revenge.
“I’M GONNA END YOU!” Asuma shouted, channeling his inner villain.
But Mi Blade sidestepped effortlessly, dodging Asuma like he was a ninja in a dodgy action flick.
“Nah, you won’t,” he said, smirking like he had just won a bet at the village gambling hall. With a single well-timed kick, he sent Asuma face-planting into the dirt, his elaborate revenge plan foiled in under three seconds. It was a ninja performance worthy of a slow clap.
“Still want to fight?” Mi Blade teased, standing victoriously over the now-dirt-stained Asuma, who looked like he was considering whether he’d made a grave mistake in picking a fight.
From his place on the ground, Asuma groaned, the fight drained out of him like air from a deflated balloon.
“Forget it… I think I’m going to start a new hobby—like knitting.”
Obito, rubbing his sore hand as if he’d just shaken hands with a cactus, suddenly shouted out,
“Wait a minute! Are we… actually good ninjas now? Like, real-life good ninjas?” He looked around, eyes wide as if he’d just realized they might have accidentally stumbled into an alternate universe where everything wasn’t chaos.
Guy, who had been tearfully watching this whole spectacle unfold as if it were the greatest sports game of his life, struck a dramatic pose.
“This… THIS is what youth!” He spread his arms wide, as if he were embracing all the silliness and chaos of their lives with the passion of a motivational speaker at a seminar on self-improvement.
The group stood in a tangled mess of emotion and embarrassment, all wondering if they were indeed heroes or just the punchline of an epic ninja comedy.
Mi Blade dusted himself off, standing tall and proud as if he had just triumphed in a legendary battle against a horde of rogue ninjas.
Girls from the class quickly surrounded him like bees drawn to the sweetest flower, shooing away Shiranui Genma, who was trying to get a word in edgewise, and blocking Asuma, who was still plotting revenge with the intensity of a ninja villain in the final act of a soap opera.
“Hmph!” Obito said, puffing up his chest like a proud rooster, suddenly acting like Kakashi’s best friend again, completely forgetting that Kakashi had sent him flying just moments earlier. Apparently, friendship was a powerful healing balm for ego injuries.
Nearby, Rin stood watching the chaos unfold with a bemused smile, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she wondered how these kids managed to survive even the simplest of ninja training. It was like watching a reality show where the contestants were all hilariously inept.
“Alright, everyone! To celebrate my epic return with Kakashi, I’m treating everyone to a barbecue picnic!” Mi Blade announced, puffing out his chest like he had just been named the next Hokage and the entire village was waiting for his decree.
Asuma raised an eyebrow, skepticism radiating off him like a cheap perfume.
“Do you even have enough money for that? Feeding the whole class with barbecue isn’t cheap, you know.” He had a point; the only thing Mi Blade was good at was making bold claims.
Mi Blade grinned like he had just won the lottery—or maybe like he had discovered a secret stash of ramen.
“Don’t worry about it! Tonight, the second son of the great Hatake clan is picking up the tab! Eat like kings, my friends!” His declaration was so grandiose that even the nearby birds paused to listen.
“YEAH!”
The crowd of students cheered, their excitement reaching levels typically reserved for holiday sales or surprise ninja missions. They raced off to gather supplies from the village, leaving Mi Blade basking in his moment of glory like a minor celebrity at a fan convention.
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Meanwhile, a few Anbu members patrolling the streets spotted the overly-happy group of Ninja School students, raising a few eyebrows when they noticed Asuma—the Hokage's precious son—among them.
One of the Anbu, a tall figure shrouded in mystery (and a very serious-looking mask), approached the Ninja School principal, clearly confused and slightly concerned.
“Is there a reason half your class is out roaming the streets instead of in the classroom?” His voice was flat, like he was reading off a script for a ninja cop drama.
The principal scratched his head awkwardly, the gears of his mind turning slowly like a rusty ninja mechanism.
“Oh, uh, Hokage-sama himself came by and said he was taking them out for a… special class.” He tried to sound confident, but his eyes darted around like they were looking for an escape route.
The Anbu’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, a silent storm brewing behind his mask.
“Hokage-sama did what now?” His tone was that of a detective unraveling a conspiracy.
Not fully convinced, the Anbu ninja dashed off to the Hokage’s office, moving with the urgency of someone who had just stepped in gum. He knocked cautiously before entering, already anticipating the chaotic explanations he was about to receive.
“Hokage-sama!” the Anbu ninja called out, his voice echoing through the office like a concerned squirrel.
“Yes, what is it?”
Sarutobi Hiruzen replied, quickly covering his crystal ball with a red cloth, barely avoiding a scandalous situation that would surely have raised eyebrows at the next village meeting. The last thing he needed was another scandal involving Jiraiya.
“Uh… well, I saw a bunch of students from Ninja School out and about, and… weren’t they supposed to be in class?”
The Anbu’s tone was a mixture of confusion and concern, like a parent discovering their teenager sneaking back home at dawn.
“Ah, that,” Sarutobi said with a knowing chuckle, his eyes twinkling as if he hadn’t just been peeking into the lives of Konoha’s finest (or, rather, his favorite student Jiraiya, in a questionable moment of “professional observation”).
“Don’t worry, I’m aware of what’s going on. Let the kids play a little. It builds character!” His tone suggested he was secretly relishing the thought of mischief brewing in the village.
The Anbu ninja blinked, not entirely sure how to respond to this nonchalant dismissal.
“Uh, yes, Hokage-sama!” He bowed deeply before leaving, scratching his head in bewilderment.
Sarutobi peeked under the red cloth, muttering, “Konoha's women are truly the greatest sights of all…” His focus was clearly somewhere else entirely.
On the outskirts of the village, Mi Blade and the gang had set up camp beside a river. Blankets were sprawled out like they were preparing for a picnic with a royal touch, the fire crackled cheerfully, and the mouth-watering smell of grilled meat wafted through the air, drawing everyone in like moths to a flame.
Mighty Guy, practically vibrating with excitement, asked,
“Mi Blade, have you really become a Chunin already?” His eyes sparkled with awe, as if Mi Blade had just declared he was the reincarnation of the strongest ninja ever.
“Of course!”
Mi Blade grinned, basking in the adoration of his classmates like a celebrity at a meet-and-greet.
“I leveled up while you were all still practicing your kunai throws!” He puffed out his chest, clearly relishing the attention.
Asuma, never one to miss a chance to flex, puffed out his own chest like a rooster strutting in a barnyard.
“Pfft, I knew about that before any of you. Perks of being the Hokage's son, y'know.” He smirked, as if that somehow made him a better ninja.
Obito, always ready to stir the pot, dramatically pointed at Kakashi with the flair of a villain in a shounen anime.
“Kakashi! How in the world did you make Chunin before me?! This is unacceptable! This uncle will surpass you any day now!” He threw his arms up, already preparing for the emotional monologue about how hard he trained.
Kakashi, with the calmest expression in the world, glanced over and delivered a single word that sliced through Obito's pride like a kunai.
“Crane tail.”
Obito recoiled as if he’d just been hit by a fireball jutsu.
“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!” He looked as though he’d just spotted a giant spider.
“Crane tail,” Kakashi repeated nonchalantly, flipping a piece of meat on the grill like this was just another Tuesday. He seemed unfazed, probably more interested in perfecting his cooking than in the drama unfolding around him.
The rest of the students erupted into laughter, a sound so contagious that even Mi Blade found himself choking on his drink, tears streaming down his face like he had just watched the funniest stand-up routine of all time.
“Keep laughing! I’ll show you!” Obito shouted, shaking his fist dramatically like he was a cartoon villain with a vendetta.
But instead of intimidation, it only sent everyone into another fit of giggles. Kai, the eternal optimist, patted Obito on the back, nearly collapsing from laughter.
“Don’t worry, Obito! Youth is about bouncing back after setbacks! You’ll definitely catch up to Kakashi one day… maybe!” He grinned, his own tears of laughter mixing with the barbecue sauce that had splattered on him.
“Speaking of catching up, how’s the barbecue from the second son of the Hatake clan, huh? Not bad, right? Akai, eat up!”
Mi Blade proclaimed, waving a perfectly grilled skewer in front of his friend’s face like it was a golden trophy. Hosting a barbecue for the whole class?
No big deal!
Mi Blade brushed off the achievement as casually as someone who just splurged on a bag of chips, thanks to all those mission rewards he’d racked up this year.
Asuma, wiping barbecue sauce from his lips with the seriousness of a judge handing down a verdict, stood up with a dramatic flair that could rival a soap opera star.
“Mi Blade, as your close friend, I’ll forgive you for that prank earlier, but now... I challenge you!”
Mi Blade blinked, utterly perplexed.
“A challenge for... friendship?” What on earth is a friendship challenge?
Seeing Mi Blade’s confusion, Asuma grinned like a cat who just spotted a laser pointer.
“You and Kakashi are the top graduates in our class, already famous as Chunin! So I propose a battle: our classmates versus you two!”
“Wait... one at a time?” Mi Blade asked, trying to untangle this web of madness.
“Exactly!”
Asuma declared triumphantly, puffing out his chest like he had just invented a new ninja technique.
“It’s only fair, right, Lord Chunin?”
Mi Blade glanced at Kakashi, who shrugged as if to say,
“Eh, why not?” Then Kakashi smirked, flipping into his usual cool-guy act like a ninja version of James Dean.
“Let’s do it.”
“Oh hoho! Finally, my revenge has come!” Obito cackled, rubbing his hands together like a villain from a kid's cartoon, plotting the most ridiculous scheme imaginable.
Mighty Guy punched the air dramatically, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
“This is YOUTH!” He shouted, as if he had just declared the best motto ever, echoing the sentiments of a thousand anime protagonists before him.
The stage was set for an epic showdown, and the barbecue might just be the most thrilling backdrop in Ninja Academy history.
Even Shiranui Genma and Moonlight Hayate were getting in on the action, eager to test their mettle against the two resident prodigies.
The girls, led by Kurenai Yuhi, watched with serious expressions, proving they weren’t just swooning over Kakashi but were genuinely interested in the impending chaos.
Before anyone could process what was happening, the students cleared a space, forming a makeshift arena that looked more like a scene from a bad action movie than a ninja showdown.
On one side stood Kakashi and Mi Blade, exuding ninja-coolness like they had just walked off a magazine cover, while on the other, 40 eager challengers from the elite second-grade class of the Ninja School gathered, ready to take them down.
"Kakashi, wipe the floor with him! And Mi Blade too!" someone shouted from the crowd, their excitement reminiscent of a sports commentator hyping a big game.
Mi Blade rolled his eyes dramatically, the kind of eye roll that suggested he was about to endure a painful lecture.
"Kakashi, they're really underestimating us here," he said, adjusting his imaginary cape.
Kakashi barely nodded, his expression focused like a cat preparing to pounce on a particularly interesting laser dot.
"Let’s make it quick."
Before anyone could blink, shadows zipped across the clearing as Kakashi and Mi Blade moved like lightning—punches and kicks landing with precision, sending overly enthusiastic challengers flying like confetti at a birthday party.