Sakura was dragging her two teammates with her towards the academy …

  She really should have known better that Jay and Sasuke wouldn't have any interest in the small party being thrown at the academy.

  But like hell she would miss the opportunity to brag, especially since that mess in Wave got her a full B rank mission that she was sure no one could beat …

  She deserved to rub it in, especially the Blond Bimbo’s face … Ino Yamanaka was always her frenemy and rival, Sakura got ahead of the Yamanaka heir in the Academy and she would show her that she would keep being ahead in the real world … beat that Ino …

  Opening the doors to the reserved restaurant, Sakura's eyes immediately scanned everyone in there.

  [Sakura] - I hope we are not late -

  She said with a small wave, approaching the rest of their ‘friends’.

  *** *** ***

  Shikamaru Nara, heir of the Nara always had a sharp pair of eyes … and with them, he could see more than most of his colleagues … his mind was sharp enough to draw conclusions and connect dots most wouldn't think of …

  That's why it didn't take long to figure out everyone in class …

  During his time at the academy, there was really only one interesting puzzle to Shikamaru poke and prod … it was one called Jay Uzumaki …

  The not quite delinquent boy was a mystery that Shikamaru felt delighted in trying to solve … a puzzle that helped him fill the day between naps and waking boredom …

  Things were always too … easy … sure the physical portions of the Academy took effort and work … but that's just physical work, nothing actually interesting, just do the motions and ignore the body's complaints until it stopped complaining and it adapted …

  Boring, predictable …

  And the less is said about the intellectual work the better, Shikamaru would never understand people like Sasuke, taking pride in being the best at something so … boring …

  But when the blond boy jumped out of a window because he was bored on the first day of the academy proper, Shikamaru felt like he was seeing a kindred soul, someone bored out of his mind looking for anything distracting … Jay Uzumaki was more than meets the eyes … he was interesting …

  Especially since Shikamaru began to draw some very pointed conclusions after his father and family started stonewalling his pursuits of answers … and that in and of itself was already a very loud answer …

  Jay Uzumaki wasn't just anyone … and Shikamaru loved a good puzzle …

  That's why he was actually looking forward to getting their senseis organized …

  Looking at the pink haired civilian that swept the first place from under Ino, Shikamaru responded.

  [Shikamaru] - Don't worry about it, we didn't start anything yet, our senseis didn't even arrive yet … -

  Shikamaru waved her away, eyes passing over Jay and Sasuke.

  [Sasuke] - Well, if we need to wait for our senseis we better get started, Kakashi sensei will be at least two hours late for this anyway … -

  Shikamaru blinked slightly, remembering who Hatake Kakashi was …

  [Shikamaru] - … Hmm … that's … -

  Shikamaru tried to find the right word.

  [Jay] - Inconvenient ? Annoying ? Disrespectful ? Troublesome ?

  Shikamaru smiled.

  [Shikamaru] - Troublesome, yes, say Jay, I'm hearing quite a commotion about you from my father. The rumor mill about the assistant to the Hokage in training keeps pointing at you … -

  Shikamaru asked in a lazy tone, but the words did have an effect on the overall chattiness of the room, as the other teams shifted their focus slightly to the new arrivals.

  ***

  Ino Yamanaka, was a Yamanaka through and through … she liked the social aspect of ninja life, she liked understanding how people thought and what made them tick … she lived knowing what buttons to push … Ino Yamanaka was used to the sensation of being the one people flocked to when looking for all of the sweetest gossip … that is why when Shikamaru of all people came to bother her about a certain blond boy delinquent … Well, Ino couldn't help but be interested …

  Seeing what they started to uncover about Jay, Ino couldn't help saying out loud.

  [Ino] - … Not only that but most people I asked, clan or not became very cagey about you Jay … something you want to share with us, maybe ? -

  Ino smiled sweetly, but she already tossed the spark to ignite the curiosity, as most of the class remembered Jay Uzumaki as the infuriating slacker that effortlessly stayed right in the middle of the classifications … an insult to everyone that had to fight tooth and nail to stay afloat in the class …

  But as always, the annoying boy just tossed it right back at her.

  [Jay] - And do the work for you ? Now that's no fun, you are a Yamanaka Ino-san, you should have better sources … -

  Ino’s eyes narrowed as she saw Sakura smile widening.

  [Sakura] - He means you should just get good Ino … -

  Ino huffed but she noticed how neither Sakura nor Sasuke seemed surprised by what was being said … Ino smiled sweetly at that, she could probe then too …

  Seeing his teammate ending her conversation, Chouji took the thread, feeding it with extra information …

  [Chouji] - Say Jay, Sorry to bring it up but my father wanted to speak with you and Kakashi about the Department of Grid something, could you talk with your sensei about it ? -

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  Chouji said with a small smile.

  ***

  Chouji was a jolly soul, and the akimichi were no different.

  After all, how could you be sad over good food ?

  But simply being jolly doesn't get you a Jounin sensei, and as a clan heir, Chouji should more than pull his weight … Chouji needed to understand the family business … because the Akimichi were more than a ninja clan, they were food merchants and the greatest workers you could ask for … after all, you would be hiring a giant to do work fit for giants …

  That meant that unlike many of the ninja clans in Konoha, the Akimichi had a good grip on the civilian side of things … and recently, Gatoh's shipping company took a hit while a new merchant was taking merchants by storm … Dog-it …

  And as a Konoha ally, many knew who the summons of that store belonged to …

  [Jay] - Sure, but he could also talk with me, I'm a co-owner after all, with the right incentive we can surely come to an agreement -

  Chouji put his bag of chips down.

  [Chouji] - Hmm, and what would the right incentive look like ? -

  [Jay] - Medical knowledge, especially on the drug making frontier fascinates me, but sadly, I'm already behind on other research and I have little time to start from zero … you get me ? -

  Chouji took another handful of chips.

  [Chouji] - I'll talk with my father … -

  They both nodded to each other, the rest of the class chat increasing in volume once more …

  Ino and Shikamaru swapped understanding looks as the Team 7 trio took their seats in the class.

  Everyone was now waiting for their respective Jounins …

  *** *** ***

  Shino Aburame sat silently besides his team …

  The position of leadership was as natural as It was uncommon for an Aburame …

  Taking command of a hive, integrating it to your body and symbiotically working together as something greater than the sum of its parts was what an Aburame did …

  But people weren't hives, so adaptation was needed …

  Hinata Hyuuga was a kind soul … too kind in Shino’s opinion. The Hyuuga were famous for their unmatched long range lethality, able to see and kill you before you even knew you were under attack, arrows that flew silently and struck true, as if guided by fate.

  But Hinata Hyuuga wasn't one of those … her heart was too kind … her arrows lacked killing power, her aim lacked killing intent. Hinata Hyuuga had an almost pathological need to look away from her targets before her arrow struck …

  Hinata Hyuuga was too kind, she should be a med-nin … she even had a talent for that, Hyuuga’s eyes and their famous chakra control made them natural at the medical arts …

  Six months training together and Shino already knew that Hinata would shine at a hospital … Thankfully their team was more focused on tracking and retrieval, she could take her time …

  Kiba Inuzuka on the other hand, was almost an unruly beast … constantly nipping at Shino's heels and challenging his spot as team leader …

  … and Shino wouldn't have it any other way. Kiba was truly an Inuzuka at heart, nothing messy about his wants and attitude, brash, painfully honest and quite a bit reckless, but Kiba was also loyal, reliable and had this gut feeling to him that Shino came to rely upon …

  That meant when Kiba got up from his chair and walked up to Jay, Shino followed his teammate's lead.

  *** *** ***

  Kiba always knew something was fishy with the blond one … it wasn't Shikamaru fishy, Kiba knew that the Nara heir was just bored out of his mind … no, Kiba could smell the bullshit in the air …

  During the academy, the instructors did nothing, and the blond one didn't even try to defend his honor, it didn't make sense to Kiba … they were the best around, they were the heirs of their clan's, every civilian should be trying their best to stick to someone … But the blond wasn't fitting in the pecking order … he felt outside their class pack …

  … Listening to what everyone else was saying about him, Kiba got tired of the subtle ways of fishing for information … if you want a fish, you should just go to the river and catch one with your hands, none of this pussyfooting …

  Kiba walked over to team Kakashi's desk and stared at Jay, trying to come up with the right question …

  [Jay] - … I know I'm pretty, but if you keep staring at me like that I'll end up blushing -

  Jay said in the most emotionless monotone Sasuke had ever witnessed, he couldn't help but snort a little.

  [Sasuke] - Cat got your tongue dog-breath ? -

  [Kiba] - Shut it pale princess, I’m trying to think … -

  [Sasuke] - So that's why it's taking so long … -

  Sasuke teased before turning his head towards the second person that came over.

  [Sasuke] - Shino-san -

  [Shino] - Sasuke-san, Sakura-san -

  Shino said acknowledging both.

  [Shino] - … excuse my teammates rudeness, he is just curious about Jay … -

  Sakura rolled her eyes, joining in the conversation.

  [Sakura] - He isn't the only one, apparently everyone in class suddenly got curious about him -

  Shino raised an eyebrow behind his reflective glasses.

  [Shino] - The rumors around him are quite unusual, you can't expect a Nara and a Yamanaka to not poke at it … though for the Akimichi are involved in it more personally … -

  Shino said slowly, but Sakura and Sasuke showed nothing …

  [Shino] - I must assume you both already know what there is to know right ? -

  Sasuke turned to Sakura, both nodding slightly.

  [Sasuke] - We know enough … -

  [Shino] - And to part with said knowledge … -

  [Sakura] - … we can be incentivized to talk … -

  Shino nodded.

  [Shino] - How one full garment of Aburame Silk … -

  Sakura eyebrows shot up to her forehead, but Sasuke remained unphased …

  [Shino] - … for the three of you … -

  The small smirk in Sasuke's lips told Shino enough, hopefully Kiba would be somewhat successful with his direct approach …

  ***

  Kiba spent a moment too much staring at Jay … so much so that his ninken companion Akamaru woke up from his nap inside Kiba’s jacket and poked his head out to also stare at Jay.

  Akamaru didn't know why he was doing it, but Kiba was doing it and that was reason enough …

  And that finally broke their stalemate.

  Jay did a small laugh at the tiny dog looking at his owner and then trying to mimic him without a second thought …

  [Jay] - Alright, alright, you won little guy, Kakashi made me have a soft spot for tiny fluffers like you, can you talk ? -

  Akamaru only barked.

  [Jay] - Hmm, must be a difference in ambient chakra, sorry little one, I’m not fluent in barks yet sadly you master here will have to do, Kiba ? -

  [Kiba] - Who are you ? … And no funny answers, you know what I'm asking about -

  Jay could see how the class lowered the volume of every parallel conversation so they could better listen …

  [Jay] - I'll give you a freebie because I liked the little guy, I’m Jay Uzumaki and I’m also Konoha's jinchuriki … -

  Jay said loud enough for most of the class to hear, but before anyone could raise further questions, the door was flung open by a joyful Maito Guy holding a resigned Kakashi Hatake by the scruff of his jounin vest like one would do a misbehaving dog.

  [Maito Guy] - GREETINGS LEAF YOUTH … -

  Behind him, three other genins went inside to take their seats.

  [Jay] - Hey Lee, looking good man -

  Jay launched a thumbs up to the first ‘friend’ he made quite a while ago …

  [Lee] - Kouhai Jay, you're looking great too -

  And to not be surpassed by his Kouhai, Rock Lee did a secret technique passed down to him from his master … the mythical youthful pose able to ignite the youth into the hearts of many …

  With a skill that told of countless hours of practice, Rock Lee, THE taijutsu apprentice … put a hand on his hips, fixed his posture, turned at the right angle and then flexed his muscles and chakra just right to perform a Tai-Genjutsu … the perfect thumbs up …

  ***

  Sasuke watched in awe one of the silliest things he had ever witnessed …

  Like the morning sun peeking through a mountain … The green clad genin was illuminated in a halo of warm morning light that came from nowhere … a sliver of that light bounced off the shining white teeth of his smiling face, in a sparkle that was, for the lack of a better word, youthful …

  The movement of the mighty thumbs up was crisp and carried enough motivation to move even the air that witnessed it in a forward breeze that made one recall a wave crashing over the sands of a beach …

  Leaving most of the class speechless except for two individuals clapping …

  [Maito Guy] - Absolutely perfect Lee, you are truly an apprentice of the YOUTHFUL WAYS -

  [Jay] - Impressive Lee, very impressive … -

  Lee blushed under the compliments before receiving a slap to the back of his head.

  [Lee] - Ten-Ten … -

  [Ten-Ten] - Go sit in a chair, Lee, Neji are already seated and we were supposed to already be here … -

  [Lee] - But Guy sensei said he needed to find his rival before we started … -

  [Ten-Ten] - He, not We … -

  [Jay] - I'm glad you guys did that, or else who knows how long we would be waiting … -

  With that, Rock Lee's enthusiasm burned brightly as he just nodded and bounced over to an empty desk beside his silent Hyuuga teammate.

  After them, another pair of Jounins filled the room … all four Jounins with a genin team able to compete in the upcoming demonstration …

  The Third Hokage’s grandson, Asuma Sarutobi and the newly promoted Genjutsu mistress Kurenai Yuhi.

  [Asuma] - You wouldn't be waiting long, Kakashi here knows he shouldn't be wasting everyone's time … so, now that everyone is here we can start with the preparations for the upcoming competition … -

  Asuma smiled, releasing a puff of smoke from the cigarette he had on his mouth … a cigarette that was promptly doused by a small water jutsu courtesy of Kurenai.

  [Kurenai] - No smoking inside … -

  Guy and Kakashi just smiled at the ‘not-couple’ before turning back to their genins … the conjoined training would do wonders for them …

  ***

  For the rest of the class, most were giving Jay sideways glances as the implications of what he said unveiled a lot of things … especially since Jinchurikis were a rather ‘known’ quantity in the elemental nations, the things that made a great village … great …

  And Jay Uzumaki was one such quantity.

  Like the ones that preceded him … Mito Uzumaki, the wife of Hashirama Senju, and Kushina Uzumaki, the bloody terror of the third ninja war and now … Jay Uzumaki …

  But that would have to wait, they had bigger things to worry about at the moment, point in case … Which team would support which team in the upcoming competition ? …

  For the genin involved, the selection has already started …

  So … the Jinchuriki thing … I honestly don’t even bother, not gonna lie …

  Everyone and their grandma knows about it already, hells, Mito Uzumaki was a VERY public figure and Kushina wasn’t exactly hidden, she WENT to Konoha for the sole purpose of being the next one … and she ALSO wasn’t hidden …

  The Third Mizukage is OPENLY a jinchuriki … Kumogakure famously has BEE and the other one … hells, only Iwa makes their jinchuriki a bit of a secret …

  So … honestly, the Kids not knowing about Naruto’s status as Jinchuriki says more about their lack of awareness than anything else … For fucks sake, they are all clan heirs, they should be better than that at the bare minimum …

  So … yeah, no one will stupidly react to an information that’s basically public knowledge in Naruto cannon (and mostly the same way here) …

  People don’t openly talk about it to their kids, leaving that as something of a ‘Respect’ thing so that Jay can tell people his own secrets …

  Clan heirs know what a jinchuriki is, they know Konoha had others before and with Jay saying he is Konoha’s new one, they just went “Shit, now things make sense” …