"No familiar faces, huh…" Mitsuki Mui muttered softly to herself. Then, without caring much, she casually chose a seat in the back row and sat down.
Class 1-B.
That was Mitsuki Mui's assigned class.
It wasn't all that surprising, really—very few children her age attended the Ninja Academy this early.
Of course… there were exceptions. Like Kakashi, for example. If counted by years, he was even younger than her.
Hmm… Might Guy was about the same age too, if she remembered correctly.
But the majority of kids usually entered the Academy around the age of seven. Then again, Konoha had never set a strict rule about the starting age.
Next year.
Next year was when a flood of storyline events would hit.
Kakashi, Obito, Guy, Asuma, and a whole bunch of others would be starting together.
That was exactly why Mui had chosen to stagger her timing.
After all—
"When that time comes, you'll all have to call me 'senpai'! Wahahaha!"
After a while, more and more students began to trickle into the classroom.
By the time no one else seemed to be arriving, the clock struck nine.
At that moment, a man wearing a ninja vest walked through the door.
"Well then, it looks like everyone's here…"
The chunin glanced around the classroom before nodding with satisfaction. "Alright, let's all introduce ourselves. I'll start first. My name is Kato Dan."
…Wait, what? No way. You're supposed to die this year, aren't you? I even spent 5 points of Lewd Energy to buy a Hokage Timeline scroll—it can't be wrong.
"Of course, I won't be your permanent instructor," Kato Dan continued. "Your assigned teacher is currently tied up with some matters. So, for the next three months, I'll be filling in as your temporary teacher. That's all there is to it."
Ah. I get it now. Three months later, you'll be deployed to the battlefield… and then you won't come back, right? Yeah, makes sense.
Mui's eyes shifted slightly as she considered whether she should find a way to get her hands on Spirit Transformation Technique from him during this short period.
But after thinking it over, she gave up on the idea. She didn't have any kind of talk-no-jutsu ability. Three months wasn't nearly enough to coax such a technique out of him.
As for saving his life…
Hah? Whether he lived or died had nothing to do with her.
Mitsuki Mui scoffed inwardly.
"Alright then, let's begin with this little one here."
"Yes! My name is Sabi Mokusei. I like sardines, my hobby is playing with friends, and my dream is to become a strong ninja like my father!"
"A fine dream. Alright, next."
"M-me… my name is… uh… (who even knows what she just said). I like… my mom… my hobby is… um… nothing really… and my dream is… I don't have one yet…"
"Mm. Well, take some time to think about it. No matter what, it's best to have a dream to aim for."
"Y-Yes. Thank you, teacher."
"Alright, next."
One by one, the children introduced themselves. Eventually, it came around to the back row corner, to Mui. She was the last.
"My name is Mitsuki Mui. I like black clothes. My hobby is training in ninjutsu, though so far I haven't learned a single one. As for my dream… I haven't really decided yet."
Mui spoke seriously.
And she meant it, too.
"I see… but it would still be best to set a dream for yourself," Kato Dan advised. "That way you'll have a goal to strive toward."
"Well… I guess you're right, but it still doesn't feel very real to me yet."
"Fair enough. Then take your time and search for it in the days ahead."
Kato Dan smiled. "That will be all for today. There's nothing particularly important for now, but tomorrow classes officially begin. Don't be late."
"Yes, sir!"
"Alright then, dismissed."
Hearing the dismissal, Mitsuki Mui exhaled softly, stood up, and prepared to leave with the others.
"Oh, right—Mui, hold on a moment."
"Mm? What is it, Teacher Kato?"
Kato Dan smiled, pulled out a scroll, and placed it in front of her. "This."
"Huh… what's this…"
Mui picked it up and looked. Written on the cover were the characters: Clone, Transformation, Substitution Technique.
"This is—"
"Yes, I'm giving it to you."
Kato Dan chuckled. "You said you were interested in learning ninjutsu, right? I thought about it and decided to hand this over to you first. It contains my own notes and insights on the Three Basic Techniques. Originally, I planned to distribute them to everyone a week from now. But since you're eager, you can have yours early."
"…Ah… thank you so much, Teacher Kato!"
Mui bowed her head in gratitude.
"It's nothing. If you don't understand something, feel free to ask me. Don't bottle it up and struggle on your own, alright?"
"Yes, sir!"