A Peaceful Morning… and a Woman Who Made Him Uneasy
The early morning at Konoha's Ninja Academy was as tranquil as ever.
Satoru walked through the large entrance gate, hands casually tucked into his pockets, his lazy gaze sweeping across the familiar surroundings.
Today, the sky seemed bluer than usual, and the cool morning air felt particularly refreshing.
However—
The moment he stepped into the main courtyard, an odd feeling crept up his spine.
Trying to remain composed, he instinctively slowed his steps when he noticed a familiar figure standing along the hallway ahead.
Shimada Ayane.
She stood there, bathed in the morning sunlight, her soft golden hair swaying slightly in the breeze, her deep blue eyes reflecting the sky above.
For some reason, Satoru always felt awkward around her.
Not because Ayane was stunningly beautiful, but because…
Satoru was horribly bad with women.
Both in his past life and in this one, he had never been good at dealing with the opposite gender.
And the problem was—
Ayane made him even more flustered than anyone else.
When their eyes met, her expression softened slightly, and—was that a faint blush on her cheeks?
"Wait, she's blushing? No, hold on—why am I blushing!?"
Satoru subtly turned his head away, pretending to look elsewhere, but he could still feel her gaze lingering on him.
"Who did this to you?"
Before he could dwell on his embarrassment any longer, Ayane's expression suddenly shifted.
Her eyes moved down to the three kids standing beside Satoru—Kakashi, Obito, and Gai.
And…
Each one of them had bruises.
Kakashi had a slight bump on his forehead.
Obito had a small bruise on his cheek.
Gai's right eye looked a little swollen.
Ayane's gentle eyes widened with concern.
She quickly walked over, her voice filled with worry.
"What happened? Who did this to you?"
The three boys stiffened, but then—
All three immediately turned red when Ayane got closer.
Obito stammered, his face heating up.
"A-Ayane-sensei… y-you're so kind…"
Kakashi tried to maintain his composure, but his ears betrayed him by turning red.
Gai, despite his usual enthusiasm, found himself nodding solemnly.
"YOSH! Ayane-sensei truly has a warm heart!"
Ayane didn't seem to notice their awkward reactions. She knelt down, gently placing a hand on Kakashi's forehead. A soft, blue chakra glow emanated from her palm.
The pain faded instantly, the swelling reducing as if melting away under the soothing light.
Kakashi's sharp eyes flickered with a rare trace of surprise.
Obito immediately pouted.
"Ayane-sensei! My cheek hurts too!"
Ayane chuckled softly, placing her hand on his cheek as well. The warmth of her chakra spread through his skin, and a feeling of relief washed over him.
But just as Ayane sighed in concern—
She muttered under her breath.
"…Who could have done this to such adorable children?"
Without hesitation, Obito shot his arm forward and pointed directly at Satoru.
"IT WAS SATORU-SENSEI!"
Ayane: "…"
Satoru: "…"
The three kids and Ayane all turned their eyes toward him at the same time.
Sweat trickled down Satoru's forehead. His eyes darted left and right, searching for an escape.
Then, out of nowhere—
He suddenly pointed at the sky and exclaimed:
"Hey, that bird over there—wow, it's huge!"
The three kids: "…???"
Ayane: "…???"
Silence.
Kakashi sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Satoru-sensei… at least put some effort into your lies."
Satoru forced a sheepish grin.
"A-Ahaha… I was just, uh, toughening them up! Right, Gai?"
Gai scratched his head, laughing awkwardly.
"Well… Sensei was trying to train us…"
Obito pouted.
"But he could've gone a little easier on us!"
Ayane turned back to Satoru, her expression softening but still carrying a hint of disapproval.
"Satoru-kun, I know you mean well, but… please don't push them too hard."
Satoru raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright. I'll be gentler next time."
A Challenge from the Steel Swordsman
After parting ways with Ayane, Satoru led the kids to the training grounds. Today's lesson was supposed to be on kunai throwing and projectile techniques, but…
He felt a sharp gaze on him.
The moment he turned around, he saw a tall, broad-shouldered man with short gray hair and a scar running across his nose. His eyes were sharp—like a blade honed to perfection.
Hoshigaki Renji.
A master swordsman. A former ANBU. Now, an advanced combat instructor at the academy.
Renji studied Satoru for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.
"Satoru… your presence today feels different. It's as if I'm looking at a seasoned swordsman."
Satoru blinked.
"Huh? Maybe I just got a good night's sleep."
Renji remained silent for a moment before placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. His voice was low but carried undeniable authority.
"I want to test your swordsmanship in a duel."
Satoru: "Hah!?"
Renji took a step forward, fingers resting lightly on his weapon.
"My blade… is trembling with excitement."
Satoru hesitated for a second, but then—
A thought crossed his mind.
This was a chance.
Despite feeling nervous, he wanted to see where he stood.
If he truly wished to grow stronger… he couldn't keep running away.
His hands clenched slightly.
Before he could respond, a soft, worried voice spoke up.
"Satoru-kun, don't accept."
Ayane approached, gently tugging at his sleeve, concern evident in her eyes.
Renji smirked.
"…Worried about him, Ayane?"
She bit her lip, then spoke firmly.
"Renji-sensei is a true swordsman. If Satoru fights you, he could get hurt."
Satoru felt a twinge of embarrassment.
His Wibu instincts kicked in at full force.
A girl—no, a beautiful girl—was holding his sleeve!?
His face turned slightly red, and he awkwardly scratched his cheek before muttering:
"I-It's fine, Ayane-sensei. I want to see my own limits. Besides, Renji-sensei is a well-respected teacher—he wouldn't cut me in half… right? Haha."
Ayane lowered her gaze and murmured softly.
"…Alright. But I'm staying to heal you both if needed."
Renji chuckled, his eyes flashing with intrigue.
"Good. Let's begin before the students arrive."
Satoru took a deep breath and stepped forward.
This was it.
(To be continued in Chapter 23 – Swords Clash, A Battle of Instincts!)