The Days of School, Part One

Higashino Makoto didn't mind having to go to school again in this second life. On the contrary, he was looking forward to it. After all, the Ninja Academy was nothing like the schools he'd attended in his previous life.

One taught scientific knowledge; the other taught you how to cut people down.

Early in the morning, after finishing his usual workout and enjoying a delicious breakfast, Higashino Makoto set off for school.

The sun was shining, the flowers were smiling, and the birds were chirping, "Morning, morning, morning! Why aren't you carrying your little schoolbag?"

A schoolbag? Not a chance. His Ninja Tool Bags were all he needed: two at his lower back and one strapped to his thigh.

They were all filled with Kunai, Shuriken, and other weapons.

That was one difference between the Ninja Academy and the schools he'd attended in his previous life. Even when students here carried schoolbags, they were usually for larger weapons that wouldn't fit in their Ninja Tool Bags, like Fūma Shuriken.

Of course, there was one small difference from his usual routine: one of his Ninja Tool Bags now held two pens and a small notebook.

That was it. Nothing more.

On the way, Higashino Makoto ran into Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao, who were waiting at an intersection. The three of them walked to school together.

For some reason, looking at the two of them suddenly brought back memories of walking to junior high in the county seat with childhood friends from his village in his previous life.

He'd never expected to get to do something like that again. Perhaps those old friends would never know that he'd gone on living in another world.

Life was truly mysterious. As long as you were alive, you could always encounter something interesting—especially in this fantastical world.

When they arrived at the school, Gekko Hayate headed to his Second Year class, while Higashino Makoto and Uzuki Yugao went straight to Class 1-A. You could tell from the ranking that it was the school's top class for gifted students.

The Ninja Academy used a typical Small Class System, with twenty-seven students in each class. If nobody graduated early, they would eventually be divided into exactly nine teams.

The tiered classroom had long desks arranged in three rows across and three rows deep, with three students seated behind each desk.

By now, more than half the students had arrived. Those who already knew one another sat together, chatting excitedly.

They acted as if they'd attend class today, graduate tomorrow, and take the Hokage's seat the day after.

The only one sitting alone was Shisui, at a desk near the window in the middle of the right-hand row. Maybe the clan crest on his clothes had a "Muggles Keep Out" effect, or maybe it was his precociously mature face, so out of place among the others.

Even so, his captivating Carlan Eyes were lovely to look at, and several girls kept glancing his way.

When Higashino Makoto and Uzuki Yugao entered the classroom, everyone looked over at them in unison. The boys looked somewhat displeased; counting Shisui, these were the three who had finished at the front of the entrance exam.

The girls were much simpler: they all fixed their eyes on Higashino Makoto's face.

You could say the benefits of inheriting his mother's good looks were on full display. In Zhang Fei's words: "I'm quite the handsome fellow!"

Little Uzuki Yugao glared back at them one by one like a puppy whose food bowl had been stolen.

She wasn't the clueless little girl she'd been two years ago anymore. Now, she'd instinctively learned to guard what was hers.

Higashino Makoto was at a loss. As expected, were all the girls in the Shinobi World Dumpling Spirits? They were so young, and already jealous?

"You're here early."

Higashino Makoto sat down beside Shisui. As he spoke, he took the textbooks from beneath his desk and checked them, then pulled out a small booklet.

"I had nothing else to do, so I came early. So that's what you were looking for. Have you noticed anything strange, Makoto?"

The booklet in Higashino Makoto's hand was the schedule for the term. He skimmed it and nodded. "Just as I thought. Compared with before, the humanities and science classes have been cut way back. All the extra time has been given to Training and Combat."

"Really? Why?" Uzuki Yugao asked, looking at her Curriculum Manual.

Shisui thought for a moment. "Because of the war. The village doesn't know how long it'll last. To prepare for whatever difficulties might arise, improving the students' combat abilities is the best choice."

Higashino Makoto agreed. "Exactly. We're in the War Period. Whether or not they end up needing us, focusing on improving our combat abilities first is the right decision.

"Better safe than sorry. This is a place for training Ninja, not scholars. Basic knowledge isn't essential; if we need it later, we can always catch up."

Uzuki Yugao: "Oh, is that how it is?"

"Of course. Anyone who's interested can study on their own. As long as it doesn't interfere with training, the school won't mind." Higashino Makoto looked at the textbooks before him. There was one for every subject.

The school had placed them directly in the classroom, unlike schools in his previous life, where students had to go pick up their own books.

They were free, too. The Ninja Academy didn't charge tuition.

This was a place that trained Ninja to serve the village—more or less a recruit training camp. Paying to attend? That'd be like paying to serve in the military. What kind of America nonsense was that?

Soon, not long after all the students had arrived, it was time for class.

A young Ninja wearing a green flak jacket walked into the classroom and stood at the lectern.

He looked to be in his twenties, of average height, and wore black-rimmed glasses. He was fairly handsome, and his thick black hair stood straight up in a distinctive style, as if it had an indomitable spirit. He looked like a Saiyan.

For a moment, Higashino Makoto thought he was looking at Nobita. He was half afraid the man would suddenly get angry, turn blond, and slap poor Planet Earth into cosmic dust.

Fortunately, he'd been worrying for nothing. The young teacher wrote his name on the blackboard, then looked at everyone. "Hello, everyone. My name is Inoue Kuroiwa, and I'll be your homeroom teacher from now on.

"Please come up and introduce yourselves. Tell us about your ambitions and interests so we can get to know one another. We'll start with the student at the front on the left."

The students then took turns going up to introduce themselves.

Facing the whole class, some were nervous, some outgoing, some shy, and some wore Sunglasses to look cool.

Then he heard the boy say his surname was Aburame and his name was Aburame Muta. Oh, never mind. Sunglasses were his clan's natural form; every man in the family was a pair of Sunglasses turned into a person.

As for their ambitions, most wanted to become Hokage or protect the village.

After all, a Konoha Ninja who didn't want to become Hokage wasn't a good student.

The girls weren't as keen on becoming Hokage. They either wanted to become a Ninja like Tsunade or open a cake shop or Flower Shop someday. One even said that her ambition was to marry a gentle, handsome, perfect husband.

What the hell, were they really six years old? Had someone stuffed their brains with a hormone-enhanced Kakarot? And when you said "gentle and handsome," could you stop staring at me?

When it was Uzuki Yugao's turn, the little girl wasn't nervous at all. "My name is Uzuki Yugao. I like looking at flowers, and my dream is to have a big garden where I can collect and grow all kinds of famous flowers from the Shinobi World."

Well, Higashino Makoto had figured that out two years ago. She couldn't fish patiently for even twenty minutes; she spent the rest of the day gathering flowers in the forest and picking a pile of poisonous mushrooms along the way.

If Gekko Hayate and Higashino Makoto hadn't already learned how to identify edible wild plants, the four of them would've ended up dead on the spot after eating.

When it was Higashino Makoto's turn, he looked at his classmates and carefully memorized their faces. Then, calm and composed, he said, "My name is Higashino Makoto. I enjoy training, and my ambition is to become a powerful Ninja and protect my comrades."

Inoue Kuroiwa looked at the student with the best score on the entrance exam. "Makoto, don't you want to become Hokage?"

"Of course I do. But, Teacher Inoue, we should broaden our perspective. If we can't become Hokage, does that mean we can't protect our comrades? Protecting our comrades shouldn't depend on rank. It's a duty every Konoha Ninja should understand."

"Ha ha ha! Very good, very good. Makoto, you have a profound understanding of the Will of Fire. All right, you can return to your seat. Next."

"My name is Uchiha Shisui. I like eating grilled fish, especially with friends. My ambition is for everyone in the village, no matter where they come from, to understand one another and become friends."

"That's a wonderful ambition. Next."

Only after the introductions were over did Higashino Makoto sense the feeling of being watched disappear. The Third Hokage's Crystal Ball really was useful.

The Ninja Academy was the Hokage's power base and an important place for spreading the Will of Fire to the younger generation of Ninja families. There was no way Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't keep an eye on this year's crop of top students in Class 1-A.

"Understanding one another, Shisui? That's quite an ambition."

"Makoto, do you think it's possible, too?"

"Of course. Understanding one another isn't hard. Say there's a Ninja who hasn't eaten for days. He sees me holding a bag of bread and tries to snatch it. I understand why he's doing it: he's about to starve to death."

"So would you give him the bread?"

"No. I'd beat him to death. Understanding doesn't mean agreeing. If I give him the bread, what am I supposed to eat?"

"Couldn't you just buy another bag?"

For all his precociousness, he was still too young. Higashino Makoto looked at Shisui helplessly. "Do you think I was talking about the bread?"

Shisui: "Weren't you?"

Uzuki Yugao: "What are you talking about? It's still a long time until lunch."

Higashino Makoto, Uchiha Shisui: "..."

Forget it. They'd better pay attention in class.

The first lesson was on Konoha's glorious history, with explanations of the Will of Fire sprinkled throughout.

As expected, no matter how much they cut the general-knowledge classes, a thorough interpretation of the Will of Fire was essential. For a Ninja Village, a Ninja's strength came second. Loyalty came first.

Just as in the materials he'd read at home and in the library, Konoha's founding history had been heavily edited. Many key events were missing; the ones that remained were described only briefly, followed by long explanations of what each event supposedly meant in terms of the Will of Fire.

There was material on the First and Second Hokage, but the Third Hokage's ideas took up the most space.

But some of these events had happened after the First and Second Hokage had ascended to heaven, hadn't they? Had they done the reading comprehension exercises in the Pure Land?

And where was the Uchiha clan's part in all this? They were one of the two founding clans, after all.