58 years after Konoha's founding, 10 years after the nine tails attack and two years before the beginning of the canon and here he was, sitting in the classroom with all of the future legends of Konoha!
Sakura took diligent notes, her pen flying over her paper notebook, clinging to every word the teacher said about the third great ninja war. Most others weren't as… dedicated. Shikamaru had his head on the table, snoring silently, as if the teachers words were white noise. Meanwhile Naruto, the child of prophecy was full of energy as always. His knee bounced in a steady rhythm and his fingers drummed on the desk, waiting for them to get to the practical portion. Sasuke on the other hand was silently observing, his dark eyes somewhere else, a darker place than the sunlight flooded classroom which they were sitting in.
Name: Ekko
Title: Academy student
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 5
Vitality: 5
Spirit: 20
Chakra: 15
Skills:
Throwing Technique: 7
Academy Taijutsu: 5
Chakra control: 15
Substitution jutsu(E): 7
Transformation jutsu(E): 8
Clone jutsu(E): 7
Looking at the system before him, he couldn't help but sigh. The previous owner of this body clearly hadn't valued physical training or any training at all for that matter. He still had two years, which -for someone with a system- should be plenty to rectify the less than ideal starting position.
"-kko? Ekko!"
Ekko's attention snapped back to their teacher, "erm- yes?"
"Can you tell me the name of the fourth Hokage?" The other students snickered, thinking he'd never know that.
"Minato Namikaze" he didn't even have to think. This shut the laughter up. The teacher seemed surprised, as Ekko wasn't exactly known for his studiousness. Actually, he was mediocre in pretty much every aspect except chakra control.
"Yes- well-" he continued on with the lesson.
Ekko's gaze wandered outside, towards the bustling, sun lit streets of Konoha. Children were playing, men and women were shopping and birds were chirping. The warm summer air was laying over the village like a blanket of heat. The buildings all were relatively new. After the nine tails attack, the village centre had taken the brunt of the damage and it had basically had to be rebuilt from scratch. The streets were near, the buildings uniform, the dream of any architect. That night had been the end of many things but it had also been the beginning of many others.
Ekko leaned back in his chair, the wooden legs creaking softly under his weight. His fingers absentmindedly drummed against the desk, his mind far from the hot classroom which he was sitting in. Two years… two years until Naruto would graduate, two years until the events that would shake the world of shinobi, that would change everything, would unfurl.
And yet, here he was, listening to this damned lecture.
The irony wasn't lost on him. He had been given a second chance, a system, something straight out of those stories he used to read instead of studying like he was supposed to and yet, here he was, stuck in a ten year old body with noodle arms and barely enough stamina to run a mile without gasping for breath. Useless…
He opened his system window again, letting his eyes roam over the neat little numbers. Strength, Dexterity, Vitality… each one painfully average. The only thing he had going for him -curtesy of his existence as a transmigrator- was his spirit.
If he wanted to make anything of this second chance, he'd have to start yesterday.
The bell rang, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Finally!" Naruto moaned. It wasn't time for lunch, no, it was time for taijutsu sparring. Iruka sensei gathered them all together and walked with them towards the training yard, where they gathered in a circle around the sparring area.
Iruka sensei stood in the center of the dusty sparring ring, clipboard in hand. The summer sun beat down mercilessly on the yard, the sound of cicadas filling the silence.
"Alright, you know the drill! Pair up! Today we'll be doing light sparring. Remember, no serious injuries and no chakra techniques unless I say so!"
Groans and cheers rose up simultaneously, as the kids immediately began forming pairs. Naruto jumped forward, pointing his finger dramatically, "Sasuke, you and me!"
Sasuke didn't even look at him, "not interested"
Naruto's face fell, "what do you mean, not interested? You scared or something?"
That got his attention. He turned his head and stared down Naruto, blue eyes meeting black, "you are not worth the time"
Naruto puffed up like a pufferfish, stomping his foot, "we will see about that, teme"
Ekko smiled faintly from the side lines, some things never change.
"Ekko?" Iruka sensei's voice called out.
He straightened up immediately, "yes, sensei?"
"You will be with… Shino"
Shino Aburame, silent and stoic, even at the tender age of ten, pushed up his glasses, "understood"
Ekko nodded back, stepping into the ring opposite him. He could feel the eyes of the other students glancing their way. Not that anyone really cared about him, no, he was a mere background character in this world… for now…
Iruka sensei raised his hand, "ready? Begin!"
Shino moved first, quietly, deliberately. His posture was perfect, textbook academy taijutsu. Ekko, meanwhile, took a loose stance, one he remembered from the hours he'd wasted watching martial arts videos back in his old life.
Their first clash was… awkward. Shino's punch came straight for his chest, predictable but steady. Ekko dodged, barely, and countered with a kick that lacked both strength and precision. The thud of it meeting Shino's guard was underwhelming.
His mediocre stats shone through.
Shino pushed and he could do nothing but fall back. Ekko knew how he was supposed to move but his body wasn't able to keep up with his mind. It was frustrating.
He ducked under another punch, sweeping Shino's leg, finally catching him off guard. Shino stumbled… and fell.
"That match goes to Ekko", Iruku sensei said but he couldn't focus on that. What he focused on was his system.
Academy Taijutsu levelled up!
Defeated an academy student. Two star points rewarded
A huge grin spread over his face and he put both points into strength. The change was immediate. A surge of power within him unlike any he had felt before. Power coursing through his veins at record speeds.
"Form the seal of reconciliation"
Shino and Ekko formed the seal and another pair was called up.