Blue eyes hidden behind rectangular black sunglasses.
I couldn't help but grin.
"Damn."
"I actually look pretty cool."
"Excuse me, Jisan..."
The shopkeeper looked up from the counter.
"Do you know how I can enroll in the Shinobi Academy? Like... the paperwork and all?"
He stared at me for a moment.
"The Academy?"
I nodded.
"Yeah."
He glanced at my sunglasses, then at my small frame.
"You're six, aren't you?"
"Yes."
He scratched his chin.
"Well, you don't exactly enroll yourself. Your parents usually handle the registration. You'll need to go to the Academy Administration Office and submit an application. They'll tell you what documents you need."
I nodded slowly.
Administration Office...
"Do you know where it is?"
The shopkeeper pointed down the street.
"Head straight from here, take the second left, and you'll see a large building with the Konoha shinobi emblem. That's the Academy."
"Got it."
I turned around, but the shopkeeper suddenly called out.
"Oi, wait!"
I looked back.
He smiled.
"Don't get lost, kid."
I gave him a thumbs-up.
"I won't."
I walked out of the shop.
Alright.
Step one: sunglasses.
Step two: Academy.
I adjusted my new sunglasses.
Let's see what this world has in store for me.
I followed the shopkeeper's directions, walking through the streets of Konoha.
The village was even more interesting the farther I went.
I passed several shinobi walking around with their forehead protectors, some carrying weapons while others were simply chatting among themselves. I even spotted a few children around my age playing in the streets.
Eventually, I recognized the building the shopkeeper had described.
A large building with the symbol of the Hidden Leaf displayed prominently on it.
I stopped in front of it.
"So this is the Academy..."
I stared at the entrance for a moment.
My heart began beating a little faster.
This is actually happening.
I was about to take my first real step into the shinobi world.
I pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The moment I entered, I noticed several people moving around the building. Shinobi, civilians, and a few children accompanied by their parents.
I approached the nearest desk.
There was a woman sitting behind it, sorting through several documents.
I stood on my toes slightly and looked over the counter.
"Excuse me..."
The woman looked down.
"Oh? Hello, little one. Can I help you?"
I nodded.
"I want to enroll in the Shinobi Academy."
She paused.
"...You want to enroll?"
"Yes."
She looked around, seemingly expecting an adult to appear behind me.
"Where are your parents?"
I froze.
Ah.
Right.
That was probably going to be a problem.
"Well..." I lowered my head slightly.
"They died in the line of duty..."
My voice came out quieter than I intended.
For a moment, I felt a strange heaviness in my chest.
The memories weren't mine.
At least, they shouldn't have been.
But they were there.
Fragments of a life I had never lived—two familiar faces, a home that no longer existed, and the warmth of people I couldn't remember meeting in my previous life.
Yet somehow...
I missed them.
I tightened my grip on the edge of the counter.
So they really were my parents in this world...
The woman behind the desk's expression softened.
"Oh..."
She seemed unsure of what to say.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"It's okay," I replied quietly.
I lifted my head again.
"I just want to enroll in the academy."
She studied me for a few seconds before nodding.
"Of course."
She pulled a stack of papers from beneath the desk.
"If you're an orphan and both of your parents were shinobi, there are some additional procedures. But don't worry, we'll help you through them."
She placed the papers in front of me.
"Do you know how to read and write?"
I nodded confidently.
"Yes."
"Good."
She handed me a pen.
"Then let's start with your name, date of birth, and basic information."
I took the pen.
Alright.
Time to officially exist in the Naruto world.
I took the pen and carefully filled in the first two sections.
Name: Toshiro Takahashi
Date of Birth: December 7
I looked at the remaining blank spaces.
"...For basic information, what do I have to fill in?" I asked.
The woman leaned forward and pointed at the form.
"Nothing complicated. Your age, place of residence, clan affiliation, and emergency contact."
I nodded as she continued.
"There's also a section for your parents' names and their shinobi records, but since they're deceased, we'll verify those through the village archives."
I glanced down at the form.
Clan affiliation...
I paused.
I don't have one.
At least, not one I knew about.
The woman noticed my hesitation.
"If your family isn't affiliated with a clan, just write 'none.'"
"Oh."
I quickly wrote it down.
Age: 6
Residence: Konoha
Clan: None
I stared at the next blank.
Emergency Contact:
I looked back at her.
"And this one?"
She smiled gently.
"Since you're an orphan, you can leave that blank for now. The village will assign a guardian or caretaker if necessary."
I nodded and continued filling out the form.
So... that's it?
I looked at the paperwork in front of me.
It felt strangely surreal.
Just a few hours ago, I had been living in another world.
Now I was officially registering as a student of the Konoha Shinobi Academy.
I couldn't help but smile beneath my sunglasses.
Guess I'm really doing this.