2 weeks have passed since I, and Shiina entered the Shinobi Academy alongside Naruto and Hinata.
After the baseline tests, we fell into a sort of monotonous routine akin to the White Room, but livelier.
The curriculum was this:
Mathematics—with military applications when they can work it in. Sorta had to start with basic addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.
Elemental Standard which is basically just Japanese in this world.
History—with a dash of nationalism (and retellings that seem to paint the other Villages in a bad light).
Science that focuses on training poisons.
Chakra Theory that is a bit too simplified.
Conditioning—Running, push ups, sit ups, and the like.
In all honesty, it wasn't that bad, just predictable. They would start off with academics, then move into serious training with Shuriken, Kunai, Taijutsu, and more later on into the year. It was also possible that they were deliberating what to do with me, Shiina, Naruto, and Hinata.
I was certain that because of our stunt on the first day, they would need to do something. Outside of the fact that Naruto and Hinata were together, the fact Shiina and I were together also made it clear we were too... advanced for our age.
Whilst the Hokage knew this was me holding back, he didn't know to what extent. Shiina was the only one to know just how much I held back by... there was no secrets between us, that much I knew.
"Akari, you're taking too long."
I heard just outside my door, as I looked at myself in the mirror.
I wonder how Shiina would feel about this change. It was only an experiment.
With a sigh, I moved to open the door.
"Hey, Shiina." I say.
Shiina blinked once. Then again.
Her gaze landed on my hair—tied up, twin pigtails hanging over my shoulders like I'd borrowed a hairstyle from a more innocent timeline. She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to decide whether she was hallucinating or if I'd been replaced by a shinobi-themed pop idol.
"...You look like you're trying to pass as a civilian," she said flatly.
I snorted. "Not the worst insult I've heard today."
She stepped forward, casually flicking one of the pigtails with two fingers. "So what's this? Henge no Jutsu prank? Midlife crisis in the body of a six-year-old? Or are you trying to distract the enemy with cuteness?"
"Distraction is a viable tactic," I said, with a mild exhausted sigh.
Her expression didn't change, but her eyes softened—just a little.
"It suits you," she said, finally. And she said it in that tone she only uses when she's being annoyingly genuine.
I could feel my ears heat up. "It was just... an experiment. I never had the chance to experiment with it before..."
Her expression softened as she took my hand. "Geez, you should have come to me if you wanted to experiment with this."
"I did ask if you wanted me to style my hair, babe." I say rather calmly.
"You said 'Should I try something new?' while brushing your hair at midnight, Akari. I assumed that meant a tactical revision on something, like you normally do, not…" she gestured vaguely at my head, "...high-pigtails."
I shrugged, folding my arms. "I was brushing my hair when I asked, you should have been able to infer from that what I meant."
Shiina gave me a look that was somewhere between 'Are you serious right now?' and 'You're lucky I'm in love with you.' She didn't reply immediately—just looked me up and down again like I was a particularly interesting scroll with hidden explosive tags tucked in the margins.
Then she said, "You're lucky you're cute. If anyone else pulled this, I'd assume they'd been replaced by a genjutsu plant."
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the small smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. "So dramatic. It's not like I dyed it pink and started speaking in catchphrases."
Shiina turned and started walking down the hall. "No, but now I'm picturing that, and honestly? Terrifying. Absolutely horrifying. You, in bubble-gum pink, trying to act peppy. Konoha wouldn't survive."
I followed her, the faint tap tap of my sandals brushing against the wooden floor. "Don't tempt me. I could become the new face of shinobi fashion."
She didn't turn around, but I heard the grin in her voice. "That's what we're missing. A kunoichi pop idol squad. 'Assassins by Night, Idols by Day.'"
I snorted. "With coordinated kill moves set to choreography."
"And matching kunai holsters in pastel."
Now we were both laughing. It felt easy, effortless. The kind of conversation I loved.
"Alright, let's go. We're gonna be late." I say for obvious reasons.
Leaving my academy apartment, I made sure to lock the door behind me—not because I feared theft, but because I knew half the kids in this building could pick a lock blindfolded if properly motivated.
Shiina's room was just next door. She didn't bother locking hers. Mostly because she was the threat.
We moved in tandem, footsteps masquerading as casual steps. Our sandals whispered against the floorboards as we reached the stairwell.
"I swear," Shiina muttered as we started the descent, "if one more instructor says 'When it comes,' I'm going to fake a medical emergency and take a sabbatical at 7 years old."
I raised an eyebrow, navigating the narrow stairwell. "You won't. You hate hospitals."
We passed the third floor. A door creaked open as one of the more enthusiastic first-years popped their head out, spotted us, and quickly ducked back in like they'd seen a ghost. Or two.
Shiina didn't even blink. "At least some people respect their upperclassmen."
"We've been here two weeks."
"I move fast," she replied flatly. "You should know that by now."
Second floor.
"Besides," she added, flicking back a stray strand of her with dramatic flair, "we're basically legends. The First-Day Four. Do you know how many dumb rumours I've overheard this week? Someone said you summoned a dragon."
"What?!" I was taken aback, "I literally just demonstrated Kyujutsu and Kenjutsu alongside my skill in Shurikenjutsu, Taijutsu and just how physically strong I am."
Shiina grinned. "Exactly. Terrifying."
Jeez, the power of rumours.
First floor. The morning light poured in through the glass at the end of the hallway—soft gold catching on the scuffed walls and flickering ever-so-slightly against the old academy seal engraved above the main doors. It felt more like a checkpoint than an entrance.
She reached out and opened the door with one hand. "Well time for another boring day at the Academy."
"Pretty much."
Shiina gave me a side glance, her smirk slipping into something gentler for half a second. "Still weird seeing you like that."
"I'll try a ponytail tomorrow or something else. This is not the first time."
She glanced at me once more, eyes narrowing just slightly in playful appraisal.
"…If you show up with space buns, I'm staging an intervention," she said dryly. "And I will bring backup."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Who exactly would you recruit for that mission?"
Without missing a beat, Shiina said, "Hinata. She has the moral high ground and the stealth to ambush you with a hairbrush."
I chuckled slightly. "Tactical, but she wouldn't be able to hit me."
Shiina simply nodded, accepting that as the truth as we stepped out into the morning sun, the air just brisk enough to nip at my skin through my outfit. The streets were already bustling—civilians heading to markets, shinobi leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
The academy courtyard was already lively with clusters of students chatting, sparring, and in some cases, arguing over who could throw a shuriken with the most "lethal intent." You know, normal six-to-eight-year-old behaviour in a society where armed kindergarteners were the norm.
Shiina and I moved through it like a pair of sharks through a school of fish. Students parted around us instinctively—whether from awe, fear, or plain old survival instinct, I wasn't entirely sure. Probably a cocktail of all three.
Naruto was waiting under the usual meeting tree—a crooked old thing on the courtyard's edge that had likely seen a few decades of children plotting mayhem under its sagging branches. Hinata stood beside him, her hand in his, swinging it back and forth like they hadn't a care in the world.
It was honestly adorable.
When Naruto spotted us, he grinned widely.
"Yo, Akari, Shiina!" Naruto called,
"Yo." I say.
"You know, I'm still unsure of how she manages to keep that poker face on when she says that." Hinata expressed in reference to my poker face.
"That's because she's a force of nature," Shiina said smoothly, flicking a glance my way like she was confirming it was still safe to poke the dragon. "You get used to it after a while. Or you don't. Survival of the fittest."
Hinata smiled — and not that shy little smile from the original timeline either. No, this Hinata smiled like someone who knew she could break your wrist before you blinked, but had simply decided not to. Yet.
Naruto puffed up a little with pride, like he'd personally installed that confidence himself. Maybe he had, in a way.
"Did you hear?" Naruto said as we joined them under the old tree. "Iruka-sensei said today's history lesson is gonna be a 'special one.'"
Shiina's lips curled into a small, vicious smile. "Special like the last one? Where they tried to explain how the First Hokage basically wrestled the entire world into submission through the power of good intentions?"
Hinata giggled lightly. "Don't forget the conveniently missing footnotes about how he split 8 of the Biju to the other villages to redistribute the power between the villages."
I smirked. "They really do leave out the good parts."
We made our way into the Academy building, the four of us naturally falling into step together, a mini phalanx of unspoken camaraderie.
Inside, the halls buzzed with the energy of children who either dreaded or relished the coming lessons. Whispers followed in our wake. I caught snatches of it—stuff like 'They beat a Jonin, you know,'—that was pretty close to a truth I kept. I beat a Jonin myself— or 'I heard they're secret ANBU cadets.'—Not true—one especially bold rumour declared Shiina and I were, and I quote, 'demon princesses sent to either save or destroy Konoha.'
Honestly, I'd take it. Demon princess had a nice ring to it. It was better than Masterpiece.
Our classroom was already half full when we arrived. Rows of wooden desks, stretched out before us. We slid into our usual seats—Shiina on my right, Naruto and Hinata in front of us.
Iruka-sensei was already there, standing by the blackboard with an easy-going smile plastered on his face.
Right, if I was certain, the event that caused Iruka to care for Naruto wouldn't happen for another 4ish weeks. I have to prevent that from happening for my plan to work, right? Wrong, the event has already been pretty much dealt with. Because Naruto has friends, he has no reason to go the place at the time he saw.
"Alright, everyone, settle down," Iruka called, clapping his hands. "Today we're doing something a little different."
"Today," Iruka continued, picking up a piece of chalk, "we're going to talk about the founding of Konoha, and the true legacy of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama."
Shiina shot me a look, one eyebrow arched so high it practically touched her hairline. I shrugged lightly. Yeah, we all knew how this was gonna go: polished stories, moral lessons tacked on like afterthoughts, a gentle but firm reinforcement of the narrative the village wanted future shinobi to believe.
Iruka drew a quick, simplistic sketch of two figures on the board. One had a huge smile and vaguely mushroom-shaped hair—a comedic but recognizable rendition of Hashirama. The other was shorter, drawn with a frown and pointy hair—Madara.
"Now," Iruka said, tapping the chalk against the smiling figure. "Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, was a visionary. He dreamed of peace between the clans, a world where children didn't have to grow up on battlefields. He achieved this dream by founding the Konohagakure, forging an alliance between the strongest clans of the time: the Senju and the Uchiha."
I leaned back in my chair. Shiina rested her head on my arm as I waited for this to be dealt with.
Naruto leaned forward, brow furrowed, clearly trying to take this seriously. Hinata, meanwhile, had her head tilted slightly, like she was internally correcting every historical inaccuracy being peddled in real time.
"And of course," Iruka went on, "through diplomacy and strength, Hashirama brought peace to the Land of Fire. Other nations followed suit, creating their own hidden villages based on the Konoha model."
At that, Shiina leaned over and whispered just loud enough for the four of us to hear, "Yeah, after they realized if they didn't unify, they'd get steamrolled into a fine paste."
"Diplomacy through overwhelming force. Very inspirational." I whisper back.
Shiina covered her mouth, pretending to cough to hide her snicker. Naruto tried to stifle a laugh too, making a noise like a badly contained balloon. Hinata just smiled serenely, as if she was above such petty mockery... but I caught the slight twitch of her shoulders. She was absolutely laughing internally.
Iruka glanced up from his impassioned chalk monologue, looking suspiciously at the back of the classroom. His eyes narrowed slightly, but when he saw Naruto looking weirdly focused and Hinata wearing her patented "model student" face, he moved on without comment.
"Now," Iruka continued, oblivious to the mini rebellion happening behind enemy lines, "Hashirama's greatest achievement wasn't just founding Konoha—it was his willingness to trust others. Even those who had once been his enemies."
I whispered: "Translation: he trusted Madara until Madara realized this village thing wasn't working out for him and left with a fireball and a thousand years of emotional damage which is quite impressive when Konoha has only been standing for 85 years."
Shiina shifted against me slightly, murmuring under her breath, "Honestly, it's a miracle Hashirama didn't accidentally found the world's first daycare center instead of a village."
Naruto snorted so hard he nearly knocked his pencil off the desk. Hinata discreetly steadied it with a quick movement—practiced, elegant, like she'd done it a hundred times before. Probably had, given Naruto's eternal energy.
Iruka, perhaps sensing the tenuous grip he had on the class's attention, clapped the eraser against the blackboard, sending a puff of chalk dust into the air like some kind of minor smoke bomb.
"Moving on!" he said, forcing cheer into his voice. "The lesson here is that strength must be guided by compassion. Hashirama taught us that true leadership means protecting those who cannot protect themselves."
I fought the urge to roll my eyes so hard they'd rotate out of my skull. Shiina poked me lightly in the ribs, sensing my disdain like a shark catching the faintest scent of blood.
She whispered, "You know, if they mention how 'compassion' included building a giant tree of surveillance called the Shinju, I'm flipping this desk."
I whispered back, "Wrong Hashirama. You're thinking of 'Weaponized Nature Enthusiasm' at its finest."
Naruto and Hinata were trying very hard to keep straight faces now. I was proud of them. Growth.
Iruka stepped aside and pulled down one of those creaky old wall maps—the kind that was probably older than half the current Kage. It unfurled with a dramatic snap, revealing a colourful, overly simplified map of the Five Great Nations.
"Now," Iruka said, tapping the Land of Fire with a pointer stick, "thanks to Hashirama's vision, the Land of Fire became a beacon of hope and stability. This peace allowed future generations—including all of you—to thrive in a world far safer than the constant wars our ancestors endured."
Shiina raised her hand.
I had exactly half a second to think Oh no before Iruka, in a move of tactical naivety, called on her.
"Yes, Shiina?"
She smiled sweetly. Dangerously.
"If it was so peaceful, why did the First Hokage have to give the other villages Biju to keep them from attacking Konoha?"
The room went silent. You could practically hear the 'record scratch' moment as thirty tiny heads swiveled from Iruka to Shiina like she'd just sucker-punched a sacred cow.
Iruka blinked once. Twice. He recovered remarkably fast for someone who'd just been sniped by a six-year-old. "Ah, that's a good question, Shiina! And a complicated one! Sometimes... strength needs to be shared to maintain peace. Hashirama believed that by giving the other villages powerful guardians, it would discourage conflict, not encourage it."
Hinata raised her hand.
Oh, here we go.
"Then why," Hinata asked calmly, in that deceptively soft voice of hers, "did wars still happen over the Biju afterward?"
At this point, even some of the other students were starting to look curious, shifting in their seats.
Iruka coughed into his fist, clearly wishing he had a clone jutsu just to yeet himself out of this conversation.
"Well, that's... history is complicated," he said, giving a strained smile. "But the important thing is the ideal behind it. Hashirama tried to create a peaceful world."
Shiina leaned back, looking victorious.
Iruka, bless his heart, soldiered on. "And that's why we honor Hashirama Senju to this day. His dream laid the foundation for everything we have now."
Shiina muttered, just loud enough for us to hear: "Foundation built on the corpses of smaller clans and forced alliances, but sure. Dream big."
Naruto shook with suppressed laughter.
I leaned back in my seat, enjoying this chaos far too much. There was something about being surrounded by people who got it, who saw through it but still cared enough to fight for it—that made even the hypocrisy bearable.
Hinata poked Naruto lightly in the side with her elbow. "Don't laugh too loud," she whispered. "You'll get detention again."
Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Worth it."
I smiled faintly. This was nice. This was normal. And as much as I knew it wouldn't last forever—nothing ever did—I intended to enjoy every second of it.
Shiina and I finished our work early—standard operating procedure at this point—and passed the time by drawing. Shiina's drawing was of Iruka-sensei that looked suspiciously like a slightly overworked tanuki. Me? I was drawing a very detailed picture of Hashirama riding a giant tree like a cowboy, waving a "Peace" flag like he was at a rodeo.
Shiina took one look at it and broke her concentration, stifling a laugh.
"You," she whispered, "are dangerous."
I smiled sweetly. "I know."
The bell eventually rang, mercifully freeing us from the shackles of historical revisionism.
As we packed up, Shiina nudged me lightly with her elbow. "You're doing the space buns tomorrow, aren't you?"
I gave her a sly smirk. "Maybe. Depends if I feel like causing mass destruction."
She grinned, a glint in her eye. "I'd help you. Tactical support."
"Switching alliances, huh?"
"Of course."
We moved toward the door together, Naruto and Hinata trailing just a few steps ahead, chattering about lunch plans and whether or not Naruto could successfully trade his pickled plums for Hinata's mochi without getting caught by the lunch monitors.
Outside, the sunlight felt stronger now, the air alive with the noise of a thousand young shinobi-in-training, some talking about the lessons, others discussing potential pranks, some planning mischief. It was a diverse range of things, but most of the discussions were on us 4.
It was easy to believe, in moments like this, that everything would be okay. Although, that wasn't the case.
Shiina bumped her shoulder lightly against mine as we stepped into the courtyard.
"Come on, love," she said, teasing lacing her tone as she ran ahead.
"Coming." I joined her.
*Small A/N: So this took longer than anticipated because I had no plan for this chapter in my notes. Literally, none. What was written for Chapter 38? "Plan". Just plan. What the feck was I thinking putting that there. What was I meant to do? Plan it out later? Or do some random ass thing? At some point as I was thinking of ideas for this chapter, I realised I had no idea what I wanted originally so I kinda had to make this one entirely with ChatGPT's help. Because it designed the plan for this chapter.*