Wang Chen pushed open the door to Dorm Seven, stepping inside. He stopped abruptly, his eyes scanning the scene before him. The hall was...packed , far more students than he expected for a single dorm room. And every single one of them was staring at him.
For a moment, awkwardness settled over the room like a thick fog. Trying to shake it off, Wang Chen cleared his throat and asked, "Is this Dorm Seven?"
The silence lingered for a beat longer before a boy made his way through the crowd of students. He had black hair and dark blue eyes, his expression calm yet confident. "Yeah, this is Dorm Seven," the boy said, stopping in front of Wang Chen. "I'm Tang San, the head of the dorm."
Wang Chen eyed him carefully, noting the calm yet calculating way he spoke. But he thought aside.
Dorm head?
He hadn't expected the dorms to have their own leader.
"Dorm head, huh?" Wang Chen said, raising an eyebrow.
Tang San nodded. "And it's customary in Dorm Seven for newcomers to challenge the dorm head for the position."
Wang Chen blinked in surprise. Challenge the head? He didn't care for such things. "I'll pass," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not interested in being the dorm head. I came here to study."
Tang San looked troubled, as though Wang Chen's refusal wasn't what he expected.
"That's what I said too..."
He muttered and Wang Chen could hear it clearly. He felt sorry for the kid for a brief moment.
Suddenly, another kid stepped forward, his face flushed with a hint of frustration. "It's tradition here," the kid said sharply. "You've got to fight our new boss whether you like or not. That's how it works in Dorm Seven."
Around them, murmurs filled the air, intensifying as the other students seemed eager for the upcoming confrontation. Wang Chen sighed, feeling his composure tested. What the hell is going on here? It was clear these kids took the tradition seriously, and refusing any longer would only lead to more trouble down the line.
"Fine," Wang Chen said, glancing at Tang San. "Let's get this over with."
The tension in the room escalated as the other students quickly cleared the center of the dorm, giving Wang Chen and Tang San space. They stood facing each other, and Wang Chen closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his one-tomoe Sharingan spun to life.
For a brief moment, Wang Chen caught a flash of surprise on Tang San's face, though the boy quickly masked it with a serious expression.
Interesting. Tang San clearly wasn't just another regular kid, Wang Chen could tell that much.
The fight began.
Wang Chen was fast, moving like someone who had lived through combat before. He didn't need to use his Soul Clone—his skills as a former shinobi, coupled with his Sharingan, were enough for this fight and anymore would be unfair. His movements were fluid, his defense sharp, blocking and countering with ease.
Tang San, however, wasn't someone who could be underestimated. He fought with a precision that caught Wang Chen off guard. His strikes were calculated, his footwork smooth and deliberate. How is this kid so strong? Wang Chen thought, genuinely surprised. Tang San didn't have the battle-hardened experience of someone like Wang Chen, but he fought with skill beyond his years.
The fight continued at a fast pace, the sound of fists and feet connecting with each other echoing through the dorm. The students around them watched in awe, some whispering amongst themselves about how two newcomers could be so strong.
"This… doesn't make sense," one of the students muttered. "How are both of them this good?"
Wang Chen and Tang San exchanged blows, both of them reading each other's moves. But as the fight dragged on, Wang Chen noticed something strange. Tang San's eyes—they weren't dark blue anymore. They had changed, now glowing a faint purple.
Wang Chen's eyes narrowed. An eye technique? he mused.
'But it's weaker than my Sharingan.' he thought.
Still, Tang San's skill was undeniable. Neither of them seemed to be gaining the upper hand, and after a few more exchanges, both boys came to a halt, standing a short distance apart.
Wang Chen frowned, realizing the fight wasn't going anywhere and he wasn't willing to show any more of his skills.
Tang San mirrored his expression. "It's a tie," he said after a moment, shaking his head. "No point in continuing."
Wang Chen nodded, grateful he didn't have to use his trump card, the Flicker Technique. "Yeah, I'll leave it at that," he replied, trying to suppress the faint exhaustion creeping in.
The students in the room, however, were confused. They exchanged glances, whispers spreading through the crowd. Who was going to be the dorm head now?
Just as the murmuring was growing louder, the door swung open, drawing everyone's attention. A girl entered the room with a bright smile, clearly excited. Wang Chen stared at her for a moment, a flicker of familiarity sparking in his chest before he quickly shook it off. The weight of his past life crept in, but he quickly pushed it down.
The girl's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Is this Dorm Seven?" she asked cheerfully.
Wang Chen sighed inwardly. Another one. Here we go again.
He could hear Tang San muttering something to the angry kid from earlier, asking about whether Dorm Seven was a gender-neutral dorm. Wang Chen couldn't help but smile faintly.
Gender-neutral dorms...
In the shinobi world, gender was irrelevant when survival was on the line.
The angry kid stepped forward and addressed the girl. "Hello, my name is Wang Sheng. You see, It's tradition here that newcomers fight the dorm head. It's a test of strength, to see if you can take the position."
Wang Chen had one of his eyes raised hearing the kid's tone.
Clearly, it was nicer than before when talking to a girl.
The girl's eyes lit up, her excitement growing. "Really? Who's the head?"
Wang Sheng shrugged and turned around to look at the two.
Tang San turned to Wang Chen, silently asking for his input. Wang Chen gave him a shrug. "You should fight her," Wang Chen said. "We tied, so if you win, you can be the head."
Tang San didn't seem entirely thrilled by the idea, but he nodded. The students cleared the space once more as the girl took her position opposite Tang San.
The fight began, and to Wang Chen's surprise, the girl was… acrobatic. Her movements were fluid and agile, flipping and bouncing around the room with ease. At one point, Wang Chen's eyes widened as she flickered from one spot to another.
Did she just flicker? Wang Chen thought, his attention sharpening. No, it wasn't a flicker...
Looking closely, it was her weird combat style that tricked him into thinking it.
Wang Chen suddenly thought of using sharingan to see the battle much clearer but he decided against it.
The fight intensified as the girl's speed and agility began to overwhelm Tang San. She moved around him, her body wrapping and twisting in a way that immobilized him. And just when Tang San seemed ready to counter, she kicked him hard, sending him flying across the room.
Wang Chen's eyes widened in surprise. She's… no ordinary girl.
The girl looked pleased with herself, walking over to Wang Chen with a playful smile. "Your turn," she said, her tone light but teasing.
Wang Chen frowned, shaking his head. "You won. There's no need to fight me."
The girl pouted, her hands on her hips. "But I want to fight you!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm undiminished.
Wang Chen sighed, running a hand through his hair. Why is she so insistent on this?
Reluctantly, Wang Chen stepped forward, and the fight began. Unlike his match with Tang San, this one was more unpredictable. The girl's acrobatic movements made it difficult to pin her down, but Wang Chen's Sharingan allowed him to follow her movements closely. Every time she attempted to lock him down like she had done with Tang San, Wang Chen countered or evaded just in time.
Eventually, they both stopped, panting slightly. The fight had ended in a tie.
The girl stomped her foot, frustrated. "What the heck?" she exclaimed. "Another tie? This is no fun!"
Wang Chen shrugged. "Looks like it," he said, glancing at Tang San, who was still recovering from his earlier fight.
The angry kid, Wang Sheng sighed, finally stepping forward. "Fine. You're both our bosses from now on." he muttered, clearly tired of the situation.
Wang Chen didn't care anymore. He just wanted to find a bed and rest. One of the other students hurried over, pointing him to his new bed with an almost exaggerated level of respect.
What's wrong with these kids?
Just as Wang Chen sat down, the door opened again, this time revealing a staff member. The man looked around the room before calling out, "Is there a Tang San here?"
Tang San stepped forward, and the man handed him a large, new-looking blanket, clearly better than the ones the other students had. "Master sent this for you," the staff member explained.
Before leaving, he turned around to look at him, Tang San and Xiao Wu telling them that as a first year work-student, they'll be in charge of south side of the garden beside the left flower field alongside the days each of them will be working in. Slacking off meant getting expelled.
With that said, the man left.
Wang Chen's attention shifted toward the blanket. Must be nice to have a benefactor.
But before Wang Chen could even process the thought, Xiao Wu, the girl who had just fought him, grinned mischievously at Tang San. "As the head of the dorm, I deserve a new blanket. Let's share it together!"
Wang Chen raised an eyebrow. Really? This girl… He leaned back, watching the exchange unfold.
Tang San seemed conflicted, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, but before he could respond, Xiao Wu turned to Wang Chen. "Don't you agree? As leaders, we should get some benefits, right?"
Wang Chen sighed, realizing where this was going. "If you deserve it, then I do too," he said flatly, not missing the teasing look in her eyes.
Xiao Wu's grin widened. "Then why don't we share it instead?"
Wang Chen froze for a moment, blinking at her. Wait… what?
Xiao Wu crossed her arms, clearly enjoying herself. "Afraid to share a blanket with a girl?" she teased. "I'm not afraid of sleeping next to a guy, why are you?"
Wang Chen's composure slipped for a second. He could hear a few snickers from the other students, but they quickly quieted when he shot them a sharp look of annoyance. He sighed deeply, finally giving in.
"Fine. We'll share the blanket. It's not like we're sharing a bed, anyway."
Xiao Wu smiled in triumph, while Wang Chen mentally braced himself for the next few years of what he knew was going to be a very… complicated dorm life.
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Word Count: [1850]