Nirmal POV
The rest of the day dragged on, but not in the way Murakami expected.
He had assumed they would move on to another lecture on the intricacies of ninjutsu, maybe even a deeper dive into what Saito had meant about "bending the system."
Instead, after a brief break, they were shuffled into another classroom.
Murakami resisted the urge to rub his temples as he tried to understand what was going on.
Apparently they were going to have their homeroom session at this time.
'So why exactly did we have ninjutsu first instead of this?' he thought to himself.
The answer came soon enough, as a new instructor entered the room.
Murakami's eyes narrowed as he analyzed the man. He was younger than Saito, probably in his late twenties.
His hair was dark brown, tied into a loose ponytail, his flak jacket was worn over a navy-blue yukata-style top. His forehead protector was strapped tightly around his arm rather than his head.
His expression was neutral, but his eyes were half-lidded, which reminded Murakami of a Nara who hadn't quite decided whether he wanted to be asleep or actually do his job.
"Alright," the unfamiliar instructor said, letting his gaze sweep across the room.
"I will be your homeroom instructor, Daigo-sensei. I was supposed to handle introductions first thing in the morning, but I was caught up in something. I apologise "
He didn't elaborate, and nobody questioned it.
"We'll get this over with now. Everyone, stand up one by one, state your name, likes, dislikes, and your dream for the future."
'Would be nice to have some context on my classmates before we dove into this term's curriculum.' Murakami thought as he glanced at Daigo-sensei. 'He probably doesn't care about minor inconveniences like "proper scheduling."'
And one by one, students stood up and introduced themselves.
Soon it was Aiko's turn and as expected she bounced to her feet like she'd been waiting for this moment all day.
"My name is Aiko! I like sweets, winning, and talking to interesting people! I dislike rude people and bitter food. My dream is to be strong enough to do whatever I want!"
Murakami nodded internally. 'That was… oddly fitting.'
And soon, it was the Inuzuka's turn, his puppy shifted slightly inside his jacket as he stood to his feet.
"My name Inuzuka Ryuji. I like my partner, Kiba, and running. I don't like being indoors for too long. My dream is to surpass my clan's strongest ninja."
'Damn.' Murakami thought as he resisted the urge to chuckle. 'It…don't tell me future Kiba was named after a dog…It can't be…right?'
'Right?'
The introductions flashed uninteresting to Murakami as the children repeated the same things in different tones and words.
They either wanted to be strong, respected or make their families proud. A few were more ambitious with one kid actually saying he wanted to be Hokage.
That earned a few chuckles.
'I guess there isn't a lack of this kind of person every year.' Murakami mused to himself
Then it was the Uchiha's turn.
The boy had sharp facial features and too-calm an expression as he stood up.
'Classic Uchiha.'
"My name is Uchiha Rensuke. I like training and improving myself. I dislike arrogance without skill. My dream… is to prove that the Uchiha are the strongest in the village."
'There is no need to prove anything kid.' Murakami rolled his eyes at the Uchiha, but a quick look had him sight a few of the kids shifting in their seats.
Some were impressed, others annoyed. The Hyūga girl narrowed her eyes slightly, but said nothing.
The introductions continued, but Murakami's attention lingered on the Hyūga girl.
He observed that she sat with perfect posture, her hands resting neatly on her lap. Her pale eyes, the hallmark of her clan, remained calm, but there was something else beneath them.
A flicker of sharpness.
'How familiar.'
When her turn came, she rose gracefully, her expression carefully neutral.
"My name is Hana Hyūga," she said, her voice even and composed. "I like morning training, quiet places, and tea."
She paused for a fraction of a second before continuing.
"I dislike those who assume strength is their birthright rather than something earned."
That earned her a few glances, Murakami's gaze flickered to Rensuke to observe his reaction, but the Uchiha remained silent, watching her with an unreadable look.
"As for my dream..."
Hana exhaled softly, as if weighing her next words.
"My dream is to see the Hyūga rise beyond outdated traditions, to make my clan strong, not through blind obedience, but through true understanding of our potential."
Murakami narrowed his eyes on the girl. Her voice never wavered, but there was something fierce in her eyes now.
The students began murmuring, with Daigo raising an eyebrow.
He studied her carefully. That wasn't the answer of someone merely upholding family pride. That was someone who saw cracks in the foundation, someone who wanted to fix them.
'Interesting.' Murakami concluded. However, he was curious. From what he knows about the future, her dream will remain just that. A dream. Well until after the fourth Shinobi war.
That was in the future though. He clearly understood that it was nothing to concern himself over. Though, he didn't fail to make a mental note about her since she could be of potential help to him.
'Thoughts for later.' he thought as he stood up slowly, his expression kept blank. 'It is finally my turn.'
"Haruki Murakami," he said slowly. "I like reading, training, and challenging myself. I dislike people who waste my time."
He paused for a moment to allow his words settle before he continued. "As for my dream… I have none."
The room went silent for a moment.
As his words fell, some students looked confused. Others, like Rensuke, looked at him with mild curiosity. Daigo simply sighed inaudibly.
Murakami had a hint of mischief in his eyes. He had probably been expecting that answer from him and Murakami knew it.
He was, after all, the black sheep of the Academy.
In the konoha that was still in its infancy, some kids aimed for greatness, whether through family prestige, personal ambition, or sheer determination. Others just wanted to get by.
And Murakami?
He simply wanted none of that. He was actively deciding to do nothing to remain average. No lofty goals. No grand declarations.
Just steady progress. He had been consistently good on average that it would take a fool not to notice him, yet there was no evidence of that being the case.
Daigo had read through his profile and was perplexed on how he was supposed to go about this.
He had been tasked to assess what level this particular student was and right from the start, he was already failing. Although it wasn't normal to have nothing as a dream, it also wasn't abnormal.
The introductions continued for a while, and once they were done, Daigo announced. "Good. Now that we know a bit about each other, we're moving on to combat practice. Meet me at the training field."
A ripple of excitement passed through the class. But Murakami exhaled quietly, already mentally preparing himself. "Surely, this isn't how the final years of the academy would be, is it?"
"I hope not." Katsuro whose presence Murakami had forgotten for a moment. "This was going to be a long day."
Murakami was forced to tacitly accept that statement. "Let's see how well we can live it then."
…
The class arrived at the area of the Academy's training field they were privy to. It was a wide and open area with patches of dirt and grass, lined with wooden training posts and scattered obstacles.
Other instructors were already present, overseeing the other classes that were finishing up their own drills.
Daigo called us to attention. "For today's exercise, you will be paired up for sparring."
"The goal is to test your skills and point weaknesses, correct them and get you used to actual combat. These are not matches to determine a winner, so don't waste my time trying to show off."
His eyes landed on a few students who had already looked way too eager as he spoke.
Then, he started assigning partners.
Soon Murakami's name was called and he was paired with—
"Uchiha Murakami. Uchiha Rensuke. Step forward."
'Ah. Of course. So this is how he was going to play.' Murakami thought to himself as he stepped out and then stood in front of the Uchiha. 'The Uchiha. Just my luck.'
I let out a slow breath as Rensuke met my gaze with an unreadable expression. There was no arrogance in his eyes, just a quiet confidence. He was analyzing Murakami already.
'Good. I appreciated that.' He thought sarcastically.
The other students gave us space, forming a loose circle. Some were whispering.
An Uchiha against him?
Murakami ignored them as he focused his entire attention on the Uchiha.
"Start," Daigo-sensei said.
For a moment, neither of the two moved.
Then, without warning, Rensuke dashed forward.
'Fast.'
His hands blurred through hand seals—Tiger, then Ram.
'Fire Release? No, feint.'
Murakami immediately shifted his stance, already anticipating a switch-up.
Sure enough, he dropped the seal mid-motion, closing the distance with a sudden kick aimed at his ribs.
Murakami twisted while deflecting his strike with a forearm block. The force behind the kick still sent a sharp vibration through his arms, though his expression remained unchanged as he took a step back, avoiding the jab Rensuke who didn't pause threw toward my gut.
Then in one quick motion, Murakami retaliated with a sweeping kick which the Uchiha leapt over before flipping backward into a safe position.
Our eyes locked.
There was a beat of silence, then—
Rensuke smirked.
"Not bad," he murmured. "For a civilian."
Murakami didn't react as he kept his attention sharp on Rensuke. 'This is manageable.' he thought calmly as he discarded the thought of releasing the weighted seal.
The whispers around them dimmed as they clashed again.
The students watched with a mixture of surprise and confusion. None of them had expected this. A civilian boy, an orphan at that, standing toe-to-toe with an Uchiha kid.
The outcome should have been predetermined. Yet Murakami was matching Rensuke blow for blow.
Rensuke's fist shot toward his cheek and Murakami tilted his head just enough for it to skim past but a kick followed which he deflected with his shin and slid back, buying an inch of space.
And somewhere beneath the surface of his composed expression, a question formed.
'Should I win?'
Rensuke dashed at him once again and twisted into a spinning back-kick which Murakami blocked with an open palm, sliding the force off to the side.
As he shifted his stance, another question formed. 'Defeating an Uchiha in front of everyone?'
To that question, he shook his head and came to the answer for the first one.
Murakami understood that doing that wouldn't just set a precedent, it would put a spotlight on him, one he was sure he didn't want just yet.
Right now, he had no desire to be the talk of the Academy, no reason to stand out more than he already had.
Just then, Rensuke's knee shot toward his ribs and Murakami blocked it, absorbing the impact with a controlled exhale.
'But if I lost, if I let myself be defeated, then what?' He ducked under a hook, sliding to Rensuke's blind side.
Would that keep me hidden, make things easier? Or would it just confirm what everyone already thought, that without a clan, you can only be second-best?
'Tch.' He clicked his tongue internally. 'No time for that now.' he thought Rensuke moved again, this time faster than before as his left hand shot out toward his face.
He put his hand up to block, but, 'a feint,' muramaki thought in alarm, but he realized a second too late as his right fist came in, landing against his ribs.
Pain flared across Murakami's side, causing him to grimace but he didn't slow down but twisted with the blow, rolling with the impact as his foot lashed out catching Rensuke just above the hip.
The Uchiha stumbled, but only for a brief moment.
That was all the time Murakami needed as he stepped in, driving his elbow into Rensuke's chest.
Not enough to injure, but enough to knock the wind out of him and Rensuke's body bent slightly with the force, but he recovered faster than expected, grabbing Murakami's wrist and twisting sharply.
A sharp jolt shot through Murakami's arm, but Instead of resisting, he allowed the momentum to carry him, letting his body flow with the motion as he flipped mid-air, breaking free before landing several feet away.
There was a brief pause, and the audience had gone silent.
Murakami didn't need to look to know every pair of eyes was locked on them. This wasn't a fluke. This wasn't luck. A civilian boy wasn't supposed to keep up with an Uchiha.
Yet he was.
Rensuke exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulder. There was no frustration or anger. If anything, he looked intrigued.
"You're better than I expected," he said.
Murakami didn't respond. Words weren't needed. In this clash, he had come to realise that like him, the Uchiha was holding back somewhat.
Just then, Rensuke lunged again and threw a punch which Murakami blocked, deflecting the second, and narrowly evading the third.
Murakami's eyes widened in mild surprise. Rensuke was getting faster, his movements tightening into something more refined.
But Murakami wasn't on the defending side for long.
Rensuke wasn't untouchable. But Murakami wasn't either.
A solid hit to Murakami's stomach nearly forced the breath from his lungs, but without missing a beat, his knee struck Rensuke's side in return.
A jab from Rensuke nearly clipped Murakami's jaw, but Murakami twisted at the last instant, letting it pass by a hair's breadth as he delivered a spinning back kick which Rensuke ducked under
They moved like that for a while, two forces crashing together, neither dominating nor yielding.
Until—
Something shifted.
Rensuke's breath changed as his osture tensed subtly.
Then his eyes—
A flicker of red.
Sharingan.
A single tomoe spun within his irises, and Murakami recognized the change instantly.
Rensuke's perception had just taken a boost causing him to exhale sharply. 'This just got annoying.'
The next clash came, and Murakami saw the difference immediately.
What he could once predict, Rensuke now read faster than he could react and adjusted. A fist slipped through Murakami's guard, striking his shoulder while his counter missed by inches.
Another strike.
Another near-dodge.
This happened three more times and Murakami immediately came to a conclusion. Rensuke was adapting in real time, his movements sharpening with every movement.
'So this was what it meant to fight an Uchiha.' he thought as his eyes gleamed with a weird light. His lips curled imperceptible. 'Interesting.'
Murakami shifted his stance, bracing himself for the next exchange.
But then—
"Enough!"
Daigo-sensei's voice cut through the air like a blade.
Rensuke stopped instantly and Murakami stepped back without hesitation.
The tension lingered for a while, but the fight was done.
Rensuke blinked and the Sharingan faded as his eyes returned to black. He regarded Murakami with an unreadable expression before letting out a breath.
"That was a good fight," he said quietly.
Murakami offered a single nod. "It was."
He wouldn't have spoken to Rensuke if he could, but even Murakami felt that it'll be unnecessary to earn the Uchiha's ire.
Daigo-sensei approached, his gaze sweeping over both boys. "That's enough for today. You two pushed this further than necessary."
His eyes flickered between them, sharp and assessing. "No serious injuries, but I'd prefer not to have students bruised and battered on the first day."
Silence followed.
Then the whispers began to spread through the crowd.
Somewhere among the murmurs, one voice rose just loud enough:
"That was insane."