The Academy

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Shinji had turned seven years old. He spent the first couple of years getting adjusted, just waiting for his time to join the academy to come. The day was finally here. Shinji was more excited than ever; he had endured seven years of boredom, but now he could learn taijutsu and simple ninjutsu.

"See you, Mom!" the pair yelled as they left their house. Since Sakura and Shinji were both the same age, they would be attending the academy together. Shinji always liked Sakura as a character before he entered the Shinobi world despite all the unwarranted criticism she received, but now he was even more fond of her. Despite them being the same age, Shinji naturally assumed the role of a protective older brother, and Sakura didn't seem to protest since he was so mature for his age. Shinji would often help out around the house and support Sakura whenever she needed help. His family adored him.

Whilst walking besides Sakura to the academy, Shinji noticed that she wore an unusual expression. Seeing as he was much older mentally and she, in that regard, is a child, it was easy to read her. "Are you feeling nervous, sis?" Shinji asked, his voice carrying a comforting tone as he glanced at his sister. Sakura nodded, her emerald eyes reflecting a hint of apprehension. "A little," she admitted softly. With a playful grin, Shinji reached over and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Don't worry, sis. You've got me by your side. We'll tackle this together." Sakura pouted, swatting at his hand. "Shinji! You're messing up my hair on the first day!" she protested, though a smile danced on her lips.

Although Shinji and Sakura were twins, they didn't share the same eye color. Shinji's eyes were a pale pink as opposed to Sakura's emerald green eyes. He wore a red sleeveless jacket layered over a black short-sleeve t-shirt, paired with black cargos. Additionally, he sported a black band around his left elbow and black wrist supports.

As they continued walking, Shinji spotted a familiar individual walking towards the two. It was a boy with distinctive blond hair and marks on his face that resembled whiskers; there was no mistaking this boy's identity. "Naruto Uzumaki," Shinji muttered. Seeming to be in high spirits, Naruto introduced himself. "Hey, how are you guys doing? I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you!" he greeted, extending his hand with unbridled enthusiasm. Shinji shook his hand and said, "Likewise, my name is Shinji Haruno." To Shinji's surprise, Naruto wasn't even paying attention to him; instead, the boy was busy looking at Sakura. "Um, hi," Sakura said shyly. Shinji was slightly irritated at how he was dismissed and the way Naruto was looking at his sister. Wanting to redirect the conversation, Shinji interjected, "Enough chit-chat; let's get going." The two nodded, and the trio resumed their journey, Naruto now falling in tow with them.

Upon reaching the academy, Shinji felt his heart pumping in excitement. He was finally about to begin his path to becoming a Shinobi! Upon entering the classroom, the trio realized that they were among the last students to arrive. Looking around the classroom, Shinji saw multiple faces he could easily recognize. There was one person among all the students that stood out the most: Sasuke Uchiha. "Even as a child, to have this sort of presence is absurd," Shinji thought to himself. Shinji was not the only one who took notice of Sasuke; both Sakura and Naruto also couldn't help but notice him.

"Ehm, if you students could kindly take your seats," Iruka said, beckoning them to sit. After all the students had arrived and sat down, Iruka cleared his throat and began: "Since you're all new, why don't we start off by introducing ourselves. Since I'm your teacher, I'll begin. I'm Iruka Umino, a Chunin of the leaf; you may call me Iruka Sensei. We will continue in register order."

After a few students had gone up and introduced themselves, some of the notable ones include Choji and Kiba. It was finally Sakura's turn. Sakura stood up, went to the front, and said, "I am Sakura Haruno, I want to be a great Kunoichi. Nice to meet you all!" Shinji, who couldn't help but feel proud of his sister, began clapping, causing the other students to look his way and Iruka to tell him off.

It was now Shinji's turn. He marched over to the front and confidently said, "Hello, my name is Shinji Haruno, I am the twin brother of Sakura Haruno. My dream is to explore the Shinobi World. Nice to meet you all!" The other students in the classroom seemed to be slightly interested in Shinji and Sakura due to them being twins. Even Sasuke, who wasn't previously paying attention, also took the two into account.

Before long, it was finally Sasuke's turn to introduce himself. The girls began swooning over him, their whispers loud and unsubtle. Sasuke stepped up to the front, looked at the whole class, then said, "My name is Sasuke Uchiha." Without wasting any more breath, he stood up and went back to his seat. "He's so cool," the girls whispered. Sakura seemed to be staring too, which rubbed Shinji the wrong way. Although it wasn't explicitly said, all the boys in that classroom had the same thought: "This pretty boy is so lame! I bet he isn't as cool as these girls are making him out to be!"

Not much longer, it was Naruto's turn. Naruto strutted to the front of the classroom with a large grin on his face. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm going to be the next Hokage!" Upon hearing these words, the whole classroom erupted into laughter. "Hokage? Don't even dream about it!" Kiba yelled from the back. Everyone was laughing, all but Sasuke, Hinata, and Shinji. Shinji smiled upon hearing Naruto's iconic line. "I get to witness the tale of Naruto in person... Thank you, truck-kun!" he yelled internally.

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