The Academy Opens Its Doors
The Hidden Leaf Academy wasn't what Renji expected.
He remembered it from the anime as a simple institution—wooden floors, standard classes, ninja techniques thrown in between math problems and history lessons.
But living it?
Totally different.
The building was old but filled with chakra-charged vitality. Students from every walk of life sat together: noble clans, orphans, prodigies, and pranksters.
The teachers wore hitai-ate proudly. Their gazes were sharp, their mannerisms strict.
But the real battlefield?
The back row.
That was where destinies collided. Where grudges were born. Where legends sharpened their edges on ego and insecurity.
Renji didn't take the back row.
He sat third from the front, next to a window. Far enough to not attract attention, close enough to observe everything.
Roll Call: The Future Rookies
"Uchiha, Sasuke!"
A small hush passed over the room. A dark-haired boy raised his hand lazily, not even looking up from the window.
"Hyuga, Hinata!"
A whisper of movement. The girl with moon-pale eyes stood—almost trembled—then sat quickly before anyone could laugh.
"Uzumaki, Naruto!"
"DATTEBAYO!!" came the unmistakable shout.
Renji smirked. Classic.
The teacher sighed heavily. "Yes, yes. We heard you, Naruto."
Renji, of course, came last.
"Sato, Renji."
A quiet "here," a nod, and that was it. No clan. No legacy. No expectation.
Just the way he wanted it.
For now.
First Combat Class: And the Fist Hits Back
Taijutsu.
The first real class that mattered.
"Partner up!" the instructor barked.
Renji didn't even have to move.
Naruto came bounding over like an overexcited fox pup. "Let's do it, Renji! I've been practicing my Super-Ultimate Leaf Hurricane Kick of Doom!"
"You added three new words since yesterday," Renji said flatly.
Naruto grinned wider. "It's evolving!"
They squared up.
What followed was less of a fight and more of a rolling disaster. Naruto's form was sloppy, wild, unpredictable. Renji danced around it with practiced footwork, gently redirecting every overextended punch.
The final move was subtle. One twist of Naruto's wrist, a gentle push to the shoulder—Naruto face-planted spectacularly in the dirt.
"Ow…"
"You almost had me," Renji said, offering a hand.
"You're such a liar," Naruto grumbled.
"But I'm a friendly liar."
The Girl Behind the Curtain
Hinata watched them from across the courtyard.
She admired Naruto—his energy, his stubborn refusal to bend.
But Renji? He was… different.
Quiet, but never weak.
Polite, but sharp-tongued.
He didn't try to impress anyone, yet everyone noticed when he moved. Like a shadow pretending to be light.
One afternoon, their gazes met across the field.
Renji blinked. Hinata turned away so fast she knocked over her water canteen.
He chuckled quietly.
A Lesson in Shuriken
"You hold it like this, dobe."
Sasuke's voice was cool, emotionless, but his smirk screamed superiority.
Naruto held the shuriken backward. Again.
Renji stood a few paces away, arms crossed, watching.
"You know, if you held it any wronger, it would stab you before you throw it," he offered helpfully.
Naruto scowled. "You help, then!"
Renji walked over, adjusted his grip carefully.
"There. Feel the balance. The weight's biased toward the outer edges."
Naruto tried again.
Thunk.
One of three shuriken hit the target.
The other two impaled a tree, and an unfortunate wooden sign that read No Throwing Without Supervision.
"Progress," Renji said with a half-smile.
From a distance, Iruka sighed again.
Hinata Falls, and the Lion Rises
It happened during basic chakra control.
They were sticking leaves.
Naruto was slipping constantly, muttering curses under his breath. Sasuke was already halfway through. Renji was watching Hinata.
She was struggling.
Her chakra was off—scattered, too much in her feet, not enough in her balance.
She fell. Not far.
Laughter echoed from a few older boys nearby.
"Hyuga princess can't even do the basic," one of them sneered.
Renji's expression didn't change.
He walked over slowly, deliberately.
"Say that again," he said softly.
"What, you gonna cry for your girlfriend?"
Renji smiled—just once—and drove his fist into the boy's solar plexus with pinpoint precision.
The kid folded like paper.
Everyone went silent.
Renji knelt beside Hinata, offered his hand.
She looked up at him, stunned.
"Try again," he said gently.
An Unwelcome Spotlight
That night, Iruka pulled Renji aside.
"You're talented," he said. "You don't say much, but you watch. That's dangerous."
"I wasn't aware being observant was a punishable offense," Renji replied dryly.
"You broke protocol," Iruka continued. "You attacked a student."
"I responded to a threat."
Iruka's mouth twitched.
"…You'll make a fine shinobi," he finally said. "Just… don't let your instincts turn into arrogance."
Renji bowed.
"I appreciate your concern, sensei. I'll try to only break faces strategically next time."
Nightfall in the Leaf
Back in the small one-room apartment he called home, Renji sat on the roof.
The stars were brighter here than anything in his old world.
He let his chakra pulse through his fingers—raw, rough, but growing stronger by the day.
He thought of Naruto. Of Hinata. Of what was coming.
Orochimaru.
Zabuza.
Pain.
Madara.
War.
He had time.
Not much, but enough.
Enough to make a difference.
Maybe even enough to fall in love.
He smiled faintly to himself.
"Chapter two… complete."