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AN
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I decided to release another chapter this weekend. This was originally when the second chapter was supposed to release, but I reworked the first chapter instead.
Happy reading.
--Konohagakure, Nine Years Before Naruto's Birth, Morning--
Yuuki woke before the sun.
For a few sluggish seconds, he lay beneath the blanket and stared at the ceiling. Then the memory of yesterday rushed back: the Academy, the manuals, the black smoke curling over paper, and the flood of information that had followed.
He sat upright, a grin appearing before he could stop it. "Yes. Today."
The books he had consumed had not turned him into an expert overnight. He knew that much already. But when he recalled the diagrams and instructions now, they no longer felt like disconnected pages. The stance corrections, breathing patterns, and explanations of balance fit together in his mind with a clarity they had not possessed the day before.
'I understand it better. Not perfectly, but better.'
He dressed quickly, slipped on his shoes, and left the quiet house before the first light had reached the narrow streets outside. Instead of going straight to the Academy, he headed for the small clearing near his home.
The grass was wet with morning dew. Yuuki jogged a few laps around the edge of the clearing until the cold had left his limbs and his breathing settled into a steady rhythm. Then he planted his feet and moved into the basic Hidden Leaf kata from the manual.
The difference was immediate.
His first punch still lacked weight, and his second still made his shoulders tighten too much, but he caught the mistake before his balance collapsed. He adjusted his rear foot, loosened his elbow, and tried again. The movement felt less like copying a picture and more like something he could actually understand.
'So this is what the manuals meant by keeping the center stable.'
He worked through the sequence until sweat began to gather at his temples. The kata was still awkward in his small body, and several transitions made him stumble, but he no longer fell flat on his face after a single punch.
"Progress," he muttered, pleased despite himself. "I'll take it."
He stopped before he exhausted himself and hurried toward the Academy.
Classroom 1-A was already partly full when Yuuki slid open the door. He chose the same seat as yesterday and let his eyes travel over the students filing in around him. Several carried themselves with the quiet confidence of children who had clearly grown up in shinobi clans.
Kakashi was already present, seated with the same stillness he had shown on the first day. Yuuki was not surprised in the slightest.
'Of course he got here before me.'
He looked away before Kakashi could catch him staring again. Most of the other faces remained unfamiliar. Yuuki knew enough Naruto history to recognize the names that mattered to him, but that did not mean he could identify every child from a prominent family by sight.
His attention drifted back to his own plans.
'Taijutsu is important, but my next real hurdle is chakra. If I can unlock it and learn how to control it, everything else starts opening up.'
Kazu clapped sharply. The room quieted as the last few students took their seats.
"Yesterday, I assigned the first chapter of your history text," he said. "Those who read it, raise your hand."
Yuuki lifted his hand. He had not read the chapter in the normal sense, but Predator had given him every word. The answer sat plainly in his head.
Kazu's eyes moved over the raised hands before stopping on him. "Yuuki. Who were the two men most responsible for founding this village, and why did they do it?"
Yuuki stood. "Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. They wanted to end the constant fighting between clans and create a place where children would not have to grow up in war."
For a moment, the words seemed heavier than a simple classroom answer. Yuuki could not help noticing the irony. The village had been founded to spare children from endless war, yet children were still sitting in an Academy during one.
"Correct," Kazu said. "Sit down. Everyone else, open your texts to the first page."
The lesson covered material Yuuki already understood, and the early morning practice soon caught up with him. His eyelids grew heavy while Kazu explained the founding of Konoha.
Then the door slammed open.
"I'm here!" A black-haired boy stumbled into the room, bent over and gasping for breath. "I-I made it..."
Kazu did not raise his voice. "Sit down, Obito. Next time, arrive before class starts. I don't need an excuse."
"Yes, Sensei," Obito said miserably.
He dropped into the seat beside Yuuki and immediately leaned over. "Hey hey, what is he talking about?"
Yuuki barely had time to answer before Obito's eyes widened in horror. "The books! I completely forgot the books!"
Every head in the room turned toward him.
Kazu stared for a beat, then pointed toward the open door. "Since you forgot your work, you can read outside. Return when you finish the first few pages."
Obito's shoulders slumped. A few boys snickered as he rose from his seat.
At the doorway, he spun around and pointed at the class. "I'll be Hokage one day! Just you wait! All of you!"
Then he hurried out.
The room settled again. With no one beside him whispering or shouting, Yuuki surrendered to the warmth of the classroom and nodded off despite himself.
--An Hour Later--
"Yuuki. Hey, Yuuki!"
Obito's hand shook his shoulder. Yuuki jerked awake to find the classroom nearly empty.
"Come on," Obito said, apparently recovered from his earlier embarrassment. "Kazu-sensei said we're heading to our taijutsu instructor!"
He rushed out after the others with far more enthusiasm than his words required. Yuuki rubbed sleep from his eyes and followed.
The class crossed the Academy grounds to a broad practice field. A chalk circle had already been drawn into the packed earth, and wooden practice weapons rested beside a low bench. In the center of the field stood a broad-shouldered man with long brown hair tied back from his face.
He was muscular enough that his simple instructor's clothes could not hide it, but his expression was almost comically sunny. His brown eyes swept across the children with a warmth that made Yuuki hesitate. It was not the look of someone treating them like tiny soldiers.
"Welcome, class," the man said. "You were placed in 1-A because the Academy believes you have strong potential. That doesn't mean you are finished products. It means you have work to do." His smile sharpened into something more serious. "I'm Aito Sanshiro, your taijutsu and physical-training instructor. You can call me Aito-sensei or Sanshiro-sensei."
Several students exchanged glances. Aito gave them a moment to take that in before clapping his hands.
"We'll begin by learning where you are now. Push-ups, then sit-ups, then an endurance run. After that, we'll have a short combat assessment. Don't look at me like that-get moving."
All twenty-four students dropped to the ground. Some moved immediately, others did so only after seeing Aito's pleasant smile refuse to change.
The first few push-ups were easy. Then arms began to shake.
Obito was the first to collapse, dropping onto the grass after his third push up. He groaned and pushed himself up on trembling elbows, only for his arms to give out again.
Yuuki clenched his teeth and kept going. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Heat gathered in his shoulders. By fifteen, several children had already stopped. By twenty, even some of the clan children were breathing hard.
'How many do I need before I'm good enough?'
He did not have an answer, so he kept pushing.
At thirty, his arms felt as though someone had packed them with sand. At forty-five, his breathing came in harsh bursts against the ground. He glanced sideways and immediately regretted it.
Kakashi was still moving with even, controlled rhythm. He did not look strained at all.
'How?' Yuuki thought. 'He's only four!'
Resentment gave him enough energy for a few more repetitions. It did not last. On his seventieth push-up, his arms finally buckled. He hit the grass chest-first and lay there, breathing hard.
"How the hell can you do that?" he managed.
Kakashi finished his own set a moment later and rose without looking winded. He looked down at Yuuki with his visible eye half-lidded. "By being better."
Then he walked toward the next station.
Yuuki stared after him. A part of him wanted to hate that answer. The more practical part knew Kakashi had not said anything untrue.
The sit-up test went no better. Nor did the endurance run. Yuuki forced himself to finish each exercise, but Kakashi remained far ahead, and the gap between them stung more each time.
Still, the day held one final chance to show what he could do.
Students gathered around the chalk circle while Aito stepped beside it. "This is the last assessment. I want to see how you handle yourselves against someone your own age. Use control. We are measuring skill, not trying to send anyone to the infirmary."
He looked at a pair of students. "Kakashi Hatake. Obito Uchiha. You're first. Make the Seal of Confrontation."
Obito marched into the circle with his jaw set. Kakashi followed at an unhurried pace. They brought their hands together in the traditional seal, then separated as Aito raised one hand.
"Begin."
Obito charged first.
Kakashi barely moved. His foot flicked out, catching Obito's ankle at the exact moment the other boy shifted his weight. Obito stumbled, tried to recover, and was suddenly turned onto his back. Before he could blink, a wooden kunai rested against his throat.
Yuuki's eyes narrowed. 'So fast... I could barely see the first movement.'
"Match over," Aito called.
"Damn it, Bakashi!" Obito snapped as he sat up. "I'll beat you next time."
The two boys formed the Seal of Reconciliation. Kakashi's expression did not change. "Maybe when you're fifty years older."
The girls around the circle squealed. Obito's face went red, though whether from humiliation or anger, Yuuki could not tell.
Yuuki's name was called next. His opponent was a heavy boy with a broad frame and a stubborn expression.
'An Akimichi, probably,' Yuuki thought as they made the Seal of Confrontation. 'I missed my chance to fight Kakashi today. Fine. I'll have another one eventually.'
He settled into the stance he had practiced that morning. It still felt imperfect, but it was familiar now.
"Begin," Aito said.
The larger boy barreled forward faster than Yuuki expected, however.
'Compared to Kakashi, this is nothing.'
Yuuki sidestepped and kicked toward his opponent's chin, intending to disrupt his balance. The boy did not fall. Instead, he caught Yuuki's arm and held it tight.
"Did you really think the Akimichi don't know how to deal with trips?" the boy said, drawing back his free fist.
Yuuki's stomach dropped. A clean hit from that punch would end the match.
Instead of pulling against the grip, he stepped closer.
The move was not what the boy expected. He flinched backward, his hold loosening just enough. Yuuki tore free and drove his forehead into the larger boy's face.
"Gah!"
Yuuki shoved forward with all the strength he had. The boy toppled backward, and Yuuki followed him down, placing a wooden kunai at his throat before he could rise.
"Sorry," Yuuki said between breaths. "This one is mine."
The boy glared, then made the Seal of Reconciliation. "I'll beat you next time. On the name of Chofi Akimichi."
Yuuki returned the seal. "I'll be waiting."
As he left the ring, a cold shiver ran down his back at the sound of a few girls calling his name.
'No. Please don't let this be a thing too.'
Obito rushed up before he could escape. "That was amazing! I thought you were done when he grabbed you, and then you went whoosh! Bam! You looked so cool!"
Yuuki scratched his cheek. "It wasn't that impressive. The manuals explained the basics. I just got lucky that he let go."
"Sure, sure," Obito said, waving the explanation away. "But you still went whoosh! That's the part that matters!"
They watched a few more matches. Aito corrected poor footwork, stopped one student from swinging too wildly, and praised a girl who lost but kept trying to recover her balance. He never let the cheerfulness leave his voice, but Yuuki noticed that he watched every fall closely.
Eventually, Aito brought the class back together.
"These are your temporary rankings," he said, holding a sheet of paper. "They reflect what I saw today, not what you will be forever."
He read the top of the list.
"First: Kakashi Hatake. Second: Yuuki Mori."
Yuuki's chest tightened at the sound of his own name. Second was better than he had expected. It was also a reminder that Kakashi remained first by a distance Yuuki could feel in his sore arms.
"Twenty-fourth: Obito Uchiha."
"What?!" Obito shouted from the crowd. "How did that idiot Kakashi get first and I got last? I was way cooler!"
Aito waited for the noise to fade. "These rankings will change. Someone below you is working to take your place, and someone above you will lose it if they stop trying. Do not let a number decide what you can become."
His smile returned. "Your homeroom teacher also asked me to remind you that there are new books and manuals waiting on your desks. Tomorrow, you begin Chapter Two and your first chakra exercises. You are dismissed."
Yuuki gathered his materials after class and headed straight for the clearing.
'Beaten by a child,' he thought, half irritated and half impressed. 'How pathetic.'
Then he remembered Obito's outraged face and snorted. At least he was not dead last.
He waited until the trees hid him from the nearest road before extending a hand over the books. Black smoke poured from his palm and swallowed the pages. The pressure behind his eyes came faster this time, as if the material Predator had absorbed was much tougher than on the previous days.
When it cleared, new titles sat in his mind.
Chakra Theory.
Basic Battle Instructions.
Chakra Awakening Guide.
Preliminary Look into Hand Seals.
Yuuki stared at the empty grass. "Jackpot."
The excitement was almost enough to make him start shadowboxing again, but the chakra guide gave clear instructions: sit, breathe, and search for the faint warmth beneath the surface of the body.
He folded his legs beneath him and closed his eyes.
At first, nothing happened.
Thirty minutes passed. His legs grew uncomfortable. The wind rustled through the trees. Every time he thought he felt something, he realized it was only his heartbeat or a muscle twitch.
Yuuki opened one eye and groaned. "Aren't reincarnated people supposed to feel chakra easily because it's foreign or something? Come on."
He stood, ran through the kata, and shadowboxed at imaginary enemies until frustration replaced concentration.
'A warm current under the skin,' he thought. 'What the hell is that even supposed to mean? Some people imagine water, some electricity, but how am I supposed to know what any of that means?'
Exhausted, he fell onto his back in the grass.
The sky above had begun turning orange and red. Birds called from the branches. Cool air passed over his face. The earth pressed rough and solid against his shoulders.
Yuuki let out a slow breath and relaxed every muscle he could.
For a little while, he did not force anything. He simply listened.
The distant stream. Dry leaves rattling overhead. The leaves moving overhead. A faint warmth that did not belong to the wind.
His eyes snapped open.
'Warmth? It's the middle of January. That isn't the air.'
He closed his eyes again and reached inward, not with his hands but with his awareness. The sensation was faint at first, almost too gentle to name. Then it became clearer: a smooth current beginning near his heart, gathering low in his stomach, and branching through his limbs in pathways so intricate they felt like a maze.
For one impossible moment, the whole world seemed connected. The ground beneath him, the water nearby, the living things moving through the trees, and the warmth within his own body all existed with a clarity that made his breath catch.
Then the deeper sensation vanished.
Yuuki sat up sharply. The world looked normal again, but the warmth remained. It circulated beneath his skin like a quiet, steady embrace.
He smiled, small, soft, and entirely unguarded. "So that's what it feels like."
There was something else beneath it. Predator.
This time, when he reached for the skill, it answered easily. Black smoke flowed from his palms, but it did not merely billow into the air. It curled into delicate patterns, tracing shapes that fell apart only when they drifted too far from his body and dissolved back into the atmosphere.
Yuuki blinked at the smoke. "Oh."
His excitement returned all at once. He looked toward the darkening sky and froze.
"Oh, crap. It's getting dark." He sprang to his feet, then stopped himself with a laugh. It should have been freezing out here, and it wasn't. "Never mind. I have chakra."
His whoop sent a flock of birds out of the nearby trees.
He spent the remaining light cautiously playing with the warm current, trying to feel it move without pushing it too hard. By the time exhaustion finally claimed him, Yuuki had fallen asleep beneath the trees with a smile still on his face.
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AN
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This chapter is still quite a bit shorter then the previous but I thought that trying to add more would artificially inflate the chapter without adding any actual story to it, expect the next chapter to be around next week either Friday or Saturday night (for me)
Anyways leave any reviews/criticism in the comments so I know what to improve, thanks for reading!
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