Making Friends
After a brief introduction, the formal classes began.
The first lesson focused on literacy. In this world, civilians rarely had the opportunity to learn to read and write, but for a ninja, being illiterate was simply unacceptable. How could a ninja carry out missions if they couldn't even read the mission scrolls?
Thus, the first class for new students at the ninja academy was dedicated to literacy.
For students with family members who were already ninjas, this lesson might seem redundant. However, for civilians, it was an essential course that would benefit them for a lifetime.
Even if they didn't become ninjas in the end, the knowledge gained at the ninja academy would significantly aid these underprivileged children throughout their lives. This is also a fundamental reason why countless civilians were eager to send their children to the ninja academy.
The current curriculum at the ninja academy spanned five years. During this time, students needed to learn to read and write, memorize the geography of various countries, analyze terrain for traps, and master numerous codes and signals. They also had to learn basic transformation techniques and at least one nature transformation jutsu. Moreover, graduation from the academy wasn't guaranteed just by completing five years; students faced a graduation exam that included both a written test and practical jutsu assessments. The practical jutsu component was crucial for graduation, while the written test served mainly to evaluate overall student capabilities for class placement.
Of course, this five-year timeline wasn't fixed; exceptionally talented individuals could reach graduation standards in just two or three years and apply for early graduation.
Since the students before him were all new and completely clueless about what lay ahead—especially those without any foundational knowledge—Teacher Goro didn't delve into anything too complex on the first day.
The focus was on literacy, physical training, and teaching chakra refinement methods.
While these topics might seem simple to others, they felt insurmountable to Tsunayoshi. His performance during the entrance exam clearly indicated that his physical fitness lagged significantly behind that of his peers. Completing even the most basic training assigned by Teacher Goro left him yearning to collapse at his desk. Furthermore, Tsunayoshi had already discovered that the texts in the textbooks distributed by the ninja academy appeared as incomprehensible as ancient scripts; he couldn't make sense of any of it.
Despite having started learning to read a year ago under his mother's guidance—where he had just begun to recognize hiragana and some words—Tsunayoshi could identify many common words and phrases in daily life. By those standards, he had learned quite a bit. Yet now he found himself inexplicably illiterate.
Though he could still communicate with others and recognized familiar terms, the written characters had become utterly foreign. This sudden shift in his everyday life filled Tsunayoshi with panic; reason and his lifelong understanding urged him to seek help from adults when faced with difficulties. However, his instincts screamed for caution and silence. This emotional tug-of-war left Tsunayoshi feeling lost because no one had taught him how to handle such situations. Ultimately, he chose to follow his heart and remained silent.
A full day at school drained all of Tsunayoshi's energy. The anxiety of being in an unfamiliar environment made him forget about seeking out his newly made friend, Minato Namikaze.
It wasn't until he coincidentally ran into Minato at the school gate that Tsunayoshi recalled his initial intention.
"Tsuna! Let's go home together!" The golden-haired boy beamed at Tsunayoshi with a bright smile.
Tsunayoshi nodded eagerly, joy bubbling up inside him as a smile spread across his face: "Minato! Let's go back together!"
At that moment, Tsunayoshi realized that Minato lived just above him.
The building where Tsunayoshi resided was an apartment designated by the Third Hokage specifically for orphans without parents.
At that moment, Tsunayoshi realized why Minato had approached him so readily that morning.
If Tsunayoshi had known someone else was also without parental support, he would have reached out as well.
"Minato-kun, goodbye," Tsunayoshi said at the stairwell, forcing a somewhat stiff smile.
Minato was so smart and kind; he would surely make friends with the other students in no time.
Once that happened, the top student in Class A wouldn't want to hang out with someone like Tsunayoshi from Class D anymore.
Tsunayoshi felt a wave of dejection wash over him.
Just then, Minato flashed his unchanged radiant smile at Tsunayoshi and said, "Tsuna, can I walk to school with you tomorrow morning?"
Tsunayoshi looked up in surprise, momentarily thinking he had misheard.
"But Minato, you're a Class A student, right? If you're seen with someone from Class D, people might look down on you or bully you," Tsunayoshi mumbled, his head hanging low.
"It's fine!" Minato replied earnestly. "I just want to be friends with you."
"It doesn't matter if you're strong or not; I just want to be friends."
Minato's eyes sparkled with encouragement. "And— I don't think you're weak at all."
"Even though we've only known each other for a short time, I can tell you're a kind person. And you want to be my friend too, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't be worried about me getting bullied."
"Is... is that really true?" Tsunayoshi asked, feeling a mix of shock and excitement at Minato's straightforward praise.
"Then, Minato, let's meet tomorrow morning!" Tsunayoshi beamed back at him.
"Tsuna, remember to stretch your muscles before resting tonight; otherwise, you'll be sore when you wake up tomorrow," Minato advised.
He knew Tsunayoshi was still unfamiliar with exercise and might not have trained much before this, so he wanted to make sure he was taken care of.
"Make sure to relax those muscles!"
"I will!" Tsunayoshi replied loudly, unable to hide his smile.
Dad, Mom, it seems like I've made a friend!
With a mix of light and heavy steps, Tsunayoshi dizzily made his way back home.
With a loud "bang," he shut the door behind him.
"Ah—!"
Tsunayoshi excitedly flopped onto his bed, kicking off his shoes haphazardly and burying his face in the pillow.
"Mom!"
"I made a friend!"
"Minato is such a kind and thoughtful person!"
"So don't worry, I can live well on my own!"
"I'm not just some clueless little kid anymore!"
Author's Note:
Tsunayoshi's current sense of security is in the negatives...