Chapter XIII:
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New Day.
With the sun's gentle rise, Tatsuya and his sisters strolled the familiar path to the Academy, the morning air tingling with freshness.
Today marks the beginning of their final year at the Academy, the last step before they officially earn the title of Genin.
Of course, Tatsuya couldn't care less about the so-called Genin title. It held no value for him, much like a degree to a millionaire.
The previous version of him had considered graduating this year. However, with his old memories and the influence of the system, his perspective had shifted slightly.
And with Yumiko's mission in mind, he saw the Academy as an excellent hub for various quests to enhance his strength. Thus, he decided to make the most of it and milk it as much as he can.
"So, how are your classmates, Hanabi?" Hinata inquired, observing Hanabi playing with her kunai like a fidget spinner.
"Eh... they're mediocre at best, I'd say, with only the Hokage's grandson standing out a bit more than the rest," Hanabi replied.
"My class isn't like big brother and big sis, which are filled with prodigies," Hanabi remarked, shaking her head. "But, at least I can easily come out on top in the class this way."
"That's a weak mindset, Hanabi. Just topping your class won't cut it; you need to aim for topping the entire school. It looks like I'll have to intensify your training," Tatsuya said.
"Ugh... Not everyone is like you, brother. I'm content with my current ranking; it's not like there's a war coming," Hanabi retorted.
"... Did you really have to raise a red flag like that?" Tatsuya thought, internally facepalming.
"Why can't you? If I can do it, so can you, right? Aren't you my sister?" Tatsuya remarked, reflecting on how his previous self reached the top of the Academy without a system. He also believed they shared the same potential.
Even in the original story, the Hyugas' potential was often overlooked, with even Neji, considered one of their best talents, meeting an unfortunate end of being killed by just a wooden spike.
"Tsch, first, at least make big sister as strong as you, then I might believe your words a bit," Hanabi retorted. She didn't believe she had the same talent as her brother.
"Hey! Don't bring me into this," Hinata interjected.
As they quarreled, they soon arrived at the Academy, now bustling with young ninjas.
Entering the Academy, they were suddenly met with a sight of hundreds of last-year students walking outside, led by Jonin. However, what caught their attention was the shared downcast expression on all their faces.
"They are the Genin-corps, right?" Hanabi asked.
"Yeah," Tatsuya answered.
It was easy to guess just from their downcast expressions. Understandably so, as the Genin Corps represented the weeded-out portion from the Academy—students who lacked either sufficient talent or dedication or maybe both. These were mediocre at best, not deemed worthy of receiving the personal training that other Genins received from a Jonin.
But even though they were considered the worst of the Academy, they still surpassed any civilians. Releasing them back without any job to function wasn't an option. That's why the Genin Corps existed, in which all of these ninjas were to be unlisted.
But the main cause of their downcast expressions was the realization that the Genin Corps, also known as the fodder army for the village and the 'weak limb,' were frequently the first to be sacrificed in dangerous situations.
With an alarming 80% fatality rate, joining the Genin Corps was like a grim prospect. However, even with that, for many, it was still a better option than just dropping out as it gave them the prospect to continue their ninja careers, holding onto the slim hope of improvement.
"Quite a sad future for them," Hinata mumbled.
Tatsuya nodded, "It is the nature of the world. Quite sad indeed." It's either them or the ones who are currently forming their 3-man team with their Jonin.
There are always those who get the short end of the stick – one wins, and one loses. It's the law of the world; not everyone can be happy, and it's usually the weak ones who face hardships the most. "Remember, being weak is a sin. Always strive to train and get strong," Tatsuya emphasized.
Hanabi and Hinata nodded at his words.
"Let's go, Hinata, the class is going to start. And Bye Hanabi," Tatsuya called out as Hanabi's class was quite far from their Class.
"See ya!" Hanabi said leaving.
.
.
.
.
Entering their new classroom, both Tatsuya and Hinata found the room semi-filled, with some time left before the start.
"Here! Hinata! Tatsuya!" Ino called out, waving from the middle row.
Making their way to the middle row, Tatsuya and Hinata joined Ino. The classroom buzzed with excited chatter as students settled into their seats.
"Hey, Ino! How's it going?" Tatsuya greeted, taking a seat beside Ino.
Hinata smiled, "Good to see you. Where's Sakura, by the way?"
Ino complained, "She's late again. She's probably using that time to hide her forehead."
"Pft... Ino, that's bad," Tatsuya chuckled, shaking his forehead.
"Hey!! I heard that!" Sakura exclaimed, standing at the door.
Ino grinned mischievously, "Well, you can't blame me for speculating when you're fashionably late, hiding that forehead of yours."
Sakura rolled her eyes, "Very funny, Ino. Just for your information, I was helping a lost kitten on my way here."
Tatsuya joined in, "A lost kitten? Is that the new code for 'choosing the perfect hairband'?"
"Cut it, Tatsuya! Not you too" Sakura exclaimed, pretending to be offended.
Tatsuya raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright. Lost kitten it is, then. But seriously, good to see you, Sakura. I am happy that we are still in the same class."
Sakura smiled, and sat in the direct front bench of us "I am too."
Usually the friendship between Ino and Sakura wasn't always strong, given their rivalry and occasional selfishness.
However, the previous good old me had managed to easily solve it, after all the childish squabbles over crushes between small girls were not something that was too difficult to resolve. Maybe my mature personality was somehow leaking through it.
As he thought of this, he saw more groups of students entering the class.
First to enter were Shikamaru and Choji, arriving at the same time. Shikamaru maintained his usual lazywalk, boredom etched on his face, while Choji munched on chips with a perpetual appetite.
Tatsuya nodded in greeting, and they reciprocated before heading back to their usual back-bencher seats. No extra words were needed; just bobbing their head was enough for them.
Next was Shino Aburame, his attire concealing most of his body, leaving only a small part of his face exposed to the world.
He was the silent type of guy who preferred minding his own business, so he entered without greeting anyone and quietly walked to the second-to-last bench corner and took his seat.
He was that one type of guy who Tatsuya least liked fighting – not out of fear, but the mere thought of a swarm of blood-sucking, chakra-draining, and disease-spreading insects coming his way made him uncomfortable.
The Aburame clan was also the one he least wanted to ever reincarnate into. Since the only thing that could be more terrifying than a swarm of life-sucking insects? Is having them live inside you, swimming in your chakra channels, and laying eggs in your body. It was like becoming a breeding ground for the insects.
Thank god, He was born as a Hyuga. And thinking of Hyuga, the next one to enter were two Hyugas.
One was Neji Hyuga, and the other was... Maya Hyuga.
'It seems Mother used some of her connections,'
Tatsuya thought, aware that Maya's grades weren't sufficient to enter their class.
Neji nodded at me as I returned, taking one of the empty seats. Regarding Maya, I waved my hand while nudging Hinata a little. She caught my hint and went to talk with Maya, helping her blend in with the class.
"Do you know her?" Ino asked, noticing him waving at the new girl, whom she had never seen before. It worried her a little.
"Yeah, she's Maya Hyuga. Daughter of my mother's friend," Tatsuya explained to Ino.
"Oh! Why did I never know her?" Ino asked, puzzled.
"She was in a different section from us. Maybe that's why," Tatsuya replied.
"How is she?" Sakura then asked.
"Hmm? What do you mean by 'How'?" Tatsuya asked, confused.
"I mean, what's her personality? Which type is she?" Sakura clarified.
"How am I supposed to know that? Go talk to her if you want to find out," Tatsuya deadpanned. He had, at most, talked with her once; he was as much in the dark about her as anyone else.
"Ok, fine. I am going with Hinata to help her out. She looks a little confused here," Sakura said, standing up and walking to Maya.
"Thanks, Sakura," Tatsuya expressed his gratitude. He considered that Maya might be more at ease accepting help from a girl, avoiding any unnecessary suspicion.
While they were talking, the door of their classroom swung open, and the person whom Tatsuya had been waiting for the whole time finally arrived.
Walking in was a girl with long straight dark hair, featuring beautiful facial features and a well-proportioned body. Her beautiful almond shaped onyx-coloured eyes gazing at the class.
She was the target of his latest quest and one of his good friends.
She is the Princess of the former Uchiha clan and Twin- Sister of Indra reincarnation.
She is Yumiko Uchiha.
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Sorry for the slow updates guys... I don't know what to say other than sorry. My luck had been quite bad these days. So please understand.
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