Chapter 25 - Academy Dungeon, Race and Bullies

Half a day passed and recess came. Daichi went outside to eat the bento his grandpa made him. He sat under a tree in the corner and quietly ate. After a short while he finished eating. As he was sitting there Daichi looked at the academy building. Even after a year it was still unbelievable to him that he was here.

'Observe'

[Academy]

[Shortly after the founding of the village the shinobi academy was created. During the second Hokage's period due to a shortage of military manpower Tobirama Senju founded a ninja training camp at the base of the cliff. Although it was purely educational at first it quickly merged with military and domestic facilities and the existing shinobi academy and began to be called the academy. During the third Hokage's reign he revised and perfected the education curriculum and training system which are now carried out under strict standards. The motto of the academy teachers is " Development to shinobi with respect to individuality."]

A new notification box appeared after Daichi closed the 'observe' page.

[You have found a Location Dungeon. Do you wish to view the information on the dungeon?]

'Well isn't that interesting.' He became excited to check out the new dungeon.

'Yes. Show me the information.'

[You have found a Location dungeon.]

[Location dungeon: Player will have to go to the dungeon specific locations to access them. These are long term dungeons with strong and weak opponents. Once the dungeon is activated it will remain active for 1 year before disappearing. Players can enter and exit the dungeon anytime during the active period.

Exiting the dungeon is impossible when in enemy sight. Players can stay inside the dungeon for up to 24 hours(Dungeon time), at a time. Once exited, the dungeon will have a cooldown of 3 hours in real world time. Real world time and Dungeon time is - 01: 06 ratio. Whatever happens in the dungeon will not affect the real world.]

[You have found the Academy dungeon. Would you like to activate this dungeon?]

[Y/N]

After reading through the details Daichi immediately pressed no. 'This dungeon would definitely have opponents from students to chunin teachers. I'd rather activate this after 3 or 4 years. That way I'll be confident enough to clear it. Since they only stay open for a year, if I open it now I'll only be wasting a precious opportunity. Need to find other locations with value. They most probably have a dungeon hidden in them.'

Daichi got up and went back to the classroom. Time passed by and the last class was physical training. The instructor brought the students outside and showed them simple stretching exercises. Once everyone was limbered up the instructor called everyone's attention.

"Alright, now we're going to see where you stand in terms of physical strength and speed. We're going to have a race. I'll be dividing you all into groups of 6. You'll be running 8 laps on this training course.

Each lap is 250 meters. So that's 2 kilometers total. Even though this is just a simple race, try to do your best. Boys and girls will be separate. When I call out the names come to the front.

1st group. Kiba Inuzuka, Daichi Hekima, Choji Akimichi, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Hibachi."

[Quest Created - 'Win the race']

[Complete 8 laps with the shortest time. Win the race.]

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[Rewards: ]

+100 Exp

Rep increases with everyone but Sasuke and Hibachi.

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[Failure:]

Rep decreases with everyone.

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[Accept (Y/N)]

Quickly Daichi got to the front and accepted the quest. 'This group is full of kids who are physically fit in the class. So that means the teachers must have used the data from when we were registering to select this group to make things even. So they'll be doing it to the rest as well.'

[Due to logically deducing new information from very little, you have obtained +1 WIS]

Suddenly Daichi heard a boastful shout from his side. "I'm gonna blow you all away. I'll be first." Kiba was looking at Daichi and Sasuke when he said this.

"No way I'll be first." Naruto joined in. "I'm gonna try my best and I'm gonna win." He shouted with a smile.

"Keep dreaming. I got this in the bag." Hibachi said in a smug tone.

Daichi looked at everyone in the group and smiled. "Good luck. You all are gonna need it." He then stepped up to the starting line as did everyone else.

The instructor blew the whistle signaling the start of the race. The moment Daichi heard the whistle he took off like a bolt of lightning. He had been running around his compound almost everyday for the last year. As a result his stats were much higher than that of his peers.

Daichi was keeping a steady but fast pace. He completed the first lap before the others were even half way. Sasuke and Kiba pushed themselves harder to catch up with Daichi but they couldn't. Sasuke was behind Daichi followed by Kiba and then Hibachi and Choji and finally Naruto.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and pushed harder. 'Can't lose.'

Daichi passed them completing his second lap by the time they completed their first. He wasn't feeling winded at all. But unlike Daichi, everyone else was starting to feel the strain. They started too fast and were beginning to get tired.

Daichi didn't stop for anything and in 1 minute and 59 seconds he completed the 2 km run and slowed down and jogged back to his teacher.

[Quest 'Win the race' Completed.]

[Rewards: ]

+115 Exp

[Rep increases with everyone but Sasuke and Hibachi.]

"Sensei. I'm done."

"Yes. Well done." Daikoku was impressed. He rarely met children with such physique. Especially at the start of the academy. 'His speed is pure physical strength. If I couldn't sense chakra I would have thought he was using chakra flow to increase his speed.'

"Wow Daichi. That was so cool." Some of the girls exclaimed. Some of the boys surrounded him to know the secret of his win. Daichi just smiled and said nothing. After a short while everyone else finished the race with Sasuke coming in second 5 minutes 13 seconds and Naruto coming last in 8 minutes.

Sasuke had a frown on his face as he looked at Daichi. 'I can't believe I lost to someone in my class.' He lightly fumed thinking about his loss. 'Next time… I'll definitely beat you.' He quietly kept walking and stood alone in a corner.

Hibachi slightly glared at Daichi but didn't say anything as well and went back to his friends.

Naruto, Kiba, Choji on the other hand approached him.

"Oh man. That was awesome. Where did you learn to run like that?" Kiba asked with a panting breath.

"Yeah. You were so fast." Naruto had a giant smile even though he lost.

"Did you eat something special during lunch?" Choji also chimed.

"I just trained you guys. Nothing all that special. I've been training last year. Just ran around my house and did a couple of exercises… That's all." Daichi said, laughing slightly.

The instructor formed several groups and had them complete the exercise. A little over an hour had passed, and by that time everyone was done with the race. Daikoku after several minutes announced the 1st place to Daichi, 2nd for Sasuke and 3rd to Kiba. Naruto was somewhere in the middle of the class.

Soon the classes for the day were completed and everyone went home. Some kids invited Daichi to play with them but he politely declined. Daichi quickly reached home and found his grandfather waiting on the front porch smoking a pipe.

"So how was your first day.?" Kensei asked.

"It was interesting. Contrary to what I thought, I found the whole experience enjoyable. I look forward to it." Daichi replied. Since he had been training for a year and had some access to Kensei's library he thought he wouldn't find anything useful in the academy and would be bored but he was wrong.

When he was in the classroom he wanted to make a handful of genuine friends and enjoy his time in the academy. Something he couldn't do in his previous life.

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The days passed by with Daichi excelling at every subject in the academy. Sasuke, refusing to be second, started competing with Daichi in everything. But not once did he speak a single word to Daichi.

The first month focused mainly on exercises that increase one's strength and cardio. The academy began teaching Taijutsu lessons and how to safely handle weapons like kunai and shuriken starting the second month. Daikoku sensei showed the proper ways to maintain, handle and use the different types of weapons.

Each student was taught the various stances of Taijutsu style and the purpose behind them. The instructors explained how each stance could utilize the stability and strength and how to effectively put it into an attack.

The children from the clan and a couple of kids like Daichi who had a shinobi family were already ahead of the rest. Daichi scored first in all the tests and class assignments and was ranked number 1 in class. He was followed by Sasuke.

By the end of the second month Daichi noticed something peculiar. His classmates started to pick on Naruto. Daichi realized that they were slowly copying the behavior of the adults without even knowing the reason for it.

Aside from Daichi, Choji and sometimes Kiba no one else interacted with him. Even the teachers. Although they taught him, they kept their interactions with Naruto to a minimum. This was starting to have an effect on Naruto.

Contrary to what Daichi thought, Naruto didn't start pranking anyone to get some attention. As the days passed Daichi saw Naruto get more sad and angry. Daichi sometimes caught Naruto looking at the Hokage mountain with a serious expression.

Daichi noticed the change in behavior but he didn't feel like trying to change Naruto. He knew getting involved would create trouble for him so he justified his inaction with this thought.

'Sooner or later he'll be the prankster who'll one day paint the Hokage mountain. And a Naruto who's not a prankster is not a Naruto at all.'

Daichi still helped Naruto when he asked for it but it wasn't that much.

One day during his third month a couple of upperclassmen cornered Daichi in the back of the academy. They were the local bullies.

"Look what we have here Zakro. A pipsqueak who thinks he's the best." Bikan said. He was in the 4th year of the academy and occasionally bullied his underclassmen. He was accompanied by his friend Zakro.

Daichi was thinking about the hand seals and how they interacted and helped with the movement of chakra throughout the body. And when the 2 bullies cornered him he lost his train of thought and this irritated him.

Daichi had an annoyed look on his face. "What do you want?" He didn't even bother using the 'observe' skill on them.

"Did you hear that Zakro? This kid has an attitude. You freshmen think you're so tough." Bikan squeezed his fists and popped his knuckles trying to look intimidating.

"Bikan. Why don't we properly welcome him to the academy." Zakro copied his friend and tried to scare Daichi.

"If you kneel down and apologize I'll forgive you." Bikan said, smirking.

[Quest Created - 'Beat the Bullies.']

[Defeat the bullies and scare them away.]

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[Rewards:]

+100 Exp

Rep increases with Rookie 9.

Rep decrease with Zakro and Bikan.

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[Failure:]

-100 Exp.

Rep decreases with everyone.

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[Accept (Y/N).]

Daichi's patience was wearing thin. "Get lost." He said in a gruff voice accepting the quest.

Bikan, angry that a first year student was talking to him like that, attacked him. He threw a punch straight at Daichi's face thinking he wouldn't be able to dodge or block it. Daichi, watching the slow, pitifully telegraphed punch coming his way, sighed. Daichi stepped to the side and evaded the strike and used his right arm to grab and hold Bikan's fist.

Even though Daichi was small his strength far exceeded someone his age. Bikan tried to pull his right arm back but he couldn't move it an inch. Zakro, wanting to help his friend, attacked Daichi. He kicked at him trying to get Daichi off balance.

Daichi deflected the kick with his leg and sent a front kick straight to Zakro's abdomen. Daichi made sure to control his strength and not injure the kid. The kick didn't do much damage but it sent him flying backwards several feet. He landed roughly on the floor and was coughing. That kick took away his breath.

Daichi suddenly twisted his arm and shoulder flipped Bikan onto the ground. When Bikan tried to get up, Daichi twisted the shoulder till it became too painful for the older boy. He was face down on the ground and was crying in pain as Daichi stood above him and held his arm.

Daichi put his left leg above Bikan's shoulder joint and said. "Did you know that if I press here and pull, I could dislocate your shoulder?" Daichi slightly moved his feet into a new spot. "But if I press here and pull with a little twist it would definitely break your shoulder. That would be quite painful, wouldn't you agree?"

"Please, I'm sorry. Please. Lemme go."

"Why should I let you go? You could come back with a few more friends and try to ambush me again. So isn't it best I just put you down now?" The steely tone of Daichi's voice scared the upperclassmen. But before he could say anything Daichi spoke.

"Don't try this again. Don't ever come in front of me. If you do…" Daichi put some pressure on his foot and slightly pulled on the arm. Just enough to prove his point.

"Ahhh. Please I won't, I swear." Squealing in pain, Bikan answered.

"And if I find out you went after any of my classmates… I'll pay you a visit you won't like. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Yes. Please let me go." Frantically nodding, Bikan pleaded.

Daichi released his arm and stepped back. "Get lost. And take your friend with you."

Bikan, scared out of his wits, rushed to Zakro, picked him up and left.

[Quest 'Beat the Bullies' Completed.]

[Rewards: ]

+115 Exp

[Rep increases with Rookie 9.]

[Rep decrease with Zakro and Bikan.]

Now Daichi was all alone in the backyard. Or so it would appear. Daichi left without realizing that there was someone else who witnessed everything.

Someone who stumbled upon the whole thing when he was looking for a quiet place to take a nap. Someone in his class.

'That Daichi. What a troublesome guy.'