I'm back, everyone. I'll try to keep up with the story, and don't go to my Patreon because there are no advance chapters for now. I'm back because I've gone from five subjects to just two, and I've passed all the others, so after the university has fucked my brain and worn me out in every possible way, I'll try to enjoy writing again, even if for now it's only one of the stories, I'm counting on your power stones.
Chapter 1 – Arc 2
Hope you enjoy it. Now, without further ado—let's begin.
...
The Academy gate stood before her—dark wood, thick, solid, with the symbol of Lightning carved into the center.
Yoruichi stared at it in silence, a mix of respect and barely contained excitement in her chest. Respect, because the simple act of fighting and risking your life for your country and its people deserved it. And excitement, because she knew she'd already stepped onto the path of the ninja.
Beside the gate, a tall, composed woman waited for her. Striking. Dark eyes behind thin glasses, brown hair tied back, athletic build. She wore a light kimono, a Kumogakure tactical vest, and a short katana strapped across her back. Her expression was calm as she flipped through some documents.
[Image]
"You're Yoruichi?" she asked, her voice clear.
Yoruichi nodded.
"I'm your instructor. You can call me Miss Honey," she said, giving a slight bow without losing her poise. "I hope you're ready."
Without another word, she turned on her heel and began walking inside. Yoruichi followed with a spring in her step, fists clenched in excitement, hopping lightly, turning her head from side to side, wide-eyed at everything.
The hallways were spacious, with high ceilings and tall windows where the golden morning light streamed through. The air smelled like fresh paper, polished wood, chalk, and anticipation.
Each footstep echoed, like the Academy was trying to memorize the rhythm of those who came in to change its story.
Yoruichi couldn't stop looking around. She waved at a group of kids watching her with curiosity. Some waved back. Others just stared.
It wasn't normal to see a four-year-old girl walking with that much confidence down a corridor where the main curriculum was learning how to kill. But there she was—head held high, wide grin, fierce gaze.
They finally reached the classroom. A wooden sign marked the number: 1-B.
The sliding door opened with a soft whisper.
Twelve pairs of eyes turned in unison. Silence. Curiosity. Judgment. A bit of fear.
Miss Honey walked to the front of the class with her usual grace. Her voice cut clean through the room—calm, firm, no need to raise it.
"Class, quiet."
The murmurs vanished instantly.
"We have a new student. Pay attention." She paused. "This is Yoruichi Nagumo. She's been admitted early, by direct recommendation of the high command."
Some eyes widened. Others blinked in disbelief. Miss Honey turned to Yoruichi and motioned for her to speak.
The little girl stepped forward. Took a deep breath. And said:
"Hi, everyone! My name's Yoruichi Nagumo. I'm four years old. My dream is to become the first female Raikage of Kumogakure!"
Silence again. Some kids glanced at each other. Others weren't sure whether to laugh or be nervous. Her smile was dangerous—like a tiny version of Himiko Toga. And her eyes? Straight-up intimidating.
She pulled a notebook from her pocket. Opened it like it was the most normal thing in the world. And started reading.
"I like to draw… fight… eat… hang out with Dad… with Grandpa… with Dad Two… with B…"
Three minutes later:
"…eat pizza, eat Krangeburgers…"
Two minutes later:
"…and I dream of kicking a legendary ninja in the face with my powerful legs, which are special…"
One minute later:
"I am the storm that is approaching."
Four minutes later:
"…and I love wasting people's time. The end!"
She snapped the notebook shut, gave a theatrical bow like she was on stage, and smiled with a mischievous sparkle.
Silence.
A heavy, awkward silence hung in the air. Some kids frowned. Others just had no idea what to make of that introduction.
Miss Honey took a deep breath. She kept her composure. Only a single vein pulsing at her temple betrayed her.
"Miss Nagumo," she said with a polite smile that barely hid its edge, "you can take a seat at the back, by the window. Welcome to your first day."
Nice, Yoruichi thought. The protagonist's seat.
Though honestly, she figured it was more like "the low-budget protagonist's seat."
Ignoring her inner commentary about how mangakas cut costs, Yoruichi walked lightly between the desks. Some kids looked at her like they wanted to yell something. Others just watched in silence. A girl with pigtails gave her a shy wave. A boy, clearly annoyed, turned away and pretended not to care.
She sat down and greeted the girl next to her. Shoulder-length blonde hair. Green eyes. Samurai-style kimono.
She smiled and said, "Hi there. I'm Yoruichi Nagumo."
"Hello, desu. I'm Tomoe Gozen," replied the blonde girl with the samurai look. Her tone, her posture—everything about her screamed traditional warrior.
Yoruichi immediately flagged her as interesting.
She looked out the window. The view was amazing. Unlike Konohagakure—tree-huggers to the core—Kumogakure embraced mountains. They lived in them. The village stretched across cliffs, connected by bridges and stairs. Thank god, Yoruichi thought, they're not those endless Saint Seiya stairs.
From the window you could see the horizon, and beyond that, majestic mountains, with one towering above the rest—the mighty Raikage Mountain, slicing into the sky.
Miss Honey picked up a piece of chalk and turned to the board. In quick, fluid strokes, she wrote three big words in all caps:
CHAKRA – CONTROL – CONNECTION
"This is what we'll be studying this semester," she announced. "Understanding what chakra is, how it's formed, and how to control it. Without that, you can't even begin to call yourselves ninjas."
She crossed her arms and let the silence sink in.
"Who can tell me what chakra is?"
A long, tense second passed. Then a small hand slowly rose.
It was a warm-skinned girl with black hair and oversized round glasses. She wore a floral-patterned kimono—worn but carefully kept. Her name was Mina.
"Chakra is a form of energy that all living beings naturally produce," she said, her voice calm but a little nervous. "It originates in the chakra coils, which wrap around and connect each organ in the body. That energy flows through an internal network called the Chakra Circulatory System."
She paused, unsure how to continue. Honey stepped in with a smooth assist.
"Very good, Mina."
She turned back to the board, writing rapidly as she spoke.
"All living beings have chakra. But we, as shinobi, learn to generate it consciously and manipulate it. We release it through tenketsu points to perform special techniques called jutsu."
As she spoke, Honey moved toward the corner of the room. Without warning, she hurled a kunai straight at the ceiling.
The students barely had time to react before realizing—
It was falling. Fast.
And heading straight for her head.
Some screamed. Most squeezed their eyes shut.
But Honey didn't flinch. Her hands moved with practiced precision, flashing through hand signs so fast they were nearly invisible.
Ram → Boar.
Jutsu: Body Replacement.
The kunai dropped—
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Screams filled the classroom—half the kids yelled, the other half shut their eyes.
But right before impact…
Plaf.
A sharp crack. A puff of smoke exploded where Honey had just been standing. In her place: a chair. The kunai was stabbed clean into the backrest.
And in front of the chalkboard—unscathed, smirking just a little—stood Honey.
Several students went pale. Others shook.
Yoruichi didn't even blink. Her golden eyes gleamed with excitement. She was still scribbling something in her notebook.
Next to her, Tomoe whispered:
"That was awesome! Gosaru!"
She grabbed her pencil like it was a sword, with a smile way too unhinged for a little girl.
Yoruichi glanced at her from the side and thought:
Great. I sat next to the crazy one.
Although… she didn't need a mirror to know she was smiling the same way. Ear to ear. Teeth showing. Imagining someone throwing a kunai at her, dodging it with a clone, then saying:
'Just as planned.'
"HEHEHEHEHE."
"HEHEHEHEHE."
The low, shared giggle from the Peculiar Duo was completely ignored by Honey, who continued like nothing had happened.
"What you just witnessed was a basic chakra manipulation technique: the Body Replacement Jutsu. One of the very first techniques shinobi learn. Why? Because it's simple, versatile, and it can save your life. It's used for escaping, ambushes, or misdirection."
She walked back calmly and sat with elegant ease, crossing her legs.
"This jutsu isn't usually taught until the final year of the Academy. But you—you're a special class. A class created by direct order of the Raikage. You're the most promising kids in the entire village."
Several students lifted their chins.
The ego in the room was thick—this was literally a class full of prodigies, dripping with self-importance.
Then Honey climbed Mount Tai… and pushed them all off it.
"But…"
Her voice dropped. Her gaze went dull—like she was talking to garbage.
"…you're shockingly disappointing."
The words hit like bricks. Ego started to crack and crumble.
"You panicked at something that basic. When I started forming the hand signs, you should've recognized the technique. A lot of you already know it. Instead of analyzing the situation, you froze. Honestly? Pathetic."
Her eyes swept across the room. Sharp. Cutting.
They passed over Tomoe, who looked like she was seconds from jumping out of her seat to start a duel.
Then landed on Yoruichi—who stared right back, unblinking, with those intense golden eyes that sent a chill down your spine.
So this is the girl, Honey thought bitterly. The one who made the Raikage create this whole class…
I can't believe the old man dismantled my border patrol squad just to stick me in here playing teacher...
[FLASHBACK — 5 MONTHS AGO]
Five months earlier:
Honey was a jōnin in charge of the northern front, at the border with Konoha. She trained shinobi who patrolled the mountain passes, the hidden valleys, the trails where war always lingered.
There were no classes there. No recess. Just life or death.
Her students weren't prodigies. They were rejects, orphans, disposable soldiers.
But under her command… they changed.
She taught them to fight. To flee. To scout.
To lie. To infiltrate. To poison. To seduce. To survive.
If something could help protect the village, Honey turned it into a lesson.
That's why they called her The Forge.
Because it didn't matter how they arrived—if they passed through her hands, they came out as weapons.
Then one day, she was called back. And less than a week later, summoned to the Raikage's office.
"Honey," he said, blunt and to the point, "I need you to teach at the Academy."
She looked at him like she'd misheard. Raised an eyebrow, visibly thrown.
"Seriously? Me?" she asked, somewhere between shocked and annoyed.
"I'm more useful on the front lines than babysitting brats."
The Raikage didn't blink. He pulled a file from his desk—official documents—and set them on the table with a tap.
"It's a special class. Only the best of the best. Kids between five and nine years old, handpicked for exceptional abilities. They won't be mixed with regular students. They'll compete against each other."
Honey narrowed her eyes.
"What's the point of breaking the system? Wasn't the whole idea to mix prodigies with average students to encourage cooperation?"
The Raikage didn't answer right away. He picked up his teacup.
The water inside was boiling. Tiny bubbles burst against the porcelain.
"You know what Kodoku is?"
Caught off guard, Honey replied, "...The technique where you trap poisonous creatures in a jar so they devour each other, and then you heal the survivor with medical jutsu—creating a being that concentrates all their toxins. Yeah. I know it."
"Exactly. We don't want them to kill each other, obviously. But we do want them to challenge each other. To compete. In combat, strategy, stealth. To understand that if they don't improve… someone else will. And that someone will take their place."
He set down the cup. All the bubbles burst at once. The surface went still.
"Kids are naturally competitive, Honey. We're going to use that.
We don't want them adapting to mediocrity.
We want them pushing themselves to the limit…
because they're surrounded by monsters just like them."
Honey stayed quiet.
She understood what the Raikage was really proposing.
This wasn't a class.
It was an experiment.
The Raikage picked up the report from his desk. A thick dossier, full of printed pages and notes scribbled in the margins. He began to read aloud:
Hajime
Age: 7
Personality: Responsible, studious, loyal.
Talents: Obedient and meticulous, progresses with precision. A prodigy in wind techniques; learns them at an alarming speed.
Notes: Could become a great strategist—if he learns to make decisions on his own.
Yujito Nin
Age: 7
Personality: Brave, proud, determined.
Talents: Intelligent, highly analytical, excellent physical performance.
Specialty: Hand-to-hand combat, clan techniques.
Notes: Potential future leader of the Nin Clan.
Yasuha Yamashita
Age: 6
Personality: Rebellious, sarcastic, brilliant.
Specialty: Genjutsu and illusions.
Notes: Comes from a family of musicians. Blends sound and illusion with unique creativity.
Tomoe Gozen
Age: 6
Personality: Obsessed with honor, samurai conduct.
Specialty: Kenjutsu and defense.
Notes: Son of an exile from the Land of Iron. Trains relentlessly. His obsession with duels could be a tactical flaw.
Mabui
Age: 6
Personality: Insightful, reserved, strategic.
Talents: Brilliant mind, large chakra reserves.
Specialty: Still unknown.
Notes: From a civilian family. Physically weak, but mentally exceptional.
Samui
Age: 6
Personality: [...]
The list went on. Eleven names. Eleven prodigies. Each one more peculiar than the last.
Honey frowned.
"Eleven?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's an odd number. If they all graduate together and get assigned into squads, one team will be incomplete."
The Raikage smiled—like he'd been waiting for her to catch that.
"Correct. That's why…" —he pulled a separate folder from the bottom drawer of his desk— "there's one more."
The file was thinner but printed on higher quality paper. Honey noticed that immediately.
The name on the first line made her pause.
Yoruichi Nagumo
Age: 4 (just turned)
Talents: Early cognitive and physical development. Absolute prodigy. Natural affinity with Raiton, and potentially, Senjutsu.
Specialties: Kenjutsu, Taijutsu, combat analysis.
Notes: Advanced strategic thinking. Obsessed with becoming stronger. Unprecedented learning speed. Photographic memory. Keeps a notebook where she records everything she observes, in detail. Has another for drawing. So smart she sometimes overthinks—and sometimes doesn't think at all.
Honey couldn't hide her surprise. Not just at the audacity of using premium paper for a single student's file—but at the contents, which raised more questions than they answered.
"Four years old…?" she muttered, scanning the page again. "This has to be a mistake. And potential Senjutsu talent? That's something only a handful of people close to you even know exists…"
The Raikage lit a cigarette and held it calmly between his lips.
"It's not a mistake," he said firmly. "She's the reason I created this class."
"Excuse me? You built an entire class around one student? What is this… Konoha?"
The Raikage ignored her sarcasm and continued, his tone filled with quiet pride:
"She's the very definition of a natural shinobi. The mind of an adult in a child's body. Taught herself to read and write. Trains on her own initiative. Her obsession with improvement borders on unhealthy… but that's part of what we are, isn't it? It's what pushes us past our limits."
Honey stayed silent. She'd trained many before—shinobi without talent but obsessed with getting stronger. Most of them… died trying.
"So… if she's that much of a prodigy," she said through clenched teeth, "why isn't she with the others already? Why isn't she in the class?"
The Raikage looked down. Sighed. Then smiled, a little awkwardly.
"Because Denji won't let her."
"What?"
Honey's frown deepened. She knew who Denji was: the jinchūriki of the Two-Tails. But she didn't get his hesitation.
"Denji wants to spend time with her. The war just ended, and his last mission—supply transport—is over. Since then, he's been with his daughter as much as possible. And when we found out she was training herself… he decided to take over her instruction personally," the Raikage explained, a note of respect in his voice.
"Also," he added, "we need to strengthen her body. So she can handle the training required to master Lightning Armor. Her physical condition is still fragile. Once she's ready… we'll send her."
"And the other students?" Honey pressed, still skeptical.
"She'll be the trigger. Her presence will be the spark. They'll see there's always a higher mountain to climb. And that should push them to improve."
"Or break them…" Honey muttered under her breath.
The Raikage smiled, acknowledging the point. But then his expression hardened. The air in the room seemed to grow heavier.
"If that happens, then we don't need them. I'd rather have a prodigy of effort than one of talent. If they don't have the mindset of a Kumogakure ninja, they don't deserve the title."
Blunt as always. He liked the idea of a class full of geniuses, but only because he hoped someone might be able to keep up with Yoruichi. Maybe even become her rival. Or her friend.
But if they couldn't handle the pressure, he'd replace them. Without hesitation.
Honey flipped through the file once more. She still had doubts. And one question kept echoing in her mind… a question she'd later regret asking.
"…And her family?"
The Raikage's sternness melted. His features softened. He smiled like a proud grandfather, with a spark of childish glee.
"She's Denji's daughter. And… my adopted granddaughter," he said, puffing out his chest. "I plan for her to inherit everything. She's the best. Smart, strong, determined… yadda yadda yadda… Oh, and that's not all. Did you know she also—"
End of Flashback
"Ugh… that damn old man had me listening for over an hour about how amazing his granddaughter is."
Honey snapped back to the present, shaking off the emotional fatigue as she looked out at her class. In the back row, Yoruichi was furiously scribbling in her notebook, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
"Ugh. Boring. I'd rather be training. I'm way better at practical stuff than theory…"
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End of Chapter 15.
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Fanfic based on Naruto (by Masashi Kishimoto) and Bleach (by Tite Kubo). This is a fan-made story with no official affiliation. The content is shared as part of the creative rewards on my Patreon.