On the first day of the Academy, fellow aspiring ninjas stepped into a spacious and well-kept classroom that was designed to inspire learning and growth.
The room was rectangular, with large windows on one side that allowed natural light to flood in, brightening the space. The sunlight filtered through the glass, casting warm, golden hues that danced across the rows of desks and the floor.
The desks were arranged in neat rows, each equipped with a comfortable chair. The walls of the classroom were adorned with educational posters, charts, and ninja-themed artwork, all serving to inspire and educate the students.
The overall ambience of the classroom was one of eager anticipation. Excited chatter filled the air as students greeted old friends and made new ones.
As Instructor Ryuji Mataka entered the room, his presence commanded the attention of the eager young students. He wore a traditional ninja outfit, the symbol of Hidden Leaf Village proudly displayed on his flak jacket.
"Good morning, class. I'm Instructor Ryuji Mataka, and I'm thrilled to be your guide on this journey of learning and discovery. Today marks the beginning of your path to becoming skilled shinobi. Let's start with introductions, shall we? Please, one by one, tell us your name and your aspirations."
"Where shall we start from? How about you at the front?"
And with that, all the kids started introducing themselves along with their Ambitions. Renjiro took his time to understand the composition of the class.
The elite batch had thirty students. There were three Uchiha, two Hyuga, two each from Nara, and Yamanaka, three Inuzuka, one Aburame, one each from Sarutobi, Shimura, Kato and Hatake clans, and surprisingly three from Senju and two from Kurama clans.
The other eight were normal civilians. Aiko Nakamura, the civilian girl who had Impressed Renjiro during the academy assessment, was also among this group.
'Wait, why is the class quiet? Has-'
"The boy at the back. Please introduce yourself."
Ryuji's voice brought Renjiro out of his reverie. Only then did Renjiro notice that almost all pairs of eyes were on him.
Renjiro promptly stood up and introduced himself, "My name is Uzumaki Renjiro."
"Uzumaki? Is that a clan in the village...."
The minute Renjiro introduced himself, a wave of murmurs swept the class. It was understandable as very few kids were aware of the clan and what happened to them.
"And what are your aspirations Renjiro?" just as Renjiro was sitting down, Ryujin inquired.
"Uhm... I want to get strong enough to protect what's important to me."
This was the first thing that came to Renjiro's mind. He was being honest because he knew how powerful the beings that would put the whole world at risk were.
"That's a good aspiration Renjiro," Ryujin said.
"My name is Uchiha Kaito and....."
'Good thing is I have decades to prepare for the last war. But to get there, I first need to survive.'
Instructor Ryuji Mataka, after listening to the aspirations of his students, stood at the front of the classroom with a solemn expression. He cleared his throat and began to address the young ninja aspirants.
"I'm truly impressed by the determination and dreams you've shared today. Each of you carries the potential to become an outstanding shinobi and uphold the honour of the Hidden Leaf Village. As the elite batch of this year, there are high expectations from our village because of the remarkable potential I see in this room. So don't disappoint the village. Okay?"
After a brief pep talk, the class was led on a tour of the Hidden Leaf Village Academy.
The tour began in the heart of the academy building. As they moved through the hallways, they passed by training rooms where experienced students honed their skills. The sounds of shuriken clashing and jutsu practice served as a constant reminder of the hard work and dedication required to become a skilled shinobi.
The tour also included a visit to the library. Here, they were encouraged to make use of the resources to further their education and training.
The classroom where they would spend much of their time was also part of the tour. Each student had their designated seat, and the chalkboard at the front of the room was already covered in notes and diagrams.
Outside, they explored the academy's training grounds, where wooden targets, obstacle courses, and sparring areas awaited. This was where they would put their skills to the test, under the watchful eye of their instructors. The tour allowed the students to familiarize themselves with the Academy's layout.
After the tour, Ryuji gave them a briefing on what lessons they would have for the upcoming academy calendar. Since they just joined the Academy, their first year would be solely on theoretical knowledge and chakra control exercises.
For the Theoretical lessons, they studied Math, History, Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Geography. All this was in the context of shinobi ways.
This was done, so that other kids could catch up to the clan kids. Besides theoretical lessons, they would also have fitness classes every day so that they do not fall behind.
Their daily routine consisted of theoretical lessons from morning till noon, followed by a break. They would have their Fitness classes in the afternoons, after which they would call it a day.
'Since I already know most of the theoretical knowledge, except History, I should find something productive to do during those lessons.'
Renjiro racked his brain until an idea popped up in his head.
'Yes, I could do that! I need to start refining my chakra nature transformation with the basic elements. I only have fire locked down.'
His only options were Water, Wind, Earth and Lightning. He weighed out the pros and cons of both elements.
'Earth should be the best choice, the rest are too eye-catching to practice under the radar. Also, It would not hurt to get a headstart in learning its defensive jutsus.'
In as much as Fire and Wind were his main Affinities, Renjiro wanted to have a basic understanding of all elemental manipulation. As a shinobi, Renjiro expected to face other shinobi from the five main Villages.
To increase his odds, he had to have jutsus and elemental understanding so that he could counter them. It's not like he wanted to become like Hiruzen, the one known as the Professor of the Shinobi, as he had mastered all five chakra natures.
Renjiro knew this would be had because since he only had an affinity towards Fire and Wind, he would have a hard time comprehending the other chakra natures as well as their jutsus.
Also, a small part of Renjiro wanted to see whether he could master any chakra nature and develop a Kekkei Genkai like Magnet release or a Kekkei Tota like Dust release if he was lucky. Would he? Renjiro was not sure if he had caught a serious case of Delusion or not.
Making up his mind, Renjiro implemented his plan the following day in class. After school, he visited the clan library to read up on basic chakra nature transformation, especially for the Earth chakra nature.
Renjiro thought, 'It seems that there are two primary ways to become proficient in earth transformation. The first step is to crush a stone. Which made me think of the cutting leaves chakra exercise. For the second way, clay was shaped into various forms, hardened, and other things using just chakra.
It makes sense. The majority of earth-style jutsus that I can recall essentially involved only shifting a portion of the earth's surface. Clay moulding will be quite beneficial. In terms of stone crushing, I could try smashing boulders to further my understanding of earth's nature, but in terms of clay moulding, all I had to do was add more clay.'
With that, Renjiro returned the scroll to the shelf and left the Library. He bought a small pack of clay for 5 Ryo on his way home.