=3rd Person POV=
As the morning sun rises, signifying the beginning of a new dawn, people flood the roads, excitement filling the air. Children—hundreds, perhaps thousands—accompany their parents, flowing down the street with one purpose: to pass the academy entrance exam and become a respected shinobi. One particular pair stands out from the rest, both donning outfits marked with the Nara emblem. They are our protagonist, Ashira, and his mother.
=Ashira POV=
School—something I haven't really thought about since my rebirth. Between juggling family, my experiments, and Hanabei's sadistic training regime, I never had time to consider what it means for me to go to school. I know my mother loves the idea—me socializing with children my age, beyond my cousin and the other two clan heirs—but I just can't help it. Being mentally 27 means any attempt at interaction with children will either annoy or bore me out of my mind. Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza are just so different. The first two are smarter than kids their age—even if Inoichi is a bit of a gossipy boy—and Choza is just so relaxing to be around. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind beating down some arrogant, snot-nosed brat. Maybe it'll be cathartic, to be the one doing the beating for once.
Feeling a tug on my shoulder, I look up to see my mother smiling gently at me. "What are you thinking so hard about, Ashira? Are you nervous about not making any friends?"
"No, Mother. Just thinking about what I'm going to learn at school," I answer, a Cheshire grin on my face. God, Hanabei is infecting me, isn't he? But I just can't help it. Hours of being punched, kicked, and beaten down tend to change your mindset. I was definitely a law-abiding citizen in my past life, I swear it!
Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Mother says, "Don't you dare start any trouble, mister, or I'm going to tan your hide," sending shivers down my spine before I nod vigorously. Once was enough already—I do not need a second Kermit incident. Damning that toad in my mind, we continue in a comfortable silence as the image of a tall, circular red building comes into view, surrounded by the famous Hokage Mountain with three faces engraved on it.
Looking up in awe, I feel the weight of my circumstances hit me. Being the proud owner of a brand-new Kekkei Genkai gives me many privileges, but with it comes many restrictions—like not being able to leave the clan's compound without at least a chunin accompanying me. So seeing what many Naruto fanboys would kill for—for the first time—a flood of nostalgia hits me, and before I know it, we arrive at the academy.
A ginormous building surrounded by white walls, marred with the occasional red brick and covered with yellow roof tiles, appears in front of me. Before it stands a wooden gate under a circular red sign with the kanji for fire. Looking around, I spot many faces, some I even recognize as the future parents of the main cast.
Feeling a nudge on my shoulder, I turn to my side, only to see my mother kneeling on the ground. "This is where we part, Ashira. Remember to behave, enjoy your time, and take everything slowly, okay? I know that you bear a heavy burden, but know that there are those who love you and would gladly share it with you," she says as a flicker of sorrow passes across her face.
Words leave me then, as I finally understand the growing worry that occasionally oozes from my mother. Worries that deepened every time I came home bruised and battered—worries I had pushed out of my mind in favor of growing stronger. But how can I stop throwing myself at Hanabei, when the image of that mad god is embedded deeply in my mind? How can I stop when even a single second of hesitation could cost me everything? How can I stop when I was given HOPE—given the tools to grow strong enough to compete with the mightiest in this world? No. I steeled myself. I won't stop until everything that threatens me and what's mine is dead and gone.
With no excuses left to make, I tilt forward and pull her into a reassuring hug, mumbling, "I'll see you after school, Mom. Take care," before separating and walking toward the gate, resolve hardening with every step. I turn around one last time and wave her goodbye.
A big open area comes into view, with chairs lined up before a large podium. I spot the familiar trio before taking a seat next to Shikaku.
"Sup, dude. You okay?" says Shikaku as he notices my troubled expression.
Astute as always, Shikaku. But I'm really not in the mood right now, so I face him and say, "All good, Shika. Just not used to waking up so early in the morning."
He holds my gaze longer than expected before dropping his suspicion and nodding. "Tell me about it. Morning is a drag."
A snicker sounds out to Shikaku's left as Inoichi speaks. "So even you're not immune to the infamous Nara laziness, Ashira?"
"I do like to train, but cutting into my beauty sleep is sacrilegious," I say, nodding in amusement.
A bag of chips appears in front of me as Choza asks, "Maybe you're hungry. I feel sleepy when I'm hungry too. Want some chips?"
Eh, why the hell not, I think, as I reach for some chips and thank him.
"SILENCE!!!!!!!" A loud voice rings out, snapping us out of our banter. I look around, seeing the open area mostly filled up and spotting the chunin who just yelled.
"The Hokage is about to speak," says the chunin, before a cloud of smoke appears behind the podium. Excited whispers fill the air as out comes a man dressed in white and red garb, wearing the signature hat famous throughout the elemental nations. Hiruzen cuts an imposing presence—even to those who don't know him. This is the man whose authority holds no equal in the Leaf. The man whose mere words can end thousands of lives and hundreds of nations. This is the Professor—the Hokage of Konohagakure. Yet despite all his titles, all his authority, I feel nothing. Not even a speck of chakra emanates from the man. Even Hanabei's chakra signature wasn't like this. It was muted, sure, but like finding gold among dirt—you can still feel it if you focus enough. Hiruzen feels like a blank spot in my chakra senses, and it makes me cautious of him. Not that fanon materials, speculations, and some canon facts paint him in a positive light.
"Be welcomed, children—seedlings of the Leaf. I am here to congratulate you on taking the first step into our academy. Many of you may know me as the Third Hokage of the Leaf, Hiruzen Sarutobi." Hiruzen smiles as he continues his speech. Like many others listening, I come to a sudden realization: the guy is a master orator. Looking around at the worshipful faces of many kids, the man has managed to inspire them and plant seeds of trust deep in their hearts with just a speech. He could probably start a cult with this.
The speech ends with Hiruzen talking about the Will of Fire—an idea that embraces sacrifice, duty, strength in numbers, and the importance of the greater good. Sounds a lot like communism, not gonna lie. Applause starts reverberating through the area as Hiruzen thanks us and wishes us good luck before walking off.
~15 minutes later~
After the Hokage finishes his speech, we are ushered off by chunin instructors into a large training ground divided into sections containing parkour courses, target boards, and a large oval running track at the far end. Separated into groups, I notice that the majority of clan kids are in our group, as the instructor tells us to run on the track until told to stop.
Seeing no point in waiting, I run ahead of the group, maintaining a comfortable pace. A voice rings out on my left as a brown-haired kid with red dimples on both cheeks starts yelling at me to stop, accusing me of cheating. A scoff sounds from my right as a black-haired kid sneers in disdain and tries to pass me. Seeing no reason to increase my pace, I let both kids overtake me. I continue for a while before noticing that everyone—including the two kids—has collapsed on the ground, wheezing in exhaustion. Shrugging, I finish another lap before an instructor calls me to stop.
Breathing a bit heavier than before, I feel a tug as a girl with a wild brown mane and two fang-like red marks on her cheeks says, "What do they feed you, dude? You ran for like four hours, and you're not even winded."
Smiling smugly at the praise, I hold out my hand and say, "Ashira Nara. I just run a lot."
Grinning in return, the feral girl says, "Tsume Inuzuka. Nice to meet you, Nara." Then, pointing behind me toward my cousin, she adds, "That wimp is a Nara too? You two look so different."
"I'm not a full-blooded Nara. I take after my father more—aside from my mother's hair," I say, humming in amusement. Turning to where she was pointing, I spot the trio struggling further back. Sighing in exasperation, I move toward them with Tsume. Looking down in concern, I ask, "Y'all good? Shika looks like he's halfway to the Pure Land…"
Choza nods as he pats a wheezing Inoichi on the back. "I think he's okay. Shika kinda gave up an hour in, but he was fine when I last checked."
I nod skeptically and move toward a half-dead Shika, lying face down on the dirt. Shaking him slightly to no avail, I think—odd, his breathing is normal, but he's not responding. Flipping him over, I'm faced with a sleeping Nara. I feel a blood vessel pop. How did he even fall asleep in this situation? I wonder in disbelief, as an idea comes to mind. Grinning wickedly, I form two hand signs—Tiger, Ox—before releasing the chakra buildup in my throat. A stream of water hits him in the face, nearly drowning him in the process. A laugh rings out behind me, as Tsume starts pointing and laughing at Shika suffering.
"Cough, cough Ughhh… Damn you, Ashira, I was having a nice dream," says the resident slacker.
Shaking my head, I reply, "It's bad to lie down right after you exercise, dude. You should thank me, cousin—otherwise, you would've felt all sore and tired after the next test."
"You guys should really keep it down. Not everyone is in the mood after exercising this intensely," a feminine voice says as a pale young girl with shoulder-length raven hair and dark irises walks toward our group.
"Ashira Nara, nice to meet you," I greet her with a grin, holding out my hand.
The girl replies with a hint of competitiveness as she shakes my hand. "Mikoto Uchiha. Nice Water Release, by the way. Not a lot of people our age can use jutsu."
Smirking, I challenge, "But surely an Uchiha isn't most people, no?"
"We'll see," was her reply as she started walking away.
"Dude, you got game…" says Inoichi, who finally stopped wheezing.
"She's five, dude," I say, as Inoichi raises an eyebrow in confusion.
"So are you. Your point?"
Pausing, I spot the Chunin instructor waving at our group before changing the subject. "I think the next step is up. We should go. Oh, and Choza, help me carry this lazy ass before he falls asleep again," only to get a mumbled "What a drag" from Shika.
The next test is something straight out of Ninja Warrior—a parkour course with high walls and scary-looking mechanisms we have to navigate through. Fun fact: grip strength is very important in parkour, and being able to stick to surfaces with an open hand is a massive advantage. With chakra sticking, I took first place easily, with Fugaku Uchiha—the same kid that tried to pass me—taking second place. What's even more surprising is that Nawaki Senju, the kid who accused me of cheating last test, took fourth place, while Tsume took third. They were followed by the Hyuga twins, who were seething at losing to an Uchiha.
To be honest, I expected more out of the Senju, what with his lineage and all. Oh, he was good—Nawaki shows many signs of being trained, from how he manages his footing to his steady breathing rhythm. But that's just it—the kid is just so textbook and one-dimensional. I really should stop putting unrealistic expectations on others, I thought, sighing in disappointment.
What followed was a kunai test where I actually placed fifth behind Shibi Aburame, with Fugaku, Nawaki, and Mikoto taking first, second, and third, respectively.
Finally, the test I'd been aching for—the infamous sparring tournament—arrives… NOT. Turns out we won't be sparring or even practicing kata until year three, the year when most children's chakra networks start maturing. Man, those fanfics lied to me. And I was so excited too…
Instead, we were ushered into Class 1A and told to eat our packed lunch.
Looking around, I see some new faces from the other groups, one of which is the familiar Minato Namikaze. Must've been civilian kids with actual potential then, I thought. Odd how some clan kids did worse than some of the civilians, yet were still put in Class 1A—the class of future jonin. Nepotism at its finest, I guess… Yes, I am looking at you, Shika, you lazy ass! He must have spotted something in my gaze, since he just tutted before falling back asleep. Dude probably already knew it, and that's why he was so relaxed during all three tests.
A while later, after everyone finished their lunch, a tall, muscular man with pink hair walks in and starts introducing himself.
"Yosh! Everyone, my name is Jin Itadori, a Chunin of the Leaf, and your homeroom teacher. You all must be tired from the exams, so I'll make this quick. This is the place for future shinobi, therefore I will not tolerate any shenanigans. Mess around at your own peril. That being said, here are your syllabuses. The academy's library is two floors up and three doors to the left. If there are no other questions, you may go, since classes are dismissed."
Excited noises ring out as everyone starts leaving, but all I can think about as I look toward this year's syllabus is that this is going to be one boring, long year.
AN: not really satisfied with this chapter, but it's necessary… kinda? I think. All this is setting the stage, for a few years at the academy. Chap 10 is where it gets exciting I think. Anyway toodles!!!
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