"Fourteen days. If you fail to return them or damage them, the fine is one hundred ryō."
Without hesitation, Shun handed her a hundred-ryō bill. She returned the change, noting his entry in the register.
With the books tucked under his arm, he left the library and walked toward his aunt's house, already anticipating lunch.
---------------
He gently knocked on the door of Mikoto's house. His aunt opened it and nudged him inside.
"Shun, you're late for lunch," she grumbled.
"Sorry, Aunt. I was just too engrossed in the library," he said, rubbing his head with an awkward smile.
"Food is as important as studying, Shun. You need to eat at the right time." She served food onto his plate while lecturing him on the importance of meals.
"Uhh… Aunt, did Mikoto-nii come for lunch?" he interrupted, questions lingering in his mind after his visit to the library.
"She left a few minutes before you came. She even asked about you. Such cute siblings you both are!" she said with a mischievous laugh.
"Did you want to ask her something?" she asked as she poured soup into his bowl, her smile gentle as he slowly enjoyed the food she'd made.
"Yes, Aunt… I wanted to ask her about some ninja academy stuff," he answered vaguely, chewing his food slowly.
After finishing his meal, he washed his hands, said goodbye, and left for home.
Once there, he went straight to his bedroom and sat cross-legged on the bed.
Time to test my chakra. First, I need to stabilize my breathing. His breaths grew steady. Now, I need to visualize my spiritual and physical energy… then merge them into chakra and feel it in my pathways.
Minutes turned to hours. Sweat formed on his brow, but his expression was calm. His breathing steadied further. Gradually, he felt it—the faint flow of chakra within his body. The current grew stronger as he focused entirely on it.
When he finally rose from meditation, a small smile formed. The strange new energy filled him with excitement, thoughts of the future swirling in his mind.
Knock, knock.
He opened the door to see a familiar face. "Oh! Naoki-san…"
With an awkward smile, she apologized. "I'm sorry, Shun. My sister just had a baby, and since her husband was away, I had to take care of her."
"You must have been troubled, leaving the house to me," guilt flickered on her face. "But don't worry. I'll immediately clean everything and prepare dinner for you."
"Don't worry, Naoki-san. Aunt Makio and Mikoto-nii took care of me," he said warmly, giving her space to enter.
Naoki began cleaning the house, arranging things neatly. With nothing else to do, Shun started training: fifty push-ups, sit-ups, and some light jumps. His body soon gave in to exhaustion, and he slumped onto a chair, trying to steady his ragged breathing.
Another knock. He opened the door to find his sister Mikoto standing there. She ruffled his hair as she walked in, greeting Naoki with a smile.
"How was your library visit, Shun?" she asked, sitting across from him.
"It was good. I even read about our great ancestor, Madara Uchiha, and our clan. But… I have a doubt. Why are there no mentions of our allies during the Warring Era?" he tapped the table rhythmically.
"It's because you're not qualified to know that yet. Or rather, you're not a ninja. When the time comes, those questions will be answered." She smiled gently and looked over the books he had brought.
"By the way, Shun… why are you suddenly so curious about these things?" she asked while flipping through a page.
"Actually… I got bullied. They even mocked my dream. So I… I'm going to prove them wrong," he stammered, confessing the truth. A frown creased Mikoto's forehead; her attention left the book entirely.
"Who bullied you, Shun…" she muttered, cracking her knuckles, her expression darkening.
"It's okay, Nii-san. They've already been scolded. If you interfere, it'll only make things worse." He quickly tried to calm her down, not wanting her dragged into something so trivial.
"Fine, if that's what you want. But instead, I'll make you stronger—so no one dares to bully you again." Her brows softened, but her gaze stayed firm. "We'll start training tomorrow. But first… tell me, do you know what chakra is and how to sense it?"
"Yeah. Chakra is formed by combining spiritual and physical energy. Before Father left on his mission, he taught me how to sense it," he said, repeating what he had learned.
"That's great. Then we can skip the basics and move on to hand seals and physical training." She brightened. "Since you already know how to form and sense chakra, it'll help a lot with your training."
After explaining the next day's training schedule, Mikoto left—reminding him not to obsess over history just yet, since he'd eventually learn it all at the academy.
Shun let out a sigh of relief. His excuse about being bullied had diverted her suspicion about his sudden interest in ninja history.
A firm look crossed his face. I need to blend in. If anyone discovers another soul is inhabiting this body… even I don't know what the consequences would be.