Chapter 22: The First Lesson
Returning home, Shinra took a quick shower before dispelling his Shadow Clones. A wave of profound mental and physical fatigue slammed into him, causing his knees to buckle. He staggered, barely catching himself on the wall.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu... a true forbidden technique for a reason," he gasped, collapsing onto his bed to recover. After a short rest, he sat up, the lingering exhaustion a stark reminder of the technique's cost.
Over the past month, his clones had successfully mastered all the jutsu Tsunade had given him, including the Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Seal. However, he had made a personal modification. Instead of the signature diamond-shaped mark appearing on his forehead, he had condensed it over his heart, its form not a diamond, but three comma-like shapes resembling the Tomoe of a Sharingan. The purple diamond, he felt, looked elegant on a woman but was far too flamboyant for a man.
After a full night's rest, he was up early the next morning, creating another set of Shadow Clones. Their mission: to continue the arduous task of simplifying the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack. He had made some theoretical progress, recognizing its similarity to the Hyuga's Eight Trigrams Air Palm, a technique he did not possess. Simply replicating it from memory was impossible; if it were that easy, the Hyuga's secret arts would be worthless. He estimated it would take his clones another two to three years of dedicated work to achieve a functional, simplified version.
After a large breakfast and his morning conditioning, he set off for the academy. Arriving in the classroom, he was surprised to find he was one of the last to arrive. Even Uchiha Ken, his face still swollen from the previous day's beating, had arrived before him.
"Why is everyone so early? Class doesn't start until 8:30," Shinra asked, raising an eyebrow.
Nara Shikaku, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else, yawned. "I was dragged here by these two. School is such a hassle."
"This is our first real class!" Senju Nawaki retorted, full of energy. "To achieve our goal of becoming Hokage, we can't afford to be lazy! Shinra, you're too relaxed to ever become a powerful ninja!"
"My goal is to become Hokage, too! Let's do our best together!" Namikaze Minato added, flashing his characteristically bright, sunny smile at Nawaki.
Watching the two future-powerhouses share a moment of mutual determination, a bizarre thought crossed Shinra's mind, sending a slight chill down his spine. I hope this doesn't spark some kind of passionate rivalry. Shaking off the image, he quickly made his way to his seat.
He greeted Mikoto with a warm smile before promptly laying his head on the desk, focusing inward on the tedious but vital process of purifying his chakra. It was the most direct path to increasing his power at the moment.
Is Shinra-kun tired? Mikoto wondered, watching him. She decided not to disturb him.
When Teacher Ueno Kuri entered the room, Mikoto gently reached over and tapped Shinra's arm. "Shinra, the teacher is here," she whispered.
Shinra opened his eyes and lifted his head. His Observation Haki had already alerted him, but he appreciated the gesture. "Thank you, Mikoto."
"You're welcome," she replied, her smile so sweet and genuine it made his heart skip a beat.
Her smile is truly stunning, he thought, momentarily captivated. Does this make me a lolicon?
Knock! Knock!
Ueno Kuri rapped his knuckles sharply on the blackboard. "Today marks your first official class, the true beginning of your shinobi careers. For the next five years, I expect you to take your studies seriously."
He paused, his expression turning grave. "A real shinobi is nothing like the games you play. What I'm about to tell you may be heavy for your first day, but it must be said. The path of a shinobi is paved with blood. You will be injured, and you may even die. It's a cruel road, and it's hard for you to understand its true nature until you've experienced it for yourselves."
He looked over the young faces before him. "That is why I need you to pay attention. What you learn here, today, could one day save your life."
His words were earnest, but the response was a sea of playful smirks and inattentive stares. Ueno Kuri sighed inwardly. It's always the same. These children dream of being heroes, but they never consider the danger.
"I hope you won't live to regret this," he murmured. "Now, let's begin our first lesson: Chakra Refinement. Chakra is the foundation of all shinobi arts. Whether it's ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu, none of it is possible without chakra."
Upon hearing the topic was the Chakra Refinement Technique, all the clan children immediately lost interest. They had learned this years ago. Only the ever-polite Mikoto continued to listen attentively, while the other clan heirs found their own amusements. The civilian-born students, however, hung on his every word.
Ueno Kuri could only smile wryly. This was the inherent advantage of clan children, but he was obligated to teach the fundamentals for the sake of those without such privileges.
"Those of you who are already familiar with this may treat it as a review," he said firmly. "But you will not disrupt the students who need to learn. Anyone who does will be waiting for me outside."
His tone brooked no argument. The clan children quieted down, choosing the time-honored tradition of napping at their desks instead.
The entire morning was dedicated to chakra theory. By the time the bell rang, a collective sigh of relief echoed through the room. The initial excitement of being a "ninja student" had been replaced by the mundane reality of lectures.
Lunch break was a brief one hour, so most students brought packed meals. When Shinra pulled out his colossal bento box, the class, though now accustomed to his appetite, still watched in a mixture of awe and horror.
The afternoon session was a practical class, held on the training grounds.
"As I instructed yesterday, you should have all brought your kunai," Ueno Kuri began. "Today, we will begin practicing kunai throwing."
He demonstrated first, plucking a kunai from his pouch. With a casual flick of his wrist, the blade soared fifty meters through the air and struck the center of the target with a solid thunk. A wave of impressed murmurs rippled through the students.
"Hmph! Kunai throwing is a specialty of the Uchiha clan!" Uchiha Ken declared, his face still puffy as he stepped forward, eager to reclaim some dignity.
He drew three kunai, fanning them between his fingers. With a practiced throw, the three blades flew in a spread pattern, each striking a different point on the bullseye fifty meters away simultaneously.
The display of skill earned him admiring glances from some of the students. It seemed the arrogant boy did have some talent.
"Big deal! Watch this!" Nawaki, never one to be outdone, jumped up. He hurled three kunai of his own at the target. Two struck the inner ring, but the third landed squarely in the eighth ring. Nawaki scratched his head, his face flushing with embarrassment.