(POV Yuji)
As I entered the academy, the first thing I did was check which class I was in. Classes were divided into four: A, B, C, and D, to teach children according to their abilities. Class A had the best students, and Class D the worst. This was done so students could be taught based on their level.
As I checked the chart where the names were written, mine was at the top—Class A.
A student who performs well can be promoted, and one who performs poorly can be demoted. Pretty simple, but a good system.
As I entered Class A, the children were already there, talking to each other. The first thing I noticed was that everyone had already formed their groups.
As a loner, it was always hard for me to make friends, and I thought it would be the same here.
Nope—I'm going to do it.
I'm going to make friends.
I filled myself with courage.
"Everyone, get to your seats," a man said as he entered. He was probably in his twenties—most likely our teacher.
Everyone started sitting down. I went and sat at the third table of the third row. There was already one child sitting there, wearing a white shirt and black shorts. He had yellow hair.
He's charismatic—that was my first thought. The kind of guy who can befriend anyone.
The popular type. The exact opposite of me.
As I sat down, I introduced myself.
"Hello, I'm Yuji Takemura."
"Oh, hello. I'm Daiki Tanaka from Shizu Town."
"So you're from outside the village?"
"Yes. It's near Chizu Town."
"I see. How's life there?" As someone who had never left the village, I wanted to get some new information.
"I mean, it's the same. There's nothing much to it."
"Quiet down, everyone. From now on, I'll be your teacher for the next five years. My name is Botan Saito. I'm a genin who served seven years on the field. Let's begin this class with everyone's introductions."
"May I come in?" a voice said.
A girl with purple hair was already standing there.
"Late on your first day," the instructor said.
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," she replied.
"Since it's the first day, I'll forgive it. Go and sit."
She made her way and sat beside me.
Why'd you sit near me?
Nope—this is an opportunity to befriend her. From her aura, I could tell she was extroverted and loved to talk. Another popular girl.
As she sat, the first thing I noticed was her beauty. She could easily outshine models from my world.
In simple words, she looked like a main character.
"Hi, my name is Ayako," she said.
We shook hands. She moved her hand to Daiki.
"My name is Daiki Tanaka. Nice to meet you."
Popular boy, popular girl—they would become a perfect couple. I couldn't help but wonder about it.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Asuka Uchiha. I like to train, and I hate people who blame their problems on others," she said and then went to her seat.
Hmm, she was second in the rankings. Just by looking at her, someone could tell she was strong.
All eyes were on her—strength was the most respected thing in the world.
"She is strong, isn't she?" Ayako said.
"Well, that's to be expected from an Uchiha," Daiki said.
"But she's not stronger than you, is she?" Daiki asked.
"What do you mean?" Ayako replied.
"Didn't you see the rankings? Our Yuji was on top," he said as he patted my back.
I could feel heat rising to my face.
I got a compliment.
"Wow, great Yuji. Can you tell me something about your training routine?" Ayako said as she massaged my bicep, her face extremely close to mine. I could feel her breath.
My face reddened. Heat surged out of it. My thoughts were going berserk.
"I… well… I strong," I stuttered.
Ha ha ha ha
They both started laughing.
"Looks like great Yuji's not good with girls, is he?" Daiki said, and they kept laughing.
"It ain't that funny," I said.
I ignored their laughs and paid attention to the introductions.
After Asuka, two Uchiha boys came and introduced themselves.
"Good morning. I am Eren Uchiha, and I hate when people boss me around."
"Good morning. My name is Akari Uchiha, and I like training."
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Tamoe Minamoto, and I like to train to become strong. I hate lazy people."
Whispers started.
She's the one…
She's the clan head's daughter.
There are rumors she's a prodigy.
They say she was two when she started practicing swordsmanship.
"What is the Minamoto clan?" Ayako asked.
"You're from outside the village?" I asked.
"Yeah," she said.
"Me too," Daiki said, and they shook hands.
"Well, their clan is famous for swordsmanship. They're renowned for it across the world. Even the samurais accept that they're the best in swordsmanship. The other thing is, their head is selected based on power—it's not a position passed down to a head's children. It's based on merit. They're also known for accepting anyone into their clan. If someone is good at swordsmanship and they're from the Land of Fire, they can become members. They even adopt orphaned children who are good with swords. All in all, they're strong and respected. After the Uchiha, they're considered the strongest."
"Maybe I can become a member," Ayako said.
"You can use a sword?" Daiki asked.
"Yeah. I'm good at it," she said.
As the introductions continued, finally, it was my turn.
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Yuji Takemura, and I hope I can be your friend."
Suddenly, the whole class went silent. All eyes were on me.
Why are they looking at me like that?