The Konoha Ninja Academy stood as a testament to Tobirama Senju's vision. It was stark, efficient, and imposing—a massive structure of concrete and wood located at the base of the Hokage Mountain. It was a factory designed to take soft, malleable children and forge them into hardened tools of the state.
To Nanami Kento, staring up at the gate with a relaxed expression, it looked like a decent enough place to spend the next few years. Better than a cubicle, at least.
He stood at the main gates, the entrance exam already a memory. It had been a trivial affair—basic literacy, numeracy, and a physical aptitude test.
Nanami hadn't just passed; he had crushed it. He took the top spot in the rankings without breaking a sweat, answering the written portion with the casual ease of a university professor taking a kindergarten quiz and navigating the obstacle course with a fluid, lazy grace that left the proctors whispering.
"Oh, look at him!" Haruka dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief that looked suspiciously like the one Nanami had given Tsunade a year ago at the funeral. "Top of the class! My baby is a genius!"
"You've got everything?" his father asked, checking Nanami's backpack for the fourth time. "Lunch? Notebooks? Kunai? Did you pack the extra bandages?"
"I have everything, Tou-san. Relax," Nanami assured him, hitching his bag over one shoulder. He wore a simple black t-shirt and orange shorts—a comfortable choice that allowed for maximum range of motion—and the open-toed sandals. He ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair, messing it up slightly. "It's just the first day. We're probably just going to listen to a lecture and eat lunch. No need to stress."
His father laughed, slapping Nanami's shoulder. "That's the spirit! Cool as a cucumber. Go on then. Knock 'em dead, kiddo."
"I'll try to keep the casualties to a minimum," Nanami joked lightly, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Too much paperwork otherwise."
He gave his parents a casual wave and turned to face the gates.
Step one: Education, he thought, strolling through the archway. Step two: Graduation. Step three: Find a nice, quiet spot to nap during boring missions.
As he passed under the kanji for 'Fire', a shadow fell over him. It wasn't a cloud. It was a person who radiated an intensity that rivaled the sun itself, a figure vibrating with kinetic energy.
"NANAMI-KUN!"
Nanami didn't flinch. He recognized that voice. He recognized the sheer, unadulterated volume that could shatter glass.
He turned to see a boy standing near the entrance. He was clearly older—perhaps two years Nanami's senior. He had a bowl cut so sharp you could set a watch to it, eyebrows thick enough to be considered independent organisms, and a grin that sparkled with genuine, blinding tears.
Might Duy.
"Yo, Duy-san," Nanami said, offering a lazy salute. "You made it in. Congrats."
Duy pumped a fist into the air, tears of joy streaming down his face in manly rivers. "I did it, Kento! I finally did it! The Springtime of Youth has blossomed for me! The Academy accepted my application!"
Nanami smiled with a genuinely. He knew Duy well from the training grounds. While others mocked the older boy for his lack of Ninjutsu, Nanami found his persistence impressive. "I saw you training. You earned it, man. Hard work pays off."
"Exactly!" Duy laughed, slapping Nanami on the back with enough force to stagger a pony. Nanami just swayed with the impact, absorbing it effortlessly. "They couldn't ignore the Power of Youth forever! And guess what? We are in the same class, Kento! Can you believe it? Destiny has united us!"
"Destiny, huh?" Nanami chuckled, falling into step beside the energetic boy. "Sure, why not. Let's go see what this place is all about."
They walked to the classroom together—a strange pair. The relaxed, top-scoring prodigy who walked with his hands in his pockets, and the loud, weeping enthusiastic boy who seemed to bounce off the walls of the corridor.
When they slid open the door to Classroom 1-A, the noise hit them like a physical wave.
It was chaos. Children were running, shouting, throwing paper airplanes. It was a microcosm of the village itself—loud, energetic, and completely disorganized.
Nanami scanned the room, his eyes lazily filtering the crowd.
Uchiha. Hyuga. Inuzuka with a puppy. Akimichi eating chips.
The clan heirs were easy to spot. They sat in clusters, looking around with a mix of curiosity and disdain.
And then, the heavy hitters.
In the back corner, leaning against the wall, was Orochimaru. He was watching a fly buzz against the window pane with an expression of clinical detachment, his golden snake-like eyes unblinking.
In the center of the room, standing on top of a desk, was a boy with wild white hair that looked like a lion's mane.
"I am the future Hokage!" Jiraiya shouted, striking a pose. "Prepare to be amazed by the Great Jiraiya! I will learn all the jutsu in the world!"
"Get down, you idiot!" a girl shouted from the front row. "You're getting dirt on the desk!"
Nanami's eyes shifted to the window seat—the prime real estate of any classroom.
Tsunade sat there. She looked bored, resting her chin on her hand, staring out at the playground. She wore a grey kimono with a green haori, her blonde hair tied back in her signature twin ponytails.
But as Nanami and Duy entered, her head snapped toward the door. Her eyes brightened instantly.
"Kento!" she called out, her voice cutting through the noise. She patted the empty seat next to her. "Over here!"
The room went quiet for a second.
The boys looked at Nanami with instant jealousy. Sitting next to the Senju Princess? But seeing it was Nanami—the guy who had aced the entrance exam with a bored expression—most of them just accepted it. He was already developing a reputation.
The girls, however, looked at Nanami with a different kind of intensity. He was tall for his age, good-looking and had that 'top student' aura.
"He's cute..." a civilian girl whispered.
"And he's the one who got the perfect score," another whispered back.
Nanami ignored the murmurs with practiced ease. He adjusted his bag and sauntered toward Tsunade.
"Morning, Tsunade," Nanami said, sliding into the seat and stretching his legs out. "Nice spot. Good breeze, view of the exit. I approve."
"Took you long enough," she grumbled, though she smiled. "I saved you a seat. I figured you'd want to be away from the loud ones."
"You know me too well," Nanami grinned. "Though I brought a loud one with me." He jerked a thumb back at Duy, who was vibrating with excitement in the seat behind them.
"This seat is perfect! I can feel the energy of the class from here!" Duy shouted.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over Nanami's desk.
He looked up to see Jiraiya. The white-haired boy was grinning, leaning in close.
"So," Jiraiya said, looking Nanami up and down. "You're the genius everyone's talking about? The guy Tsunade hangs out with? Pretty boy. You don't look so tough. I bet I can beat you in a—"
Nanami didn't even blink. He just leaned back in his chair, looking up at Jiraiya with mild amusement. "Personal space, buddy. You're blocking my light."
Jiraiya blinked, thrown off by the lack of reaction. "Hah? You think you're funny? I'm Jiraiya! The Future Hokage. I bet I can—"
SLAM.
The classroom door rattled as it was slid open with force.
A Chunin instructor walked in. He was a tall man with a scar across his nose, wearing the standard flak jacket and holding a clipboard like a weapon.
"Sit down!" he barked. "If you are not in a seat in three seconds, you are expelled!"
The scramble was instantaneous. Jiraiya vaulted over a desk and crashed into his seat. The room went dead silent.
The teacher walked to the chalkboard and wrote his name in jagged, aggressive kanji: DAIKOKU.
"My name is Daikoku," the teacher announced. "For the next few years, I am your teacher. You will listen. You will learn. And maybe, if you work hard, you won't die in your first week as Genin."
He scanned the room, his eyes lingering on Nanami for a second—the boy with the perfect entrance score—before moving on.
"First lesson," Daikoku announced. "Chakra."
He held up a hand. Blue energy flared around it.
"Chakra is the foundation of everything we do. It is the fusion of Physical Energy and Spiritual Energy. Without it, you are civilians. With it, you are Shinobi."
He looked around the room.
"Those of you from clans have likely already unlocked your chakra. Raise your hands if you have access to your reserves."
Hands shot up across the room. The Uchiha, the Hyuga, the Inuzuka. Tsunade raised her hand lazily. Orochimaru raised his hand.
Nanami raised his hand too, casually, without looking up from his notebook where he was doodling a bread loaf.
Daikoku nodded. "Good. About half. Nanami, I see you've unlocked yours as well. As expected from the top scorer."
"Just the basics, Sensei," Nanami said smoothly.
Daikoku grunted, seemingly pleased with the lack of arrogance. He pointed to the civilians who hadn't raised their hands. "For the rest of you, we begin now. Close your eyes. Focus on your navel. Search for the heat in your stomach. Pull it. Mix it. Bring it to the surface."
The class fell into a hush as the civilian children squeezed their eyes shut, faces scrunching up in concentration.
Beside him, Tsunade leaned over, whispering. "Show off."
"I didn't even do anything," Nanami whispered back, grinning. "I just raised my hand. It's the bare minimum."
"You passed the entrance exam with a perfect score. That's not the bare minimum."
"I just wanted to make sure I got in. Accidental overachievement," Nanami shrugged.
Behind him, Duy was vibrating. "I feel it! I feel the fire of youth! Or maybe it's breakfast! No, it is definitely power!"
The rest of the morning passed quickly. Nanami found the theory lessons easy—mostly common sense mixed with history he already knew. He spent half the time listening and the other half planning his afternoon nap.
When the lunch bell finally rang, it was the sweetest sound Nanami had heard all day.
"Lunch!" Jiraiya cheered, leaping out of his seat.
The class shuffled out into the courtyard. The sun was high, and the air was filled with the smell of bento boxes being opened.
Nanami sat on a bench under a tree, opening his box. It was a balanced meal: grilled fish, tamagoyaki, pickled vegetables, and rice.
Tsunade sat next to him, opening a lavish bento.
"Hey," she said, poking his arm. "So, Mr. Top Student. You gonna help me with my homework later? I heard the math curriculum is annoying."
"Sure," Nanami said, popping a piece of egg into his mouth. "For a price."
"A price?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "I'm the Hokage's granddaughter."
"And I'm a growing boy. One of those fancy mochi sweets you have in there should cover it."
Tsunade laughed, tossing him a sweet. "Deal."
Suddenly, a shadow fell over their bench.
Duy stood there, holding a simple bento. He was grinning.
"Can I join you, Kento! Senju-san!"
"Of course," Nanami said, shifting to make room comfortably. "Take a load off."
"Who's the bowl cut?" Tsunade asked bluntly.
"This is Might Duy," Nanami introduced easily. "A friend of mine. He's got a mean right hook, so be nice."
Duy gave a thumbs up. "Nice to meet you, Princess! Let's eat with gusto!"
As they ate, Nanami leaned back against the tree, watching the clouds drift by. Jiraiya was failing to juggle apples nearby. Orochimaru was reading in a tree. The village was peaceful.
Not bad, Nanami thought, closing his eyes for a second. Passed the exam, got the girl (as a friend), got the crazy taijutsu guy, and lunch is good. If the rest of the academy is this chill, I might actually enjoy this.
The bell rang for the afternoon session. Taijutsu practice.
Nanami stood up, stretching his arms over his head.
"Alright," he said, picking up his bag. "Back to the grind. Let's go show them how it's done, Duy."
"YEAH! YOUTH!"
Nanami chuckled, walking back toward the building with a relaxed stride, ready to breeze through the rest of the day.