Tachibana Tomoe wakes up as Tsunemori Honōka.
She thinks something went wrong somewhere along the line—because, whether or not she believes in reincarnation, she doesn't think memories of the previous life are supposed to be remembered.
Her new world is strange, a contradiction of traditional and modern amenities, and she finds herself in the role of the youngest daughter of a once prosperous bathhouse. It's an unfamiliar experience. Overwhelming. She knows nothing about bathhouses.
She's not used to having a full house at all hours of the day either. It feels like there's no time for rest, even as a baby, and she's uncomfortable in her own skin. She has four older siblings who can't pick her up or play with her for fear of making her screech.
With her being the way she is, the novelty of a new baby sibling wears away quickly.
She thinks maybe she didn't even possess that baby newness to begin with. Her parents have little time for her between their business and her older, nearly grown, siblings.
When she is able, she embraces her independence as much as she is able in the unfamiliar body of a toddler, even if she is doubly lonely having to repeat a solitary childhood again.
She has no Ojī-chan this time.
At five she asks her mother about school. She's informed that there won't be time (money—it's always money) for that. Her mother consoles her by telling her that the monks at the temple will teach her to read and write.
She already knows these things (reading and writing—the language hasn't changed, at least), and goes to the monks to see what else she can learn. However, the monks will teach her nothing else—they only accept boys for further study.
No one, anywhere, will accept her. She resents her gender for the second time in her life.
Her lucky break blows in like a hurricane, under the guise of the bathhouse's most eccentric guests.
The father, ever in green spandex, the Eternal Genin: Might Duy; and his son, also in green spandex shorts, Might Guy.
By now, Honōka recognizes that there's a war of some sort going on, and that the village's (not a village, but a large town, maybe a small city) military force is made up of 'ninja'. It's odd, but what isn't in this strange new world?
She overhears them talking about an entrance exam at an academy (the Academy) and asks them about it.
"Excuse me, Okyaku-san? Can you tell me about this academy?"
She somehow surprises the 'ninja folk'. But, she supposes, a small girl did just approach them out of the blue. She probably registers as harmless to them.
Might Duy flashes her a bright smile and a thumbs up. It's blinding.
"Certainly, my little flower bud! What would you like to know?"
"Are girls allowed to attend?" the most important question, unfortunately.
"Of course! All youths are welcome at the Academy!"
She almost melts in relief.
"What is the tuition?" she's been saving up every spare coin her parents or siblings toss her way—and checking the locker rooms at the end of each business day for dropped coins and bills. Lost, forgotten, misplaced… she's not picky.
"T-tuition?" the boy repeats, like it's a foreign word.
Duy takes a knee to be closer to her eye level, though she won't meet his eyes. "There is none, little flower bud. The Academy is free to all."
That's revolutionary, and not something she would have expected from the struggling economy in Konoha.
"Are the admission requirements strict?"
"Not at all!" he professes, then tones down his voice again. Considerate. "The admission requirements are thus: love the village and hope to help preserve peace and prosperity; have a mind that will not yield, be able to endure hard work and training; be healthy in mind and body."
She considers. She can do all that—she's been doing her grandfather's qigong and tai chi routines since she could walk again.
"So, anyone meeting the requirements is welcome to attend?" there must be a limit, of course.
"Well, my young bud, there is one small caveat…"
"You gotta pass the entrance exam!" the boy, Guy, exclaims.
"Is it difficult? I can read and write and do arithmetic."
Guy shakes his head back and forth, glossy black hair whipping his face. "Not those kinds of tests. Shinobi test!"
Oh, she thinks. The Academy is for the ninja folk then—but Might Duy said anyone could attend.
"Ninja tests then. Like, walking on water?" and walls—it sounds bizarre, but she's seen it done. "I don't think I can do that…"
"Nothing quite so advanced!" Might Duy assures her. "There's the standard written exam, of course—just a few questions and a short essay. Then there are practicals."
She nods. Sounds pretty standard. Duy continues.
"One must show an adequate understanding of taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. Sufficient proficiency in any of these three areas will earn you a place at the Academy."
He's a ninja himself, so she'll take his word for it—even if he's supposedly not a very good one.
"So, taijutsu—like martial arts? I know a little. What about ninjutsu and genjutsu?"
Duy is studying her rather seriously now, turning her over in his head like a sour candy. A lot of adults find her rather unpalatable. She thinks her articulation stumped Duy. It's not what one usually expects from a five-year-old.
"My young bud—am I correct in assuming you would like to join the Academy? This isn't just a passing curiosity?"
She nods. "Yes."
"You're this establishment's young daughter, are you not?"
She nods again.
Duy's mustache twitches. He's considering her again.
"What do you know about shinobi, my little bud?"
She draws her shoulders up in a small shrug—a self-indulgent gesture. Her parents hate it when she does it.
"Not much," she admits.
"Do you know what chakra is?"
Well—it depends on who's asking. She assumes it must be like the chi—the qi—from her grandfather's study of tai chi and qigong.
"It's energy that flows through the body."
"Very good! Do you know how to mold it?"
She thinks. Her qigong and tai chi routines teach her how to circulate, cultivate, and balance it… but 'mold' sounds far removed from it. She shakes her head. No, she does not know how to mold chakra.
"No."
Duy strokes his chin whiskers.
"Hm, well, it is difficult to grasp, even for one as youthful as I!"
And there it is, Might Duy's eccentricity is showing. It's intense, but she finds it kind of sweet too. An acquired taste, maybe.
"Will knowing about chakra help me understand ninjutsu and genjutsu?"
"Indeed! Ninjutsu are ninja techniques, like the transformation, body replacement, and clone techniques. Genjutsu is a bit more complicated, as it deals with casting and breaking illusions. These techniques all require molding chakra."
"So, I'll have to be really good at taijutsu to pass… When is the entrance exam?"
Duy purses his lips.
"It's tomorrow!" Guy shouts, jumping and punching the air. He's very excited.
"I see."
She gets the full details from Might Duy and returns to her room. She lies face down on the floor.