"Brother, how goes the war effort?"
"It's grim. My wretched cousin has threatened me! He said if I leak his secrets, he'll tell Macy from next door that I still wet the bed when I was three!" Kotetsu Hagane gritted his teeth, lamenting his cousin's absolute lack of honor.
How could a family squabble be dragged before little Macy? It was a calculated strike against his glorious reputation. Truly despicable.
"I have a plan," Izumo Kamizuki whispered, pushing his imaginary glasses up his nose. "We use our youth as a shield. We go to his house under the guise of playing, and we absolutely wreck his room. Since you're 'just a kid,' the blame will fall on him for not supervising you. Do that a few times, and he'll be too busy cleaning to threaten anyone."
Kotetsu's eyes lit up with predatory glee. He declared that with Izumo's tactical mind, they would be as invincible as the First Hokage backed by the Second. If the mission succeeded, snacks were on him.
Luke Mugetsu walked into the classroom just in time to catch the tail end of this conversation between the "Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon" of the Academy. He couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Settle down, everyone. Class is in session!" Luke stepped to the podium, wasting no time.
"Chakra is the fundamental energy required to perform Ninjutsu. It is the fusion of physical energy and spiritual energy..."
Most of the students listened with rapt attention. This was the foundation of everything they hoped to become. Luke explained the theory clearly, occasionally molding a visible spark of Chakra to let the students sense the flow. He peppered the lecture with anecdotes and short stories, keeping the atmosphere light while using targeted questions to cement their understanding.
As the four-hour block neared its end, Luke glanced at Anko, who was still grinning and firing off questions. He triggered his system.
Name: Anko Mitarashi
Potential: A
Intrigued, Luke decided to scan the entire room.
Name: Kotetsu Hagane | Potential: B-
Name: Izumo Kamizuki | Potential: B-
Luke was surprised to find that aside from Shisui, only four students in the entire grade reached a B-rank or higher. Most were sitting at a solid C, with a few unfortunate D-ranks scattered in the back.
It put Shisui's talent into perspective; the boy was so far ahead he was practically in a different race.
Anko's potential was also higher than Luke expected. In the original history, she wasn't exactly a world-breaker, but the system clearly saw a high ceiling in her. However, Luke didn't move to recruit her yet. He only had four mentorship slots, and Shisui already occupied one.
As cute as young Anko was, Luke was a pragmatist. Being handsome wouldn't get him out of Root; only power would.
[Lecture Complete. Calculating rewards...] [Evaluation: A] [Reward: Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu]
"A great technique," Luke thought, "but not very useful to me right now."
The signature move of the hero, the Multiple Shadow Clone, was incredibly versatile—if you had the Chakra reserves of a Tailed Beast. For Luke, who was currently suffering from a "meager" pool of energy, creating a hundred clones would just result in a very efficient suicide.
After lunch, Luke returned to the faculty lounge. A group of teachers were huddled around Ikeya Yu, offering last-minute advice for his blind date.
"Make sure you clean up. Wear something formal," a tall, thin teacher advised. "Don't let her think you live in a dumpster."
"Give me some credit, Sam," Ikeya replied confidently. "I might be single, but I have common sense."
"I think you should focus on not bragging so much," Aya Ueda said, shaking her head as if she already saw the train wreck coming.
"Just you wait, Aya! I'll come back with a victory!" Ikeya declared.
Aya gave him a dismissive wave and turned to Luke. "Teacher Luke, you're amazing. I walked past your room today and the atmosphere was incredible. I can't believe this is your first week."
Luke shook his head modestly. "It's all thanks to the advice you gave me. The students have been very cooperative."
Aya beamed and shared some of her snacks with him. Ikeya watched the exchange with a pout; he'd been her colleague for two years and rarely got so much as a cracker.
Luke chatted for a few minutes before pulling out his ink and brush to practice calligraphy. It was a habit from his past life that helped him stay grounded. Since the lunch break was short, there wasn't enough time for real training anyway.
When the afternoon bell rang, Luke gathered his things and headed to Class 2, Grade 4.
Ring—
As Luke entered, a murmur went through the room. "Wait, isn't this supposed to be Teacher Ikeya's history class?"
"Teacher Ikeya had an urgent matter to attend to," Luke explained, stepping onto the podium. "I'll be covering for him today."
Hardly had the words left his mouth when a blur of orange and blue skidded into the room.
"Huff... huff... Teacher, I'm sorry! I saw this Grandma on the way, and she needed help with her groceries, so I..." Obito gasped, leaning on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
"Just take your seat," Luke said with a nod. As the boy shuffled to his desk, Luke scanned the room with Appraisal.
Name: Rin Nohara | Chakra: 300 | Potential: B+
Name: Might Guy | Chakra: 600 | Potential: S | Evaluation: Taijutsu specialist. Highly recommended for Mentorship.
Name: Uchiha Obito | Chakra: 650 | Potential: S | Evaluation: Six Paths lineage. Space-Time affinity. Highly recommended for Mentorship.
The rest of the class was a sea of C and D ranks, save for a boy named Tekka Uchiha who held an A-rank. Luke asked where they had left off in their textbook and began his lecture.
For students used to teachers who simply read from scrolls in a monotone drone, Luke was a revelation. He made history sound like an epic drama.
Obito was the first to speak up. "Teacher Luke, you're awesome! You explain things way better than the others. If you were our regular teacher, I'd actually pass my exams for once!"
"I'll be sure to tell Teacher Ikeya you said that," Luke teased. "Right after I mention you were late again."
Obito's face went pale as he began to beg for mercy. The classroom erupted in laughter, the tension of a long afternoon melting away.
During the large break between sessions, Luke activated his Sensory Ninjutsu. Once he confirmed no one was watching, he stepped back into the room and signaled two specific students.
"Might Guy. Obito. Could you two come with me for a moment?"