With that, Kazuki reached home and had a peaceful afternoon nap, a content smile lingering on his face as he drifted off, his chest rising and falling with a steady rhythm.
The next morning, Kazuki woke up with a yawn, stretching his arms above his head. He sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed in meditation, his brow furrowed slightly in focus. After his morning workout which him panting—he took a quick bath, ate his breakfast of bread and eggs, and left for the academy, breaking into his daily run with a determined glint in his eyes.
After a few minutes, Kazuki reached the academy ten minutes early, his breath steadying as he slowed to a walk. Many children were already there, some chattering excitedly while others adjusted their bags nervously. He asked a few teachers for directions, nodding politely, and reached his classroom with a small sigh of relief.
When he entered the classroom, he noticed that most of the children were already there, their voices buzzing softly. His eyes wandered toward Itachi and Izumi, who sat near the front—Izumi smiling at a friend, Itachi staring out the window with a calm expression. Kazuki's gaze softened as he settled at a free desk by the window, enjoying the sunlight streaming in.
After a few minutes, the teacher entered the classroom. Hiroshi Sasaki was a tall man with sharp features, his jet-black hair tied back in a low ponytail that fell just past his shoulders. A Konoha headband gleamed on his forehead, the metal plate etched with the village's symbol, and his dark green chunin vest hugged his broad frame. His piercing brown eyes scanned the room, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he carried a stack of scrolls under one arm.
The teacher cleared his throat and said, "Good morning, everyone. My name is Hiroshi Sasaki, and I am your homeroom teacher. Starting today, I will be teaching you everything you need to learn to become a ninja. Let's start with introductions, beginning from the first desk."
Hiroshi looked at Izumi, who was sitting at the first desk. She stood up, brushing her hair behind her ear, and said with a bright smile, "My name is Izumi Uchiha. It's nice to meet you all, and I'm looking forward to studying with all of you." She sat down, her cheeks slightly flushed as a few students nodded back at her.
Everyone started introducing themselves, some speaking confidently while others mumbled shyly. Soon, it was Kazuki's turn. He stood up, and said, "It's nice to meet you all. I'm Kazuki Uchiha." He sat back down, his eyes darting around the room to gauge reactions.
One of the kids from the Uchiha clan, a boy with spiky hair, scoffed under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he murmured, "Huh! It's that kid." He rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair with a smug expression, earning a curious glance from a nearby student.
When it was Itachi's turn, he stood up with a quiet grace, his face impassive. "I am Itachi Uchiha," he said simply, his voice steady, before sitting back down without another word. A few students whispered in awe, many girls stealing glances while some students glaring at his obviously jealous.
After hearing everyone's introductions, Kazuki leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed as he thought, 'Hmm, so most of the students are from ninja clans, with only four civilians in this batch. That's impressive—these guys must have trained hard to join the elite batch.' His expression turned thoughtful, his brow furrowing slightly. 'But no matter how much they train, they won't be able to become stronger than the students from ninja clans. There are exceptions, though. If I remember correctly, Jiraiya-sensei, Orochimaru, and even Minato weren't from any clans either.'
Hiroshi spoke again, his tone firm as he clasped his hands, "Now that everyone is well acquainted with each other, I will explain what we will do this year at the academy. But first, everyone, come to my desk one by one and take this bag. It contains all the stuff you'll need for the first year, including books, notebooks, ninja tools, scrolls, and more."
Everyone took their bags and returned to their seats, eagerly peering inside. Kazuki's eyes widened slightly as he saw kunai, then a stack of books, his fingers brushing over the covers. 'Wow, there are so many books and even kunai,' he thought, his lips parting in surprise. 'Looks like they want us to cover most of the theory this year, huh.' He sighed softly, a mix of excitement flickering across his face.
Hiroshi explained, his voice steady as he paced in front of the class, "This is your first year in the academy, so we will mostly focus on theory while having frequent taijutsu and weapon-throwing classes in between, because these two are among the things a ninja uses the most."
He continued, gesturing to the bags, "There are a total of eight subjects, which include Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Chakra Theory, and Mental Aptitude."
Hearing that, Kazuki's jaw dropped, and he cursed in his mind, his eyes narrowing in frustration. 'This was supposed to be a fucking ninja academy, not an academy for engineering! Why the hell are they teaching science and maths here?' He groaned internally, his shoulders slumping as he thought, 'I had plenty of headaches from studying this in my past life, and now I have to do it again. Man, this sucks.' He rolled his eyes, slouching further in his chair with a scowl.
Hiroshi continued, his tone matter-of-fact, "The bag I gave you also contains the schedule for this month. You will get a new one at the start of each month, so make sure to bring the correct books every day."
After a pause, Hiroshi clapped his hands together, a faint smile on his face as he said, "Now, shall we start our first class, which is related to Chakra Theory?"
After that, Hiroshi explained that chakra is made from mixing spiritual energy and physical energy, his hands moving animatedly as he drew diagrams on the board. Kazuki paid close attention, his brow furrowed in concentration, because he didn't want to miss any detail that wasn't shown in the series. After two hours, the class ended, and the Maths class immediately started. Kazuki's focus wavered, his eyes glazing over as he thought, 'I already know this stuff.' He stifled a yawn, propping his head on his hand as he doodled in his notebook.
After another hour, the class finally ended, and the students were given a lunch break. Many students started eating, their chatter filling the room, while others grouped together to talk. Kazuki noticed a student from the Akimichi clan, a chubby boy with a wide grin, having a feast—devouring steak and fish with gusto. Kazuki's stomach growled, and he frowned, his eyes narrowing with envy as he glanced at his own modest lunch of bread with peanut butter and boiled eggs.
'If only I weren't an orphan,' Kazuki thought, his shoulders slumping as he bit into his bread with a sullen expression, his gaze lingering on the Akimichi boy's meal.
After an hour, Hiroshi came back, his headband glinting in the sunlight as he clapped his hands sharply. "Lunch break's over, class. Now it's time for the taijutsu class. Follow me to Training Ground 8," he said, his tone brisk as he motioned for the students to follow. Some children cheered softly, while others, including Kazuki, perked up, their eyes bright with anticipation as they grabbed their bags and hurried after him.