Ryuji was lounging in his backyard, taking a break after an intense morning of training. His muscles still burned from the last set of kunai-throwing drills, and the faint hum of chakra that coursed through his veins left a tingling sensation on his skin. As he let his head rest back against the wooden fence, his eyes drifted shut.
Ding.
A familiar chime echoed in his mind, pulling him out of his peaceful moment. He groaned. "What now?" he muttered, already guessing what was coming.
Quest Alert!
[Enroll in the Academy]
Rank: A
Objective: Enroll in the academy and secure the top position in your class.
Reward: A-rank item, 10,000 experience points, and a new skill.
Failure: None (Optional quest).
Ryuji sighed, sitting up and swiping the notification away with a flick of his hand. "Of course it's an A-rank quest," he muttered bitterly. "The system always knows how to push my buttons, doesn't it?"
Ever since his father's death, the system had been relentless, giving him quest after quest, most of them pushing him to become stronger. But this? This was just annoying. He had no interest in enrolling in the academy—those kids would be a joke compared to him. He'd trained like a madman for the past year, going through every jutsu his father left behind, honing his skills to the point where he could probably take out half the Genin in the village without breaking a sweat.
"Top of the class? That's it?" he sneered, shaking his head. "Guess the system's getting lazy."
But then again, the reward was tempting. An A-rank item? That was no small prize. His eyes narrowed as he thought it over. It wouldn't be too hard to get into the academy, take the top spot, and snag the reward. Besides, it'd be a chance to size up the competition. There were a few names in his head he knew he'd have to deal with eventually—Neji Hyuga, the supposed genius of the Hyuga clan. That kid was in the same year as him. The Byakugan was no joke, and Ryuji was curious to see how his training would stack up against someone like Neji.
And then there was Lee. Word around the village was that the kid was physically a monster, training day and night with no talent for ninjutsu or genjutsu but somehow managing to keep up with the best. It sounded like bullshit to Ryuji, but he'd seen crazier things in this world. He couldn't ignore someone with that much dedication. And Tenten, well… she wasn't exactly a threat, but she was a weapons expert in the making.
Ryuji smirked, the corners of his lips curling up. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
---
The next morning, he made his way to the academy, hands stuffed in his pockets, his head low as he walked through the streets of Konoha. The weather was perfect—warm with a gentle breeze, the sun shining bright overhead. He saw children running around, laughing, and playing ninja in the streets, but he ignored them. He wasn't here to play.
When he finally reached the academy, he stood outside the tall, imposing building for a moment. The stone steps leading up to the entrance were worn down by years of eager students, their excitement palpable even from a distance. Ryuji, however, felt nothing of the sort. This was just another challenge. Another quest. He wouldn't let it get under his skin.
As he entered, the atmosphere shifted. The inside of the academy was quieter, more focused, with students lined up for their enrollment exams. He recognized some of the faces, mostly nobodies, but a few stood out. Neji, standing calmly at the front of the line with his signature cool, distant expression. Lee, vibrating with excitement, clearly ready to throw himself into the physical part of the test. Tenten was there too, leaning against a wall, a cocky grin plastered on her face as she eyed the other students.
"Great," Ryuji muttered under his breath. "Time to show these kids what real strength looks like."
The exam itself was pretty straightforward. The instructors—two Chunin—guided the students through a series of physical tests first. Simple stuff: running laps around the training field, climbing ropes, and an obstacle course designed to test agility and stamina. Ryuji couldn't help but roll his eyes at how basic it all was.
As his turn came up, he threw himself into the course, not holding back. His movements were fluid, fast—faster than anyone else's by a long shot. He cleared the rope climb in seconds, vaulted over the obstacles with ease, and finished the laps with barely a bead of sweat on his brow.
"Damn, I'm good," he muttered to himself, catching the surprised stares of the other kids around him. They didn't say anything, but their wide eyes told him everything he needed to know.
Neji was watching too, though his expression didn't change. If anything, he looked bored, as if Ryuji's performance wasn't worth acknowledging. That pissed him off more than anything, but he let it slide. Neji could play his genius card all day, but sooner or later, they'd clash. Ryuji smirked to himself. He was looking forward to it.
The second part of the exam was a simple chakra test. The instructors lined the students up and placed their hands on a chakra-measuring device. One by one, the kids stepped forward, some barely managing to produce enough chakra to make the device flicker.
When it was Ryuji's turn, he took a deep breath and channeled his chakra. The device immediately lit up, glowing brightly and humming with energy. The instructor raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, simply making a note on his clipboard. Ryuji knew he could've pushed harder, could've made the device overload if he wanted to, but he didn't see the point in showing off too much. He'd already done more than enough.
The final part of the test was a written exam. Ryuji's face twisted in annoyance as he sat down at one of the desks, staring at the questions in front of him. They weren't hard—basic questions about the history of the village, chakra theory, and some simple problem-solving. He breezed through it, though he found the whole thing pointless.
When it was all said and done, Ryuji left the academy with a satisfied smirk on his face. The system hadn't given him a quest completion notification yet, but he knew it was only a matter of time. He'd aced the physical tests, made his chakra flare brighter than any of the other kids, and nailed the written exam.
"Top of the class? Yeah, I got this," he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked back home.
Despite his cocky attitude, he couldn't deny that there was a part of him that enjoyed the challenge. Sure, these kids weren't on his level yet, but they had potential, and potential meant competition. And competition? Well, that was something Ryuji thrived on.
He couldn't wait for the academy to start.