Chapter 9: First Day At Academy

I walked into the academy for my first day of class, my heart racing with a mix of excitement and nervousness. The classroom was buzzing with chatter, and I noticed there were around thirty students in total. In contrast, other classes had about fifty students each. It seemed this was a special class, perhaps reserved for those with greater potential. As I surveyed the room, I couldn't help but notice that out of the thirty students, twenty-five were from prominent clans, while only five of us came from civilian backgrounds. Among them, I spotted three Uchiha, one Hyuga, and a couple of others from different clans, each with a sense of pride that was palpable in the air.

After a few minutes of waiting, our sensei arrived. He introduced himself as Sanada Yaku, an elite chūnin—a rank higher than my mother. My anticipation grew, but I noticed that the clan kids seemed less impressed, likely accustomed to having jōnin as their instructors. I felt a surge of excitement at the thought of learning from someone so experienced.

Our first lesson was about the academy's history, rules, and syllabus. It lasted three hours, and I found myself absorbing the information eagerly. Finally, after the long session, we were given a one-hour break. As I took out the lunch my mom had packed for me, I was delighted to see it looked delicious. I could hardly wait to dig in.

As I started eating, I glanced around the room. The Uchiha clan members were huddled together, completely ignoring everyone else. Their dismissive demeanor was unmistakable; it was clear they looked down on everyone. This made many of the other students uncomfortable, but nobody dared to speak up. The rest of the clan kids mostly engaged with one another, likely trying to familiarize themselves with their peers since it was only the first day. I decided to remain quiet, observing the dynamics of the room as I enjoyed my meal.

Suddenly, a muscular boy approached me. "So you're Satoshi," he said, catching me off guard. I was surprised to be singled out so suddenly, but I managed to respond calmly, "Yes, and you are?"

"My name is Monti Kalra," he replied, a hint of arrogance in his voice. I recognized the name; he had the lowest score in the class. As he continued to speak, he expressed his frustration, saying, "I'm only in last place because of that stupid written exam that no one cares about. I'm better than you in the things that really matter!"

His loud proclamation drew the attention of several students, and I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. I sighed internally, trying to figure out how to handle the situation without making it worse. After all, he was right in a way—at least, that's what I believed. If I acted like a child, it could escalate the situation further, especially with the entire class now focused on us.

In an effort to de-escalate things, I replied, "Yeah, alright, you might be stronger now, but I won't stay last forever." I wanted to acknowledge his words without undermining myself, and to my relief, this seemed to satisfy him. He smirked and walked away, saying, "But you'll never be stronger than me!" I didn't press the matter further, grateful that the confrontation was over. I sensed some disappointment among the other students; perhaps they had been hoping for more drama, maybe even a fight.

After lunch, our sensei returned and began teaching us about the theory of ninjutsu and other related topics. A week passed, and I began to settle into the academy's routine. Classes started at 8 AM, with three hours of lessons followed by a one-hour break, then another two-hour session. Afterward, I would head straight to the training ground, where I spent two hours on physical exercise, one hour on taijutsu, and one hour practicing chakra control and transformation jutsu. Finally, I devoted another hour to shuriken practice. By the time I returned home, I was exhausted but content.

At home, I'd eat dinner and work on my calligraphy skills, which were improving at a good pace. In the academy, most of our lessons were theoretical, often making me sleepy. I noticed a few kids dozing off during lectures, and I could hardly blame them.

The Uchiha kids were particularly shameless, often engrossed in their own conversations. Initially, our sensei scolded them for their lack of focus, but it became clear that he was fighting a losing battle. After seeing no signs of improvement, he backed off, perhaps not wanting to confront the clan's influence.

During breaks, the clan kids mostly sat together, and I thought I'd try to engage with them. I hoped they might respond positively, but they would often return to their own conversations, leaving me feeling somewhat ignored. They weren't outright rude, but it was evident they weren't interested in making friends.

As for the other civilian kids, there were only five of us in total, two of whom were girls. It was amusing to see how boys and girls seemed to be divided at this age, making communication between the genders awkward. Among the other three, one was Monti, who seemed like trouble and i didn't want to engage much. So, I found myself sitting with the other boy, a shy kid named Baskin Robin. We didn't talk much, but I appreciated the quiet companionship.

Over time, I learned that both of Baskin's parents were ninjas of chūnin rank. Being a reserved and quiet kid, he didn't divulge much about himself, and I didn't press him for details. We would sit together, eating lunch and sharing the occasional word or two, forming a comfortable but silent camaraderie as we navigated the complexities of our first days at the academy.