Chapter Twelve: Izumi I

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January 2nd, Year 66, in front of Konoha Ninja Academy.

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"Izuna-chan, wait up!" I called out, spotting my clan heiress and newfound friend walking ahead of me. She paused and turned around, greeting me politely.

"Good morning, Izumi-san. It's good to see you," she responded in her usual formal manner. I still couldn't understand why she was so reserved, even when there were no adults around.

I wished she could be more relaxed and comfortable with me. But I brushed off those thoughts for now.

"Are you excited about the academy, Izuna-chan? I bet you'll be the best student in our batch! You're already so strong!" I praised her genuinely. I hadn't seen anyone our age who excelled at Shurikenjutsu, Taijutsu, and Fire Jutsu like she did.

She was a prodigy in the truest sense. While the clan often praised me for my talent, I felt inferior compared to Izuna. However, since we became friends, training together has helped me improve a lot.

Izuna-chan seemed to ponder my question for a moment before responding with a faint... smile? She rarely ever smiled…

"I don't know about being the best, but I really hope I can catch up to him soon," she said with a determined gaze.

Ah, there it was again. In the short time I had known her, I kept hearing about this mysterious boy named Kuro, whom Izuna-chan claimed to be stronger than her.

She would also disappear from time to time, and Mikoto-sama mentioned that she was likely with this Kuro boy.

I couldn't help but wonder just how strong he was. From Mikoto-sama and Izuna-chan's descriptions, he seemed to be an incredibly talented ninja—a true prodigy! Maybe I could befriend him too and train together.

So, I asked Izuna-chan, unable to contain my curiosity, "Hey, hey, Izuna-chan, do you think you can introduce me to Kuro-san?"

Izuna-chan looked at me, and was that a small frown on her face? Then she replied, "Sure, Izumi-san. Kuro-kun will be our classmate after all. We should all get along."

I nodded eagerly, getting excited at the prospect of meeting another genius in our batch.

…

…

Soon, we arrived at the academy and received orientation from Lord Fourth, followed by a speech on "The Will of Fire" by Lord Third. To be honest, it was quite boring.

Even Izuna-chan seemed distracted, looking around for something—probably Kuro-san. But it appeared he didn't come for the orientation. I wondered why. Was he sick or something?

I asked Izuna-chan about it, and she shook her head, denying that possibility. She simply said, "Don't worry, he will be here... One way or the other." I accepted her words at face value and moved on.

We were then ushered into our respective classrooms. Izuna-chan and I were in the same class, which mostly consisted of clan kids and children from ninja or wealthy families.

As we entered the room, Izuna-chan continued her search, eventually finding a group of kids who seemed to be from different clans. She approached them.

Towards the back of the room, by the windows, I noticed three boys and two girls sitting on three long benches. They had distinctive features, and it seemed like they were keeping one spot open beside the window.

Izuna-chan went directly to a black-haired boy with droopy, lazy eyes, and asked him directly, "Where is he?"

It was the first time I saw her being so informal.

The boy lazily glanced at her, appearing annoyed, until he realized who he was talking to. He straightened up a bit and replied politely, "Oh... Izuna-san... Um... Er... Boss isn't here yet. But I'm sure Yoshino-sama will bring him here." The boy seemed a bit scared, honestly.

Was he afraid of Izuna-chan? Why would he? Izuna-chan was so sweet and polite… There seemed to be a story there.

"Thank you, Shikaichi-san," Izuna-chan replied politely before staring at the boy uninterruptedly.

"Um... Do you want to sit beside the boss?" the boy asked awkwardly.

Izuna-chan didn't respond directly but nodded slightly. It seemed to be enough, as the boy hurriedly got up and squeezed beside a chubby boy on the bench behind.

There definitely was a story there!

I looked at Izuna-chan, puzzled, as she took her seat. She glanced at me with confusion and asked, "Did you want to sit together, Izumi-san?"

Feeling a bit awkward, I decided not to intrude. "No, it's alright, Izuna-chan. I'll go sit somewhere else and make some new friends." I smiled at her and bid her farewell, observing as Izuna-chan sat in between the group of clan kids who seemed somewhat afraid of her.

I made a mental note to ask them about it later.

Well time to make some new friends!

…

…

I had made friends with three other kids in the class. One was Hana, a girl from the Inuzuka Clan known for their connection with Ninken. Then there was Saika, whose parents were brave ninjas who fought in the Third Ninja War. And finally, there was Shin, a quiet boy hailing from the Aburame clan, famous for their insects.

As we were getting to know each other, a tall man walked into the classroom, instantly silencing everyone. The man looked around, nodding with a warm smile as he introduced himself.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Suzuki Haruto. You can call me Suzuki-sensei. I will be your teacher for the coming years."

Suzuki-sensei continued, explaining that since it was our first day, we should all take a moment to get acquainted. He set an example by introducing himself as a Chunin with aspirations of becoming an elite Jonin to protect the village.

His introduction set off a wave of enthusiasm as each student eagerly introduced themselves. I listened attentively, trying to remember everyone's names and backgrounds.

Just as it was my turn, the sliding door of the classroom suddenly opened, and a smiling woman entered, holding a boy who appeared to be bound in ninja wires. Without hesitation, she dropped him inside the classroom and apologized to the teacher.

"I'm sorry, sensei. My son was a bit late to wake up. Please forgive his tardiness. Hahaha. Please continue with the introductions. And apologies again."

Before anyone could react, the woman swiftly closed the door, leaving the class in stunned silence.

We all watched with a mixture of amusement and curiosity as Suzuki-sensei went over to help untie the boy who had been dropped off in the classroom. Within moments, he had freed the boy, only to discover that he was fast asleep.

It was hard not to chuckle at the sight. Who was this boy, and why did he end up in such a peculiar predicament?

Suzuki-sensei let out a sigh of exasperation but managed to rouse the boy from his slumber with a gentle shake. "Hey, wake up. It's time for class," he said.

With a groan, the boy slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings before muttering, "Troublesome..." It seemed he wasn't too thrilled about being awakened.

Suzuki-sensei, slightly annoyed, instructed the boy to find a seat, and to my surprise, he caught Izuna-chan's wave.

I couldn't believe my eyes. It was indeed Izuna-chan who was trying to get his attention.

Did that mean this boy, was that Kuro… Izuna-chan had spoken about?

My mind raced with questions and speculations, but I didn't have much time to dwell on them as Suzuki-sensei decided it was Kuro's turn to introduce himself to the class.

The boy let out another groan, clearly not interested in participating. "Do I have to? It feels so troublesome... What am I even gonna say?" he grumbled.

Suzuki-sensei, attempting to maintain his composure, replied with a strained smile, "Why not just tell us your name and your dream?"

Kuro nodded, seemingly understanding the minimal requirements. His expression remained flat as he spoke up, "My name is Kuro. And I want to be a cloud. You may now applaud."

His deadpan delivery elicited a few chuckles from the class.

Without much ado, he made his way over to where Izuna-chan was sitting, looking rather irritated. "Did you show my mother that spot?" he asked her.

My curiosity piqued even further. Was he referring to a hiding spot to avoid coming to the academy?

Izuna-chan simply smiled in response.

Wait!

Izuna-chan actually smiled!

She then replied the boy with a "Maybe." Before letting the boy take the window seat.

And the boy continued to grumble, "You are really troublesome you know that… That's why I say you aren't cute at all."

That was blasphemy! Izuna-chan was really cute!

Izuna-chan seemed amused as she said with playful hint, "But Aunt Yoshino and my mother said-"

"I don't care what they say!" The boy groaned and slumped into the desk as Izuna-chan showed mirth in her eyes as she turned towards our teacher who was watching the by play with frustration.

Turning my attention back to the class, the introductions resumed. One by one, the students stood up to share their names and dreams. Finally, it was Izuna-chan's turn. She gracefully got up, capturing everyone's attention.

"My name is Uchiha Izuna," she began, her voice steady and determined. "And my dream is to bring peace to the village so I can protect everyone that is precious to me."

I couldn't help but smile at her heartfelt words. Izuna-chan truly had an admirable dream, driven by her desire to safeguard those she cared about. But just as the moment was meant to be uplifting, a low mutter disrupted the atmosphere.

"Troublesome dreams..." came the comment from the side.

It didn't take a genius to know it was Kuro once again, raining on Izuna-chan's aspirations.

The audacity!

I felt a surge of frustration. How could he belittle Izuna-chan's noble ambitions?

Who in their right mind aspired to be a cloud? It was beyond absurd!

And the thought that this lazy and irritating individual could be stronger than Izuna-chan was utterly preposterous.

No, there had to be something amiss. Izuna-chan must have been deceived somehow. There was no way this boy was a genius!

I made a silent vow to myself in that moment—I would protect her from this lazy oaf, no matter what it took.

But as my thoughts raced, I soon realized something unsettling.

They had skipped my introduction!

How could they forget about me?

…

…

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I am trying to finish the illustrations for the first few chapters, hopefully I can make them in the next few days!

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