The group walked through the busier part of the street as the scent of food grew stronger with each step.
Hideki's pace quickened almost immediately. "I knew it… you've definitely planned this."
They turned down a narrower street, quieter than the main road but far from empty.
A few small stalls lined the sides, but one stood out more than the others, not because it was large, but because it was… lively.
Soft chatter, the clink of bowls, steam rising steadily from behind the counter.
Murakami didn't slow down.
"…We're here," he said.
Hideki leaned forward slightly, peering in. "This place?"
Murakami nodded once. "They're fast. And the food's consistent."
Sora crossed his arms. "That's your standard?"
"It's enough." Murakami shrugged.
Mitsuki chuckled. "I like it already."
They stepped in and the warmth of the place hit them first, followed by the rich scent of broth and grilled toppings.
Wooden tables were arranged in simple rows, a few already occupied by hungry customers.
Murakami moved without hesitation, sliding into a familiar spot near the side.
Hideki dropped down beside him almost immediately. "Ahh… finally."
Sora sat across from them, still glancing around. "…You've definitely been here before."
Murakami didn't deny it, he wouldn't have brought them here if he hadn't.
Before anything else could be said, a voice drifted over.
"Ara~ if it isn't Mura-chin."
Murakami's expression shifted just slightly, then he looked up to see a woman standing beside their table, tray tucked under her arm, a bright, knowing smile already on her face.
"You disappeared for a while," she continued, leaning slightly. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten about us."
Murakami offered a small, polite smile. "Mira-san, I've been occupied."
"Mhm~ busy already?" she teased lightly, her gaze flicking briefly to the others before returning to him. "And you even brought friends today."
Hideki straightened a bit.
Sora just watched.
Mitsuki's smile widened faintly.
Murakami didn't react to the tone. "We'll be eating."
"Of course you will," she rolled her eyes, then said with a soft laugh. "What'll it be?"
Murakami didn't need to think.
"Four bowls. Same as usual. Add skewers."
She nodded immediately, like she had expected that answer. "Coming right up."
Then she paused, tilting her head slightly at him.
"…Don't disappear again, Mura-chin," she added with a softer smile before turning and walking away.
Murakami watched her leave for half a second, then rested his elbow lightly on the table.
There was a moment of silence. Then—
Hideki let out a short laugh.
"…Mura-chin?"
Sora couldn't hold it in either, a quiet chuckle slipping out. "That's what she calls you?"
Even Mitsuki let out a low laugh behind them. "Didn't see that one coming."
All three of them looked at him.
Murakami looked back at them.
They were waiting… expecting something.
Embarrassment, annoyance…anything. Unfortunately, Murakami was not one to be easily embarrassed. He blinked once.
"…It's just a nickname," he said flatly.
That was it.
He didn't bother to react or deny.
Sora's smile faltered slightly. "…That's it?"
Hideki leaned forward. "You're not even gonna say anything about it?"
Murakami picked up a cup and poured himself some water.
"…Should I?" he asked.
That only made it worse.
Mitsuki shook his head, still amused. "You're an interesting one."
Murakami didn't respond because it didn't matter. What use is being embarrassed at a nickname that could get him in the good books of someone that could be of importance?
He wasn't a kid…or maybe he was physically, but mentally, he wasn't, so embarrassment was a feeling foreign to him.
"You're weird Murakami." Hideki said in a low mutter, but it was loud enough that they all heard it.
Sora nodded in agreement while Mitsuki chuckled.
"You're not the first to say that." Murakami said, then closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting from the group.
He had learned a lot today, although the layout of the village wasn't foreign to him, exploring it with Mitsuki pointing out certain things, filling in the gaps in his knowledge about certain areas.
At the moment, he could be certain that other than a few privileged clan kids, he was the most familiar with the village amongst children his age.
He looked up at Sora and Hideki before casting a glance at Mitsuki then shook his head.
It wasn't that he was being too cold, but those two were being too friendly.
"What rank are you, Mitsuki-senpai?" Murakami suddenly asked, cutting the conversation between the three off.
"Hmm?" Mitsuki seemed to have been caught off guard. "Oh, I'm a chunin." He said pointing to his flack jacket. "Once you've become a chunin, you'd get one of these too."
"But Kaito-sensei also had one of these on, and he's a Jonin." Sora looked at Mitsuki and said,
Mitsuki nodded and pointed to the spiral sign on his jacket. "As a chunin, mine is yellow, can you remember the color of the spiral sign on your sensei's jacket?"
"I think it was red." Sora replied to which Mitsuki nodded.
"That's the difference between the two."
"How does one become a Jonin?" Hideki asked. "I've heard that a Shinobi needs to have mastered their chakra nature to a certain level…"
"Nature transformation." Mitsuki said. "But not only that, a shinobi needs to have carried out a number of B-rank missions as well as undergo a series of evaluations from the village and the daimyo…"
Speaking to this point, Mitsuki sighed ruefully and shook his head. "It's one thing to master nature transformation, but mastering nature transformation doesn't remove the fact that a mistake on the field could cost you your life."
"Is that why you're still stuck as a chunin?" Murakami asked, causing the table to go silent. An awkward kind of silence but Murakami didn't seem to notice and continued locking eyes with Mitsuki.
Mitsuki smiled slightly and nodded. "I know my limits."
There was a moment of silence that followed before Murakami nodded. "I see."
Just then, Mira, the serving lady returned with a tray containing four bowls of steaming rice with meat on top.
"I hope you didn't wait long." She said with a smile as she set the bowls in front of the four.
"Not at all, Mira-san." Murakami responded.
"That's good, I added in a little extra since Mura-chin brought in some friends." She added then put a finger on her lips and said in a low voice. "Don't let anyone know this."
Murakami nodded seriously, "My lips are sealed." He then looked at the others, who despite not understanding what was going on also nodded.
"That's my Mura-chin. If I wasn't on duty right now I'd eat up that cute face of yours."
"It's handsome, Mira, not cute." Murakami sighed.
"Humph, I say it's cute, so it's cute." She harrumphed and put the tray back under her arms. "I'll leave you boys to enjoy your meal."
"Much appreciated." Murakami chuckled and said as she turned and left.
Picking up his chopsticks, he looked at the others. "Let's eat."
The others picked up their chopsticks and clasped their hands together. "Itadakimasu."
…
Haruki Murakami
Age: 13
DOB: 5th September XXX
Family: None(Orphan)
Affiliation: Konohagakure
Father: Haruki Sabuto
Rank: Chunin
Affiliation: Konohagakure
Status: Dead
Mother: Kiyome Satsuki
Rank: Chunin
Affiliation: Konohagakure
Status: Dead
Notes:
Year 1: Above-average physical performance. Mastered basic chakra control exercises with minimal difficulty. Demonstrated early signs of exceptional coordination.
Year 2: Promoted in practical grading but refused advancement due to insufficient theoretical performance. Shows clear gap between practical ability and academic engagement.
Year 3: Rapid improvement in combat application. Excels in sparring, frequently ending matches faster than expected. Displays low interest in classroom instruction.
Year 4: Top-tier taijutsu performance within cohort. Instructors note unusual predictive combat behavior. Limited participation in group-based exercises.
Year 5: Advanced practical certification candidate. Consistently performs above peer level in field activities. Written assessments remain average due to lack of engagement.
Year 6: Exceeds graduation benchmarks in all practical evaluations. Theoretical results remain inconsistent. Performs best in real-time combat scenarios under pressure.
Graduation Remark: Haruki Murakami is recommended for graduation based on field competency and combat readiness.
However, it is noted that his development trajectory does not align with standard shinobi educational expectations
…
Reading through all this, Kaito couldn't help but furrow his brow in confusion.
How was it possible that the very kid the academy deemed to be just above average as a Genin could showcase the level of skill he showed earlier this morning.
He couldn't make heads or tails about it. Looking at the remarks made by his homeroom teachers each year, he entertained the thought of personally paying them a visit to inquire about Murakami, but after giving it some thought, he shook his head.
No matter what, the academy instructors were all Chunin level Shinobi, there was no way they could have written a false remark consistently for six years.
That left only one conclusion: Murakami was skilled at hiding his abilities.
Reaching this conclusion, Kaito rolled the scroll, and placed it back into the shelf.
This also erased the faint suspicion he had about Murakami being a spy.
His parents were obviously Konoha-nin who died during the earlier skirmishes that later led to the ongoing 1st Shinobi war.
It would be dishonorable of him to label their kid as a spy.
'A genius.' Kaito mused to himself as he walked out of the academy archive room.
His mind went back to the test earlier this morning. Murakami had the ability to coordinate with his teammates in such a way that made them fight him like an experienced team.
'And that was with the weighted seal active.' he couldn't help feeling impressed about that. And upon deactivating it… Kaito rubbed his arm a bit as he recalled the force behind the boy's fist.
'Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and Fuinjutsu…could he also be proficient in Genjutsu? He recalled the 3rd year instructor's remark saying that his proficiency in Genjutsu was well above his peers with only the Uchiha and Yakumo clan kids outperforming him.
But that could've also been as a result of him not wanting to stand out.
And considering that Murakami didn't even bother to use Ninjutsu till he had been pushed to use it, it would be no surprise if he was quite proficient in Genjutsu too.
'This just got interesting.' He thought with a smile. 'To have grown to such a level without any guidance…could I even teach him anything?'
Kaito didn't overlook the fact that Murakami was able to cast an Earth style: earth wall and Wind style: wind palm in rapid succession.
'Wind and Earth chakra affinity already mastered… perhaps his parents left him some inheritance…' Kaito mused, "I could build on that and go from there then." He muttered to himself.
"There could be some joy in teaching kids after all…just hope they don't die too soon." He said with a sad smile.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
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