Immortality begins with the ninjas of Konoha.

On the ninja academy's training ground, the practical combat lesson that the boys had been eagerly anticipating finally arrived.

Unlike the chakra refining and shuriken throwing courses, this time it's a two-person team battle.

Those who longed for the life of a ninja were filled with anticipation for this course, and they gathered around the training ground, shouting loudly, perfectly fulfilling their role as the atmosphere-creating team:

"Go for it, Shu! Make Kakashi pay!"

"Give him a good lesson, Xiu, let him understand what a true genius is..."

"Kakashi, do your best!"

"..."

The girls at the front continued to support Kakashi Hatake, even though the silver-haired boy was aloof and didn't play with them. The unconventional boy attracted their attention even more.

The chattering noise made Obito Uchiha, standing at the back of the crowd, frown, especially when he saw Rin Nohara enthusiastically cheering for Kakashi with her hands clasped together. He became even more annoyed.

"What a show-off! He's just a nobody..."

The boys around who heard Obito's whispers began their usual mockery. More than two months had passed, and several small groups had emerged in Class A. Even though they were from the prestigious Uchiha clan, they were still isolated by everyone.

"Those who are at the bottom of the class just complain here!"

"A big-talking idiot."

"Hey! You guys are really something!"

"..."

Homeroom teacher Ryosuke Kimura noticed the argument between Obito and the others behind him but didn't say anything. Instead, he signaled the two fighters to prepare for their battle.

Osamu Furukawa and Kakashi stood facing each other, and upon hearing the reminder, they both formed opposing hand seals.

Taking turns being number one clearly fueled Kakashi's competitive spirit. Even his usual nonchalant, deadpan expression vanished as he stared intently at his opponent and spoke:

"I'm not going to give up first place in the practical training course!"

"You said the same thing during the last assessment."

As Kakashi shouted, he began to gather chakra in his feet. Furukawa Osamu noticed this, but still went along with the "performance," his small face perfectly displaying the desire for victory.

Ryosuke Kimura, the homeroom teacher who intended for the two to compete against each other, was very pleased with this situation and shouted loudly amidst the noise:

"start!"

As the pebbles beneath his feet flew out, Kakashi unleashed his full power in a straight sprint, rushing towards Furukawa Osamu in an attempt to gain the upper hand.

"Bang..."

Kakashi's right fist was blocked, and the sound of small collisions echoed between the two. The continuous punches and blocks made the crowd on the sidelines gasp in surprise.

The elbow strike that grazed his face made Kakashi lower his body, and after his quick sweeping kick was dodged, he unleashed another burst of power.

After leaping into the air, he spun around and launched a series of kicks at his opponent. In the instant that his opponent was defended, Kakashi used the momentum to deflect the force and retreat backward.

"Oh no!"

As Kakashi landed and regained his footing, his pupils contracted, and he quickly raised his left arm to defend himself, realizing something was wrong.

Furukawa Osamu countered with lightning speed, twisting his body to launch a series of attacks after his right fist was blocked.

Kakashi, who was on the defensive, was trying to counterattack when Furukawa Osamu suddenly kicked him with a high kick, causing him to instinctively lean back.

"ah!"

Seeing that Furukawa Osamu seized the opportunity to swiftly turn around and send Kakashi flying with a right side kick, the girls screamed in surprise. The subsequent chase and stomp made Nohara Rin clench her fists in tension.

Kakashi, who had just fallen to the ground, was turned into a wooden stake with a thud after parrying. However, the Substitution Jutsu did not surprise Furukawa Osamu. He heard the sound of wind beside him and took the opportunity to block and grab.

"clang..."

The teaching aid kunai fell to the ground. Kakashi, after being thrown over the shoulder, was pinned down. Seeing Furukawa Osamu slowly get up and extend his arm, he couldn't help but gasp:

"hateful!"

"You were careless, Kakashi. A ninja can never let his guard down."

As Furukawa Osamu helped Kakashi up, he revealed a kind smile. In order to deal with Might Guy's challenge, he had no choice but to let the silver-haired boy suffer; he was the best shield.

"Wow! That's amazing!"

"Well done, Shu. Kakashi will never be the top student..."

The onlookers started shouting again, automatically adopting Furukawa Osamu's perspective, and everyone was extremely happy to have defeated the arrogant Kakashi.

"Shu, Kakashi, you two did a fantastic job!"

"The Seal of Reconciliation".

Ryosuke Kimura couldn't hide his smile. After giving them a loud encouragement, he watched the two leave with increasing satisfaction. Having trained such outstanding ninjas, a generous bonus was already beckoning to him.

"Even geniuses work hard; you all must cultivate yourselves even more diligently!"

"yes!"

Upon hearing their homeroom teacher's instructions, the excited boys responded loudly, with Might Guy, sporting a watermelon-shaped haircut, being the loudest; he couldn't wait to prove himself.

In Class A, those who don't fit in are easily isolated, and those with poor grades or who are not good-looking are ridiculed. Even if they come from prestigious families, once they get to know each other, the boys will "punch back".

"What?! This Uchiha guy can't even beat Guy, that loser!"

"Asuma is really amazing..."

"The Third Hokage's son should be even stronger."

"..."

After Obito was knocked to the ground by Guy, he was sullen. The guy with thick eyebrows was not a loser at all. Although his ninjutsu class grades were the worst, his overall grades were better than many people in the class.

Some despicable guys, despite their mediocre grades, liked to label him a "bottom of the class." Obito grew angrier the more he thought about it, until he heard that expectant voice:

"Are you alright, Obito? This is only the first practical lesson."

After finishing their sparring session, Nohara Rin leaned over to the boy and comforted him. The two had known each other for a long time, and she knew that Obito was kind-hearted by nature and that he insisted on helping old ladies every day, something that most people couldn't do.

"Uh...don't worry about me, Lin!"

"I'll become Hokage someday, and I'll surpass Kakashi sooner or later..."

Upon seeing the girl's gentle smile, Obito Uchiha involuntarily raised his head and began to show off. Rin Nohara, hearing this declaration, tilted her head and asked in return:

"Huh? Isn't it Chaoyue Xiu? He might be the most outstanding student in our year."

Subconsciously scratching his head, Obito felt a little awkward thinking about Furukawa Osamu. That indescribable feeling made him subconsciously respond:

"I always felt that guy was completely different from us!"

"I still prefer Kakashi, even though he loves to show off and always tries to attract girls' attention..."

The sound grew softer and softer. Noticing that Nohara Rin was watching him with a smile, Obito turned his head away in embarrassment.

"The Uchiha in the next class are more like the elites, you really look like the bottom of the Uchiha."

Kakashi, who was passing by silently, obviously heard Obito's words. He seized the opportunity to respond, and without looking at Obito's reaction, he slowly walked away.

"What did you say! Kakashi, stop right there!"

-

That night, in the forest behind the ninja academy, the training grounds once again echoed with a "ding-ding" sound.

Facing the shuriken shot from above, Osamu Furukawa stood still and swung his kunai in place to knock them down one by one. The sparks produced when they collided indicated that they were not teaching tools used by the ninja academy.

Exhausted, Might Guy stared intently at the pile of ninja tools lying at Furukawa Osamu's feet, subconsciously muttering a soft sigh of admiration:

"That's amazing..."

After completing his daily training, Furukawa Osamu slowly exhaled. His dynamic vision was beyond that of ordinary people, and his motor skills were equally outstanding. It was currently impossible to determine whether this was due to the influence of [Collection].

Turning to look at Might Guy, Furukawa was about to offer some words of encouragement when Might Guy suddenly appeared, hugged his son, and said loudly:

"Even geniuses work this hard, Kai, you need to double your efforts and make your youth shine!"

"Yes! Tomorrow I'll do 500 handstand push-ups, then I'll challenge Kakashi, beat him, and then challenge Shu!"

Might Guy responded loudly. Seeing the father and son embracing and weeping, Furukawa Osamu's eye twitched slightly, and he sighed helplessly in his heart.

"I really wish I could successfully use my 'talking skills' once..."