Xia Ji's gaze landed on the girl with soft pink hair, who looked as if she were about to speak. His expression was faintly complicated. This was Haruno Sakura — in a sense, the "heroine" of Naruto.
Yes, Naruto eventually married Hinata, but Hinata's screen time was far less. By narrative weight, Sakura filled the role of heroine.
Of course, if one chose to see Uchiha Sasuke as the "hero," then… well, you wouldn't exactly be wrong.
Sakura's reputation in the original work wasn't stellar, but her abilities were undeniable. Among ordinary shinobi, she had climbed to the very top through effort and intellect. Her reviews suffered mainly because of her infamous "love-brain" tendencies — her obsessive fixation on Sasuke often made her look foolish in the audience's eyes. And given Sasuke's personality, there was more than enough reason for viewers to question her taste.
It didn't help that, after Sasuke defected, Sakura could do nothing but cry and beg Naruto to bring him back. Naruto, being Naruto, would have tried regardless — but Sakura's request still carried the air of emotional manipulation. Not exactly endearing.
Back in his previous life, young Xia Ji hadn't liked her either. His reasoning then was much simpler — he'd placed himself in Naruto's shoes. If she didn't like Naruto, he didn't like her. Later, as he grew older, the dislike faded, replaced by a more balanced appreciation for her skills.
Still, there was one reason Xia Ji felt a faint sense of guilt toward her now — she was his target.
Or rather, her position was.
If he wanted to carve a place for himself among the rookie teams, Sakura's spot was the only one with a realistic chance of being replaced. Every other position was locked down tight.
Take Team 10's Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, and Yamanaka Ino — their "Ino–Shika–Chō" formation was a Konoha tradition stretching back generations. Completely unshakable.
Team 8 was just as untouchable: Hyūga Hinata's Byakugan was irreplaceable within her clan; Inuzuka Kiba's ninken partnership and Aburame Shino's insect techniques were both rare family inheritances. Technically, those two clans weren't among the most influential in Konoha, but replacing their heirs would be far from easy. To do so, Xia Ji would need extraordinary detection skills and a chance to display them during the Academy years — an unlikely gamble.
That left Team 7. Naruto, the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, and Sasuke, the last Uchiha in the village, were irreplaceable by definition. The only slot with leeway was Sakura's — an ordinary civilian girl with strong theoretical grades.
And theory? That was an area Xia Ji was confident he could dominate. The only real "advantage" she had over him was her gender.
That wasn't a joke. While there was no written rule for team composition, most three-man cells followed a "two boys, one girl" format. If he could outshine her academically and prove himself the most capable candidate in his year, the odds of being placed in an elite team would skyrocket.
The difference between ordinary and elite classes was immense. Even with Kakashi Hatake's… questionable motivation, Team 7's sensei was still an elite jōnin. Team 10's Asuma Sarutobi was solidly high jōnin, and Team 8's Kurenai Yūhi, while more specialized, was still a jōnin commander. Ordinary teams? If lucky, they got a tokubetsu jōnin. More often, just a standard chūnin.
Xia Ji's ambitions left him no choice — he had to aim for the elite class. Which meant, unfortunately for Sakura, she was standing in his way.
Besides, her ceiling was clear from the original series. She reached the level of the "New Legendary Sannin," but that was largely because Naruto and Sasuke had already surpassed the previous Sannin by a mile. Her true peak mirrored Tsunade's path — but without Tsunade's Senju lineage or monstrous natural constitution. Walking the same road, she was destined to fall short.
Xia Ji wanted to test his own limits. As an ordinary person, with no special bloodline or inherited techniques, how far could he go? Could he reach the absolute peak of civilian shinobi? Touch Might Guy's level, opening all Eight Gates even for a moment? Surpass Sakura? Or fall short?
He intended to find out.
"Xia Ji."
Iruka's voice pulled him back to the present, calling his name for introductions.
Xia Ji stood, keeping his expression calm. "I'm Xia Ji. I don't have a favorite food. The people I like are myself and my mother. I hate coriander. I don't dislike anyone in particular for now. My dream is to become the strongest ninja."
The reaction was mild. To children who still thought "strongest" and "Hokage" were interchangeable, his words didn't stand out.
When Naruto's turn came, he declared the same goal — except his "strongest" was "Hokage" — with infectious enthusiasm. A few snickers rose around the room. Not as cruel as in the streets, but the influence of their parents' whispers was obvious.
When class ended, Xia Ji made no move to strike up conversations. No one approached him either. Sitting beside Naruto was already enough to keep most at bay. His appearance was unremarkable — decent, but not striking — though his height was above average for his age.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto hesitate, clearly wanting to speak but afraid of dragging him down socially. Xia Ji considered, then leaned over and murmured, "In class, you don't need to be as cautious as you are in the village. Just… don't stick too close. Being ordinary classmates is fine."
As far as he knew, Danzo's reach didn't extend into the Academy classrooms — and there hadn't been a single Shimura surname called earlier — so casual interaction shouldn't raise suspicion. Besides, Naruto would always have a desk partner. As long as he didn't act overly friendly, it should be fine.
For now, his priority was simple: display enough talent to catch the Third Hokage's attention. If he succeeded, even Danzo would hesitate to make a move against him… at least for a time. How long that window lasted, he couldn't say.
Naruto's blue eyes brightened. "Then… can we be friends?" he asked nervously.
Xia Ji looked at him for a long moment. Thinking of the boy's isolation and the treatment he'd endured, Xia Ji allowed himself a small smile.
"Of course."
Then, just as quickly, he smoothed his expression back into indifference, glancing around the room. Best to keep appearances — just another unlucky kid stuck sitting next to the class pariah.