Naruto : Konoha Light

"Shimuzi-senpai?!" Rin's eyes sparkled with excitement as she cheered.

"Wait, danger!" Obito had been slow to react, but when he saw Rin's enthusiastic response even before Kakashi reacted, he immediately sensed a crisis.

Might Guy, on the other hand, was intrigued. "A senior from the upper grades?"

Rin shook her head. "No, Shimuzi-senpai is actually the second-year class leader."

Obito scoffed. "Pfft, so what? He's just a little older than us."

"You're not a medical ninja, so of course, you don't understand how amazing Shimuzi-senpai is!" Rin clasped her hands together in admiration. "He's a direct disciple of Lady Tsunade and, in just a year, was already capable of leading small-scale surgeries at the hospital!"

Obito scratched his head. Was this guy really that incredible? He wasn't convinced.

Might Guy, still skeptical, turned to Zhihui. "Wait… Senior, you're saying you want to challenge a medical ninja?"

Even though Zhihui had steeled himself for this, his body stiffened at the question. A shadow passed over his face, and he clenched his fists. "Medical ninjas… are the worst!"

The surrounding students exchanged puzzled glances. Why did it sound like there was some deep trauma behind those words? No way… they had to be imagining it!

Might Guy, still hung up on the earlier revelation, asked in shock, "Wait, you mean this second-year class leader is already as strong as you?"

Zhihui took a deep breath, calming himself. "To be precise, he surpassed three years of my effort… in just two months."

Obito couldn't believe what he was hearing. "No way! But Zhihui-cousin, you awakened the Sharingan when you were eight! You're crazy talented!"

"My Sharingan?" Zhihui's expression was bitter. "I had to awaken it just to stand a chance against him. Honestly, if I hadn't awakened it, I wouldn't have even been able to fight back."

The group fell silent. Even Rin and Might Guy were stunned. If someone as strong as Zhihui struggled against Shimizu… just how powerful was this guy?

Obito was especially shaken. He had always heard from the elders that Zhihui was a monster, the pride of the clan. And now…

Kakashi, who had been feigning disinterest, subtly perked up his ears at this conversation. Even the Uchiha, a clan of supreme arrogance, admits defeat? His interest in this "Shimizu" was piqued.

Meanwhile, Might Guy's eyes burned with excitement. "Senior! Can we watch the fight?"

"Of course." Zhihui looked slightly uncomfortable under Guy's enthusiastic gaze but nodded. "Besides, you'll also get to see the Academy Festival along the way."

Rin tilted her head curiously. "Academy Festival? What's that?"

"It's a big event where students form groups based on their interests and invite others to join," Zhihui explained. "Even villagers can participate. It's a chance to make friends and showcase your skills."

Rin clapped her hands in excitement. "That sounds fun! But… why haven't I heard of it before?"

"Because it didn't exist until last semester. Shimizu started it." Zhihui grinned and patted Bringing Obito's shoulder. "Lucky you, you get to experience the first-ever Academy Festival."

Guy's eyes practically sparkled. "Awesome! I'm gonna start the Youth Hot-Blooded Power Society! Who's joining?!"

The moment his eyes landed on anyone, they quickly turned away as if avoiding a deadly disease.

Obito, not wanting to watch Guy embarrass himself, quickly changed the topic. "Are people really gonna participate in this festival? I mean, wasn't Shimizu just a rookie last year?"

Zhihui, now in full Shimizu hype mode, responded with unwavering confidence. "If it's him, there's no doubt!"

Noticing the group's curiosity, Zhihui continued, "You see, every grade level respects him. And honestly, I had a role in that!"

Obito, still a little bitter, muttered, "Oh, I get it. So before this Shimizu guy came along, you were the strongest, right?"

Zhihui's expression turned strange. "Well… you could say I was strong…"

"Aha!" Obito pointed dramatically. "So he beat you and took your title!"

Zhihui let out an awkward chuckle. "Ehh, not exactly…"

"...Huh?" Obito frowned. "Then what do you mean?"

Zhihui crossed his arms and smirked. "You see, before I turned over a new leaf… I was the biggest bully in this school."

"EH?!" The entire group gasped.

Obito stammered, "W-Wait… what?!"

"Yeah, those guys who tried to hassle us earlier?" Zhihui shrugged. "They used to be my underlings."

The group was speechless.

Obito found his voice. "But… but the clan elders never mentioned you had a whole gang of troublemakers?!"

"Of course not. They only cared about whether I awakened the Sharingan." Zhihui laughed, but there was a trace of bitterness in his voice. He then placed both hands firmly on Obito's shoulders, his expression turning serious. "Back then, I was arrogant and selfish. I thought using violence to make others fear the Uchiha was a way to honor my father. I believed I didn't need to earn respect—I could just take it. But Shimizu beat that foolishness out of me. He woke me up from my delusions!"

Obito shuddered. "Ugh, gross! Cousin, you sound so cringe!"

He was about to step back and escape when he suddenly caught sight of Rin from the corner of his eye.

Wait… if I could be as shameless as Zhihui… maybe I could tell Lin how I feel…

His expression became uncharacteristically serious. "Cousin… I understand now!"

Zhihui, completely misinterpreting this, nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Remember, once a mistake is made, you can't undo it, no matter how much you try. So don't follow the path I took."

Obito nodded, though he only half-understood. Guy, meanwhile, patted Obito's shoulder in encouragement. "It's fine! Obito's so weak, there's no way he could be a bully!"

Obito nearly face-planted from how hard he was hit. Once he steadied himself, he glared at Guy with deep resentment.

He's defending me, but why do I feel so insulted?!

Zhihui, watching the exchange, sighed to himself. Obito at least has good friends. I wasn't that lucky.

With a wave, he called out, "Alright, let's go! The Academy Festival is being held in the grove behind the school!"