Kenji stood at the edge of the sparring ring, his eyes locked onto his opponent, the pompous Senju brat who thought he was better than everyone else just because of his clan. He was older, taller, and had more training than Kenji, but that didn't mean shit. The brat was here to prove himself as the next Hokage, just like every other kid in the village.

"I'll beat you this time, Monkey!" the brat declared confidently, using the stupid moniker he always called him.

"Can we begin?" Kenji asked the instructor impatiently, while Nawaki's eyes blazed with determination staring at him.

His instructor sighed and signaled the start of the match, and Kenji was off like a shot, his body a blur of motion as he charged forward. The brat tried to catch him off guard with a powerful mid height sweep kick, but Kenji was ready. Ducking beneath the attack, dodging by a hair's breadth, and followed through with a lightning-fast right hook that connected with the brat's gut, leaving him winded.

The brat staggered back, quickly regaining his footing, he then used his larger size to his advantage, following with a powerful punch. But Kenji was too quick, slipping past the attack with ease and darting around him. The brat was getting pissed, his strikes missing their mark time and time again as Kenji was one step ahead, using the "flowing leaf" style to his advantage.

Despite the brat's best efforts, Kenji was in control of the fight, always pre-empting his moves and striking quickly before slipping away. The brat was forced to adapt, his strikes becoming more calculated and precise, but Kenji never lost his focus.

Finally, Kenji saw an opening, his opponent at the edge of the ring, and with a swift roundhouse kick, sending the brat tumbling backwards and out of the ring.

Kenji walked over to him and helping him up.

"You're good, monkey," the brat said, still trying to catch his breath. "But I'll beat you next time. Don't get cocky."

"Good luck," Kenji smirked. "Just remember, I'll keep getting stronger, twig."

The brat glared at him in irritation. "I'm not a twig!" he yelled, but Kenji paid him no mind.

The instructor approached them. "Kenji, good job. Nawaki, if you want him to call you something different, beat him."

Nawaki slumped, "Yes sir." Both students performed the seal of reconciliation and hopped out of the training ring.

'What an annoying brat,' Kenji thought to himself. 'He's been bugging me since I came to this class, declaring me his rival. Ha, what a joke. I’ll keep on beating his ass, I don't give a shit that he’s a Senju.'

Kenji walked off to a nearby tree and sat under it, his mind lost in thought. The memories of the past year and a half came rushing back to him, as he remembered the day that changed his life forever.

"That day still haunts me," Kenji spoke under his breath. Remembering being caught out by his first-grade instructor and then by Chiyo. It was a nightmare, he came close to losing his shit when they both pointed out his pitiful disguise.

‘I never would have thought that these ninja were so observant, I knew that they were good, but not by that much. How naïve of me. I underestimated them and it nearly got me exposed.’ From that day on, he knew he couldn't rely on common sense he had brought with him from Earth or the show. He adapted as best he could, but he always made sure to be extra cautious, never underestimating their skills again.

On the plus side, Kenji ceased hiding his abilities and embraced his full potential. He rose swiftly through the ranks of the academy, experiencing newfound freedom as he honed his skills in Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu. The lessons were challenging, encompassing everything from tactics to information gathering.

As a quick learner, Kenji excelled in the academies courses and especially in the art of chakra control and manipulation, earning recognition from his teachers and cementing his status as a genius.

But with each step forward, Kenji faced more and more scrutiny. The clan kids were particularly threatened by his exceptional abilities, and they couldn't accept the fact that he was outperforming them.

"Fucking brats. They can't handle that someone is doing better than them. Especially someone without a backing." He could see the frustration in their eyes, and he knew that they were determined to bring him down.

As he continued watching the students sparring, he couldn't help but wonder how Taro and Chiyo were doing. They had sent letters from time to time but he hadn't heard from them in a while, and there had been no notice from the village. He hoped they were still doing well and that they had managed to avoid most of the shit going on with the war.

The academy had become more intense over the years, as the war loomed on, it became publicly known that the land of fire was been pushed from all sides. The world of the ninja was in turmoil. The Five Great Shinobi Countries were facing a decline in power, and as the borders weakened, skirmishes with smaller nations broke out with increasing frequency. These small conflicts soon escalated, their flames spreading far and wide, until finally, they exploded into an all-out war.

‘Goddammit, this war is a fucking disaster. What the fuck are the people at the top doing.’ The prolonged conflict was taking its toll, and the village was struggling to maintain its war potential.

Kenji knew that he needed to be ready for whatever lay ahead. He had grown physically and mentally stronger, and he was as ready as he could to take on any challenge that came his way, even though he didn't want to.

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'I hope I don't have to see any of these kids die in this war.' He couldn't help but think to himself.

Another day in the classroom, the genjutsu instructor called out to his students. "Pair up class," she announced. "Remember, this is just a training exercise, so don't go too far."

Tomoe, the Uchiha girl known for her exceptional genjutsu abilities, stepped forward and approached Kenji. She had a fierce rivalry with him, as he had a tendency to break through her illusions.

They squared off, eyes locked in a silent challenge. Tomoe was the first to act, her eyes narrowing as she focused her energy into her hand, suddenly felt a piece a wire attaching on his left ankle. Kenji felt a subtle shift in the air as the room suddenly changed, and he was transported to a different place entirely.

Tomoe induced an illusion on him. Putting all of her focus into the technique, determined to finally get the better of him.

Kenji's mind was transported to garden filled with vivid images and sounds. Vines, started wrapping around his foot growing faster and faster up his leg. He was easily able to tell that he was in an illusion.

‘Why don’t they make these illusions more subtle. This shit is too obvious.’ So Kenji was able to resist her attempt, he focused on his core, letting his chakra buildup and them he let out a flood of chakra, breaking through the illusion with ease.

Kenji gave her a smile, when he broke out. Just frustrating her with her failed attempt. So they continued on, he enjoyed breaking out illusions. And, they continued on training and Tomoe's frustration grew with each failed attempt, beginning to use more advanced techniques, with her eye changing to red. This time, she was successful in placing him under an illusion.

Kenji stood their waiting, his mind in wonder. "Why hasn't Tomoe put me under yet?" Something felt off, so he started focusing in caution, sensing for any foreign chakra in his system. Suddenly, he felt a subtle invasion chakra but his mind was telling him it was fine and to ignore it, his thoughts were being manipulated.

'Holy shit! What the hell did she do.'

He was trapped in a world that wasn't real, but it felt incredibly real. Every detail was vivid and lifelike, and Kenji started looking around, scrutinizing, trying to find any discrepancies in his surroundings and couldn't help but notice the small changes around. The room seemed slightly different than it before, slight colour differences in the walls, some of the chairs looked different on their legs at different angles, and the writing on the wall changed. He felt an instinctual urge to escape. 'I need to get out now!'

His mind telling everything was fine, but he had to ignore the foreign thoughts and focus. His body flushing with his chakra, finally able to escape that prison.

‘Holy shit,’ Kenji breathed, studying Tomoe. "You actually managed to get me good this time. That was a good attempt," Kenji said, trying to downplay his escape.

Tomoe was staring at him, a mixture of frustration and awe on her face. She had been so certain that she had finally managed to ensnare Kenji in her illusion, but once again, he had managed to break free.

‘I'll have to work on my resistance to genjutsu,’ Kenji thought, feeling disbelief. ‘Damn, that was intense.’

Their instructor watched the exchange with interest. "Kenji, well done. But, you need to break the jutsu quicker, otherwise you’ll be taken down in that timeframe." Looking at Tomoe she said, a hint of admiration in her voice. "Tomoe, keep practicing, you were just paired up with a bad match. Any other student wouldn’t escape."

During lunch, Kenji sat cross-legged beneath the branches of a sturdy oak tree, his eyes closed in deep meditation. Focusing his chakra, feeling the ground beneath him and his connection to the earth. Suddenly, the sound of two sets of footsteps approached him, one leisurely, as if the walker didn't care if they were discovered, and the other silent, moving with the grace, only noticing the grass part ways.

Kenji opened his eyes to see Akihiro and Haru, two of the few kids he could have a friendly conversation to, as they made their way towards him. Akihiro was a typical Nara, his clan known for their intellect, but he was too lazy to put it to use. He stood at average height, with a small scar on his right cheek, and had the spiky hair that was a hallmark of the Nara clan. Haru, on the other hand, was like any other member of the Aburame clan. He was the tallest in the class, but always wore dark glasses and a large dark-green hoodie, that concealed the insects he kept hidden on his person.

"What's up, 'Brains', 'Bugs'? Ready for tomorrow's test?" Kenji greeted his friends with a grin.

"That I am, 'Monkey'," Haru replied in his usual neutral tone.

"Ugh, this is going to be such a drag," Akihiro groaned. "Why can't we just skip it? It's going to be such a pain." He flopped on the ground laying down staring at the sky.

"Ha! It won't be that bad," Kenji said, laughing. "We'll get some exercise and have a bit of fun. Can't wait to do something serious."

Akihiro turned and gave him a funny look, it looked as if he was disgusted at the thought of actually working.

“Alright, alright, just think ‘Brains’. The quicker you finish the task the quicker you’ll get to laze around. Have you heard any news on what mission we'll be given?”

“My family won’t tell, it’s an exercise for training. So no clues and I’m too lazy to find out.”

“I concur, the elders mentioned it was needed for my development and that it would be close to impossible to find out at our levels. The academy is well protected.”

“Fair enough, I guess I’ve got to wait till tomorrow.”

Kenji sat in his homeroom class, lost in thought. But the sharp bark of the instructor's voice jolted him back to reality. "Listen up, class. You'll be heading out on a mission today in teams of three. This is a team-based mission, and each team will have a separate objective."

"Emi, Kenji, Taro. Report to room five-charlie for instructions," the instructor continued calling out other names. But, he ignored it.

The trio made their way to the designated room, Kenji leading the way. Emi, a sharp-minded Yamanaka, and Taro, an Inuzuka with his trusty ninken companion, Kenta, followed close behind.

"You ready?" Kenji asked, as if he was bored.

"Of course, 'Monkey'," Taro replied with a smirk, as Kenta barked in agreement.

"Hmpf," Emi snorted, her disdain for Kenji palpable.

'Why did I have to be paired up with her?' Kenji thought, a sigh escaping him. 'She still hates me after that spar. Why would you be so stupid to have long hair in a fight? It's just asking to be grabbed.'

Upon entering the room, they were met by a middle-aged man in a chunin vest. He gave them a critical once-over before speaking. "Students, your task is to retrieve a totem from training ground twenty-two. The exact location is unknown. This is a covert mission, and you must not be seen. The item will be guarded by enemy forces, expect the grounds to be trapped."

"Hai," the trio responded in unison.