Chapter 1: Gojo Yoru
The Ninja Academy consisted of six academic years, each beginning in April and concluding in March of the following year.
The year was divided into three terms: the first term from early April to mid-July, followed by the second term from early September to late December, and finally the third term from early January to the end of March.
During this era, the required age for enrollment in the Ninja Academy was 5 to 6 years old.
In the 28th year of the Leaf Village, Nawaki—the younger brother of the Land of Fire's princess and grandson of the First Hokage—entered the Ninja Academy founded by the Second Hokage at the age of five. The true young master had officially begun his schooling.
...
July 18th, 30th year of the Leaf Village.
Today marked the final day of the first term for all grades at the Ninja Academy.
Students in the third to sixth grades, who had already undergone the second and third stages of training, spent the day taking their final exams in cultural studies, practical combat, and the three basic jutsu.
In contrast, the first and second graders—who were still using stones in place of shuriken for throwing practice—faced their most significant and only injury-prone assessment: taijutsu sparring.
This particular exam was scheduled last.
In the afternoon, within the designated area for Class 1, Grade 1 on the school grounds, male and female students stood or sat in a circle, watching an intense battle by their peers' standards.
At the center of the circle, two young boys with different hair colors were freely showcasing their talents.
While their peers, and even older students, still relied solely on brute strength, these two had already integrated Chakra to enhance their speed in combat. Leveraging their mature mental fortitude, they used their eyes and minds to predict each other's moves—dodging or feinting with precision.
This level of combat, rarely seen even among upperclassmen, left their classmates wide-eyed and stunned. Even the Chūnin teacher serving as referee watched with awe.
As a child, he never understood why he couldn't measure up to prodigies like these. Now, as a seasoned observer, he fully grasped the immense gap that had separated him from such geniuses during his own student days.
These two boys were undoubtedly prodigies who had already left their peers far behind.
Unlike other matches that ended quickly due to unbearable pain or overwhelming superiority, this duel between the two boys lasted considerably longer.
It wasn't until the blond boy began to show signs of exhaustion—his reactions and speed declining severely—that the white-haired boy, who was in slightly better condition, seized the advantage. Capitalizing on an opening, he sidestepped a straight punch, grabbed his opponent's arm, executed a shoulder throw to slam him to the ground, and finally subdued him with a joint lock.
Witnessing this, the Chūnin teacher promptly announced the result: "The match is over. The winner is Yoru Gojo. Form the Seal of Reconciliation."
As the teacher's voice rang out, the dazed students, whose eyes were as wide as bells, finally snapped back to reality.
The scene erupted into commotion.
"So… so incredible!"
"Is this the true strength of Minato and Gojo? They've been hiding their abilities all along!"
"It's not that they were hiding their strength—it's that none of us ever pushed them to go all out. If they hadn't been matched against each other, we'd never have known they were this powerful!"
"What a shame for Minato. If only he hadn't developed as well as that Gojo guy, he might have won in the end."
"Hey, keep your voice down saying things like that. Don't stand next to me—I don't want to catch that Gojo guy's attention."
"Oh no, do you think he heard?!"
"..."
"Both Minato-kun and Yoru-kun are so handsome! I didn't know who to support earlier."
"I still think Yoru-kun is better. That icy demeanor is just too cool, and he's so strong. He beat up upperclassmen right after entering school—it makes me feel so safe."
"I think Minato-kun is easier to get along with."
"..."
Amid the students' discussions, the two young boys with half a head's difference in height completed the Seal of Reconciliation.
"Thank you for the lesson, Yoru-kun. Your skills are truly impressive," Namikaze Minato said with a gentle, sincere smile.
"You're not bad either."
Looking at the slightly bruised Minato, Yoru Gojo—who was also marked with injuries—had a complex look flash in his eyes.
Instead of feeling the joy of victory, his heart was filled with pressure.
Because only he knew that he was no genius at all.
Though both were 'otherworldly superhumans' with 130 trillion cells, no one knew that within Yoru's body resided the soul of a man in his twenties.
What was there to be happy about when an adult had taken so long to barely defeat a genuine six-year-old child?
Instead, this battle had shown Yoru the potential of the most perfect shinobi—that terrifying reaction ability. No wonder the other would become the Leaf Village's second master of the Flying Raijin Jutsu.
And this was only the first semester!
If things continued at this pace, wouldn't he soon be left behind?
At this thought, Yoru's mood sank again.
Outwardly, he maintained an expressionless face as he returned to his seat.
Due to his 'cold and aloof' and 'school bully' persona, neither boys nor girls dared to approach Yoru.
This scene formed a stark contrast with Minato, who was immediately surrounded and comforted by classmates of both genders upon returning to his group.
The exams continued. As one physical arts duel after another concluded, the first semester came to a complete end.
When the teacher announced the start of vacation, Yoru was the first to leave school and return home.
Yoru's home was a three-story Western-style house with a small courtyard, located on Leaf Village's central street. Both its location and value were second only to those of the shinobi clans.
This clearly showed that Yoru's family circumstances were exceptionally good.
Changing shoes at the entrance, Yoru passed through the living room straight to the bathroom, passing along the way a household shrine displaying two memorial photographs.
Warm water sprayed from the showerhead's small holes, filling the bathroom with a misty steam.
Yoru lifted his head to receive the water's impact, combing his white hair back with both hands. Only then did his white eyebrows, which had been furrowed all the way home, gradually relax.
Standing under the shower lost in thought, Yoru finally opened his eyes after a long while.
They were blue eyes, just like Minato's.
But unlike Minato's azure blue, Yoru's were an icy blue tinged with white, which—paired with his expressionless face—gave people a very cold impression.
After a simple rinse, Yoru emerged wearing a bathrobe.
Standing before the mirror while drying his hair, Yoru gazed at the young boy reflected in the glass and couldn't help but mock himself in his native tongue:
"Heh... We share the same surname, and our hair color, eye color, and appearance are strikingly similar. So why don't I have such an overpowered cheat ability? If I could possess invincible strength and live decades with carefree elegance, it'd be worth it even if my body were severed in two in the future."
After wiping away the water droplets from his hair, Yoru glanced at the time. Instead of preparing dinner to fill his growling stomach, he went to the storage room on the first floor, lifted an inconspicuous tatami mat, and descended into the hidden basement beneath.
As the kerosene lamp flickered to life, the basement's interior was revealed.
It was a small room with walls covered in tadpole-shaped curse markings, flanked by only two bookshelves holding numerous scrolls and books, along with several chests.
Beneath these items were categorized labels—these were ninjutsu scrolls, secret histories from the Warring States period, various Ninja Tools and pills, along with substantial amounts of gold and silver treasures.
This was likely the foundation of the Gojo family, the inheritance left to Yoru by his parents.
And currently, it was the greatest reliance for Yoru Gojo, this transmigrator!
***
A/N: The chronology of the Naruto world is quite messy with multiple versions. This book adopts the version where the Nine-Tails attack occurred in Leaf Village Year 48, coinciding with Naruto's birth.