Knock, knock, knock.
"Tom," a voice called out from the other side of the door. "This is your admission notice. Be sure to arrive at the Ninja Academy tomorrow morning at 7 o'clock sharp."
The smiling ninja handed over the notice with a friendly tone, but Tom just stood there, momentarily stunned.
He should have been admitted to the academy two years ago. No one ever gave him a clear answer as to why his admission had been delayed, but somehow, the approval came at the exact same time as Naruto's. Coincidence? He didn't think so.
Still holding the notice, Tom sat back on the floor in silence.
There had been a time when he was desperate to enter the Ninja Academy. Back then, he had scoured the entire house looking for anything that could help him understand the world of ninjas—books, scrolls, even notes. But everything had been taken away. Even the most basic texts like Chakra Refinement Techniques had vanished.
After the old lady who had looked after him moved out, Tom tore the place apart searching for materials his father might have left behind—any record, no matter how small. But there was nothing. It was as if the house had been sanitized by the village itself.
He came to a sobering realization: this was likely intentional. Konoha didn't want any wild cards running around. Too much power in unmonitored hands was dangerous. Just like how his original country had strict laws against firearms, chakra users here needed regulation too. Possessing chakra and knowing basic jutsu was like carrying a loaded weapon. You had to be registered, trained, and above all, controlled.
And what better way to ensure loyalty than to funnel every young ninja through the Ninja Academy?
The Academy had been founded by the Second Hokage during wartime. It wasn't just a school—it was a training base, designed to produce loyal, capable shinobi who could be mobilized efficiently. The curriculum focused on instilling the essentials of combat readiness. Once you demonstrated competence at a genin level, you could graduate and be placed into a team under a jōnin instructor.
Geniuses like Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi had set records by graduating early during the war years. But even now, in peacetime, the academy remained a pillar of Konoha's power.
Enrollment wasn't open to just anyone either. If it were, then even Jiraiya wouldn't have bothered personally mentoring kids like Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan in the Rain Village. He could have just brought them back to Konoha for training. But no—Konoha was careful. Meticulous. And a little paranoid.
Tom knew that better than anyone.
His previous life had ended in betrayal. Painful, bloody, and final. This time around, he didn't plan to trust anyone easily—not the village, not the higher-ups, not even his fellow classmates. Especially not with Root operating in the shadows under Danzo's command. One misstep, and he could become just another disposable tool.
Unlike Naruto, Tom had no protagonist's aura protecting him. If he got killed, he wouldn't get a second reset. There would be no rebirth, no mysterious power saving him at the last second.
He had to walk the path of the lone wolf.
But even lone wolves need a starting point.
And that starting point was the Ninja Academy—for two reasons: Hinata Hyuga and Iruka Umino.
Hinata, the girl he had met in the woods, had left a deep impression on him. In his previous life, she had always seemed gentle yet determined, shy yet strong. And when she grew up… well, let's just say she didn't exactly lack in appearance either.
No matter what happened, Tom had vowed to get close to her. He didn't care how many hours of training or fighting it would take.
As for Iruka-sensei, Tom had deeply respected him in his past life. He was a solid, dependable man who had seen Naruto not as a vessel but as a person. To be able to study under Iruka—now that was something worth fighting for.
He would save the lone-wolf mindset for later.
The next morning, Tom arrived at the Ninja Academy early. A small crowd had already gathered near the entrance. Parents and relatives were fussing over their children, giving last-minute advice or simply standing by for moral support. It was loud, cheerful, and full of warmth.
Tom stood quietly, watching the scene with a dull ache in his chest.
No matter how mature his mind was, no matter how much he tried to suppress his emotions, it still hurt to be alone. There was no one to send him off. No one to encourage him. It was just him and the dusty letter in his pocket.
He glanced around. "Naruto and I are probably the only ones here without any family," he thought.
After a round of inspections and paperwork, Tom completed his admission procedures. Thanks to Naruto—who was already known to cause trouble—the staff kept a closer eye on Tom as well. But instead of rejecting him, they decided to group him with Naruto, assigning both of them to Class 1-D.
Their homeroom teacher?
Iruka Umino.
Tom's heart skipped a beat. A part of him that had been coiled with tension began to relax. At least something was going according to plan.
The first lesson of the day focused on the basics of chakra.
Iruka stood at the front of the classroom, patiently explaining. "Chakra is the energy that allows a ninja to use ninjutsu," he said. "It comes from two sources. First, the physical energy generated by every one of the 130 trillion cells in your body. Second, the mental and spiritual energy you cultivate through training and discipline."
Tom listened intently, even though he already knew this.
In theory, his chakra potential was absurd. His healing ability kept every cell in his body running at peak performance, giving him a huge edge in physical energy. It was like owning an engine that could run at maximum power 24 hours a day without ever overheating.
As for spiritual energy?
He had spent 200 years trapped in a void, training his mind under immense pain, reliving agony that shredded the soul again and again. The mental fortitude he had gained was beyond anything this world could offer.
He was, essentially, a walking chakra factory.
Still, he stayed quiet and took notes. There was no need to draw attention to himself—at least not yet.
Over the next several weeks, the Academy increased the pace of instruction. Students began learning about chakra pathways, hand seals, and the three fundamental techniques: Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, and Substitution Jutsu.
After about a month of theory, the time finally came for practical application: chakra refinement.
Under their teachers' guidance, each student was asked to sit down, focus their minds, and try to gather chakra from within.
Many struggled.
Tom did not.
Thanks to his experience with internal martial arts from his previous life, he was already familiar with techniques that mirrored chakra control. He gathered energy effortlessly, letting it flow through his system. Not only did he succeed in refining chakra on his first attempt, but he also pushed it through his entire body in nine smooth circulations, much like the energy cycles used in Xingyiquan.
It felt natural. Right.
"I've finally stepped through the door of the ninja world," he thought, his eyes flickering with a quiet fire.
He had loved this world in his past life—watched it from afar, read every detail, memorized every jutsu and battle. Now, he was no longer just a spectator. He was part of it.
He was here.
And this time, he wouldn't be a footnote in someone else's story.