The village air was crisp as Team 11 walked in silence. Indra Hyuga moved with sharp awareness, eyes shifting between his teammates and their new sensei, Uchiha Kagami, who walked a step ahead. Asahi walked beside him, serene as always, while Daichi trailed a few paces back, his expression unreadable.
Kagami led them silently to the outskirts of the village, finally stopping at a secluded, wide-open space nestled between tall trees—Training Ground 13. Sunlight pierced through the canopy, casting long shadows on the dirt field.
Kagami turned to face them, folding his arms behind his back.
"This is where it begins," he said, his voice calm, confident. "You are Team 11. Before anything else, you will introduce yourselves. I'll go first."
He stepped forward, his Sharingan eyes calm but unreadable.
"I am Uchiha Kagami. I was a student of the Second Hokage. I've fought in the recent war—and I'd like to keep it that way. My dream is to prevent another one. My hobby is stargazing. I find peace in the silence of the night sky. Now, your turn."
Asahi stepped forward without hesitation, offering a polite bow. "I'm Asahi Hyuga. I specialize in medical ninjutsu and Gentle Fist technique. I want to become strong enough to protect the people I love. I enjoy reading and mixing herbal remedies."
Daichi was next, quiet and measured. "Daichi Uchiha. I use Fire Release and basic genjutsu. I… don't have a dream yet. Maybe I'll find one on the way." He looked away slightly, his voice steady but guarded.
Finally, Indra stepped forward. "Indra Hyuga. I want to become the strongest shinobi in the world. Strong enough to change it. I want to break the clan system—and end the division within the Hyuga. I enjoy training and research."
Kagami nodded, thoughtful. "Good. You've passed the first test."
All three blinked, confused.
"Traditionally," Kagami continued, "you'd have to pass another test to truly become genin. Most jonin send teams back to the Academy. But I already made up my mind the moment I saw your profiles."
Relief flashed briefly on Asahi's face. Indra, however, stayed focused.
"Still, I need to see where you stand. So you'll fight me—with the intent to kill."
Daichi tensed. Indra narrowed his eyes. Asahi exhaled slowly.
"I'm not going to hold back, and neither should you. You have fifteen minutes to set traps, prepare techniques, and form a strategy. After that, I'll hunt you down. Make it count."
Kagami turned his back and stepped into the center of the field, arms folded once again.
The three genin disappeared behind the trees.
-----
Behind the large trunk of an ancient oak, the trio huddled together.
"I can lay some traps," Daichi said, already pulling out tripwire and tags. "I'll combine them with genjutsu illusions—it should slow him down."
Indra nodded. "Asahi and I will keep eyes on him. Our Byakugan will let us track his movements."
"We hit him together?" Asahi asked, glancing at Indra.
"We overwhelm him," Indra confirmed. "Daichi, don't use your fire jutsu until the last phase. That's when we'll need it most."
They nodded. There was no time for more talk.
They scattered, setting traps, planting tags, sharpening shuriken edges. The forest around Training Ground 13 slowly transformed into a minefield of invisible danger.
------
Back in the field, Kagami closed his eyes and listened to the wind. He wasn't expecting to be pushed far, but he wanted to see how far they'd go. These weren't ordinary children. They carried bloodlines, ambition—and maybe, something more.
Fifteen minutes later, Kagami's voice echoed: "Time's up."
He didn't activate his Sharingan. Nor did he rush. Instead, he walked forward with quiet confidence, scanning the forest with practiced eyes.
The area was filled with traps—tripwires, camouflaged pits, and kunai-triggered snare tags. His gaze shifted, assessing them effortlessly.
A roar of flames interrupted the silence.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Daichi's voice rang out as a fireball blazed toward Kagami. With minimal effort, Kagami sidestepped, letting the flames wash past harmlessly. Before the smoke cleared, kunai and shuriken hailed from multiple directions.
Kagami blurred out of view and reappeared beyond the trap line, avoiding a concealed wire with uncanny precision. A kunai shot toward him—another trap. He batted it aside—another feint.
Indra burst from behind him, his speed enhanced by chakra, striking out with a flurry of Gentle Fist attacks. He aimed straight for Kagami's tenketsu with precision and aggression.
Asahi joined the assault from the other side, matching Indra's rhythm flawlessly. Their years of training together were evident in their synchronicity—feints, mirrored strikes, and coordinated movement flowed seamlessly.
Kagami, still calm, responded with minimal but efficient counters, weaving between their attacks. For the first time, a flicker of seriousness showed in his eyes.
He jumped back, formed a single hand sign, and released a massive fireball.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."
The Genin scattered. Daichi, repositioned, flung a barrage of kunai at Kagami, forcing him to halt his pursuit. Kagami's eyes shifted.
Sharingan.
With a glance, Daichi froze—caught in genjutsu mid-sign, his body tense, his chakra halted.
Indra and Asahi charged again, their Byakugan activated, seeing through illusions and tracking every movement. They fought smart—countering his counters, adjusting their angles, and keeping each other covered. But Kagami's experience showed—he moved just outside their range, redirected their momentum, and pressured their weak points.
Every motion was fluid. Controlled. Measured.
Then Daichi broke free from the genjutsu, roaring in frustration, flames forming at his lips.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"
A scatter of small fireballs forced Kagami to duck. Indra and Asahi resumed the offensive immediately after, throwing kunai and engaging in close quarters to keep the pressure high.
Still, Kagami did not falter.
For five minutes, they fought. Harder than they'd ever fought before. This wasn't like the Academy. Kagami's speed, the way he read movements in fractions of a second, the precision of his counters—it was all on a different level.
Their chakra began to wane. Their movements slowed.
Kagami suddenly vanished and appeared behind Daichi, driving him into the ground and using Earth Release to bury him up to the neck.
"One down."
The pressure increased on the Hyuga duo. Their Byakugan helped them track his movements, but their young bodies couldn't keep up. Their attacks lacked the power to break his defenses.
A flicker. A pause.
They were in a genjutsu.
They broke it almost instantly—but Kagami was already waiting. He incapacitated them with fluid movements, suppressing their chakra and pinning them beside Daichi.
All three were panting, bruised, and beaten, but not broken.
Kagami stood in the clearing again, dusting off his vest, his Sharingan fading.
"You fought well. Better than most. You used your clan techniques, teamwork, and instincts. But don't mistake effort for survival."
He looked at each of them, serious but not cold.
"This wasn't a test. This was a lesson. Learn to fight like your life depends on it—because someday, it will."
------
Kagami landed softly and knelt beside the three children buried in the ground, brushing the dirt gently from their heads. One by one, he released them from their earthy confines, lifting them out with ease.
Indra staggered to his feet first, followed by Asahi, who winced slightly as she brushed debris from her scraped knee. Daichi groaned but stood with help, his face flushed from the intensity of their battle.
"Catch your breath," Kagami said, his tone softer now. "You've earned it."
The trio sat in silence, breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from their brows, their chests rising and falling in uneven rhythms. The adrenaline was still in their veins, but the exhaustion was impossible to ignore. They were only six, after all—and that had been a real battle.
After a few minutes, Kagami gestured toward a large tree at the edge of the clearing. "Come. Let's talk."
They followed him wordlessly, collapsing beneath the shade of the tree. Kagami remained standing at first, gazing down at his new students with an unreadable look in his eyes.
"You three did well. Very well," he began, arms folded behind his back. "It was never about winning or losing. I wanted to see what you've learned—what instincts you fall back on. And more importantly, I wanted to know if I could trust you with your lives and each other's."
He turned first to Daichi.
"Daichi," he said first, turning to the Uchiha boy, "you've learned two C-rank Fire Style jutsu. That's impressive for your age."
Daichi perked up slightly. "Most kids in the clan learn the Fireball Technique before five. It's… kind of expected."
Kagami nodded. "True. But learning another one so early speaks to your dedication. Our clan's library has more ninjutsu than almost any other—it's a treasure trove of copied techniques from every element over generations. Use it well."
Daichi blinked, surprised. "I didn't know we had that many."
"You do. And you're allowed to study them with permission. I'll help with that if needed."
Then Kagami's expression shifted—still kind, but now sharper.
"However… your stamina couldn't keep up with Indra and Asahi. You were breathing hard long before them. Chakra control plays a big role in that."
Daichi tilted his head. "Chakra control?"
Indra glanced over, a small smirk on his face, but Kagami raised a hand to keep things serious.
"You see," Kagami began, "chakra is made by mixing physical energy from your body with spiritual energy from your mind. Most academy students just focus on building more of it—more chakra, more jutsu. But if you can't control it, you waste it. Think of it like trying to pour water into a small cup using a bucket. If you're not precise, most of it spills."
Daichi nodded slowly, processing.
"Chakra control lets you fight longer with less effort. Indra and Asahi were able to use chakra to reinforce their bodies. That's why they could move faster, hit harder, and last longer."
Asahi gave a sheepish grin. "We've been training chakra control since we were three. Walking on trees and water is part of our taijutsu drills."
Daichi's eyes widened. "Wait—you can walk on water?"
"Easily," Indra said, crossing his arms, "We can both fight on water without trouble." Asahi nodded in agreement.
Daichi looked surprised. "What?"
Kagami raised an eyebrow. "At six?"
Indra shrugged humbly. "Our fathers insisted we master it early."
Kagami chuckled at Daichi's stunned face. "You'll learn too. I'll teach you chakra control exercises—tree climbing, then water walking. It's the difference between survival and death. With effort, you'll catch up."
He turned to the Hyuga pair next.
"You two worked well together. The coordination was obvious—years of training show. And I'm glad to see you both already using chakra flow in combat."
"Now tell me—do you intend to walk only the Hyuga path, or do you plan to learn ninjutsu?"
Indra's eyes gleamed. "I want to learn both Wind and Earth Release. I've already confirmed my chakra nature."
Asahi hesitated, then spoke. "I want to study Water Release and medical ninjutsu… if that's okay."
Kagami looked at her, then at Indra. A slow smile spread across his face.
"You two… you're not bound by clan dogma. Good. That's what I wanted to hear."
He crouched, meeting their eyes at their level.
"Tradition is valuable—but it shouldn't be a cage. The Uchiha once copied thousands of jutsu from every nature type. Our library is vast, and I know many techniques myself. I'll pass on what I can. Asahi, I'll get you some medical ninjutsu scrolls. We'll begin when you're ready."
Asahi's face lit up with quiet excitement, and Indra's hands clenched slightly in anticipation.
Kagami looked at Daichi again. "You have Fire Release. We'll start chakra nature transformation exercises soon."
"What are those?" Daichi asked, brow furrowed.
"It's how you learn to truly master your element," Kagami explained. "It begins with shaping chakra into elemental properties. Fire is about splitting chakra into heat and ignition. Wind is about cutting and pressure. Earth is solidity and density. Water is fluidity and control."
Kagami picked up a dry leaf from the ground and held it between two fingers.
"For Fire, you try to burn the leaf using only chakra. For Wind, you try to slice it. These exercises teach you how to control your element instinctively. Once you master transformation, your ninjutsu becomes stronger, faster, more efficient."
Daichi looked more serious now. "So… chakra control and nature transformation are like the basics for real ninja?"
"Exactly," Kagami replied. "You'll all be learning both—along with taijutsu, genjutsu awareness, and mission procedure."
Kagami leaned back against the tree trunk. "Now, for your bodies. You're still too young for weight training. We'll wait until you're ten before we think about resistance gear. Until then, we'll focus on refining your chakra control, speed, and reaction time."
He paused, allowing the words to settle in.
"From tomorrow, our daily routine begins. Training starts at seven in the morning and lasts until ten. After that, you'll rest, and we'll take on D-rank missions. They may be simple, but they'll teach you how to navigate the world of shinobi—the procedures, the judgment, the risk assessment."
They all groaned lightly at that, and Kagami chuckled.
Daichi sighed, still catching his breath. "Do we have to clean paint off walls?"
Kagami chuckled. "You'll wish it was that easy. Consider it your first step. You want to be strong? Even the strongest climb one rung at a time."
The group laughed—tired, but happy. The earlier tension had faded, replaced by the warmth of camaraderie.
As the sun began to lower in the sky, Kagami stood. "Let's eat."
They walked together to a quiet restaurant near the village center. Over bowls of steaming ramen and grilled fish, they talked—not as jonin and genin, but as teacher and students. Kagami asked about their favorite food, what they did outside training, even if they liked pranks.
When the meal ended, he walked them to the village crossroads where they would part ways.
"Rest well," he said. "Tomorrow, your life as genin truly begins."
Indra turned back once before heading home. Kagami was still there, standing beneath the lantern-lit street, watching them with a calm, proud smile.
They were his first students.
He had fought in a war, yes—but he had never led a team.
His dream wasn't to become Hokage, or to be feared like Madara. He just wanted peace—real peace. A world where kids like them didn't have to die in battle.
Stargazing was his only hobby. He loved the silence, the stillness, the clarity in darkness. It reminded him that even in the vast unknown, there was order… there was hope.
And these three—Indra, Asahi, and Daichi—were his brightest stars yet.