Chapter 8: Chapter 8 – The Academy entrance ceremony

"Don't say weird shit when in class, okay?"

Suppressing a yawn, I looked up at the young woman walking beside me: a fair-skinned, black-eyed Kunoichi wearing a forehead protector. Some strands of her black hair draped over it, inadvertently covering in part the village symbol engraved into it. On her back, a wakizashi — a twin of the one gathering dust in my room — is strapped diagonally.

"... also listen to your teacher, and don't act all smart."

Making sure to avoid stepping on any puddles left by yesterday's downpour, I shifted my gaze to our surroundings. On both sides are rows of buildings, some residential, others commercial, and some both.

It's starting to calm down, I noted.

Back two months, you could barely hear your footsteps with all the reconstruction transpiring throughout the village: hammers' cacophony, hand saws' tune going through wood, and boorish workers' songs — although it was more intelligible yells than anything remotely bearing any resemblance to a cadence. In other words, a galling noise.

Now, however, though the morning had barely begun and the sun had yet to peek its shine from the horizon, it's relatively more subdued. You could still hear a shout here and there or spot a worker on a roof, scurrying with a ladder or some other tools, but compared to before, it's quieter, almost peaceful.

"—one, but if it's them who pick a fight, then you can, just remember not in class. It's improper to fight in class... hey! I'm not talking to the air now, am I?"

"No, Kyo-nee, I'm listening."

"Is that so?" She mumbled something I wasn't able to hear before resuming her conversation. "Repeat what I said then."

I was tempted to follow that instruction to the letter, but my sore head told me otherwise.

Glancing up ahead, I said, my voice as flat as my expression. "Listen to the teacher, make friends, eat lunch with those friends, don't bully others, don't get bullied, and no fighting in class."

"Six out of eight," she nodded. "As for the other two, you... you didn't choose to ignore them, right? You simply didn't hear me, right?... right?"

As we made progress on our path, I could finally see it from here.

The Hokage Rock.

The most representative trait of Konoha. The mountain on which four giant faces were sculpted into the stone watches over the village.

It's fascinating whenever I see it.

I opted to let my mind be captured by the sight instead of answering my unreasonable cousin. But alas, ignoring an eruptive volcano is as good as playing Russian roulette with a loaded semi-automatic pistol. It kills the suspense.

And while Kyouka may not be as disastrous, she is not far off. Besides, her stubbornness is as impressive as her beauty.

Grabbing me by the shoulder and squeezing hard enough to halt me mid-step, she drew her face scarily close. While I didn't turn to face her, I felt the intensity of her black eyes drilling into the left side of my face.

Next, I hear her voice, quiet and cold, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Tell me, Uchiha Izuna-kun, you simply didn't hear the two most crucial rules, right? It's not like you heard them but for willful reasons decided to ignore them, right? Come on, tell this Onee-san."

Wait... rules? They were rules.

Aren't they supposed to be some sort of advice? I may not have experienced something similar before, but I did watch movies and series where the children had parents that gave this type of guidance.

Did I mistake the parents' loose rule for advice?

No, unlikely. That's merely one of her plays—a play that could get me in hot water if I'm not careful.

"I did hear them," I said as I struggled to turn my head sideways and face her.

She raised an eyebrow at my answer. Understandable. Backing up here is what she expects, and it's also the most sensible decision for both my head and my peace; unfortunately, it can't be helped.

"But?"

"But I don't think they are necessary for my school life."

"Not necessary for your school life, huh?" She repeated those words a couple of times in a faint voice, then... then she exploded. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"You are using a bad word." I said it with my usual flat voice. I was promptly ignored, however.

"What is so fucking hard to understand?"

"Another bad word."

"Not necessary for your school life? Do you think you will still have a school life if you ask any woman you have met to marry you?"

That's rude, plainly untrue, and can lead to misunderstandings.

"Not any women," I said, trying to amend the false accusation. "Just the pretty or the strong ones. I have standards."

"Stop screwing with me."

"Bad word again."

"I will close an eye on the weird shit rule," stepping in front of me, she crouched slightly, her hands squeezing my cheeks, compelling me to look at her black eyes, she then smiled softly. "But promise me you will not ask anyone in your class—no, in school for marriage, okay."

Her hands felt rough and cold on my cheeks, due to her sword training and the freezing weather, but oddly enough, I find them comfortable. I was lost in her pleading eyes for a moment.

I sighed inwardly. So that's why they say never look an Uchiha in the eyes, huh?

I probably misinterpreted the saying, but this is not the most important right now. What's important is what she is asking from me.

Well, I could do that. It's in no way an easy task, especially if there is a hot teacher, but it's not a necessity either, after all, it's just the cover plan — and a hobby that I found myself strangely enjoying.

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Moreover, it's simply not worth it to anger a Chunin over it, and besides, it's not like I can't get comparable results with a different method.

"Okay, I promise."

Her face brightened as if what I promised her was a coupon for infinite dango. "Good," she said with a nod. She coughed to adjust her expression, then turned around and carried on walking. "Let's go, don't waste any more time than you already did. If we end up missing the entrance ceremony, Kaa-chan won't be happy, and... you won't like that."

I audibly gulped.

There is so much injustice in this world.

Fortunately, I'm a smart and considerate gentleman; I know how to honor a lady. The fact that this specific lady has strong fists has nothing to do with it.

Restraining another yawn, I lamented inwardly. Skipping my sleep time to train in Genjutsu is probably not a good idea.

Haah, no matter, it's worth it. Shaking my head, I followed.

---

Rows upon rows of children, ranging in age from five to six years, lined up in military-like fashion outside the school building, all facing in the same direction. Where a distinguished old man, wearing a red hat with the word "fire" embroidered on it, is giving his speech.

The Academy entrance ceremony.

To say I wasn't keenly excited about this day would be a fat lie. It didn't last long, however, all thanks to Hokage-sama. Not his indoctrination speech about the will of fire, mind you. I did like that part, to be honest.

What is bugging me is the recurrent reminder that this is not a fictional world. And the gentle-looking grandfather up there is someone who will let ensue — if not explicitly order — the Uchiha clan's massacre.

Exhaling softly, I glanced around, trying to distract my mind from depressing thoughts.

And sure enough, I found what I was looking for. In one of the many children's rows in front of me, a kid of the same age with black hair tied into a ponytail.

The handsome bastard.

I perhaps stared in his direction for too long, or he may have sensed my gaze, he turned and looked at me for a couple of seconds before turning back to face the front.

"Tsk."

A scowl formed on my face as I unconsciously clicked my tongue, causing the kid to my right to glance at me.

Breathe in, breathe in.

I tried to soothe the irritability forming in my chest. Calm down, I told myself, the bastard probably doesn't even remember me.

It has been over a month since our fight, and we have never crossed paths since then. It's understandable if he doesn't remember me. Yes, it's completely and fully understandable.

... but why the fuck is this making me feel worse? worse than losing that fight. worse than his words.

It's pissing me off.

I want to blow two or three streams of fire, but launching such a Jutsu here and now isn't a viable option.

The scowl on my face deepened, unbeknownst to me, as the memory of our fight came to mind.

Pathetic.

It wasn't even a fight. It was like an adult and a turtle. That part, however, was completely expected, albeit slightly bitter.

After all, that bastard is Uchiha Itachi.

A genius among geniuses. Someone that got to see the war at four years old and someone that will end up strong enough to slaughter the strongest clan of the village, his clan.

So, yeah, I expected a defeat when I sought him out for a fight. And I wasn't averse to it at that time either. Despite the fact that he is an obstacle in this life, I am — was a huge fan of his. And to say I was excited the first time I met him would be an understatement.

The reason I asked for a fight was because, as aforementioned, he is my obstacle in this life. He is one of the reasons I will be leaving the village. He is my target if I don't want to stay a weakling. He is my gauge for measuring my current and future strength.

So that fight, that pathetic excuse of a fight, was necessary. It's just... I thought that maybe with a fully matured Sharingan, I would be able to last a little bit longer against him, but...

— quit, you are out of breath with barely thirty strikes while you've landed none. It will probably hurt your pride, but it's better for both your family and yourself if you quit —

His voice played in my mind. He said more, but those words are what struck me. He was right. The Sharingan allowed me to predict his movement, but that was not enough, he was fast, so fast in fact that the precognition ability of the Sharingan was rendered useless in front of him.

Fortunately, he didn't strike at me at all, he just dodged my attacks, and my sick body and weak stamina did the rest.

That is why it's pathetic: I fought nothing but air and I lost.

But it's his words that fucking irk me.

... which makes it even more pathetic to take the words of a six-year-old on a personal level.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

I was pulled from my swirling thoughts when the kids started to applaud. A minute later, the rows started to break as the instructors led the children into the Academy, one row at a time. Some maintained the discipline of a soldier, walking slowly and steadily, some scurried without a care in the world, or the smiling Hokage, while some waved energetically at their parent at the far back.

Haah! Finally, fortunately, my fear of sleeping while standing didn't occur, it would be embarrassing otherwise.

Shortly, all the kids, including me, proceeded inside the Shinobi school building, and the crowd of adults outside followed suit, dispersing each to their work or appointment.

Leaving behind silence and stillness, and the sound of the chilly wind brushing against trees, and bushes. Causing a swing hanging from a nearby tree to sway gently.

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