The official start of classes had finally arrived.
For first-years, the curriculum was mostly general education: Mathematics, Literacy, History, Geography—basic subjects meant to bring everyone up to speed.
As Harima-sensei explained, the real training—ninja training—would begin in the second year. First, we had to prove we could handle the academic load.
The lessons themselves were... fine. Nothing remarkable.
For someone like me—someone with a college-level education and years of last-minute cramming burned into muscle memory—it was all painfully basic. Frankly, I didn't care.
I mean, who doesn't already know how to count or write? Maybe civilians who have only recently chosen the shinobi path. But for anyone raised in a clan or given even minimal instruction, these classes felt like filler.
I was halfway lost in thought when Nawaki's voice cut through the haze of boredom.
"Hey," he called, nudging my arm. I turned to see him watching me with concern. "Where'd you go? I couldn't find you after class."
Nawaki Senju.
Not much was written about him—just that he was Tsunade's younger brother and the First Hokage's grandson. Died young during the Second Ninja War. A short life, barely a footnote in history.
Now that I was really looking at him, the resemblance to Naruto was almost eerie. Those same expressive eyes, that same reckless optimism. The kind of grin that couldn't hide a single thought. Reincarnation of Asura? Yeah. I could believe it.
"I was training," I said, plain and honest. No point in lying. If light novels taught me anything, it's that deception in worlds like this always backfires.
"Training?" His eyes lit up like firecrackers. He leaned in, practically vibrating. "Seriously? What kind? Did you unlock chakra? What're you doing?"
I shifted the weight of my pack and shrugged. "Just the basics. Meditation, physical drills, trying to get a feel for my chakra network."
His jaw dropped. "You're already doing chakra control?! That's, like, semester two stuff! You gotta teach me, man!"
I blinked. Nawaki was about as subtle as a thrown kunai. But his excitement was real. No hidden agenda, no calculations—just energy and drive.
"I didn't say I was good at it," I said with a small smile. "My control's crap. I'm just messing around."
"Still! That's way more than anyone else is doing." He lightly punched my shoulder. "Come on, you can't keep that to yourself."
I hesitated. Sharing knowledge in a world like this was risky. The wrong person could turn your own techniques against you. But Nawaki didn't give off that kind of vibe. And besides—I didn't come here to hide in the background forever.
"Well… I could show you next week," I offered. "I get my village stipend then. I'll be renting the training grounds again."
His grin could've powered the whole courtyard.
Looks like I made a friend.
Maybe.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Time passed faster than expected.
Nawaki and I walked the familiar dirt path to the training grounds, kicking up dust as we went. I'd paid to rent the space again—not a huge sum, and more than worth it if it helped either of us improve.
The grounds were quiet, just like before. The sun hung low, casting golden light across cracked earth. A cool breeze stirred the leaves, carrying the scent of pine, sweat, and old soil. The kind of place that remembered effort.
But this time, I wasn't alone.
"So?" Nawaki's voice cracked the silence like thunder. "Show me what you do!" His eyes sparkled with anticipation, and he bounced on his heels like a kid before a festival.
I dusted off my knees and smirked. "It's nothing fancy. Just something I came up with to stay in shape."
"Then can I try?" he said, without missing a beat. "I want to be strong. Like my big sis."
That made me pause.
Nawaki didn't usually talk about Tsunade. His admiration for her was quiet, implied—but now, I could hear the fire in his voice. It wasn't about impressing anyone. It was about catching up.
I considered him for a moment. Still young. Still learning his limits. I didn't want to crush his enthusiasm with something brutal right off the bat.
"Alright," I said. "But we'll start light. If you're still standing at the end, we'll go harder next time."
He nodded like a bobblehead. "I can handle it!"
"We'll see," I said, chuckling. "First: push-ups. Twenty-five."
Before I could even finish, he dropped to the ground and got into position. "Easy," he grinned.
I raised an eyebrow and knelt beside him. "Back straight. Don't rush."
"Got it!"
We started together. The clearing filled with the sounds of breath, the thud of palms hitting dirt, the occasional grunt. I kept glancing at him—his form needed work, but his effort was real. He didn't complain once.
Push-ups. Sit-ups. Squats. Sprints. Chakra meditation. By the end, Nawaki was drenched in sweat, chest heaving as he sprawled out like a broken puppet.
The sun dipped below the horizon, and the last rays of light kissed the clearing.
"Haah… haah… That… was intense… You do this every week?" he wheezed.
I shook my head.
"Every day."
His eyes widened. "Every day?! What about playing? Or swimming? Or drawing?"
I flexed my fingers, staring down at my hands. Then I met his gaze.
"I don't want to waste time. I want to be strong. That's my dream—and my goal. And to reach it, I have to cut distractions. Fun won't get me there. This will. That's why I train."
"Every. Single. Day."
He didn't answer at first. Just lay there, staring at me—not confused. Not skeptical.
Thoughtful.
Maybe even a little inspired.
Then: "In that case, why don't I join you?"
I blinked. From someone like him, that was unexpected.
"You don't have teachers?" I asked. "You're a Senju. Pretty sure you could ask the Hokage himself for a personal trainer."
He shook his head. "I don't want to train like them. I want to train with you. That's what friends do, right?"
"…Right."
If Nawaki wanted to train with me, then I'd make sure we grew together.
And I had just the thing for that.
[Garp's Training Manual (Coby Edition) – Grants a 35% increase in training results.][Note: Must be used with a partner.]
I grinned.
"Alright, Nawaki. Two weeks from now, we will meet here again. Agreed?"
He sat up, eyes gleaming.
"YES!"
So this'll be my first butterfly effect in this world.
__________________________________________________
Not far from where Nawaki and Kiyu trained, Tsunade stood atop a tree branch, cloaked by the shadows of the canopy. Arms crossed, her golden eyes followed their movements in silence. She remained there for a while longer, watching without a word, before finally turning to leave.
She had been observing Kiyu since last week—stalking him, if she were honest. Ever since Nawaki mentioned his name more than once in conversation, Tsunade's instincts flared.
She wasn't the type to meddle in her little brother's friendships, but she was the type to ensure he wasn't being taken advantage of.
Nawaki had a big heart—too big sometimes—and though she admired that about him, she also knew it made him easy prey for leeches who wanted the clout of a Senju name without putting in the work.
She remembered the first time she caught sight of Nawaki surrounded by a few overly friendly classmates. Their smiles were just a bit too wide, their words dipped in flattery.
It didn't take a genius to see they wanted to ride his coattails straight through the Academy, using the grandson of the First Hokage as a shield and stepping stone.
Tsunade had nearly stormed over right then and there, fury in every step. It took two ANBU and a direct order from Hiruzen himself to calm her down—and to make sure those kids stayed far away from Nawaki afterward.
So when Nawaki began tagging along after this Kiyu kid, Tsunade was wary. Paranoid, even. She wasn't afraid of her brother getting roughed up—he could take a few bruises. But manipulation?
That left deeper scars.
She worried that Kiyu would act nice at first, maybe ask for something small—advice, a spar, a favor—and then slowly build it up until Nawaki was trapped in some kind of one-sided loyalty. She'd seen that kind of slow bleed before.
But now, after nearly an hour of quietly observing the two at the training grounds, Tsunade's fears were... not gone, but they had dimmed.
She had watched as Nawaki stumbled through the exercises, panting, sweating, barely keeping up. She saw Kiyu guide him without mocking him, offering corrections in quiet tones, sometimes laughing but never condescending.
There was no sign of arrogance, no smug superiority. Just calm, steady discipline.
And then there was Kiyu himself. The way he moved, the way he trained—it wasn't flashy or performative. There was no audience to impress, no sense that he was doing it for praise or attention.
His training was relentless, repetitive, and clearly self-imposed. Tsunade had seen enough gifted shinobi over the years to know the difference between ambition and obsession. What Kiyu had was... something else.
He trained not to impress, not to rise above, not even to lead. He trained simply to be strong. For strength's own sake. It wasn't about climbing ranks or chasing titles.
He didn't speak of becoming Hokage or winning tournaments. There was a clarity in his purpose that Tsunade found rare—especially in someone so young.
It was raw. Focused. Maybe even a little lonely.
But most importantly, it was real.
"Maybe... he can be friends with Nawaki," she murmured to herself, a faint smile curling her lips.
She hadn't realized how much she'd been hoping for that.
Friendship, she knew from painful experience, wasn't about shared bloodlines or tactical alliances. The best friends—the ones worth keeping—were the ones who stood beside you without needing a reason. They bickered, they fought, they disagreed. But when the real battles came, they were your greatest shield. Your strongest anchor.
Nawaki could use someone like that.
And maybe... just maybe, Kiyu could too.
Tsunade glanced at the two boys one last time before vanishing into the trees, her steps light as falling petals.
As she moved through the branches back toward the village, another thought came to her—smaller, but warmer.
"Now that I think about it," she mused, "Nawaki's birthday is coming soon."
A mischievous spark lit in her eyes.
"I'll find something he'll actually like this time."
Would you like this to lead into a birthday chapter or scene? It could be a great moment to deepen character bonds or introduce conflict.