Going to School

(Chapter 2: Going to School)

"Yes! Mirai, hurry down too, and let's play ninja together!" Several other boys and girls were waiting below. Mirai was a little puzzled about why the children liked him so much, but he had nothing else to do, so he decided to join them.

Mirai called back, "I'll be right down!" Then he stood up and leaped down the stairs several times, landing steadily on the ground.

The children couldn't help applauding in amazement. "That was incredible, Mirai! You jumped down from so high up and landed safely!"

Maybe he was being influenced by his young body, but the children's admiration made Mirai feel a little pleased. He rubbed his nose with a finger and said, "That's normal! Ninjas can all run along rooftops and walls. You'll be able to do this easily someday, too."

Since coming to this world and getting the Mall System, Mirai had given up on simply coasting through life. The Death God could appear at any moment here. If he didn't protect himself, he might end up like one of those unlucky transmigrators who got killed—a truly humiliating fate. Countless transmigrators before him had lived incredible lives. He had a cheat of his own, so he couldn't let down the transmigrator name.

Once Mirai had learned what kind of world he was in, he'd started training. People here were generally in good physical shape, and after six months of training, Mirai could manage what he could now. It was nothing special, but in his previous life, he wouldn't even have dared attempt it.

"Great! I'll train hard like Mirai and become a great ninja someday!" one boy said.

"I want to become a great kunoichi like Lady Tsunade!" Hyuga Hiben declared, refusing to be outdone. Princess Tsunade was the person every kunoichi aspired to be. Mirai hadn't met Tsunade herself in this world, but her name was already one he knew well.

"I'm going to become Hokage!" "Me too!" ...

The children began talking about their future goals. Mirai just smiled beside them. Being a ninja meant being strong. Maybe it was because of how they were raised, but all the children wanted to become ninjas, just like how kids on Earth, when asked about their dreams, wanted to be rich or hold high office.

But Mirai knew all too well that without extraordinary talent, a powerful Kekkei Genkai, and sufficient ability, becoming Hokage was nothing but a pipe dream.

If Mirai had really been from this world, he would probably have wanted to become a high-ranking official. Or, if he'd been born here, he would likely have dreamed of becoming a ninja in the village.

"Mirai, what are we training today?" Mirai had once told the children that becoming a ninja required diligent training. So they'd incorporated ninja exercises into their games. Mirai also sometimes showed them how clever he was, and he'd become the leader of their little group.

Mirai rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. "Let's practice with Shuriken today." Shuriken were Hidden Weapons with holes in the middle, rather like flower-shaped throwing stars. Throwing Shuriken and Kunai was an essential skill to master.

Even Nagato, with his Rinnegan, couldn't ignore Uchiha Itachi's mastery of Shuriken and Kunai. They might not be the most powerful weapons, but they didn't require Hand Seals, and every ninja had to learn to use them.

Mirai and the children began training in the woods. A circular target had been fixed to a tree, and each child held a Shuriken and aimed for its center.

Adults in the village were proud when their children became ninjas. So, when children took a liking to Shuriken, their parents naturally bought them some.

Once they'd finished throwing, all the children were tired. They sat on the ground, Mirai among them. He'd never been particularly diligent by nature; if not for the need to survive in this world, he wouldn't have trained so hard.

"Mirai, we're starting Ninja Academy tomorrow. We'll become Genin only after graduating. You'll be going too, right?" Hyuga Hiben asked him. At this time, children could apply to the Ninja Academy once they turned four.

"Of course! We'll get stronger by studying at the Ninja Academy," Mirai replied with a nod.

"I want to go to the Ninja Academy too!" the other children chimed in.

"I'm not old enough yet. I'll have to wait until next year," one of the younger children said regretfully.

"Don't worry. Time flies, and it'll be your turn to go to school before you know it."

By evening, all the children had gone home. Mirai returned to his own place, a house where he lived alone.

The empty house was a little cold and quiet, but he rather enjoyed it. He was starting school tomorrow. What would he learn?

He closed his eyes, and the night passed in the blink of an eye. Mirai got himself ready: dark gray athletic shorts and a black T-shirt, with the Uchiha Clan's Gunbai crest on the back. He had short black hair and a fair face—a handsome boy with pretty good potential.

After breakfast and getting ready, Mirai headed to the Ninja Academy. Along the way, he saw plenty of parents taking their children to school.

For the people of Konoha, becoming a ninja was a great honor. Whenever the Ninja Academy opened enrollment, parents sent their children of the right age to attend.

A few others, like Mirai, came alone. The Shinobi World had finally become somewhat peaceful, but many children had still lost both parents. Those orphans could also receive an education and become ninjas. Besides, Mirai belonged to the Uchiha Clan. He should have been taken in by relatives, but he'd refused. He wanted to live a little longer, and it was better to keep his distance from a clan that would be wiped out after its future rebellion.