Mockery

The training field at Konoha's Ninja Academy was abuzz with laughter.

In the spotlight, Nawaki stood with his face as red as a ripe tomato and his pride as drenched as his shoes, struggling to regain his composure.

With compassion written all over her face, Kuri approached Nawaki. "Come on, Nawaki, don't be disheartened. Konoha wasn't built in a day, and great ninjas aren't born knowing everything."

Nawaki, still scowling, looked up at his teacher with frustration. "But sensei, I nailed it yesterday! I swear on my grandfather's grave!"

"Perfect, you say?" chimed in Chen, his grin so wide it threatened to split his face. "Were you watering your grandma's plants? Because to drown ants, you might need a bit more... well, water."

The other students burst into laughter, some even rolling on the ground. Nawaki, for his part, looked like he was about to pop like a water balloon.

"Chen, shut up!" yelled Nawaki, flailing his arms. "Yesterday I managed to create a giant wave! My sister saw it!"

"Oh, really," replied Chen. "And I suppose she also saw you single-handedly defeating an army of rogue ninjas with your powerful jutsu."

Kuri, seeing that the heat was rising faster than an onsen in mid-summer, decided to step in. "Nawaki, the important thing is you've managed to manipulate your chakra to create water. That's already a big step forward. With practice, you'll soon be creating real turbulences."

"Yeah, in his morning milk," murmured someone from the crowd, sparking another round of giggles.

Inoichi, seeing his friend teetering on the edge of a tantrum, stepped up and clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, Nawaki, ignore them. I believe in you. With that jutsu, you'll definitely be able to... um... keep Konoha's streets clean and shiny!"

For a moment, Nawaki's face lit up as if he'd just cracked the secret to performing the Edo Tensei. "Really, Inoichi?"

But Inoichi's barely contained smile was enough for Nawaki to catch the sarcasm. His expression flipped from joy to anger faster than Minato could use the Hiraishin.

"You'll all see!" Nawaki shouted, stepping back dramatically. "One day I'll master this jutsu and create waves so big even the Koi in the Hokage's pond will be asking for life jackets!"

With that declaration, Nawaki turned and began to walk away, stomping as if he wanted to leave his footprints etched in stone.

"And not just that!" he continued shouting without turning back, his voice echoing across the training field. "I'll become the most powerful Hokage Konoha has ever seen! I'll make my grandfather look like a freshly graduated genin!"

The students watched Nawaki's retreat with a mix of amusement and affection. Everyone knew the young Senju's explosive yet determined character well.

"There he goes again," whispered Inoichi to Chen. "How long do you think it'll be before he comes back bragging about inventing a new jutsu?"

Chen was about to answer when Minato approached him with a confident smile.

"Hey, Chen," said Minato, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "How about a little duel? I've been practicing and would like to test my skills against yours."

Before Chen could respond, Nawaki's voice boomed from where he had retreated.

"Hey, Minato!" he shouted, half-mocking, half-protective. "You don't have water on the brain, do you? Chen's strength is so great he'll definitely send you to the hospital with your scrawny body."

Kuri, who had been observing the situation, interjected with evident concern in his voice. "Minato, while I admire your spirit, I must warn you that you're not yet at the level of Chen or the strongest students in the class."

The teacher looked at Minato with a mix of affection and concern. "Remember, Minato, you come from a civilian family with no ninja background. You've made incredible progress, but you're still behind the top ten students in terms of brute strength."

Chen, for his part, looked at Minato with interest. He recognized Minato's potential. However, he was also aware of the vast difference in their current levels.

"Minato," said Chen calmly, "why don't you take on Nawaki instead? After all, both of you share the dream of becoming Hokage."

Minato, visibly disappointed, nodded in understanding. He looked towards where Nawaki was now watching them with bright eyes.

"Alright," said Minato, his voice full of determination despite the pressure he felt under Nawaki's gaze. "I accept the challenge."

Kuri, seeing that the face-off was inevitable, sighed resignedly. "Alright, if you're going to do this, just be careful. I don't want to see anyone in the infirmary today."

As Minato and Nawaki prepared for their impromptu duel, Kuri turned to Chen with a barely contained expression of frustration.

"Chen," he began, his voice mixing admiration and exasperation, "your natural talent is undeniable, but it frustrates me to see you waste your potential with these unconventional training methods."

Chen, who had returned to his sword practice under high gravity, barely looked up.

"Sensei," he replied calmly, "I understand your concern, but I trust my method."

Kuri shook his head, clearly unconvinced. "You could be among the best in the class if you took your training more seriously. Your current approach... I just can't understand it."

Chen smiled slightly, continuing to move through his katas.

Kuri was about to speak again when a shout from Nawaki interrupted the conversation. The duel between him and Minato was about to begin, and all the students had gathered to watch the spectacle.

...

After two hours of intense training, Chen finally stopped.

With an imperceptible gesture, he deactivated the gravity technique he had been using.

Immediately, he felt as if his body was floating, free from the invisible weight that had been pressing down on him. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked around.

The ground where he had been training had sunk slightly, forming a subtle but undeniable depression in the earth of the training field.

As he stretched his muscles, Chen noticed Mikoto training alone in a corner of the field, refining her chakra.

A large group of students had gathered in the center of the field, forming an animated circle around what appeared to be a competition.

Chen expected to see Nawaki and Minato in the center, continuing their duel, but to his surprise, the combatants were others.

"Come on, Choza! Don't let him intimidate you!" shouted someone from the crowd.

"Show him what an Uchiha can do, Jian!" exclaimed another.

Chen frowned. Outside of class hours, Jian usually kept to himself, carrying an air of superiority.

However, during class, he didn't hesitate to mingle with his peers, especially if it meant proving his supposed superiority.

As he approached the group, Chen caught snippets of conversation that gave him context to the situation.

"Did you see how Nawaki defeated Minato? It went to his head," commented a girl.

"Yeah, and then Jian decided it was the perfect time to 'put Nawaki in his place,'" replied her companion, mimicking air quotes.

Chen arrived just in time to see Jian easily dodge a strike from Choza.

________

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