After returning home from the examination site, Shinra wasted no time and immediately resumed his daily routine.
Chakra control training and pushing his body to the absolute limit had become part of his routine by now. The only thing missing was a proper training partner to spar against.
The next day, a Genin arrived with a letter for him. It confirmed his acceptance into the academy and stated he'd been placed in Class 6. He didn't know how many classes there were, but that part didn't matter much to him.
After tidying up, Shinra strolled through the streets of Konoha. He hadn't had the chance to properly explore the village due to the exam, but now he finally had some freedom
As he passed a weapons store, Shinra stopped in his tracks and stared through the windows, wide-eyed.
Inside, a boy around his age was purchasing a set of shuriken—with a baby strapped to his back.
It wasn't the oddity of a child buying weapons that surprised Shinra—after all, this was the Naruto world—but rather, who the boy was.
'Itachi? That must be Sasuke on his back. Who would have thought that the first character I recognise would be him.' Shinra thought as he entered the shop himself.
"Welcome to the store! How can I help you?" an old woman asked with a warm smile.
"I want to buy a set of shuriken and a kunai," Shinra replied.
Though selling sharp weapons to children might seem questionable, this was a world where they were future shinobi—trained killers in the making.
"Alright!"
After answering a few questions, Shinra left the store with a pouch containing five shuriken and a single kunai.
"They made sure the basic items would be affordable for anyone," he noted. The total cost was 700 Ryo, which he could just barely cover with the 500 Ryo weekly allowance his grandmother gave him—plus a little he'd saved.
"I wanted to try Ichiraku Ramen today, but I guess that'll have to wait."
Buying weapons hadn't crossed his mind before, but now it became another essential part of his training regimen.
That night, Shinra went to bed early—tomorrow was his first official day at the academy.
…
The following morning, Shinra woke up early, freshened up, and headed to the academy—with his grandmother beside him.
She had insisted on accompanying him, calling it a village tradition. Apparently, it was something all parents or guardians did on the first day.
When they arrived at the gates, a crowd of children stood with their families. His grandmother placed a gentle hand on his head and ruffled his hair.
"I know you've been obsessed with training these last few days, but don't forget to make friends. Don't bully other kids—and don't let them bully you either. Pay attention in class and respect your teachers, that way you will become a great shinobi."
Shinra remained silent and nodded. He couldn't bring himself to speak.
'Would she still say the same thing if she knew I'd replaced her grandson?Why did I have to transmigrate into a kid with a family? It's only going to make things harder later…'
"I'll be going now," Shinra said quietly, then made his way through the gates.
Soon after, the gates closed, and the children assembled in the academy's courtyard.
An elderly man wearing white robes and a smoking pipe stepped forward. The children fell silent, eyes wide with awe and respect.
The Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi—stood before them.
The old man smiled gently as he looked over the new generation.
"Today you have taken your first steps."
"Today, you stand not as mere children, but as future shinobi of Konoha."
"Not all of you come from clans. Not all of you have mastered chakra. But that is not what defines a ninja."
"A true shinobi is the one who endures… one who stands even when others fall."
"But understand this: the path ahead will not be easy."
"There will be days when your body fails, when fear clouds your judgement, when you question why you walk this path."
"In those moments, remember the fire that burns in you."
"The flame that burns in the heart of every shinobi who chooses to protect— not for glory, but for peace… for family… for the village."
"That is the Will of Fire, and today I pass this Will to you."
"Carry the Will of Fire with you, and protect it— with your strength, your courage and your bonds."
He looked over the young faces before him, wide eyes, clenched fists and shy smiles. And then softly said:
"Welcome to the Academy."
As the children erupted into excited chatter and celebration, Shinra stood still, a small smile on his face. 'I didn't expect such a speech. As expected of the Hokage who managed to brainwash Naruto into wanting the job even after his childhood trauma.'
"Hey, you!" a voice called out from behind.
"Hmm?" Shinra turned to see a kid wearing a ridiculous metal helmet and a serious expression.
"What's your name?" the boy asked, narrowing his eyes.
Shinra was tempted to ignore him and walk away. 'But… Grandma did ask me to make friends, he thought with a sigh. Alright. I'll give him a chance.'
"Kamikaze Shinra. You?"
"Listen well and be amazed! I am the man who will become the future Hokage—Hashimoto Kenta! …Huh? Where did he go?" Kenta blinked and looked around. Shinra had already disappeared.
Inside the academy hallway, Shinra walked slowly.
'I better avoid that kid… I feel like being around him is actively killing my brain cells. Future Hokage? You're out of luck. The Fifth to Seventh Hokage seats are already reserved. Unless Naruto dies early or you wait until you're seventy, you're not getting that hat.'
Eventually, Shinra stopped in front of a classroom door on the second floor.
A sign beside it read: Class 6
He entered and took a seat in the back row. He wasn't the first to arrive—half the class was already there.
Time passed, and the room filled with more students. Unfortunately, someone Shinra definitely didn't want to interact with also showed up.
"Ah, it's you! Where did you go? I was looking all over for you," Kenta said with genuine concern.
Shinra glanced at him with a deadpan expression. 'Surely his IQ isn't that low. Did he think I was going to play hide and seek with him or something?'
To Shinra's dismay, Kenta plopped down in the seat right next to him—without even asking if it was taken.
Eventually, a Chūnin instructor entered and stood in front of the blackboard.
"I am Akikawa Reigen. I'll be your class teacher this year. Let me tell you a little about myself before I ask each of you to introduce yourselves."
He adjusted his forehead protector slightly and continued, "I like teaching and practicing kenjutsu. I don't like troublemakers or lazy kids."
The students began introducing themselves one by one. Surprisingly the distribution was almost balanced around 20 clan kids and 10 civilian kids.
When it was Shinra's turn, he stood up and spoke briefly.
"I'm Kamikaze Shinra. I like to train and fight. There is nothing I particularly dislike."
Reigen nodded in acknowledgement, then gestured to Kenta.
Kenta stood with a dramatic pose and said:
"I'm Hashimoto Kenta! I like to play hide and seek and eat spicy food! I don't like vegetables—and my dream is to become the Hokage!"
A few giggles echoed through the classroom. Reigen quickly silenced them with a glance.
He then turned back to the blackboard.
"Now, we'll begin our first lesson—The Will of Fire."
Shinra let his head drop onto the desk and sighed.
"I could've been training right now…"