Chapter 7: Rules Are Meant to Be Broken
Due to the precocious nature of the children in this world, most of them understood the underlying meaning of Shiki Aburame's words, with a few exceptions.
For a moment, the way they looked at him changed.
Shiki Aburame remained unfazed, but Shino Aburame felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, his back prickling with unease, a lump stuck in his throat.
Once again, he confirmed his suspicion: his older brother was bound to get himself beaten to death someday.
It seemed he would have to become stronger to protect him, or at the very least, ensure there was a body left to bury.
Shikamaru Nara's lips twitched.
You must have some misunderstanding about what a peaceful life looks like.
"This guy's definitely my friend!" Kiba Inuzuka, still without a dog, clenched his fist and declared.
Sasuke Uchiha's heart stirred.
He sensed the aura of a strong individual.
For someone like him, who aimed to emulate his brother Itachi Uchiha and dominate the Ninja Academy, this was a silent challenge.
"So cool!" Ino Yamanaka clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling with red hearts.
Hinata Hyuga felt her heart race.
She instinctively poked her index fingers together.
Shiki Aburame's demeanor was exactly the kind she admired most.
"Quiet!" Iruka Umino's voice cut through, halting any further escalation.
However, he made a mental note of Shiki Aburame, a student who had left a strong impression.
"You can sit down," Iruka said to Naruto Uzumaki.
His tone was neutral, betraying neither favor nor disdain.
Having lost his parents in the Nine-Tails incident, Iruka held no fondness for Naruto.
The self-introductions continued.
"Thank you!" Naruto said gratefully.
He instinctively realized Shiki Aburame had stepped in to help him out.
This touched him deeply.
Aside from the Third Hokage and Uncle Teuchi, Shiki was the first person to proactively befriend and help him.
"There really was a fly," Shiki Aburame said calmly.
Shino Aburame and Shikamaru Nara turned their heads in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized.
The former knew his brother too well, while the latter was just highly intelligent.
Both shared the same thought: Yeah, right. You're full of it.
[Achievement Unlocked: "Sweating Buckets, Little Brother" for Shino Aburame. Reward: Bookworm Gu.]
[Bookworm Gu: A Rank-1 Gu insect. Any book content it consumes will be automatically memorized by the Gu Master.]
The Bookworm Gu essentially granted photographic memory.
Shiki Aburame raised an eyebrow.
After all these years, his little brother had finally dropped some "gold."
Once the self-introductions concluded, classes officially began.
The Ninja Academy's curriculum was quite extensive.
It wasn't limited to the Three Basic Techniques; it also included shuriken throwing, the Will of Fire, astronomy, mathematics, and more.
Shiki Aburame listened for a while before his thoughts turned to more pressing matters.
Which achievement should he tackle first?
Ultimately, he decided to prioritize Hinata Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha.
Based on his understanding, the former required earning the approval of Hiashi Hyuga, while the latter likely involved beating him up a few times.
The lunch bell rang.
It was noon.
"Shiki-kun," Ino Yamanaka said, holding her bento box and leaning forward over her desk. "Want to eat together?"
Shiki Aburame glanced at her instinctively.
She wasn't wearing her iconic midriff-baring outfit yet.
His strongest impression of Ino was her waist and legs.
Shiki nodded.
Yes! Ino's face lit up with a smile.
She and Sakura Haruno had previously come to a friendly agreement.
Sasuke Uchiha was Sakura's, but Ino couldn't lay claim to Shiki Aburame.
Shino Aburame silently moved aside.
"Shiki-kun," Ino said, picking up a rice ball. "Try this. It's my family's special rose rice ball."
Shiki took it and bit into it, immediately tasting the faint fragrance of roses.
"This is my mom's specialty. I'm learning to make it now," Ino said, brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "When I've mastered it, you have to try it, Shiki-kun."
Do little girls these days know so much already?
But Shiki understood this wasn't some romantic affection—just pure, superficial attraction.
Her achievement title had already hinted at that.
Before Shiki could respond, a hand appeared in front of him.
"I'm Kiba Inuzuka," Kiba said, flashing a grin and giving a thumbs-up. "You were awesome just now!"
"Shiki Aburame," Shiki replied, shaking his hand.
Kiba was enthusiastic.
Or rather, kids generally didn't have complicated motives.
If they thought someone was cool, they'd want to hang out with them.
[Achievement Unlocked: "Fox and Dog Friends." Reward: Small Light Gu.]
[Small Light Gu: A Rank-1 Gu insect. When used with the Moonlight Gu, it enhances the power of Moon Blade attacks.]
Did you just insult someone?
Shiki couldn't help but mentally retort.
But then he paused.
The achievement had triggered after meeting Kiba.
So, the "dog friend" referred to Kiba?
And the "fox friend" was Naruto?
Is this system actually a genius?
Hinata Hyuga quietly ate her bento.
Her small face occasionally showed signs of inner conflict.
The excitement belongs to them. I have nothing.
She wanted to join in.
But until school ended that afternoon, she couldn't muster the courage.
"Shiki-kun, want to walk home together?" Ino asked, standing in front of Shiki with her schoolbag, her expression hopeful.
"Next time," Shiki said, shaking his head. "I have something to do."
"Oh, okay," Ino replied, not pressing further.
She might be a fangirl, but she wasn't lovesick and knew her boundaries.
"See you tomorrow," Ino said, leaving the classroom with a cheerful step.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura Haruno called, chasing after Sasuke Uchiha.
"Shino, you head back with Naruto and the others," Shiki instructed before leaving.
"He's going to the Konoha Hospital," Shino explained, meeting Naruto's confused gaze.
"I know that," Kiba chimed in. "My sister said Shiki's got some crazy talent as a medical ninja."
His sister, Hana Inuzuka, was a veterinarian in the medical unit.
Hinata Hyuga walked through the school, dejected.
She'd had so many chances but missed them all.
Aside from knowing his name, she hadn't even spoken to him.
Suddenly, Hinata stopped.
She looked up instinctively and saw Shiki Aburame not far away.
"Huh?" Hinata froze, a spark of excitement rising in her chest.
"Want to grab some food?" Shiki asked, glancing at her.
Food?
Hinata felt dizzy, her cheeks inexplicably burning.
She pursed her lips, unable to speak.
Today wasn't like that one unusual day.
The Hyuga clan had strict rules.
She had to eat dinner at home.
At the very least, she'd need her father's permission.
"Tomorrow, then," Shiki said, walking away and leaving her with his back. "Don't tell anyone else."
Shyness didn't equate to weakness.
In the original story, Hinata was actually quite strong.
Her current timidness stemmed from the Hyuga clan's strict rules and her fear of Hiashi Hyuga.
Shiki's plan was simple.
Break the rules. Face the fear.
Just like when he used to sneak out of school in his past life—there was only the first time and countless times after.