Gojo Yoru

The Ninja Academy has six grade levels, each starting in April and ending in March of the following year.

The year is divided into three terms: the first term from early April to mid-July, the second term from early September to late December, and the third term from early January to the end of March.

In this era, the Ninja Academy mandates an enrollment age of 5 to 6 years old.

In the 28th year of Konoha, the younger brother of the Land of Fire's Princess and grandson of the First Hokage, five-year-old Nawaki, stepped into the Ninja Academy founded by the Second Hokage. The true Crown Prince had officially enrolled.

July 18th, 30th year of Konoha.

Today is the final day of the first term for all grades at the Ninja Academy.

Students in the third through sixth grades, who have already undergone the second and third stages of training, have been taking their final exams in cultural studies, practical combat, and the Three Body Techniques since the morning.

In contrast, for the first and second graders—who are still using stones instead of shuriken for throwing practice—the only assessment with any real weight, and the only one where they might actually get hurt, is the taijutsu duel.

This assessment has been saved for last.

In the afternoon, on the school playground, in the area designated for First Grade Class One.

Male and female students are gathered in a circle, either standing or sitting, watching a battle that is incredibly intense for their age group.

In the center of the circle, two young boys with different hair colors are wantonly displaying their talents.

While their peers, and even students in higher grades, still only know how to output raw power, these two have already begun to incorporate chakra into their speed. Furthermore, relying on their precocious mental maturity, they use their eyes and brains to anticipate their opponent's next move, either dodging or baiting attacks.

This visual feast, rarely seen even among the upperclassmen, leaves not only the students stunned but also the Chunin Teacher acting as referee looking on in shock.

When he was young, he didn't understand why he wasn't as good as those geniuses.

Now, as a mature bystander, he finally realizes the massive gap between himself during his student days and those true geniuses.

The two boys before him are undoubtedly the kind of geniuses who have left their peers far behind!

Unlike other fights, which end quickly due to unbearable pain or a crushing difference in strength, the battle between these two boys has lasted for quite some time.

It was only when the blond boy began to show signs of exhaustion, his reaction time and speed dropping significantly, that the white-haired boy—who was in slightly better condition—gained the upper hand. He seized an opening, side-stepped a straight punch, grabbed the boy's arm, threw him over his shoulder to the ground, and finally used a grappling technique to subdue him.

Seeing this, the Chunin Teacher immediately announced the result: "The battle is over. The winner is Gojo Yoru. Perform the Seal of Reconciliation."

As the teacher's voice faded, the students, whose eyes had been wide as saucers, finally snapped back to reality.

Then, the scene erupted in an uproar.

"So... so amazing!"

"Is this the true strength of Minato and Gojo? They've been hiding their power all this time!"

"It doesn't seem like they were hiding it; it's just that none of us forced them to go all out. If they hadn't been matched up today, we wouldn't have known they were this strong!"

"It's a pity for Minato. If he hadn't been less developed than that guy Gojo, he might have won in the end."

"Hey, hey, keep your voice down. Don't stand next to me; I don't want to be targeted by that guy Gojo."

"Oh no, he didn't hear that, did he?!"

"..."

"Minato-kun and Yoru-kun are both so cool. I didn't know who to cheer for just now."

"Yoru-kun is better. That cold, icy demeanor is so cool, and he's so strong—he beat up an upperclassman right after enrolling. He's so reliable."

"I think Minato-kun is easier to get along with."

"..."

Amidst the students' chatter, the two boys, with a half-head difference in height, completed the Seal of Reconciliation.

"Thanks for the pointers, Yoru-kun. Your strength is truly impressive," Namikaze Minato said with a gentle smile, speaking from the heart.

"You're not bad yourself."

Looking at the bruised Namikaze Minato, Gojo Yoru—who was also sporting his own share of bruises—felt a flash of complexity in his eyes.

Instead of the joy of victory, his heart was filled with pressure.

Because only he knew that he was no genius at all.

Though they were both "little supermen from another world" with one hundred and thirty trillion cells, no one knew that inside Gojo Yoru's body was the soul of an adult in his twenties.

What was there to be happy about, having taken so long to narrowly defeat a real six-year-old child?

On the contrary, this battle allowed Gojo Yoru to witness the potential of the most perfect ninja—that terrifying reaction speed. It was no wonder the boy would eventually become the second person in Konoha to master the Flying Thunder God Technique.

And this was only the first term!

At this rate, wouldn't he be left in the dust soon?

At the thought of this, Gojo Yoru's mood sank once again.

On the surface, however, he returned to his seat with an expressionless face.

Because of his "aloof" and "school bully" persona, neither the boys nor the girls dared to step forward to disturb Gojo Yoru.

This scene stood in stark contrast to Namikaze Minato, who had returned to his group on the other side and was immediately surrounded by male and female classmates offering him comfort.

The exams continued, and as each taijutsu duel concluded, the first semester came to a definitive end.

The moment the teacher announced the start of the break, Gojo Yoru was the first to leave the school and head home.

Gojo Yoru's home was a three-story Western-style house with a small courtyard, located on Central Street in Konoha; in terms of both location and value, it was second only to those of the great ninja clans.

From this, it was evident that Gojo Yoru's family circumstances were exceptionally good.

After changing his shoes in the entryway, Gojo Yoru walked through the living room straight toward the bathroom, passing by a shrine displaying two memorial portraits along the way.

Warm water sprayed from the showerhead's small holes, causing a hazy mist to rise within the bathroom.

Gojo Yoru tilted his head back to endure the pounding of the water, using both hands to slick his white hair back, and only then did his white eyebrows, which had been furrowed the entire way home, slowly relax.

Standing under the showerhead while lost in thought, it was a long while before Gojo Yoru opened his eyes.

They were blue eyes, just like Namikaze Minato's.

Yet, unlike Namikaze Minato's azure blue, Gojo Yoru's were an icy, pale blue, which, paired with his expressionless face, gave off a very cold impression.

After a quick rinse, Gojo Yoru stepped out wearing a bathrobe.

Standing before the mirror to dry his hair, Gojo Yoru gazed at the young boy in the reflection and couldn't help but mock himself in his native tongue: "Heh... even though our surnames are the same, and our hair color, eye color, and appearance are all so similar, why don't I have such an awesome cheat? If I could have invincible strength and live a carefree life for a few decades, it would be worth it even if my body were cut in two in the future."

After wiping the water droplets from his hair, Gojo Yoru checked the time. Instead of making dinner to satisfy his hungry stomach, he went to the storage room on the first floor, lifted an inconspicuous tatami mat, and descended into the basement hidden beneath.

As the light of a kerosene lamp flickered to life, the scene inside the basement was revealed.

It was a small room with walls covered in tadpole-like Incantations, featuring only two rows of bookshelves lined with a large number of scrolls and books, along with several chests.

Below these items were labels for classification; they were Ninjutsu Scrolls, secret histories from the Warring States Period, various Ninja Tools and Pills, and a vast amount of gold, silver, and treasure.

This was the foundation of the Gojo Family, and the inheritance left to him by Gojo Yoru's parents.

It was also the greatest reliance for Gojo Yoru, this transmigrator, at present!

(PS: The chronology of the Naruto World is messy with several versions; this book adopts the version where the Nine-Tails' Rampage and Naruto's birth occur in Konoha Year 48.)