Time passed. Once Arashi was old enough to take care of himself, he was left on his own.
History had interested him ever since he learned how to read.
The First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, was known for founding the shinobi village system, bringing an end to the Warring States era. But more than that, he was remembered as the strongest shinobi of his time.
Then there was the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, younger brother of the so-called God of Shinobi. While it was said he wasn't as strong as his older brother, Tobirama was still incredibly powerful—the greatest user of the Water Style, and not only that, the creator of the Shinobi Academy and the ANBU system… whatever that actually was.
Then came the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who managed to keep the village stable through two wars. What Arashi never understood was why Konoha never demanded compensation from its attackers.
Konoha won… didn't it?
Putting that aside, there was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, the war hero. Arashi didn't know much about him—only that he gave his life during the Nine-Tails incident. Beyond that, his time as Hokage had been short.
Among all of them, there was one constant:
Power.
…And maybe nepotism, but that wasn't the point.
All the Hokage had been incredibly strong.
"I wonder if all Kage from every nation are that powerful…" Arashi muttered to himself, completely distracted.
That earned him punishment.
As Arashi walked back home, he took his time wandering around the village—through marketplaces, plazas, and eventually back to where he started: the yard outside the Konoha Ninja Academy.
He lay down on the grass, staring at the clouds, ignoring the occasional passerby.
His thoughts drifted toward the future.
He wanted to be strong.
But what path should he take?
A sense of guilt crept in.
Maybe he should pay more attention in class.
If he wanted to become a competent shinobi, he had to start by being a better student.
Once home, Arashi picked up several books, mostly about basic shinobi principles.
Not having a clan to teach him ninjutsu from a young age sucked.
Still, he had nearly memorized all the hand seals. His fingers rarely stumbled now—unless he messed up near the end.
If he remembered correctly, in the final year of the Academy they would teach the Transformation Jutsu and the Clone Jutsu.
"I can't wait," Arashi said, already imagining himself using even the simplest techniques.
He grabbed another book.
"Introduction to Fūinjutsu."
That sounded more interesting.
Unfortunately, it was all theory.
Half an hour later, he was completely fed up—just text after text after text.
Still, Arashi wasn't the type to give up.
He would finish that book, no matter what.
At some point…
He fell asleep.
He woke up a couple of hours before Academy time and immediately felt frustrated.
How had he fallen asleep in the middle of reading?
More importantly—
"Where the hell was I?"
Now he had to reread until he found his place again—if he even could.
He'd deal with it later.
He grabbed a piece of fruit for breakfast, took a quick shower, packed his books, and headed out. Even though there was still an hour before classes started, it wasn't like he had anything better to do.
Once he arrived, he pulled out his book and tried to keep reading.
But for some reason, he always found himself watching the other kids arrive—some with their parents, others on their own.
It was strange.
But not really.
That's just what parents do… right?
Time passed once again.
Twelve years later, Arashi was in his final year at the Academy.
He had complete confidence in his abilities. The genin exam was just around the corner, and he had refined everything he could—Academy taijutsu, shurikenjutsu…
Even if he only knew basic Academy ninjutsu, he believed it would be enough.
And it was.
He passed the exam without much trouble. Only two students failed—and he wasn't one of them.
That alone felt like a victory.
Soon, it was time for team assignments.
"Team 2: Arashi Uzumaki, Amanai Ken, and Kurona Sato."
All three of them were civilians—no clans.
Eventually, all teams were assigned, and their sensei didn't take long to show up.
Leaning into the doorway, he called out:
"Team 2. Training Ground 14. Thirty minutes."
Then he disappeared.
The three newly appointed genin rushed off, searching for the training grounds, arriving just before the time limit.
Their sensei stood there, waiting.
"Alright, you barely made it. Here's the deal, brats—one hit. Just one of you has to land a hit on me. Otherwise… I'm sending you back to the Academy."
"That's not fair," Arashi protested.
"That should be illegal," Amanai added.
"Is this for real?" Kurona asked.
"Completely real, kids. You've got ten minutes."
Nine minutes.
That's all they lasted.
Arashi was barely standing, breathing heavily.
Amanai was on the ground, holding back tears of frustration.
Kurona sat silently, defeated.
"That's enough. Go back to the Academy," their supposed sensei said, turning away.
"NOT YET!"
Arashi lunged at him—his last attempt.
One hit. That's all he needed.
But it was useless.
The jōnin caught his fist, then drove a kick into his stomach, knocking the air out of him. Arashi hit the ground hard, rolling before landing face-down, struggling to get up.
The jōnin looked at him briefly.
"Enough."
And with that, he vanished.
Arashi stayed on the ground for a moment before finally giving up.
His teammates eventually left.
He followed shortly after, his body aching.
"I guess… I'm not as good as I thought."
The next day, he returned to the Academy.
His teammates were there.
And not just them—several of his former classmates as well.
He took his seat, and soon a chūnin entered, explaining the situation.
Those who failed could repeat the year and retake the genin exam, eventually being assigned to a jōnin sensei.
But there was another option.
The Genin Corps.
They could begin working as ninja immediately—but it came with risks. Without a sensei's guidance, many would remain genin for life, and only a few would ever reach chūnin.
Arashi made his decision.
He would join the Genin Corps.
"My dream doesn't end here."
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Hey, what do you think?
Yeah, I know—I should've updated sooner. But I won't lie, between work and laziness, I fell behind. Not seeing comments didn't help either, so feel free to leave your thoughts, suggestions, or questions—that really motivates me.
Anyway, see you next time.