Ch. 1 Academy Days
I'd realized pretty quickly that being isekai'd into the world of Naruto was far from the fairy-tale many had described it to be.
First, if you weren't lucky enough to be born as one of the clan heirs, or at the very least part of the main cast, you were absolutely fucked. That was apparent the moment I first looked into a reflection and saw the most generic blond eight year old boy staring back at me.
No outstanding features like the Inuzuka face markings, or any visible doujutsu… Not even a vibrant hair color that singled out an anime main character. No… I was as plain as could be, like a piece of white bread standing amidst the loaf of kids running around the orphanage. If I couldn't even stand out amongst the civilians, what hope did I have of measuring up to the clan heirs?
With my dull blond hair and brown eyes, I'm what you would call a default video game character. And not those that you'd get to play or customize, but one of those that stands in the corner of the screen repeating the same line of dialogue over and over.
Yep. I was reincarnated into the Narutoverse as a literal NPC.
I couldn't even tell if I was there in the original story, or if I was just a random ass character that got plopped right in the middle of Konoha. No amount of pinching or head-bashing had been enough to wake me from whatever the hell this was. A dream? A simulation? Regardless, it seems I'd be stuck here for the long haul.
Thankfully, I wasn't unfamiliar with this world. It had been a long time since I was obsessed with the fandom, but that nostalgic feeling of your favorite childhood series was not something that ever went away. The issue was that over the years, I had consumed so much fanfiction material that honestly, at this point I couldn't even distinguish in my head what was canon and what was not.
Add on top the fact that I had no idea who the hell I was. It was literally possible for me to die at any point in time, and I doubt the main story would even shift a hair. While it was cool and all to know that the weight of the world didn't stand on my shoulders, I still wasn't down to be some cannon-fodder in someone else's story.
Oh god… what if I'm one of those idiots that got the bright idea to charge Madara Fucking Uchiha with a kunai?
This was the curse of having foresight over the story. There were literally a million ways for me to die, and that was just in part one alone! Not only did I have to find a way to navigate all the fucked up plot lines that happens later on, but I had to do so from the body of a practical nobody?
This was bullshit. I had to deal with side character syndrome pretty much my whole life in the previous world, and now? I get reincarnated into my favorite universe, but I don't even know who I am.
Who the fuck was Yuji Mori?
The people at the orphanage couldn't even bother to give me a more unique name. Yuji Mori? Real fucking original… naming a Konoha orphan after a forest. I'd never even heard of that name before. If anything, I was probably some disposable character that never made it on screen.
And the thing is, being an unknown character wasn't even the worst thing in the world. I remember reading fanfiction stories of SIs that were nobodies, but managed to climb to the top of the food chain. With their awesome Gamer abilities or Leveling powers, most of them were even able to compete with the likes of Naruto and Sasuke.
But that led me back to the sad reality that I was given. No matter how many times I tried commands like: 'Inventory', 'Menu', or 'Help', whether in my brain or even out loud, no screens or interfaces ever popped up. Not even a response from whoever the hell had plopped me into this world.
So what the hell am I really even doing here? I've got the capacity of a regular useless 8 year old, with some foresight of future events that I don't even have the power to take advantage of. The moment I let slip any information that should be beyond Yuji's knowledge, I'll be in ANBU custody faster than I could blink. Or worse, being tortured by that crazy snake lady.
That was a fear that kept me on guard nearly every waking moment since I'd been sent to this world. Who knows what the Hokage was spying on with that pervy crystal ball of his. I'm sure the hot springs were far more interesting to look at, but I had no doubts he used that crystal ball to check in on the orphanage when Naruto had stayed here.
Though that was probably no longer the case, now that Naruto had moved into his own apartment since joining the academy. Lucky bastard. The boy had it far better off than most of those village bashing stories made it out to be. No one was chasing him around town with pitch-forks or knives, or throwing him out of stores and restaurants. If anything, most people just tried to stay away from him to avoid being pranked to hell and back.
The kid might've been lonely and just wanted some attention, but he had the freaking Hokage doting over him like a grandfather, so I tried not to feel too bad for him.
That did raise some flags in my head though. It was entirely possible that this world wasn't a carbon copy of the original story.
There were small things here and there that made me pay attention even more to this world like a game of spot the difference.
The villagers certainly weren't kind to Naruto or anything, but their nonchalance towards the jinchuuriki was definitely something that differed from canon. I still couldn't tell if they were just really good at hiding their distaste for him, or if the original story was just extremely exaggerated in the way that adults whispered behind Naruto's back. From what I've seen, it seemed that most of the villagers just couldn't be bothered with Naruto in this world.
I wonder if the Third Hokage had actually kept it a secret this time, or maybe he just instilled the fear of god within his people to not say a word or act differently around Naruto. Nevertheless, that was something that gnawed at me for the longest time until I smacked face first into the first glaring deviation in this timeline.
Or 2 things to be exact.
At the time, I'd still been trying to get a hold of the layout of the village, and not paying attention to where I was running was probably my biggest mistake that day.
"Watch where the hell you're going brat!" Tsunade growled as she calmed down a bit seeing that it was a kid who ran face first into her cleavage, not some old perv. "You gonna keep staring, or are you gonna apologize, kid?"
I had stood still, frozen to the spot in a mixture of disbelief and confusion.
What the hell was Tsunade doing in the village? She should have left the village long before this time in canon and hadn't returned until Naruto brought her back after the chunin exams… But that wouldn't be until years from now, I was 100% certain. So what the hell was happening?
And also… Holy shit, the show was not exaggerating about her bust size, she could suffocate someone with those–
"Ahhh!" I flinched back in pain as I felt a powerful flick against my forehead. Tsunade was still looking at me expectantly and began tapping her foot impatiently.
"U-uh I'm sorry." I managed to squeak out before I raced off without another word. This time, paying attention to not run into another deadly kunoichi. Or shinobi for that matter.
Just great. This dilemma was only gonna add to my laundry list of fucking headaches.
So now, not only did I have to train like a maniac to make up for my shortcomings, but I was also going to have to watch out for any timeline deviations?
I'm pretty sure Tsunade was not some small change that could be explained away by an accident or fluke. If this major change was any indication, what else did I have to look out for? Was my foreknowledge on the series even of any use at this point? There's a good chance nothing plays out like it does in canon anyways.
Why can't you just give me a fucking hint, you evil bastard? I groaned to the sky, cursing whatever higher power decided to play this sick joke. Though in hindsight, calling this being an 'evil bastard' probably wasn't the brightest idea considering what else it was probably capable of.
Regardless, I just had to take a deep breath and calm down. Concerning myself about things way out of my reach was just a waste of time; I need to focus on the present and figure out what I can control at this moment.
The ninja academy was starting next month, and I was to be enrolled as part of a small group of orphanage kids every year. That had already been decided a few months ago, before I'd even been transported into this body, but that wasn't my concern right now.
Thankfully, at least, I was in the same graduating class as Naruto and pretty much the entire main cast — with all the clan heirs and Sakura. I may not be able to affect anything in terms of their overall storylines, but being in the same class at least gives me a chance to form some type of bond with these crazy powerhouses.
Though, maybe that wasn't the best thing to do. I still haven't decided whether it'd be safer to stick close to the main cast or stay as far away as I could. On the one hand, the main cast survives the entire series… Well, most of them at least. RIP Neji. So maybe by some strange transitive property, their plot armor could also extend to the likes of me.
Yet, on the other hand, some of them are literal walking beacons for trouble. Namely Naruto and Sasuke. Sticking with them would mean having to deal with Orochimaru, Akatsuki, Obito, Madara – the fucking harbingers of death themselves. But I guess staying away from them, there's still a pretty high chance I'd be involved in all these catastrophic events.
And thus, my dilemma remains. What is clear to me is that regardless of what I chose to do, I would have to be fully prepared for the fuckery that is about to happen to this world. Just thinking about what goes down in Shippuden – things like God level shinobi hurling moons around – was going to give me a migraine.
If I wanted to have a chance at a happy ending, I was going to have to find a way to squeeze every last drop out of these next four years in the academy. Staying here in the village, I was relatively safe from any threats of the ninja world. Anything beyond the academy, I would have to be seriously prepared for. Luckily, foru years gives more than enough opportunity to at least catch up to some of the clan heirs. Sasuke was pretty much the only one taking his training seriously at this point anyway, and I don't even have to aim that high right away.
Start low. With someone like Choji. I'll work on surpassing one at a time and slowly claw my way up.
Taijutsu was probably going to be the toughest area to improve. Without a proper instructor, I stood no chance at matching the clan heirs. Even Ino could probably sock me right in the face, and there's nothing I could do about it. What little self-defense I knew from my previous life did not carry over to this tiny body of mine. Not to mention that most of the orphanage kids like myself were terribly malnourished.
Installing a harsh physical training program or a nutritious diet seemed to be out of the picture for now. I'd most likely have to wait until I graduate to be able to support myself. My best bet currently is just to hope for the best with what the academy taught and maybe try to take what I can from copying some of the clan heirs' forms and techniques.
What advantage I did have, however, was the mind of an adult within a child's body. Meaning that my IQ, perception, processing skills were transferred over from my previous life. That's not to say I had the instincts of a trained fighter or anything; I was more of an academic than anything else. What it did mean was that reading was a huge area of strength for me. Not only can I read faster than most adults, but I could also comprehend material at a much higher level than probably most chunin in this world.
You'd probably be surprised to find all the stuff that was available in the village library. Even in the sections that were open to civilians and academy students, I found plenty of useful scrolls detailing a variety of topics – Constitution of Chakra, Basic Chakra Exercises, Self-Defense: Hand-to-Hand Combat… Granted, most of the things were introductory, but for an orphan like me with absolutely zero knowledge on Chakra other than what Kishimoto bothered to explain, those scrolls were a god-send.
How was I supposed to harness an energy source that I'd never felt before? Does it feel like nervous butterflies in your gut? Or was it more like a dull ache in your stomach that's telling you to defecate?
Turns out, once it was awakened, it was rather easy to call upon my chakra at will. All it took was a few hours of meditation before I felt a warm, fuzzy aura coursing through my body. Tugging on the chakra produced a very peculiar sensation – almost like that tightening in your gut you'd experience in a sudden drop. Like in airplanes, or on a roller coaster…
Training with my chakra had been rather productive actually; the peaceful zen gave me a great opportunity to self reflect.
I had no way of telling whether I had large chakra reserves or not. My control seems to be on the sharper side though, having been able to master all the basic chakra exercises within a day or two. I'm guessing purely by definition, that a good chakra control would mean my reserves are probably on the smaller side. Look at Sakura, for example, who was also a civilian.
Jeez… that doesn't bode well for the future. A small chakra reserve really hampers a ninja no matter how advanced they can hone their control. In a world where guys eventually throw jutsus around like a fucking pissing contest, I really couldn't afford to be a Sakura.
I guess I wouldn't know exactly how much chakra I had until I learned some proper jutsus that can deplete my reserves. From what I can remember, Sasuke was able to throw around quite a few fire jutsus before running out of chakra as a fresh genin, and outside of Naruto, he'd probably have the highest reserves in the class.
But I don't think I'd be able to get my hands on any elemental jutsus until I get a jounin instructor; those scrolls were definitely restricted from my access in the library. Guess they didn't want civilians and kids going around learning fireball jutsus and whatnot.
What I did manage to find, tucked away in the corner of a shelf, was a scroll that I knew was about to change my life.
The Basics of Fuinjutsu and the Language of Seals by Mito Uzumaki.
Huh… I unfurled the scroll with a sense of intrigue. Who knew Mito was into teaching?
And guessing from the amount of cobwebs and dust collected on the scroll, no one had bothered to check what the wife of the Shodaime herself wanted to pass on to the next generations.
Well, I wasn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. I knew just how broken fuinjutsu could be; if it could elevate an orphan first-generation shinobi to the god-level status of Fourth Hokage and the Yellow Flash, then I sure as hell was going to do my best to learn what I can.
It was by far the most complex of the shinobi arts, requiring the utmost precision and also a vast amount of knowledge to practice. I had no grand notion of being able to master it as an academy student, certainly not without an instructor like Jiraiya or an Uzumaki. But what I could do was try to learn as much as I can from what Mito had to teach, and work my way up from there.
My eyes lit up as I read the contents laid out before me. The scroll covered a multitude of topics in great depth. It was simplified for sure, but I appreciated the fact that Mito didn't try to dumb anything down to layman's terms.
Perhaps that's why it's sitting on a shelf collecting dust. The information on the scroll was far too complex for a student to grasp, and for more advanced shinobi like chunin and jounin, they'd likely already decided on a field to specialize in. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, that field was not going to be fuinjutsu.
I could probably count on one hand the number of shinobi in this village that are even proficient in seals. Jiraiya, the Third Hokage,... maybe Kakashi… well damn… that certainly poses a problem in trying to get a mentor later on.
Back to the scroll at hand, it detailed so many things for a beginner's guide — the use of calligraphy, the geometry of sealing tags, and most importantly, the logic behind the sealing arts. I wouldn't be able to confirm my suspicions until I get my hands on some more high level scrolls, but from what I could piece together from this brief introduction, the sealing arts had a language of its own that utilizes the kanji symbols to carry out a certain chain of commands.
The logic behind it held some resemblance to the programming languages back in my old world, which I found to be extremely interesting. Obviously, the mechanisms and functions had absolutely nothing in common, but what was similar was the fact that it was governed by a very strict set of rules and some properties that relied on loops and logic statements.
Hopefully, I never have to find out what happens when I get an error output.
Still, it didn't really explain much further on how the seals actually worked. If I follow my chain of thought, it would suggest that there is some external mechanism that carries out the commands detailed on the seals, as a computer would with programming code. But that seemed so ridiculous that I didn't even want to fathom it. Chakra obviously seemed to be the power source necessary to activate it, and that was enough for me.
However, there were still a thousand steps that I would have to master before ever thinking about activating my first seal, like Calligraphy, and learning archaic Kanji that was never used outside of seals, etc.
And on top of that, I still had to train with my chakra everyday to build my reserves, and try to catch up on the physical side of things with my taijutsu and throwing skills…
God… I sighed mentally at the tall task ahead. The shadow clone jutsu sure would be really nice to have.
(Time Skip)
The first few years of the academy had gone just about how I'd expected.
The trouble-makers did their thing, the lazy students napped, the emo sulked, and the fangirls were crazy as ever.
I was glad that, in that aspect, my presence didn't change a thing. Classes with Iruka were somehow the most chaotic and yet boring hours of my life. Thankfully though, we'd started physical training early in our second year.
As expected, even with my training from the scrolls, I was just about middle of the pact – better than any of the other civilians, but really without a chance at catching the rookie of the year.
What was a pleasant surprise, however, was the fact that I could pretty consistently beat some of the lower-tier clan heirs in spars. Now granted, yes they were Ino, Choji, and Hinata… and I suspect Choji and Hinata were greatly holding back… nevertheless, it did give me a small boost of confidence, as well as some new-found attention from the instructors and other civilian students.
I was improving, slowly but surely.
The training schedule I'd built for myself would've driven any other kid my age to insanity. Luckily, I didn't have the mind of a 10 year old, and sitting down to read was actually what I used as a break from the physical training. The downside was that none of the civilian students wanted to be my friend. Most of them were more interested in playing games, and I couldn't even pretend to be interested in some 10 year old version of ninja tag. It didn't bum me out too much though; these characters were sure as hell not making it out of the academy, and I doubt I'd ever see them again once I graduate.
Besides the physical training, the chakra exercises were also coming along quite well. I'd already mastered tree-walking, and definitely had enough chakra to do so multiple times so I took that as a good sign. Water-walking, on the other hand, was still a bit of a struggle. On a calm surface, I could probably hold it for a few minutes, but any distraction like a ripple in the water was enough to break my concentration.
My calligraphy was progressing decently as well. Less chicken-scratch for sure, yet still far from respectable… I'd have to thank Iruka for letting me borrow all the paper and ink, which I suspect he was paying for out of his own pockets.
Even though Konoha was probably the richest village in the Elemental Nations, the funding for our ninja academy was a real cause for concern. Which came at a real surprise, considering how much the Third Hokage preached about the Will of Fire and passing it down to the next generations.
The textbooks were outdated, and if you didn't bring your own training equipment and kunai like the clan heirs, you were stuck with rusty metal and dented shuriken in my case. Iruka still did his best to teach us with what he had, but I can tell the diminishing standards within the academy were weighing on him.
Unlike the other instructors, he truly seemed to care for the growth of these kids, even the civilian ones. I guess there was a reason why Naruto looked up to him as a father figure. Having seen first hand what it was like to have incompetent, or even careless teachers, I only gain a further appreciation for Iruka. The village needed more men like him, and men like him certainly deserved a raise.
Especially for having to put up with all the shenanigans this class created, like what was happening right now.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE WON?" Naruto exclaimed with a surprising level of outrage for such a small body.
"Naruto I don't want to have to say it again. Just–"
"But I beat the crap out of him, Iruka-sensei, just look at his face." Naruto continued pointing animatedly towards the Inuzuka.
A few of the students tried to contain their snickering. I had to admit, Naruto did put on quite a beating. His current level is far more advanced than what I remember his canon self to be; perhaps that was a result of not being nearly as shunned in this world. In terms of physical prowess, he was really only second to the Uchiha.
His opponent on the other hand, was a carbon copy of the anime – cocky and loud-mouthed, making most of the students appreciate the beating Naruto dished out. The bruising on Kiba's face was starting to blend with those red markings of his, but somehow he still managed to sport an arrogant look on his face.
"You're literally standing outside the circle." Iruka explained with a poorly veiled annoyance. "For the last time, make the Seal of Reconciliation with Kiba so we can get on with the next match."
"Tch. We all know who really won that match." Naruto spat as he reluctantly made the seal with Kiba.
"Ha. Just admit you got outsmarted, dead-last." Kiba retorted, sneering at him with a black eye.
"Yea. Whatever dog-breath. Go cry about it to your mom."
"What did you say, you basta–"
"ALRIGHT. On to the next match". Iruka interrupted before another fight broke out. "This will be the last spar of the day. Anyone who didn't get a turn today can choose to go tomorrow."
A few groans sounded among the crowd, but most of the civilian girls blew out a sigh of relief. Spars were quite possibly their worst nightmare. Not only was there a chance for their face to be bashed in, to do so in front of their Uchiha prince would be horrifying.
"For the last match of the day" Iruka called out, "I want Yuji Mori… "
My eyes widened in anticipation as I began towards the ring drawn in the dirt.
"... and Sasuke Uchiha!"
Well… shit.
I figured this was coming someday. Most of the clan heirs have already been paired with the Uchiha, with Naruto having fought him multiple times. But, wasn't this a bit soon? Sasuke was still undefeated, and none of his bouts have really even been a close contest.
And I haven't even been able to beat Naruto or Shino yet, and Kiba I've only beaten once, though that was the most recent one. Was Iruka playing at something here?
I didn't have much more time to ponder upon that as Sasuke approached the ring to the cheers of every fangirl in the crowd. His expression was less brooding than usual. He almost seemed… excited?... no that's not the right word… intrigued?... as if he was interested to see how I would approach him.
My mind tried to speed through the tactics in my memories of what techniques he uses in his fights.
The Uchiha Interceptor Fist – a style that focuses on countering and specifically dealing kill shots when enemies overextend themselves. In combination with the Sharingan, it was a deadly style of Taijutsu that the Uchiha could fall back on should all else fail.
But for Sasuke, even without the Sharingan, the Interceptor Fist was extremely effective. It kept him a patient fighter, looking for openings in the enemies guard, and also baiting attacks. That's why it works so well on Naruto and Kiba when they're practically handing him openings to exploit. If I wanted any chance whatsoever, I had to avoid playing into his hand.
"Are both fighters ready?" Iruka turned to us for confirmation.
Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I gave a small nod, and the Uchiha did as well, his eyes never leaving mine. We settled into our stances – I kept my weight light on the balls of my feet, staying mobile in every direction; while Sasuke planted most of his weight on his back foot, waiting to spring forward like a snake for a counterstrike. His arms were also held up high, forming a solid guard while also allowing for quick attacks.
"Alright. Make the Seal of Confrontation, and you may begin the spar on your own mark." Iruka announced before stepping back to the crowd that was cheering heavily in favor of the Uchiha.
I held up my left hand in a two finger seal, and Sasuke mirrored my movements without moving another muscle in his body, waiting for me to begin the offense.
I stared calmly into his dark eyes, unflinchingly. They were sullen, but there was also an unmistakable rage deep beneath that was always present and lurking, thirsting for vengeance. However, those eyes that held the power of god within its grasp still laid dormant beneath those pools of black.
It's hard to imagine that he wouldn't have unlocked the Sharingan that fateful night when faced with the slaughter of his entire clan, but the traumatic experience must have been suppressed from his memory, along with the awakening of his eyes.
Without his Sharingan, Sasuke was still vulnerable to spurts of unpredictability by his opponents. Out of all his spars, though he'd won all of them, Naruto was the only one who could consistently clip him with his attacks. Sometimes with elbow strikes from unusual angles, or with upper hooks after just eating a knockout punch.
However, I didn't have any of his quickness or toughness. Naruto has a certain ragdoll ability that allows him to be thrown around, taking blows left and right, without it seemingly hurting him one bit. And I was almost positive that it wasn't a side effect of having the Kyuubi either. The kid was just tough as nails.
I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to handle a single shot from the Uchiha. The kid packed a hell of a punch for a ten year old, and I wasn't about to test the structure of my jaw. No… Naruto's brawler style was definitely not going to work for me. I wasn't left with many options in dealing with this far superior opponent, but I was gonna have to think of something quick.
The best strategy for now was to wait, and try to bring the Uchiha out of his element. Judging by the small clenching of his jaw and the tick on his forehead, Sasuke was beginning to grow impatient. As was the crowd.
"What the hell are you waiting for?"
"Quit stalling you COWARD!"
"Put him in his place, Sasuke-kun!"
I tuned out all the noise in my head as I focused in on Sasuke. I couldn't afford to be distracted. Any subtle falter, and this fight could be over within the blink of an eye. He's about to lose his cool any second now, I just have to–
Without even a subtle hint or warning, Sasuke exploded off his back leg and shot forward like a cobra. His first shot whizzed by my face with a gust of wind before following it up with a flurry of strikes. I tried my best to weave through his combos, and if I hadn't been expecting his attack, I would've stood no chance. Even Sasuke was momentarily surprised, not expecting the reaction speed to his assault.
Yet even having been prepared for it, I was beginning to struggle dodging the barrage of punches coming my way. I lashed out with a right hook, hoping to catch him off guard, or at the very least just slow down the momentum he was gaining with every strike. But Sasuke parried easily, swatting my fist to the side and throwing my balance off kilter.
A left cross caught my shoulder, opening the door for a right straight kick that nearly sent me careening out of the ring. Swallowing some of the bile that was coming up my throat, I readied myself for the second onslaught. Sasuke's speed seemed to almost double as he sensed an opening in my guard. I had no chance of even defending against his blur of movements.
A feint with his left fist had caught me in the jaw, sending spit flying into the air; and he ended his combo with a killer upper-cut, burying his fist into my guts. Sasuke danced out of the way as I tried to throw a haymaker, before I finally collapsed to my knees.
I'm gonna feel that one for a few weeks. I grimaced as I tried to get some air back in my lungs.
"Give up. You have no chance against me." The brooding voice spoke for the first time as he looked down upon me with an almost condescending nonchalance, as if saying 'you tried your best'.
Good. Let him be confident. This is just what I need.
Sasuke certainly had a reason to be confident. He was by far and away the best shinobi of our class. It was clearly backed by his talent, which wouldn't be rivaled for many years to come. But he was making a fatal mistake right now, one which led many a shinobi to fall at the hands of lesser men.
He was beginning to underestimate his opponent.
Seeing me unyielding from my position as I stood back up to my feet, Sasuke let out a small sigh, approaching me once again with as much caution as a man crushing a bug. This time, before he could reach me, I threw another right haymaker punch. The same one as before, telegraphed and everything.
Instead of dancing out of my reach, Sasuke almost scoffed at my poor attempt and easily dodged the blow, shifting his head to the left…
… to exactly where my other hand was waiting for him.
Without even a second's hesitation to allow him time to realize what was happening, I plunged my outstretched index and middle finger into the groin of his head – those two would-be Sharingan eyes that shined with a flash of surprise before being stabbed by my bony fingers.
The Rookie of the Year collapsed to the dirt in a heap, clutching his eyes as he screamed out in pain. It was a horrible, guttural howl that I doubt anyone's ever heard coming from the Uchiha's lungs. It was oddly hoarse, as strange a sound as a deaf dog barking for the first time. A part of me almost felt bad at the result.
Yes, it was a cheap shot, but what did you expect me to do? We're supposed to be fucking ninjas…
The silenced crowd slowly began to gain its bearings as it roared in outrage.
"That's cheating, you bastard."
"Look what you did to our Uchiha."
"Yea, cheater! You should be ashamed of yourself!"
I glanced towards Iruka with a slight look of guilt, seeing if he'd call the match. Sasuke was in no shape to continue after all, and–
As if hearing my thoughts, Sasuke growled out in a fit of fury and pain as he bounded towards me like a blind maddog. What the hell is this guy made of? My eyes barely even had the time to widen in shock as he buried his fist into the center of my face, smashing my nose straight into my skull.
My vision blackened before I was even fully knocked unconscious, feeling my body flailing to the dirt.
Seriously?... after all that… I'm … the one that let their guard down?
With a thud, I dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes and was out for good.
By the time I had regained consciousness, the sun was nearly set over the Hokage monument, sending an orange hue that blanketed the village.
My vision was still blurry, and my nose was hurting like a bitch. Overall, it felt like I was hit by a truck.
Jeez…10 year olds in this world are scary.
"You're lucky it was just a broken nose, Yuji."
I looked to the side to see Iruka sitting up from his chair as I awakened.
"I reset the bone already, and it should heal in a few weeks." Iruka reassured, helping me stand from the bed in the nurse's room. "Just make sure you watch where you're going, and don't be picking any fights with other kids, alright?"
"Hai-sensei."
And with that, he sent me off back to the orphanage. With my luck, they'd probably finished dinner by now. I'd be fortunate to have any leftover scraps. And the civilian girls are definitely gonna be on my ass about hurting their precious Uchiha.
Oh great. A night to look forward to.
With a sigh, I walked down the stairs and out the academy doors before freezing at the sight in front of me. There standing by the academy entrance gate was Sasuke Uchiha leaning against a lightpost waiting for me expectantly.
Fuck… what did he want?... Did I go too far?... He wouldn't be that petty would he?
I dragged my way towards him, stopping a safe distance away.
"Hey Sasuke." I tried to get a read of his emotions, but the kid was of course stoic as ever. Other than the slight pinkish hue in his eyes, he looked no different than normal. Not a scratch or speck of dirt on his clothes. "Look. I'm sorry for earlier. I know that was a cheap shot–"
"Hn." Sasuke interrupted in annoyance with a shake of his head as he held out his hand towards me, expectantly.
"What?"
"The Seal." Sasuke stated as if that was supposed to explain everything. "You're supposed to do it after spars, and you were knocked out earlier, so we couldn't do it."
Looking down, I noticed the two fingers extended from his hand forming half of the seal. Confused as to what the hell happened to the Sasuke I'd known from canon, I dumbly reached forward and intertwined our fingers in a Seal of Reconciliation.
Who killed Sasuke and sent this imposter in his place?
I squinted my eyes to make sure this wasn't some genjutsu. No, it really was Sasuke… and was that the tiniest hint of respect in his eyes?
This really couldn't get any weirder.
I mean I know for the most part, everyone in this world was slightly more mellow than their counterparts depicted in the original story – Naruto's not as annoying, and Sasuke's not as anal about revenge, but this was on a whole another level of weird.
Satisfied with the handshake, Sasuke turned and walked off without another word.
I could make something of this, you know. It might flip canon upside down, but this was too good an opportunity to refuse… right?
"Wait…" I called out, stopping him in his footsteps and as he looked over his shoulder.
It's now or never, Yuji.
"We could train together, you know?" I asked hesitantly, hoping I wasn't making a fool of myself. A stretch of silence followed before he turned with a small tilt of his head.
"Hn." With that signature grunt, the Uchiha walked off without sparing me another glance.
Was that a yes?
Authors Note:
Hope you enjoyed this first chapter. This story will progress pretty quickly; each chapter will probably cover 1 story arc. For the larger main story arcs, maybe it'll span multiple chapters.
The main story has been planned already, but the pairings are undecided. They do have to follow the natural progression of the story, but I leave them open for now.
Please leave a review and a follow, and let me know what you think.
Thanks.