The first day of the Ninja Academy had finally arrived.
Reiji was awakened early by his mother, Tsukikage Akari, who excitedly dressed him in a brand-new outfit she had spent days tailoring. It was simple—dark blues with white trim—but it suited him perfectly.
Standing in front of the mirror, Reiji admired his reflection with a smirk.
"Damn… with this face, even Sasuke would feel insecure."
His short black hair was combed neatly, his delicate features sharp with confidence beyond his years. Despite being just six, he looked composed—more prince than preschooler.
After a quick breakfast and an even quicker farewell to his teary-eyed mother, Reiji made his way to the Ninja Academy.
He arrived just in time, slipping into the grand assembly hall moments before the official ceremony began. The hall buzzed with energy—over a hundred children, chatting, laughing, forming cliques already. Some wore the emblems of famous clans on their sleeves.
Reiji adjusted his collar and pushed open the doors with dramatic flair, half-expecting gasps and whispers like "Who is that handsome genius?!"
...No such thing happened.
No one even glanced at him.
"…Tch. Harsh crowd."
Abandoning the entrance act, he quietly grabbed a stool near the back and melted into the audience. That little chuunibyo moment never happened, he told himself.
---
The opening speech was given by none other than the newly instated Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, calm and authoritative as he welcomed the new generation of shinobi. Once the formalities ended, three instructors emerged to divide the students.
Reiji, along with thirty others, was assigned to Class A—reserved for the top scorers and clan prodigies.
Their homeroom teacher was a man named Mitsui-sensei, sharp-eyed, with the air of someone who'd seen far too much in his career to be impressed by six-year-olds.
Rather than leading them to a classroom, Mitsui-sensei brought the group straight to the training field.
"I want to see where you all stand before we begin real lessons," he said, holding up a box. "This will be a placement combat assessment. Draw a number. You'll be paired accordingly. The winner of each bout chooses their seat first."
There were a few murmurs, and then a silver-haired boy with red face markings practically leapt forward.
"I'll go first!" he announced, grinning wide. "Doesn't matter who I fight—they're going down! I, Jiraiya-sama, will one day be the strongest ninja in the world!"
The room erupted into laughter. Reiji, recognizing the name, just shook his head.
This idiot... at least he's consistent.
Still, he watched the kid with interest. Loud, yes—but there was confidence behind it.
One by one, the others drew their numbers. Reiji pulled his own slip and blinked at it:
27.
And directly opposite him in the bracket, holding 4… was Jiraiya.
He sighed.
"Of course."
He considered throwing the match. No one important yet—maybe it'd be smarter to lay low. But then he remembered the Sword Heart System had daily progress rewards tied to combat performance. That meant—
Sorry, Jiraiya. I'll buy you ramen later.
---
The first bout was quick. A serious-looking Uchiha boy named Iwa dispatched his opponent in two moves. His Sharingan hadn't awakened yet, but his movements were already sharp.
Then came a name that made Reiji sit up.
"Next: Tsunade vs. Nakakura Kuri."
Oh? So she's already enrolled...
A golden-haired girl stepped onto the field, ponytail bouncing. Even at six, Tsunade had a composed elegance. Wide brown eyes. A porcelain face. She already drew stares.
Her opponent, Kuri, stared too long.
By the time Mitsui-sensei called "Begin," he was still standing there like a deer in headlights.
Tsunade's punch landed square in his chest, and the poor boy crumpled like wet paper.
Reiji winced. Yeah, that's Grandpa Hashirama's bloodline, alright.
Tsunade tilted her head, puzzled at the overreaction. She clearly hadn't meant to hit that hard.
Reiji smiled faintly. "She's already terrifying."
---
By the time his name was called, Reiji felt warmed up and ready.
"Next match: Tsukikage Reiji vs. Jiraiya."
The crowd quieted, curious. The elegant boy with noble posture versus the loudmouth commoner.
As they stood across from each other, Reiji raised his hand and smiled politely.
"Let's keep it clean, yeah? No hard feelings."
Jiraiya blinked. "Huh. You're not gonna make fun of me?"
"Why would I? We're all classmates now."
Jiraiya's expression softened slightly. "You're alright, Pretty Boy."
"Let's see if you can land a punch, Street Kid."
With that, Mitsui-sensei gave the command.
"Begin."
Jiraiya charged first—no hesitation. Fast, too. His punch came from a sharp angle, aiming straight for Reiji's temple.
Bold move. But wide open.
Reiji's foot slid back. He pivoted, redirecting Jiraiya's force with the grace of a seasoned martial artist, and with a single fluid movement, tapped Jiraiya's shoulder and swept his leg.
Jiraiya hit the dirt with a thud.
Mitsui raised a hand. "Match over. Tsukikage Reiji wins."
Jiraiya groaned from the ground. "Damn… you're like a snake or something…"
Reiji offered a hand. Jiraiya took it without hesitation.
"No hard feelings?" Reiji asked.
Jiraiya grinned through the dust. "Only if you teach me how to do that flip-thing."
"Maybe. After ramen."
Mitsui-sensei looked at them both and nodded slightly. "That's enough. Next match."
Reiji returned to the sidelines, stretching slightly. So far, so good.
He had his System. He had his training. He even had the start of a potential future Sannin bromance.
And now… he had first pick of seating.
Naturally, he chose the spot by the window.
The path of the shinobi had just begun.