Morning sunlight crept through the paper-paneled windows, golden rays spilling across the floor like threads of warmth. Kaito groaned softly, rubbing his eyes as he blinked up at the wooden ceiling.
Another day in Konoha.
He felt the weight beside him shift. A glance to the side, and sure enough, there was Kushina—still clinging to him like a koala, her red hair a tangled mess across the pillow they shared. She was drooling a little.
"Gross," Kaito muttered, nudging her gently.
"Five more minutes…" she mumbled, curling closer. Her breath was warm against his arm.
"You said that five minutes ago. And five before that."
She let out a muffled whine and buried her face in his chest. Kaito just sighed. This was his life now.
Before he could try a second escape attempt, a sharp knock-knock-knock rang out from the hallway.
"Kids! Get up! It's enrollment day, remember?" came the familiar voice of Mito Uzumaki.
Kaito blinked. Enrollment day?
Right. Ninja Academy.
The words took a second to settle in. He was actually going to start ninja school today. The Naruto kind. Throwing kunai, chakra training, transformation jutsu—the whole package.
"Well," he mumbled, "there goes my chill life."
Kushina groaned beside him, finally lifting her head. Her hair was a static-y mess, and her face was squished from sleep. "Ugh… Why's it so early? Mito-baachan is evil…"
"You've been hyped for this since forever, and now you're whining?"
"Shut up. Let me complain in peace."
After some sluggish movement and an argument over who would brush their teeth first, they both stumbled into the kitchen. Mito had already prepared breakfast—rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and tamagoyaki—a traditional spread that somehow made Kaito feel even more like he was in someone else's story.
Mito gave them both a look over the rim of her teacup. "You two ready? Your first day at the Academy's no joke."
Kushina practically lit up. "I was born ready!"
Kaito gave a quieter nod. "I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"You don't," Mito said, sipping her tea with the wisdom of someone who'd seen three generations of ninja pass under her roof.
As they ate, Kushina kept glancing at him, her eyes flickering with something mischievous.
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "What?"
She grinned. "I'm gonna be in the same class as you."
He blinked. "So?"
"So I'll be watching your back. And your front. And your sides."
"…That sounds weird."
"Too bad," she said, stuffing her mouth with tamagoyaki. "I'm serious. If anyone messes with you, I'm punching their teeth out."
"You say that like it's a good thing."
"It is a good thing."
Mito just sipped her tea, calm and used to the chaos. "Just don't get expelled on the first day."
---
The walk to the Ninja Academy was filled with a nervous sort of anticipation. Kaito adjusted the straps of his bag while Kushina practically bounced beside him, energy levels dangerously high for the early hour.
"I can't wait to learn how to punch trees in half," she said, eyes gleaming.
"I'm hoping to survive the first week without getting punched," Kaito muttered.
When they finally arrived, the academy building looked almost exactly like he remembered from the anime—a tall, sturdy structure with tiled roofs, a wide training field nearby, and the massive symbol of the Hidden Leaf carved into the gate. It felt surreal, standing there in the flesh, but Kaito didn't have time to dwell on it. The doors were already open, and students were filing in.
Inside, the classroom was buzzing with noise. Kids were talking, laughing, throwing paper shuriken—it was chaos wrapped in childhood energy. Kaito scanned the room, quickly finding two empty seats near the back.
They were halfway to the desks when it started.
"Hey, hey, tomato-head's here!" a boy with a too-large forehead and an overconfident voice shouted, pointing directly at Kushina.
Kaito slowed. What did he just say?
A small cluster of boys turned to look, snickering. One of them actually mimed biting into a tomato. "Careful, guys, she might squirt ketchup if she gets mad!"
Another chimed in, "Maybe she'll cry tomato juice!"
Kushina froze. Kaito could see it—the twitch of her eyebrow, the way her fists clenched slightly at her sides. She tried to keep walking, head down, but her whole posture had changed. She wasn't bouncing anymore.
"Damn," one of the boys said under his breath. "Even her hair looks like it's mad."
That was it.
Kaito turned on his heel.
He walked straight up to the little jerk who'd made the tomato comment first. The kid laughed nervously. "What, you gonna cry for your sis—"
SMACK!
Kaito didn't hesitate. Open palm, perfect form—spanked him right on the butt like a strict grandma in slippers. The sound cracked through the classroom.
The boy yelped and stumbled forward, red-faced and stunned. The other kids froze.
"You got a problem with tomatoes?" Kaito said coldly, eyes narrowing. "I happen to like them. Want me to serve you up with a side of pain?"
The room went dead silent. Even the teacher, who had just walked in with a clipboard, blinked like he wasn't sure what dimension he'd stepped into.
The bullies scrambled back to their seats, muttering apologies and avoiding eye contact.
Kushina stared at him, wide-eyed. Then, her lips curled into a smile so wide it looked like it hurt. "You just spanked that kid."
"Yup."
"In front of everyone."
"Yup."
"…That was awesome."
Kaito grabbing her hand and dragging her toward their seats before the teacher recovered from the shock.
Kushina sat beside him, still grinning like an idiot. "I knew it. You're my hero."
Kaito leaned back in his chair. "Just doing big brother things. You save me from overenthusiastic girls, I spank punks. That's balance."
From the front of the class, the teacher finally cleared his throat. "Uh… well. That's… one way to make an entrance. Alright class, settle down—we're about to begin orientation."
As the rustling of chairs and whispering students died down, Kaito glanced around, feeling the weight of a few lingering stares. Most kids were pretending like nothing had happened—typical kid behavior when it wasn't their problem. But one pair of eyes didn't look away.
She sat three rows up, near the windows. Straight-backed, quiet, and composed in a way that stood out starkly in a room full of squirming children. Raven-black hair framed her pale face, and her eyes—sharp, charcoal-colored, observant—were locked onto him like he was some kind of puzzle.
Kaito blinked.
Wait a sec… is that Mikoto Uchiha?
Even younger, she had that same calm presence. She wasn't gawking like the others, or giggling behind her hand. She wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she was watching him. If anything, it felt more like… analysis.
Kaito shifted in his seat, awkward under the microscope. He gave her a small nod.
Mikoto's expression didn't change, but her eyes narrowed slightly, as if cataloging that too. Then—almost imperceptibly—she nodded back.
Kushina leaned in close and whispered, "She's been looking at you since you sat down."
"I noticed."
"She's an Uchiha."
"Yeah, I noticed that too."
Kushina wriggled her eyebrows. "Maybe she's impressed."
"Maybe she thinks I'm a violent lunatic."
"I am impressed," she whispered with a proud grin.
Kaito shook his head, lips twitching at the corners. "Focus on class, tomato."
"You love me."
"Shhh."
As the teacher launched into his orientation spiel about ninja code, school rules, and basic curriculum, Kaito leaned back slightly and risked one more glance toward Mikoto.
She wasn't watching him anymore—but she was still listening, perfectly still, eyes ahead like a disciplined soldier-in-training.