章 3: Chapter 3:The Person Who Shouldn't Appear
After waking up and washing up, Shinji arrived at the ninja school early in the morning.
As soon as he entered the classroom, he was stunned.
Dozens of people filled the room, many unfamiliar faces among them. However, amidst the crowd, two familiar faces caught his attention, faces that shouldn't be there.
Suppressing his doubts, he took his seat, relying on the original owner's memories.
Throughout this time, sympathetic and concerned eyes followed him from all sides.
Clearly, the students were aware of the tragedy that had befallen the Uchiha clan.
The Uchiha, Konoha's most powerful family, had been wiped out overnight by their young patriarch. Only two children survived the massacre.
One could only imagine the turmoil this had caused in the village!
Shinji, growing accustomed to such scrutiny, remained silent.
He glanced discreetly at the red-haired girl seated near the podium and the black-haired boy at the front, unrecognized by his inherited memories.
"What in the world!"
He was bewildered.
If he wasn't mistaken, the slender red-haired girl in the front row should be Karin, with Uzumaki blood, and the black-haired boy in front bore a striking resemblance to Haku from the Hidden Mist Village.
"How did they end up at Konoha's ninja school?!"
Shinji sifted through the original owner's memories but found no information on them. It seemed the original owner had never paid attention to classmates like Karin and Haku.
Except for Neji Hyuga!
He turned to look at the boy with white pupils seated at the far end of the classroom.
Neji Hyuga was the only person the original owner cared about, and he was also seen as a rival.
In the blink of an eye, the morning class concluded.
As a proud Uchiha, the original owner had maintained average relations with classmates, and Shinji's indifferent demeanor discouraged anyone from approaching him throughout the morning.
Shinji was content with this distance.
Right before lunch, a voice snapped Shinji from his contemplation.
Looking up, he saw a white-haired boy in front of him, offering a lunch box.
Seeing Shinji's puzzled expression, the boy said, "Forgot your bento?"
Only then did Shinji realize he needed to bring his own lunch, but he didn't show it, taking advantage instead and asked, "Your name is...?"
Unfazed by Shinji's lack of recognition, the boy introduced himself calmly: "I'm Haku."
"It really is him!"
Shinji's heart skipped a beat.
The waters at the Ninja School were deeper than expected!
The curriculum at this stage was basic: wilderness survival, tracking enemy footprints, and recognizing medicinal herbs. Deeper courses explained chakra refinement principles but hadn't yet touched on ninjutsu or genjutsu.
Taijutsu was primarily practiced through sparring among students and ninja throwing drills.
Currently, students who had finished lunch filled the playground—some playing, others sparring.
"Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba..."
Shinji recognized more faces on the playground.
However, Naruto was a year below him, and their activities rarely overlapped.
He turned his attention to his own grade.
Neji, with his serious demeanor, chose solitary practice of the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist in a corner against a wooden stake.
Watching closely, Shinji's expression grew serious.
Though Neji was just eight years old like him, his physical prowess was notably impressive.
From the original owner's memories, Shinji knew he couldn't match Neji's physical abilities, even with his Mangekyo Sharingan. And now, as a time traveler, the gap seemed insurmountable.
The children here were nothing like those in his previous world—nimble, seamlessly transitioning between offense and defense, true masters of martial arts at such a young age.
"Are they really just eight?"
He had thought his Mangekyo Sharingan would give him a significant advantage over his peers here. But observing without activating it, he realized he might struggle against even the average student of his grade.
Let alone someone like Neji, hailed as a 'genius.'
"No, without a solid foundation, even the Mangekyo Sharingan won't reach its full potential!"
The power of kekkei genkai varied greatly depending on the user.
Moreover, the Mangekyo Sharingan was a limited resource and couldn't be used recklessly.
This realization highlighted a problem.
Even discounting the Mangekyo Sharingan, his current strength lagged far behind the original owner's. The original Uchiha owner was second only to Neji in their grade, whereas Shinji suspected he now ranked among the lowest.
If he didn't bridge this gap soon, it might arouse suspicion among the more observant.
"It's frustrating... I'm not skilled in combat!"
Distressed, he knew identifying the problem didn't equate to solving it.
At that moment, Haku approached him, asking hopefully, "Shinji, would you practice Taijutsu with me?"
Shinji inwardly groaned but shook his head outwardly, "You're too weak."
Quick to apologize, Haku said sincerely, "I'm sorry for presuming."
Seeing Haku's genuine apology, Shinji felt a twinge of guilt.
Despite suspecting a conspiracy behind Haku's presence at Konoha's ninja school, he couldn't deny that Haku was considerate and easy to get along with.
Evening came, and the ninja school day ended.
Reflecting on the day's events, Shinji headed towards his apartment.
Near the end of the street, he noticed Haku walking the same way. After a brief chat, Shinji was surprised, "You live next door to me?"
Haku nodded, "Please take care of me, Shinji."
"Sure."
Shinji nodded.
Back home, he collapsed onto his bed, letting his thoughts wander.
Karin and Haku attending Konoha's ninja school and becoming his classmates left him uncertain.
"Is this the butterfly effect? Parallel dimensions?"
Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts aside, subconsciously touching his chest.
The deep knife wound from before had healed completely under medical ninjutsu treatment. Yet memories of the original owner's death still haunted him occasionally.
Facing imminent danger, Shinji suddenly stood up, checking the wall clock.
It was now 8:05 in the evening, less than four hours until midnight.
End of chapter
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