Hidden Leaf Village, Ninja Academy.
Afternoon sunlight spilled through the windows and painted the wooden floor in warm gold.
Children's laughter rose and fell. Some mimicked hand seals, shouting, "Fire Style!", while others chased each other between the desks.
At the back right, a handsome black-haired boy rested his chin on one hand and watched the bustle in silence.
His eyes were deep and calm, out of tune with the bright, noisy air around him.
Uchiha Jin, a soul that did not belong to this world.
In his previous life he had just graduated from university, a perfectly ordinary young man. Before society could rough him up, the wheel of fortune had already turned.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw the Uchiha fan crest and a pair of iconic Sharingan fixed upon him.
"The world of Hokage, huh..."
At first he felt lucky. He would not be like certain clansmen whose parents are sacrificed and then they become unstoppable. Yet fate enjoys its small jokes.
Shortly after he learned to walk, his parents died on a mission.
Fortunately, the Uchiha were a great clan of the Leaf. They were not exactly warm, but at least they did not carry on with the Hyuga's main house and branch house nonsense.
The clan arranged caretakers, and he grew steadily to the age of six. He entered the Academy without trouble and had now been enrolled for half a year.
Because he crossed over too early, the Leaf was in a golden age. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, held power. The legendary Sannin had yet to make their names. Hatake Kakashi was an infant. The future Twelve would not appear for a long time.
Most classmates were faces so forgettable he could not recall their names, aside from one blond boy.
Jin's gaze drifted to the center of the classroom.
A cluster of kids chirped together. The brightest smile belonged to a blond, blue-eyed boy: Namikaze Minato.
Sensing eyes on him, Minato turned and met Jin's stare.
He blinked, then flashed a sunny grin, raised a hand in greeting, said a few words to his friends, and jogged over.
"Jin, want to come play?"
Minato stood at his desk, smiling warm and sincere.
Jin shook his head, his tone flat. "If I go over, they probably will not be able to keep playing."
He tipped his chin toward the back.
Minato glanced around. The kids who had been fooling around were now huddled together, cutting looks at Jin with a hint of fear and whispering under their breath.
Early in the term, Jin's too-mature mind set him apart from his peers, and a few brats had tried to provoke him on purpose.
To save himself trouble, he had a little friendly chat with the worst of them.
Judging by the results, he might have been a bit too effective.
Minato sighed helplessly. As one of the few in class brave enough to talk to Jin, he truly wanted to help him fit in.
All he could do now was offer an apologetic smile before heading back to his own group.
Jin did not mind. Having lived two lives, his mental age had long passed twenty. Asking him to romp with kids not yet seven was asking too much.
He had come to the Academy to study basic theory, not to play house and make friends. He appreciated Minato's kindness, but there was only so much he could do.
After turning down Minato's invitation, Jin returned to his one-handed pose, eyelids drooping as he prepared to rest a bit.
RING RING RING!
The crisp bell cut through the chatter. Feet scuffled as children trudged back to their seats. Jin opened his eyes with a small sigh.
With the bell, their chunin instructor strode into the room. Unlike usual, a child followed behind him.
She was a slightly shy girl, confusion flickering across a young face. What drew every eye was the blaze of her long, flame-red hair.
"Uzumaki Kushina."
Looking at the girl standing a little stiff on the platform, Jin spoke her name in his heart.